Eel is stuck - cant get him out

[FishNoob323]

My white ribbon eel managed to get into the back of my bio cube. He is at the bottom of a deep narrow section where the aquarium water come in before being filtered. Waited overnight to see if he could find his way back but he is still there. Often see him trying to reach over to get back but cant make the jump. Have tried scooping him out with all kinds of utensils but he is so long he just slips back into the chamber. Afraid he might die back there if from nothing else just because he cant swim around or move much. Any clever tricks to scoop him out?

 

[ndrwater]

Small net, or.. entice him out with some of his favorite food.

 

[reef lover]

Tongs or chop sticks...

 

[VinnyButch]

shut off the filter. the water will rise in all of the chambers. that should make it easier to get hold of him

 

[lion king]

Don't try and get hold of him, use two stick like tools. Use one as a ramp to go up towards the display, use the other to herd him up the ramp and into the display. Have your net ready if he decides to go over the edge towards the floor instead.

 

[Phycodurus]

how’s the eel??

thought that just popped into my head: take a length of wide OD plastic tubing long enough from tip to tip to reach into almost the bottom of that chamber and the other end back into the tank - - the OD being however wide that chamber is. fill that tube with water & secure it well at both ends.

if the eel was inquisitive enough to wander into the back chamber of the biocube, hopefully he’ll check out the submerged tube and swim up, over and back into the tank. (i hope i explained that well??).

the siphon should pose no danger of overflowing tank-side or chamber-side if i’ve brainstormed this correctly.

maybe some shrimp at the end of the tank-side tube will catch the eel’s attention. :D