Fish stuck in overflow..

[Bthomas]

I know not really an emergency but one of my clownfish has gotten into my overflow chamber somehow. Other posts I've been reading have said to pull the standpipe and let the fish fall to the sump.. Not an option in my case as the standpipe is glued to the bulkhead.
Can't maneuver a net in there with the pipes plus the chamber is too deep and he just goes to the bottom when I try anyway and then I can't reach him.

I think my only option is to raise the water level so that the fish can swim out on its own but how can I do that..

I do have a valve on that drain line but not on the other drain line so I could close off the one that he's stuck in and add water into the tank but the other overflow is still going to drain unless I have a way of keeping water out of that chamber..
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[Flippers4pups]

Does you overflow box have a up flow panel?

 

[Bthomas]

Does you overflow box have a up flow panel?

Gonna go out on a limb and say no? Not sure what that is

 

[TessGlo]

This is going to sound weird but it worked for me when this happened with one of my wrasse. I used old dry filter sponges (I had quite a few) and pressed them firmly into the bottom half of the overflow using a long pair of tweezers while carefully avoiding the fish. This forced the fish to the top half of the overflow where it was easier to grab him with a net or cup. Perhaps you have something similar you could use. Good luck!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Panel would have slots at the bottom of the overflow. The panel can be pulled up to give the clown room to swim out.

 

[Bthomas]

Panel would have slots at the bottom of the overflow. The panel can be pulled up to give the clown room to swim out.

Ah no such luck. It does have slots at the bottom but it's a double wall type thing, no panel that moves

 

[looneywun]

clog up the drains with a rag and it will over flow over

 

[cracker]

Ok , so are the u's on top removable? Try shutting off the valve & raising the water. for just a while. I bet the tank would be ok maybe you might chase the captive clown out with a spoon maybe?
@loooneywun is right plug the holes You really don't want the little guy to get trapped in
one of those drains.

 

[Robert McCreary]

did it work?

 

[TheEngineer]

Can you get your arm down there? That’s what I’ve done for wrasses in the overflow.

 

[Bthomas]

Can you get your arm down there? That’s what I’ve done for wrasses in the overflow.

Cannot get my arm down there, it's too deep I can only reach maybe halfway down it..

I'm at work tonight so I'll be messing with this tomorrow. My only option is going to be getting the water level up over that chamber somehow

 

[TheEngineer]

Ok. I’d go the opposite direction. Drain most of the water from the overflow. Use a longer net and a stick to force the clown toward and eventually into the net.

 

[Bthomas]

Ok. I’d go the opposite direction. Drain most of the water from the overflow. Use a longer net and a stick to force the clown toward and eventually into the net.

Not sure this would work either.. One I don't have a longer net but also its so hard to see down to the bottom of the overflow (tank is so tall and with canopy its hard to get over that far to see in)

 

[TheEngineer]

Got a stick and some tape. :)

I think the odds of the fish going over the overflow are pretty low to be honest. It’s worth a shot I suppose but I’d be ready for plan B.

 

[Bthomas]

Got a stick and some tape. :)

I think the odds of the fish going over the overflow are pretty low to be honest. It’s worth a shot I suppose but I’d be ready for plan B.

U don't think he'd swim over if there was room? He has been coming to the top of the water he just darts back down as soon as I come at him with a net.
I will be ready to try plan b but if I can get the water level to rise without much issue and he swims over that will definitely be the easier option I think

 

[Robert McCreary]

you need a desk lamp, a bent net into a V and some food that he will eat (like a cube of mysis shrimp still frozen for him to play with then just try and scoop him up. go to the dollar store and get a net and bend it to the shape that will work. in my evo a clown got stuck in the bottom of the 2nd chamber it was very tricky getting him out but thats what i had to do.

 

[TheEngineer]

U don't think he'd swim over if there was room? He has been coming to the top of the water he just darts back down as soon as I come at him with a net.
I will be ready to try plan b but if I can get the water level to rise without much issue and he swims over that will definitely be the easier option I think

Definitely think you should try it. Just not sure there will be enough space for the fish to want to swim over it.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Can we get a better picture of the overflow? Do you have enough room to fill the tank to the rim without overflowing the tank? It's risky to do, I know, but can work if there's around an inch for the clown to swim out.

There's a member here @Dsnakes, that had the same problem with a clown in their overflow, but they had the removable panel. They removed the panel and closed off their drains. Filled the tank up to the rim and the clown swam out.

 

[Flippers4pups]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/good-morning.336291/page-21

About mid thread on this page. 21-22.

 

[lapin]

Maybe;
Clowns will swim to the top when sleeping a lot of time. You can use a flash light covered with red cellophane. Tape a stick to your net and leave it in the overflow. When he swims to the top net him out. If you were on the coast you could get a slurp gun at the dive store and suck him out. Maybe you could siphon him out with a hose into a bucket?