Goby Stuck in IM Nuvo 20 Back Chamber

[nautical_nathaniel]

Hey everyone,

I have a 1.5" Yellow Watchman Goby that has somehow managed to squeeze it's way through my overflow, through a filter chamber, around the IM Ghost Protein Skimmer, and into the big middle chamber where I keep my heater, ATO switch and return pump. If you aren't familiar with this portion of the tank, it looks like an upside down "T". Well the goby likes to hang out in one wing of that T and I can't get a net or my hand in there to get him out.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced this sort of predicament before and what they used to get the fish out alive. I've been feeding him a few flakes and he will eat them, but as soon as I put the net in the chamber he goes straight for the part where I can't get to him. I've tried taking 1/2" tubing and sucking/siphoning him out but that gets fairly messy and I'm pretty sure I will never get him doing that.

I'm considering just letting him stay in there until he swims up and goes into my one empty chamber or gets into one of my filter baskets, but that doesn't seem very humane and his pistol shrimp misses him haha I may also try to find a small bottle to build a bottle trap with and stick that down there with some food in it.

 

[Dsnakes]

That's the tank that I have, I know things are tight in the back. I was going to suggest siphoning...until I read further and saw you attempted. Maybe you can block the bottom sections of chamber with something to take away his hiding spots?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

That's the tank that I have, I know things are tight in the back. I was going to suggest siphoning...until I read further and saw you attempted. Maybe you can block the bottom sections of chamber with something to take away his hiding spots?

That does sound like an option, I'll have to rummage around my various junk drawers and try to find some plastic or something that I can cut into big enough pieces to cover those sections