HELP!!!!! Snowflake Eel trapped in overflow

[RealWorld]

Hi All, my 30 inch snowflake eel went missing and I found him today at the bottom of my overflow box. The problem is that my overflow box is rather tall ( 42”) and I can’t get a net to the bottom of it. Does anyone have any ideas on how best to recover him. I tried to get some food to him while he was sitting at the bottom of the overflow, but he’s not interested at all as he seems quite stressed. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[TxReefer21]

Hi All, my 30 inch snowflake eel went missing and I found him today at the bottom of my overflow box. The problem is that my overflow box is rather tall ( 42”) and I can’t get a net to the bottom of it. Does anyone have any ideas on how best to recover him. I tried to get some food to him while he was sitting at the bottom of the overflow, but he’s not interested at all as he seems quite stressed. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Sorry to hear. My snowflake eel did the same thing in my tank. Net was too big to get in back of chamber. Ended up having to scoop him out by hand and hold on tight lol the are slimy and will get out of your hand ! You could fish him out by hand and get him into net possibly?

 

[blaxsun]

How'd he get into the overflow box? Maybe you can bait him near the surface with some food and net him?

 

[workhz]

Don’t take this as definitive or anything because I’ve never had an eel. Find someone with long arms and some rubbery gloves.

I’m thinking plastic balls or bags of sand to drop into the overflow to create a floor. Keep adding whatever that is till the eel gets higher and higher.

What would happen if you remove the drain pipe? Would the eel fall into the sump or is it too fat to fit into the drain hole?

Again, just thinking out loud here.

 

[Isopod80]

Duct tape the net to a broomstick a net him out. I doubt you have 42" long arms. Lol

 

[workhz]

Duct tape the net to a broomstick a net him out. I doubt you have 42" long arms. Lol

That’s a better idea. Extending the net is the simplest if the net actually fits down there.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Hi, I helped brainstorm a similar situation with a clown fish going over and into the overflow. Purchase a bunch of marbles…yes, marbles. Begin to put the marbles down into the overflow and before too long your eel will be within reach as the floor of the overflow rises. It may just swim or jump back into your tank. Good luck! Hope this works.

 

[Isopod80]

That’s a better idea. Extending the net is the simplest if the net actually fits down there.

They could temporarily bend the net into more of a 90° then coax him in with another broomstick.

 

[flagg37]

I think you may have to remove all the plumbing. That really sucks.

My eel was always more active at night. He may try and crawl out on his own but if he does it when you’re not watching he could end up on the floor.

 

[RealWorld]

I haven’t tried removing the drain pipe as I didn’t know that was an option. I thought it was affixed there permanently. I will give that a try. It sure how I would force him to go down the hole though.

 

[RealWorld]

Don’t take this as definitive or anything because I’ve never had an eel. Find someone with long arms and some rubbery gloves.

I’m thinking plastic balls or bags of sand to drop into the overflow to create a floor. Keep adding whatever that is till the eel gets higher and higher.

What would happen if you remove the drain pipe? Would the eel fall into the sump or is it too fat to fit into the drain hole?

Again, just thinking out loud here.

Good ideas!!! I’ll try removing the drain pipe tmrw though not sure how I would force to go down the hole.

 

[RealWorld]

How'd he get into the overflow box? Maybe you can bait him near the surface with some food and net him?

No idea how he got in there!!! He must have crawled over …. Very bizarre.

 

[RealWorld]

How'd he get into the overflow box? Maybe you can bait him near the surface with some food and net him?

No idea how he got in there!!! He must have crawled over …. Very bizarre.

 

[RealWorld]

I think you may have to remove all the plumbing. That really sucks.

My eel was always more active at night. He may try and crawl out on his own but if he does it when you’re not watching he could end up on the floor.

He can’t fall on the floor as the top of the tank is enclosed with cabinet doors.

 

[RealWorld]

Hi, I helped brainstorm a similar situation with a clown fish going over and into the overflow. Purchase a bunch of marbles…yes, marbles. Begin to put the marbles down into the overflow and before too long your eel will be within reach as the floor of the overflow rises. It may just swim or jump back into your tank. Good luck! Hope this works.

Interesting idea!!! It will take lots of marbles to raise him up though. This is a 450 gal tank and the two overflows are 8”X10”x42”…… he is sitting way at the bottom of the darn overflow.

 

[workhz]

I’d just be careful about the drain pipe in case he doesn’t go down the hole and now you have no water.

I’m thinking the other thing you can do is maybe tie string around the lid of a container or any other piece of plastic. Drop it so it forms a floor and then pull up the eel like he’s on an elevator.

 

[workhz]

Or shop vac

 

[RealWorld]

I’d just be careful about the drain pipe in case he doesn’t go down the hole and now you have no water.

I’m thinking the other thing you can do is maybe tie string around the lid of a container or any other piece of plastic. Drop it so it forms a floor and then pull up the eel like he’s on an elevator.

 

[RealWorld]

Ohh!!!! I really like this idea!!!

 

[Marten]

I don't know how long the eel has been in your overflow or how much room you have in there, but what I would try to do is make a trap out of a taller water bottle and place some of it's favorite food in there and make sure you put some holes on the bottom of the bottle so the water can rush out of it when you pull it up with some fishing line or the like. Hopefully the eel with be to busy with the food and stay in the bottle long enough for you to get it out.