Blue Hippo in overflow

ChuckG · #1 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 01:57 AM

I came home today to find that my blue hippo is in the overflow. I guess it could have been worse and she could have jumped out instead of into the overflow. I don't know of an easy way to get anything out of the overflow. I've had this happen twice before with other fish. Nets don't work because the fish just hide behind a tube. What I ended up doing the other times is lifting the durso out of the box and just letting the water drain and suck the fish through and then catch it in a net.

This fish looks about the size of the drain hole so I'm not sure she would easily flush.

The only other option I can think of is to cap the end of the overflow where it dumps into the sump before I pull the tube so that the overflow wouldn't drain. I've never tried to pull out the return tube that runs back up through the overflow but I assume that it would pull out as well. Then I could probably use a net since the tubes wouldn't be in the way.

Any other options?

My only other dilemna is do I do something now simply because these fish are prone to stress related illnesses or should I let things be until tomorrow? Tomorrow, I'm tearing down this entire system and this fish is headed back to the LFS even though she's a beauty.

**phlounder** · #2 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 02:20 AM

If you are tearing the whole thing down tomorrow and the fish is difficult to get to now, I would think it would be ok until tomorrow. Does it looks stressed out? I wouldn't think it would be any more stressful than making a trip across the ocean in a plastic bag.

apologeticlies · #3 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 02:59 AM

i agree with gary... leave it be until tomorrow

no use in freaking it out trying to get it out tonight, then freaking it out trying to get it outa the tank tomorrow

ChuckG · #4 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 03:14 AM

My feeling was to leave her till tomorrow as well. She still has good color and everything. She even ate when I dropped some Spectrum Thera-A pellets down to her. I'll freak her out tomorrow.

apologeticlies · #5 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 03:15 AM

ya...let her get some sleep, then freak her out tomorrow

**phlounder** · #6 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 03:19 AM

You are lucky it landed in the overflow and not on the floor. I had a 6 inch Hippo jump out of my old 200. Lucky for him I was standing in front of the tank and quickly returned him to the tank. He never did do that again.

**L.Baldrey** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 12:53 PM

I found a watchman goby a month after I thought he was dead when I was cleaning the prefilter box of my skimmer...Hes back in the tank and doing fine !

I dont know what he ate or how he survived.

olsaltybastard · #8 (**permalink**) 01-14-2007, 05:22 AM

I just fished my Bar Goby out of the overflow for the second time. I shut off the main pump, pull the drain tube out, and pulled it out with my hand. Hid behind the rock for the rest of the day and was his usual self the next. Goby is a SLIPPERY fish!!

ChuckG · #9 (**permalink**) 01-14-2007, 01:42 PM

I got her out yesterday. There was a valve already on the return line so I just closed it. I had to make a special trip to HD to pick up a 1.5" PVC cap to plug the outlet into the fuge. Once capped I just pulled the return line and the durso from the overflow box and I was easily able to get a net down it to get her. I took her down to the LFS since I'm not keeping her while I redo my system. Instead of getting half price credit for the fish, one of the workers gave me half price cash for her and she went to a new good home last night. I was glad of that. I don't particularly think this LFS takes the greatest of care with their fish tanks.

apologeticlies · #10 (**permalink**) 01-14-2007, 02:16 PM

glad she got outa there safe and happy!