how to catch a damsel- life saver!!

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   So. I recently overcame one of THE MOST frustrating situations that I have ever dealt with. DAMSELS! two of them to be specific... damsels that started out cute and yellow and non aggressive and turned into giant black jerks who would attack any new fish, one to the point of death by stress. After thinking about it for weeks and trying for days, I finally found the perfect damsel trap. I read forum after forum with crazy suggestions like draining the tank to catch them, or catching them with a fishing hook ( I did like this idea, but my bigger beefier fish would probably beat them to it )... so after destroying my rock setup trying to net them, making a soda bottle trap that they had no interest in, to borrowing an actual fish trap with absolutely no luck.... I found one suggestion. a mirror! these little suckers are soo aggressive that if you put a mirror in the tank... they will go at it like noones business. now, while this wasn't enough of a distraction to net em, it led to a whole new idea. We put a mirror at the back of the DIY soda bottle trap. after trial and error.. still not trapping them with the funnel inside, too much turbulence trying to pull it out.. etc, we cut some holes in the bottom (not big enough for the fish to escape out of, just big enough to get rid of some of the turbulence ) and tied some fishing line to the top. We also had a larger mirror in the tank next to the trap that they would pester at.. I think thats what got them interested in the mirror to begin with. anyways, it took a couple of tries, but fish swims in,,, a quick pull up to the top of the tank and boom! trapped fish. I feel so accomplished and want to share with the world so noone else goes through what i have to catch the darn things. 

happy fishing! 