There's been a murder.

chubby190 · 01/05/2010, 07:54 AM

This morning I woke up to find that my green long tentacle anemone moved from his spot last night, and somehow caught and killed my powder brown tang. Is this common? I didn't think any anemone would mess with a fish this size. The powder brown tang was about 3.5" in length. Should I worry about my clown now too?

Playa-1 · 01/05/2010, 08:10 AM

I think you should test your water parameters. My guess is that the Anemone got a hold of a sick fish. The Anemones will move when ever they decide to. It may or may not be related to water quality and/or flow.
Should I worry about my clown now too?
Not so much from the Anemone, but from disease and/or parasites, if you don't QT.

IslandCrow · 01/05/2010, 10:18 AM

I'm with Playa on this one. It seems very unlikely that an anemone could kill a healthy fish of that size, so it may not be so much a murder as a mercy killing. Although it's certainly not impossible for an anemone to kill a clownfish, it's extremely unlikely if the clown is healthy (and still not very likely even if the clown is not all that healthy).

spleify · 01/05/2010, 10:21 AM

I agree with the others. Its likely that the tang was previously sick and/or was dieing or already dead when the anemone got ahold of it.

Sorry for your loss.

Good luck

Nanz · 01/05/2010, 01:17 PM

Its only murder if there was intent to kill, hehe

I agree... I suspect the anemone was just doing some cleanup.

jauld · 01/05/2010, 01:59 PM

I dont know if powder tangs are very similar to blue hippos, but my friend had one that when the lights went out and it was time for fish sleepy time, we would sometimes see it rolling around on the sand bed in the current. It wasnt dead, it was just sleeping and was perfectly fine in the morning. If this happened to your tang, he could have gone with the flow right into that anemone's mouth.

A more likely story would be that the anemone crawled right over the entrance of the den of your tang and was trapped until stung/poisoned/suffocated or w/e it is that anemone do.

Hollywood1 · 01/05/2010, 02:04 PM

wow very interesting

romsoccer12 · 01/05/2010, 03:19 PM

jauld, a healthy fish wouldve been able to swim out even if it wounded up swimming in it by mistake while sleeping.

lordofthereef · 01/05/2010, 03:30 PM

Professor Plum in the reading room with the candle stick.

jauld · 01/05/2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Professor Plum in the reading room with the candle stick.

thanks for the lol.

bertoni · 01/05/2010, 06:48 PM

I think that anemone is large enough to take down a fair-sized fish, personally, and am not all that surprised. The fish might have been sick, though.

chubby190 · 01/08/2010, 09:28 PM

Well to let you know what a newby I am to tanks... I bought the brown powder tang from a local fish store. When I asked the owner, the expert, about the ich on the fish, he said it was, "absolutely normal and every good reef system has ich." Well the ich killed that tang, and the anemone fed on him. The ich then killed my clownfish this morning.

I am gathering gasoline and rags right now to pay that fish store a visit. I'll say, "every good fish store has fire..."

Sisterlimonpot · 01/08/2010, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Professor Plum in the reading room with the candle stick.

I was thinking the same thing when I read the title.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubby190

Well to let you know what a newby I am to tanks... I bought the brown powder tang from a local fish store. When I asked the owner, the expert, about the ich on the fish, he said it was, "absolutely normal and every good reef system has ich." Well the ich killed that tang, and the anemone fed on him. The ich then killed my clownfish this morning.

I am gathering gasoline and rags right now to pay that fish store a visit. I'll say, "every good fish store has fire..."

Maybe we'll keep this for evidence.

I have to agree that there's something wrong with your tank. Do you have any other fish in the tank?

Not all tanks have ich, if you follow the suggestions of playa and QT everything it is quite simple to keep a tank free of ich.
But I think that there are many more tanks out there that have ich and don't know it because their fish are healthy enough to not show signs.

bertoni · 01/08/2010, 10:44 PM

I'd stay out of that fish store, now and forever. That's just too low, IMO.

01/05/2010, 10:18 AM	#3
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	I'm with Playa on this one. It seems very unlikely that an anemone could kill a healthy fish of that size, so it may not be so much a murder as a mercy killing. Although it's certainly not impossible for an anemone to kill a clownfish, it's extremely unlikely if the clown is healthy (and still not very likely even if the clown is not all that healthy). __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

01/05/2010, 10:21 AM	#4
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	I agree with the others. Its likely that the tang was previously sick and/or was dieing or already dead when the anemone got ahold of it. Sorry for your loss. Good luck __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

01/05/2010, 01:17 PM	#5
Nanz Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,389	Its only murder if there was intent to kill, hehe I agree... I suspect the anemone was just doing some cleanup. __________________ S.G. = 1.025, Temp = 78.5, pH = 8.00 Ca = 550 ppm, Alk = 176 ppm (9.85 dKH), Mg = 1300 ppm NO3 = 0.97 ppm, PO4 = 0.07 ppm Nuvo 30, Razor Nano LED, Tunze ATO, Tunze 9004 skimmer, Vortec mp10,

01/05/2010, 01:59 PM	#6
jauld Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 194	I dont know if powder tangs are very similar to blue hippos, but my friend had one that when the lights went out and it was time for fish sleepy time, we would sometimes see it rolling around on the sand bed in the current. It wasnt dead, it was just sleeping and was perfectly fine in the morning. If this happened to your tang, he could have gone with the flow right into that anemone's mouth. A more likely story would be that the anemone crawled right over the entrance of the den of your tang and was trapped until stung/poisoned/suffocated or w/e it is that anemone do. Last edited by jauld; 01/05/2010 at 02:33 PM.

01/05/2010, 03:19 PM	#8
romsoccer12 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: ohio Posts: 2,625	jauld, a healthy fish wouldve been able to swim out even if it wounded up swimming in it by mistake while sleeping. __________________ Colin R Current Tank Info: 3rd tank working fine!(29gal oceanic biocube) 5-6months old

01/05/2010, 08:10 AM	#2
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	I think you should test your water parameters. My guess is that the Anemone got a hold of a sick fish. The Anemones will move when ever they decide to. It may or may not be related to water quality and/or flow. Should I worry about my clown now too? Not so much from the Anemone, but from disease and/or parasites, if you don't QT.

01/05/2010, 02:04 PM	#7
Hollywood1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 52	wow very interesting

01/05/2010, 03:30 PM	#9
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Professor Plum in the reading room with the candle stick. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

01/05/2010, 06:48 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I think that anemone is large enough to take down a fair-sized fish, personally, and am not all that surprised. The fish might have been sick, though. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/08/2010, 09:28 PM	#12
chubby190 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 60	Well to let you know what a newby I am to tanks... I bought the brown powder tang from a local fish store. When I asked the owner, the expert, about the ich on the fish, he said it was, "absolutely normal and every good reef system has ich." Well the ich killed that tang, and the anemone fed on him. The ich then killed my clownfish this morning. I am gathering gasoline and rags right now to pay that fish store a visit. I'll say, "every good fish store has fire..."

01/08/2010, 10:44 PM	#14
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd stay out of that fish store, now and forever. That's just too low, IMO. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni