Plate Coral - Predatory?!

Plasma · 01/24/2010, 11:22 AM

"Sigh" - I had an unhappy morning....woke up to find my little fire fish dead and in the grasp of my plate coral.

At midnight last night all was well and the lil' fish was deep in his hidy hole...

I came out this morning to find him wrapped in the plate's tenticles...

Everything I read about the plates (even today prior to posting) suggested no such behavior...in fact to this point it didn't even appear to fancy brine shrimp...

Has anyone else experienced something similar

skip2142 · 01/24/2010, 01:05 PM

Maybe the fish had died or was dying and the plate just caught it. I would think a healthy fish would be able to outswim a coral...maybe I'm wrong.

Peter Eichler · 01/24/2010, 01:13 PM

There's no way a plate coral is going to catch and kill a somewhat healthy fish. Your fish died and the plate got ahold of it afterwards. Also, if this is a long tentacle plate they do very poorly in captivity and in the long run it also is most likely a goner.

lougotzz · 01/24/2010, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Eichler

There's no way a plate coral is going to catch and kill a somewhat healthy fish. Your fish died and the plate got ahold of it afterwards. Also, if this is a long tentacle plate they do very poorly in captivity and in the long run it also is most likely a goner.

Why do they do poorly in captivity?

Peter Eichler · 01/24/2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lougotzz

Why do they do poorly in captivity?

Their care and problems seem similar to Goniopora. Very easily damaged and don't ship very well as a result, if they make it past the initial phase in captivity some waste away slowly which is diet related most likely. They also don't do well in high flow which is the norm with most reef tanks nowadays.

stubby 58 · 01/24/2010, 02:52 PM

I agree that the fish was either dead or in a weaken state that it drifted over to the plate . I have a short tentacle (fungia) and have had my clowns steal food right out of it's mouth . I hand feed mine once a wk with chunks of shrimp or squid . Learned to feed it then put the top of a soda bottle over it so the clowns can't get to the food .

stubby

ocmikep · 01/24/2010, 07:50 PM

I had the same thing happen. My Plate Coral killed my clown, my 6 line wrasse, and my fire fish all in a matter of 2 days. They all ended up with sting marks and died quickley there after. I didn't want to believe it but I watched it grab the fire fish, saw the sting marks immediatley afterward. I couldn't beleive it and neither could anyne else that I told about it. I ended up trading the Plate Coral to someone else and it is doing great. Although his fish are all much bigger than mine.

Good luck!

stubby 58 · 01/24/2010, 08:01 PM

Was it a long tentacle or short , and I believe there are some that walk . Like I said before mine is a short tentacle and has never done this size is about 3" when the mouth is open it is all most 1/2 " across .

stubby

GoingPostal · 01/24/2010, 08:03 PM

I had to remove a yellow clown goby because it wouldn't stop sitting on my plate and irritating the heck out of it. That was a pretty tiny fish just hanging out on it with no problems.

SeanT · 01/24/2010, 08:05 PM

Kinda hard to believe that a clown, who is immune to an anemone's nematocysts, would be felled by a plate coral.

01/24/2010, 11:22 AM	#1
Plasma Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Poughkeepsie, New York Posts: 28	Plate Coral - Predatory?! "Sigh" - I had an unhappy morning....woke up to find my little fire fish dead and in the grasp of my plate coral. At midnight last night all was well and the lil' fish was deep in his hidy hole... I came out this morning to find him wrapped in the plate's tenticles... Everything I read about the plates (even today prior to posting) suggested no such behavior...in fact to this point it didn't even appear to fancy brine shrimp... Has anyone else experienced something similar Last edited by Plasma; 01/24/2010 at 11:22 AM. Reason: spelling and context

01/24/2010, 01:05 PM	#2
skip2142 Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Glen Allen, Va Posts: 375	Maybe the fish had died or was dying and the plate just caught it. I would think a healthy fish would be able to outswim a coral...maybe I'm wrong. __________________ Skip Don't take life so seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway. Current Tank Info: Finnex 30 gallon.

01/24/2010, 08:03 PM	#9
GoingPostal Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,517	I had to remove a yellow clown goby because it wouldn't stop sitting on my plate and irritating the heck out of it. That was a pretty tiny fish just hanging out on it with no problems. __________________ Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a child look like a deer. *Jack Handey

01/24/2010, 08:05 PM	#10
SeanT Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Wilmington, North Carolina Posts: 13,860	Kinda hard to believe that a clown, who is immune to an anemone's nematocysts, would be felled by a plate coral. __________________ My tank was cool. Current Tank Info: Barebottom (the tank not me...at least not at the moment).

01/24/2010, 01:13 PM	#3
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	There's no way a plate coral is going to catch and kill a somewhat healthy fish. Your fish died and the plate got ahold of it afterwards. Also, if this is a long tentacle plate they do very poorly in captivity and in the long run it also is most likely a goner.

01/24/2010, 02:52 PM	#6
stubby 58 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ama TX Posts: 217	I agree that the fish was either dead or in a weaken state that it drifted over to the plate . I have a short tentacle (fungia) and have had my clowns steal food right out of it's mouth . I hand feed mine once a wk with chunks of shrimp or squid . Learned to feed it then put the top of a soda bottle over it so the clowns can't get to the food . stubby

01/24/2010, 07:50 PM	#7
ocmikep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Foothill Ranch, CA Posts: 59	I had the same thing happen. My Plate Coral killed my clown, my 6 line wrasse, and my fire fish all in a matter of 2 days. They all ended up with sting marks and died quickley there after. I didn't want to believe it but I watched it grab the fire fish, saw the sting marks immediatley afterward. I couldn't beleive it and neither could anyne else that I told about it. I ended up trading the Plate Coral to someone else and it is doing great. Although his fish are all much bigger than mine. Good luck!

01/24/2010, 08:01 PM	#8
stubby 58 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ama TX Posts: 217	Was it a long tentacle or short , and I believe there are some that walk . Like I said before mine is a short tentacle and has never done this size is about 3" when the mouth is open it is all most 1/2 " across . stubby