Hermit Killed my Clown...

[Conrad0032]

So I got two hermit crabs and five snails yesterday. I got a scarlet hermit and a zebra hermit. The scarlet is about an inch long and the zebra is about a quarter inch or less... What I am wondering is which of these killed my clownfish he was only about an inch long, maybe a bit longer). I found him dead on the bottom of my tank with some kind of white goopy stuff coming out of him and a gash in his head... Also to add, my zebra was found on the sand hiding in his shell with the same whit egoopy stuff on him. So.... i really don't know if a 1/4 inch hermit can kill a 1.25inch clown >.>

Should i return both my hermits? Should I just have no crabs in my tank?

This has been a horrible first experience =/. My first crabs killed my first fish >.>

[snarkes]

Its more likely that the fish died for some other reason and the hermits were eating the carcass...

[Floowid]

I really doubt your hermit crabs killed your clown fish. Don't blame the clean up crew when you catch them in the act of cleaning up.

How new is your tank?

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Floowid

I really doubt your hermit crabs killed your clown fish. Don't blame the clean up crew when you catch them in the act of cleaning up.

How new is your tank?

Went well till now lol. Not going to give up guess I'll be fishless for a little bit (4-7 days) and then buy another clown or some other hardy fish like a chromis or something.

I guess that could be a possibility that the hermits were just cleaning up my dead fish =/. Ideas what could have killed my clown then? Just seems that since my hermit was as big as my clown that it could have been a good chance that it was them.

[Floowid]

Originally Posted by Conrad0032

Went well till now lol. Not going to give up guess I'll be fishless for a little bit (4-7 days) and then buy another clown or some other hardy fish like a chromis or something.

I guess that could be a possibility that the hermits were just cleaning up my dead fish =/. Ideas what could have killed my clown then? Just seems that since my hermit was as big as my clown that it could have been a good chance that it was them.

We would need more information before we can make a determination on the clown. How new is your tank, how long has it been running? Do you have any test kits and are you testing the parameters? If so, what are they? How big is the tank, what kind of filtration are you using, and how often are you doing water changes? I have more questions, but these few should do for now.

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Floowid

We would need more information before we can make a determination on the clown. How new is your tank, how long has it been running? Do you have any test kits and are you testing the parameters? If so, what are they? How big is the tank, what kind of filtration are you using, and how often are you doing water changes? I have more questions, but these few should do for now.

Been running about two months now.

Using red sea testing kit

ammonia are at 0 or .01 idk tough to tell for me
Nitite at .01 or 0, again tough to tell
Nitrates are around about 5-10ppm
PH is at roughly 8.2 or 8.3
Salinity at 1.035

My tank is a biocube 29

I am using purigen, filter floss (replaced each second day), a sponge, and live rock. Getting chaeto for a fuge and going to run carbon soon.

I have done 3 water changes so far in the two month. All three roughly a 4-5 gallon water change.

[snarkes]

Originally Posted by Floowid

We would need more information before we can make a determination on the clown. How new is your tank, how long has it been running? Do you have any test kits and are you testing the parameters? If so, what are they? How big is the tank, what kind of filtration are you using, and how often are you doing water changes? I have more questions, but these few should do for now.

Other good questions are.. .how long was the fish in the tank? How did you acclimate them? where did you get them from?

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by snarkes

Other good questions are.. .how long was the fish in the tank? How did you acclimate them? where did you get them from?

Fish has been in the tank since July 14th, 2010.

I did indeed acclimate them using the bag method. Took about 40 minutes.

I got him from my LFS. Looked bright, healthy, no white spots, no heavy breathing, and no cuts on fins.

[Floowid]

I assume that salinity of 1.035 is a typo, if not, I believe we have a culprit.

[snarkes]

Originally Posted by Conrad0032

Fish has been in the tank since July 14th, 2010.

I did indeed acclimate them using the bag method. Took about 40 minutes.

I got him from my LFS. Looked bright, healthy, no white spots, no heavy breathing, and no cuts on fins.

Bag method? Whats that?

Most advocate the drip acclimation method here and online and usually at the LFS; however, I've actually gone to the acclimate the bag to the temp, net the fish and throw it in.

Maybe thats the bag method you're talking about? I've not lost a fish to this method since I switched from the drip method. And to be honest... this is what most fish stores do anyways.

[mthomp]

salinity 1.035 found your problem. surprised anything is alive....1.025-.026 is where it should be if you want coral, can be lower if it is fish only.

also why so much filtration?

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Floowid

I assume that salinity of 1.035 is a typo, if not, I believe we have a culprit.

Yes it is a typo. I mean 1.0235. Used a refractometer so rpetty accurate.

Originally Posted by snarkes

Bag method? Whats that?

Most advocate the drip acclimation method here and online and usually at the LFS; however, I've actually gone to the acclimate the bag to the temp, net the fish and throw it in.

Maybe thats the bag method you're talking about? I've not lost a fish to this method since I switched from the drip method. And to be honest... this is what most fish stores do anyways.

Where you float the bag in water and then just put half cup of water in every 5-10min till full then dump half out repeat one more time and your finished.

Originally Posted by mthomp

salinity 1.035 found your problem. surprised anything is alive....1.025-.026 is where it should be if you want coral, can be lower if it is fish only

I meant 1.0235 I'm sorry. I use a refractometer btw so it's pretty accurate.

[Floowid]

Originally Posted by snarkes

Bag method? Whats that?

Most advocate the drip acclimation method here and online and usually at the LFS; however, I've actually gone to the acclimate the bag to the temp, net the fish and throw it in.

Maybe thats the bag method you're talking about? I've not lost a fish to this method since I switched from the drip method. And to be honest... this is what most fish stores do anyways.

The bag method means you float the bag for about 10 minutes, then pour out about 25% of the bags water (into a bucket of course) and replace it with tank water. Float for another 10 minutes, pour out 50% of the water and replace with tank water. Float for another 10 mintues, pour out 75% of the bag and replace with tank water. Wait another ten minutes, catch the fish out of the bag and release into the tank.

And no, the fish store I worked at drip acclimated everything, but bag acclimation is ok for hardy fish.

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Floowid

The bag method means you float the bag for about 10 minutes, then pour out about 25% of the bags water (into a bucket of course) and replace it with tank water. Float for another 10 minutes, pour out 50% of the water and replace with tank water. Float for another 10 mintues, pour out 75% of the bag and replace with tank water. Wait another ten minutes, catch the fish out of the bag and release into the tank.

And no, the fish store I worked at drip acclimated everything, but bag acclimation is ok for hardy fish.

I'd assume clownfish are hardy LOL. So yea. I plan on buying a valve so I can use drip acclimation without tying knots everywhere in my hose thing... lol

[eric@tampa]

Possible crab hidden in live rock?

[Floowid]

From the 14th to the 19th is not a very long run, even in dog years. I would bet there was something wrong with the fish from the beginning, given that all your tank parameters look good. Was he the only fish you bought that day? Do you trust the store you bought it from? When a fish dies a couple days after you take it home, and you don't suspect your tank, you can sometimes suspect that the fish was collected using cyanide.

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Floowid

From the 14th to the 19th is not a very long run, even in dog years. I would bet there was something wrong with the fish from the beginning, given that all your tank parameters look good. Was he the only fish you bought that day? Do you trust the store you bought it from? When a fish dies a couple days after you take it home, and you don't suspect your tank, you can sometimes suspect that the fish was collected using cyanide.

Yes he was the only fish I bought that day, and my whole life =P.

I do not know if I trust the store they seem to have tangs and triggerfish in 55gallon tanks (several of them), so that seems a bit odd to me. However they feed all their fish live brine and seem to treat them well. All their fish look healthy to me except for one that was like being eating by a hermit and just sat there lol. But he then later swam off slowly. So there is no possibility of my hermit attacking my fish?

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Floowid

From the 14th to the 19th is not a very long run, even in dog years. I would bet there was something wrong with the fish from the beginning, given that all your tank parameters look good. Was he the only fish you bought that day? Do you trust the store you bought it from? When a fish dies a couple days after you take it home, and you don't suspect your tank, you can sometimes suspect that the fish was collected using cyanide.

I agree.

if he had SG, PH, ammonia or Oxygen ISsues, the crabs would have gone much faster lol

let the tank cycle a couple more days so u see no trace of ammonia and try again.

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by Allmost

I agree.

if he had SG, PH, ammonia or Oxygen ISsues, the crabs would have gone much faster lol

let the tank cycle a couple more days so u see no trace of ammonia and try again.

Alright I suppose I'll wait 3 or 5 more days and test again, see where I'm at.

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Conrad0032

Yes he was the only fish I bought that day, and my whole life =P.

I do not know if I trust the store they seem to have tangs and triggerfish in 55gallon tanks (several of them), so that seems a bit odd to me. However they feed all their fish live brine and seem to treat them well. All their fish look healthy to me except for one that was like being eating by a hermit and just sat there lol. But he then later swam off slowly. So there is no possibility of my hermit attacking my fish?

hermits cant catch the clown even if they tried haha

now Ive had gorilla crabs catch, rip apart and eat anthias !!!

[Conrad0032]

Alrighty then thanks for everyone's help. I feel so bad that a fish died =/. Does anyone think I should get a damsel or chromis instead of a clown? Since they are more hardy I'll get more experience.

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by Conrad0032

Yes he was the only fish I bought that day, and my whole life =P.

I do not know if I trust the store they seem to have tangs and triggerfish in 55gallon tanks (several of them), so that seems a bit odd to me. However they feed all their fish live brine and seem to treat them well. All their fish look healthy to me except for one that was like being eating by a hermit and just sat there lol. But he then later swam off slowly. So there is no possibility of my hermit attacking my fish?

The 55's could just be holding tanks until the fish are sold, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that. However, feeding their fish live brine isn't what I would consider "treat them well".

[snarkes]

Originally Posted by Conrad0032

Alrighty then thanks for everyone's help. I feel so bad that a fish died =/. Does anyone think I should get a damsel or chromis instead of a clown? Since they are more hardy I'll get more experience.

The clownfish is one of the most hardy fish you'll find in this hobby.

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by snarkes

The clownfish is one of the most hardy fish you'll find in this hobby.

I wouldn't go that far. And if they are wild caught there are numerous diseases that can take them out fairly quickly if not treated.

[Conrad0032]

Originally Posted by snarkes

The clownfish is one of the most hardy fish you'll find in this hobby.

Alrighty then guess I'll get another clown in a while. Any recommendation what to get after like two or three weeks after? I was thinking a cleaner shrimp or a yellow watchman goby.