|
FAQs on: Territoriality/Aggression/Predation Related Articles: Territoriality, Related FAQs: Anyperodon leucogrammicus | 
|
Fish Disappearing/Mantis Shrimp? 11/17/09
Hi,
<Hello Arturo>
half a year back I contacted you to find out methods to capture mantis
shrimp. Well ever since I bought the live rock for my 175gal, small fish
had been disappearing. I´ve lost about 10+ small fish in a period of two
years.
Among the missing small fish, the only survivors are two ocellaris
clownfish, who have their own RBTA, its been suggested that had kept
them safe from threats.
<Certainly helps.>
My other fish left are big fish: 1 Sailfin, 1 hippo blue tang, and one
middle size Copperband Butterfly.
I also captured 3 mantis, and according to me, there was one more left
who was the tougher.
Well, every night there were clicking noises, I never really saw the
bastard,
<Mmm, I'd like to rename to Lysiosquilla bastardi.>
I only followed the noises and started moving rock to the sump.
<OK>
Well one day the clicking noises in the main tank stopped, and they
started in the sump. So I dried all of the live rock in the sump for
like a week, and once it was completely dried, then I placed it back in
the tank.
Clicking noises completely stopped, and after 2 weeks I bought a Bicolor
Blenny. The Bicolor Blenny was placed in the display tank and was never
to be seen again. What the?, it can´t be, well it was my first blenny.
So I bought an expensive Mystery Wrasse.
<Yikes, you chanced a 200 dollar fish.>
It lived happily in my tank for 3 months and they hide in the rockwork a
lot, and nothing would happen to it, very healthy, eating a lot and now
its been gone for a week... No signs of splashing, no corpse on the
floor, no corpse on filter sock, sump, etc. It completely disappeared...
<"No corpse on the floor"...Do you have a cat by chance?>
When I was sure I had mantis, fish also just disappeared, but now its
been like 5 months since I got rid of the clicking noises.
So it's really weird to have a perfectly healthy fish just disappear
like that, but now that I remember the blenny incident, then it reminds
me a lot of what used to happen when I knew there was mantis, except
that this time there´s absolutely no clicking noises, not even at night,
I check my tank at night all the time, feed my corals, etc. And no
noises, if a critter was to make a clicking sound, I would have heard it
by now.
So why is small fish starting to disappear again?.
<My first thought would be that you still have a mantis of the spearing
type rather than a smasher. My other thought would be a large Serpent
Star, but I'm sure you would have mentioned that. Mmmm, Bob may input
his thoughts here. James (Salty Dog)>
HELP!! Disappearing fish!/The Great
Houdini 3/6/09
In my 75 gal saltwater tank, I am having a
disappearing fish problem.
It's like the Lochness Monster is living in my
aquarium!
<Tank to small for keeping such.>
The tank was purchased from a
gentleman who had it for several years but moved. It had live rock, some snails,
sand, filtration, etc.
The current tankmates are a Golden-Headed Goby, a
Lawnmower Blenny, a Hawkfish, a Six-Line Wrasse, a Foxface, a Chocolate Chip
star, and a sea hare (Bob the Blob).
<I don't believe Bob is going to like
this.><<Mmmm. RMF>>
The wrasse is very small, probably 2 to 2-1/2
inches
long The Foxface is medium sized.
<How about the Hawkfish, specie and size.>
Over the past few months, we have had quite a few fish die in this tank but now
it seems to be stable. The problem is, things keep disappearing. We had a very
small clown that completely disappeared, no trace left. We had a small Seahare
that we purchased a couple of weeks ago, seemed fine for a couple of days, and
then it was just gone, completely. We added the Foxface a couple weeks ago and
it's been fine. Then, last night, I added a new Seahare and a small blue tang.
This morning when I went to feed them, the Seahare was doing great and the blue
tang was gone, GONE!!
<If your Hawkfish is a Freckled Hawkfish, this may be
the culprit, they tend to supersize their orders. The Spotted Hawkfish and Falco
Hawkfish are also both capable of eating smaller fish and invertebrates
depending on the fishes size and meal size.>
We emptied the tank of rocks,
shells, plants and sifted through the sand, but nothing! What could be
happening? How can a fish be there when you go to bed and then be completely
gone in the morning when there isn't anything really aggressive in the tank?
Any help would be much appreciated!
<Get back with me with your Hawkfish
identification. Have you checked behind the tank for any jumpers?>
<<
Thanks,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Tammy
Re HELP!! Disappearing fish!/The
Great Houdini 3/6/09
Thank you so much for your response.
<You're
welcome.>
The Hawkfish is a Longnose Hawk - Oxycirrhites typus. He is only
about 3 inches long, maybe a tiny bit longer. The Blue Tang I added was small,
not quite as long as he is, but much taller due to the difference in their
shapes. I can't imagine that the Hawkfish could have eaten the tang completely.
<No, now that I know what kind of Hawkfish you have.>
I'm sure the tang
weighed about the same as the Hawkfish. A little smaller end to end but much,
much "taller".
We also checked thoroughly for jumpers. This aquarium is built
into a wall but has access all around through a cabinet. We searched twice with
a flashlight just to make sure. We're sure he didn't jump ship.
Could it
possibly be the starfish?
<No, not a Chocolate Chip Starfish. If you had a
large Brittle Starfish it would be a good possibility.>
<<Actually... if the
fish were on the bottom, impaired, even just weak from being new... the CC Star
could be the culprit. See WWM re the compatibility of this species.RMF>>
We
don't want to lose anymore fish. I feel so badly for the tang (I know, not as
badly as he feels!). Any advice appreciated.
<Have you bought any live rock
lately? A possibility a Mantis Shrimp could have hitchhiked. Do you have an
overflow? If so, have you checked in there?
Very possible that if the Blue
Tang was under stress or have an illness, they have a tendency to wedge
themselves into crevices and could have possibly died there.
Based on the
information you provided me with, I don't know what else to tell you as you
mentioned that no remains were discovered, etc.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome.
James (Salty Dog)>
Tammy
Re HELP!! Disappearing fish!/The
Great Houdini 3/6/09
Well, we're stumped.
<And I also.>
We
haven't bought any live rock lately. On that tank, we have two canister filters
so no overflow. We just purchased a sump to put on it but won't do that till
next week.
I think from now on, if we add any more fish, we'll just add
larger ones.
<Whatever the cause/problem, it will surface eventually. Keep a
close eye on the system for unknown predators. You did not mention disease so
I've ruled that out, but then, there would be remains.>
Thanks so much for
your help and humor,
<You're welcome, Tammy. Sorry I haven't been much help,
but I'm as puzzled as you.
James (Salty Dog)>
Tammy
Will a Fish Forget? - 02/08/09
Greetings,
This is my second question sent to your site in approximately 8 years (I prefer to read the info).
I have a very healthy Tomini Tang who has enjoyed my tank for the past two months until I added a Starfish Blenny two days ago. I was under the impression that since the tang and blenny are completely different fish types and extremely different bodies that there would be no aggression. I was wrong. The Tang immediately responded by charging the blenny at sight and continually harassed the poor, unreacting blenny. The harassment continued for two days.
I was fortunate enough to net the Tang in the first try and displaced it to my sump, as a form of "detention".
My question then is: with an appropriate amount of time away from the display tank, and even with the option of using a smaller QT to keep the Tang and hopefully "disorient" the fish (ala his first time at the LFS and being reintroduced into my tank) is it probable that the Tang will react like a new addition and forget his past territories and aggression?
Or is it probably a lost cause and I should look into trading the Tang away? I certainly understand that WWB cannot predict what a fish can or will do, but I'm looking for any modest opinions.
Thank you for your efforts,
Allan
<Allan, there's some misconceptions in the hobby about fish "forgetting" or "ignoring" rivals and enemies. The bottom line is that disrupting territories and rearing fish together from juveniles work because of something called Dear Enemy theory. Put simply, animals learn to recognise potential rivals in their immediate neighbourhood that are always there, i.e., with territories next to their own. The theory says that if they constantly attacked them, they'd waste energy on disputes that don't matter, since both parties already have their territories fixed, so they aren't trying to take one another's resources. By contrast, if a stranger enters the territory, the territory holder recognizes that animal as a new, potential threat, and reacts accordingly. So in terms of ecology, Dear Enemy is a way for animals to conserve energy for those fights that matter, while accepting rivals that aren't an immediate threat. In an aquarium we get antagonistic animals to coexist by allowing them to define territories
as they grow up, or by putting animals into the aquarium in order from least to most aggressive. Either way, territories are defined and accepted.
When you add a new fish, it isn't a "dear enemy" but a stranger, and the territory holders go berserk. Now, when aquarists rearrange all the rockwork and other territorial markers, they force the fish to redefine their territories from scratch, and that is a common approach when people add new fish to established tanks. It's standard practise among African cichlid keepers, for example. Adding the Blenny was essentially adding a stranger to the system, and while the Tang accepted already resident fish in the system (its Dear Enemy) the new fish was viewed as a threat. Next time around though the Blenny *may* be accepted as a Dear Enemy, provided the Tang is removed long enough that it establishes a whole new territory in the quarantine tank or wherever it is being kept. The Tang won't "forget" the Blenny, but what it (hopefully) will do is accept alongside all the other fish as background Dear Enemies not worth expending too much energy fighting. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Will a Fish Forget? 02/08/09
Very much appreciated AND I learned a new term (Dear Enemy). Thank you!
-Allan
<Happy to help! And now, you can spend the next few days trying to apply Dear Enemy theory to human relationships! Cheers, Neale.> Flame Angel aggressive towards Maroon Clown Fish... crowded mess 1/18/09
I am writing because of strange behavior in my 47 gallon reef.
The occupants of this well-established tank are:
Blue Damsel
Flame Angel
Maroon Clown Fish
Dragon Goby
Six Lined Wrasse
Frogspawn Coral
Montipora Coral
Donut Coral
Spaghetti Coral
Rock Anemone
Bubble Tip Anemone
Leather Coral
Crocea Clam
<The mix won’t last. See WWM re compatibility.>
Lighting is 150 W metal halide/50/50 Power Compact
Skimmer is AquaC Remora
Fluval 205
50 lbs. Live rock
The maroon clown fish is the remaining male of a mating pair of which I lost the female a few months ago. For some reason, the Flame Angel is showing aggression towards the clown fish. It has actually inflicted damage to it.
<I bet.>
I don't recall ever reading anything regarding Flame Angel's being aggressive, except of course perhaps towards other dwarf angelfish.
<Well, they are not always angels!>
The clown fish is showing no signs of any parasitic malady. However, this male, as his larger, more aggressive female partner, seems reclusive in the tank, often being the last to come out to feed.
<Not usually the case with Maroon clowns.>
The Anemone (bubble tipped) is not a large specimen, perhaps quarter sized , and the clown fish is naturally staying with it most of the time.
<Quarter size or ? full grown size?>
I am looking at the tank as I am writing this, and the Flame Angel just initiated another attack on the obviously wounded, fish.
<Hmmm, they need to be separated.>
I am really curious as to why this may be occurring. Conditions in the tank are pristine.
<But it is a small volume for both these fish.>
I am going to try to remove the clown fish into a smaller quarantine tank.
<A good move.>
I would like to know what I can attempt to treat him with as he obviously has some external wounds..
<At this point just quarantine him unless he shows some sign of infection. Finding him a new suitable home is even better.>
Your reply will be greatly appreciated. I would like to save this fish.
Regards,
Jeffrey Castaldo
<Welcome, Scott V.> Disappearing livestock 11/13/08
Greetings crew! Hope this day finds you all well!
<Thank you Josh>
I have several reef tanks and have been in the hobby for about five years, and today's question/concern is about my smallest - a 29g tank with a 15+g sump in my office. It is about 7 months old, pretty darn young in the scheme of things. I had seeded the tank from a previous tank, and let it cycle for a month before adding any livestock. All the parameters are stable right now, and have been for a few months. (SG 1.026, nitrate <10, Ph ~8.3, phosphate 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, 79F). It currently has an Electric Blue Damsel and a Sixline Wrasse, a finger leather coral, some Zoas, some xenia, mushrooms, a candy cane coral, a dozen scarlet hermits and a dozen or more Astrea snails.
Here's what's been happening however. There used to be an orange spotted goby (first resident of tank), a small Banggai cardinal and a fire shrimp.
All had been in the tank since it had stabilized, and had been doing very well for a long time. The shrimp had successfully molted 3 times since he was added.
<Mmm, a bit too frequently?>
The two surviving fish were added a month or so after the original residents. First the cardinal died, and there was a crab feast going on near rock X (I'm calling it that because I will be referring to it quite a bit). Then one day, the goby disappeared. We didn't see any sign of him for days, then saw a little bit of flesh sticking out from rock X under which he had made a home. Very disheartening as he was eating well, and seemed happy and healthy for a few months. Then just a few days later, the fire shrimp disappeared. He was much loved, and everyone in the office had taken a liking to him and his antics. We found one of his antennas sticking out from rock X - which is completely on the other side of the tank from where he normally hangs out. In fact, he had never been that far over in the tank before. I suspect he was molting and thus an easy target when whatever happened. This of course led me to believe that something was in rock X.
After some close observation we spotted a small hitchhiker crab poking out from the rock.
<Mmmm...>
Immediate response is "ah-hah!". I setup a trap using a 20oz bottle with the top cutoff and inverted and baited it with some mysis.
This didn't quite work. I ended up catching two hermits and my Sixline, who couldn't figure out that he could just swim out. Multiple attempts at trapping the crab failed. The next step I took was removing rock X, placing it into a bucket with siphoned water from a water change, and setting multiple traps in the bucket. Again, no success. After this had been going on for some time, I pulled out the big guns - club soda. I submersed the rock in the club soda, and sure enough, two little crabs came scurrying out.
The concern is that they were tiny - about the size of a dime. Could such small crabs be the culprits of all the disappearances?
<Nah... accessories after the fact counselor>
They did have pointed tips on their claws, not flat like you would find on a Mithrax, which led me to believe they were carnivorous, but that's a broad assumption. It just didn't seem likely that they killed these animals - maybe partook in the feast afterwards though?
<We are in agreement>
The crabs have since been banished to a refugium on one of my other tanks.
<Good>
Next step - I dug around in the now cleared sand under where rock X had been with a turkey baster (rock X was still in a bucket). At a certain place the sand seemed to collapse. This made me think two things - either this was a tunnel the orange goby had dug while he was still in there, or perhaps there was another burrowing creature. Of course this made me think mantis shrimp.
Is that an unfair guess? Obviously if I have one, he needs to be caught and relocated.
<Could be...>
I guess the question is do you think that the small crabs could have caught and killed the missing livestock?
<Nope>
Since the crabs have been captured there have also been two empty Astrea shells that showed up near the now returned rock X. Would a mantis attack snails?
<Could, definitely>
I just brought in my professional video camera and setup some motion activated software in an attempt to catch some video of anything unusual in that area of the tank at night - this is at my office, so nobody is around after 6pm. I'll let you know if I capture anything cool or unusual on film. There haven't been any snapping noises, but again, nobody is here at night.
<Heeee!>
I want to eventually replenish some of the livestock, but obviously I'm nervous about doing so right now. The only fish that remain are active open water swimmers - which contributes to my predator in the rock/sand theory.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
<The price of freedom? Constant vigilance>
Thanks as always for your insight!
Josh
<Glad to share. Bob Fenner> Missing fish... Lysmata, really "cleaning" 4/25/08
Hello wet web crew
<Keith>
I have posted a few times before and you have been a wonderful help To refresh I have a 30 gal long reef that I have been having many (To date I am missing 3 peppermint shrimp, two sally light foot crabs, 1 green Chromis, a scooter blenny, and a Purple back Pseudochromis. All of this has disappeared without trace.) animals come up missing.
<Mmmm>
Since I last posted I moved my tank to another house completely broke everything down and did not find any serpent stars or any predators that I could identify. The move went smoothly no deaths and it has been 2 months set up at my new place. With the move I set up a 46g square refugium and plumbed it directly via overflow to the reef. This has all been going good the nitrates are down to almost zero and everything seems to be running smoothly.
<Good>
I had had no disappearances until the last week. When suddenly my six line wrasse up and vanished. The tank is well sealed so there is no way the fish can jump. Then a few days after that I had my favorite fish that I had have over a year now my cherub pygmy angel disappear. This is becoming a real problem where I am afraid to restock my tank I test my tank weekly and have a very rigorous upkeep schedule I am really trying to keep everything as best as I can. The stock I have left is an Ocellaris clown, a 3-stripe damsel, a skunk cleaner shrimp, a blood shrimp, a number a blue leg hermits, a Mexican turbo snail, and some Nassarius snails.
<Either one of the Lysmata species could actually be the perpetrator here. This small volume is impossible to get away from a predatory shrimp>
If you can think of anything I can do I would greatly appreciate your input.
<Feed the shrimp better...>
Other than this problem all my corals and the rest of the tank looks beautiful with no problems at all. So I am kind of stuck. I think I may have been a little bit overstocked anyways so I want to get another pygmy angel and leave it at that any suggestions?
<Will likely be consumed...>
Thank you all for your help
Keith Fontes
<Again... perhaps better observation, feeding... moving the shrimp/s to the 'fuge... Bob Fenner>
Eibli tang getting attacked by something at night, possibly worms 04/14/2008
Hello,
<Good morrow>
I have an Eibli Tang that shares a 55 reef tank
<Mmmm>
with a Flame Hawkfish, Percula Clown, and Scribbled Rabbitfish.
<Needs more room>
The only coral I have is a trumpet coral. The last couple of months I've been noticing that my tang would have wounds on it and fins a little nipped.
<Yes>
I didn't think much of it as they were really minor and small, I figured maybe the Rabbitfish was getting a little nippy at it or it was rubbing on rock and getting small scratches.
<Possibly, but much more likely the Hawk>
Then about a month ago I noticed that the wounds were always almost a perfect circle and that the fresh wounds would only happen over night, they were still rather small, maybe 3mm in diameter. I would always see the fresh wounds right away in the morning so it was happening at night. I have since staked out my tank at night many nights trying to find the culprit. The only thing I have seen is worms, from looking at the worm id posts on this site I know I have bristle worms for sure but all that I have seen are about 1-2 inches long. I also have either ribbon worms or peanut worms, they extend out of the rock and seem to feel over the rock for food at night, but never fully come out of the rock. They are black with brown bands but are not segmented at all. My only theory is that the Tang wedges between rocks at night to sleep and these worms find him and suck on/eat him while he's sleeping.
<A possibility>
I can never seem to find where he is sleeping at night, all of the other fish I can find but never him. I don't believe it to be any kind of parasite as it only happens at night.
<Is not a parasite>
Lights will go out and there are no wounds, the next morning he will have a bloody circular wound on his side, or a big chunk of fin missing. The wounds are now growing in size and severity basically over the last week or so, he now has some that are 1cm in diameter. The Tang acts like nothing is wrong, he still eats well and swims around the tank like normal. I've tried rearranging the liverock hoping that may help but no luck, whatever is causing it still finds him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Attached is a picture I took today, by photography skills are not great but hopefully it helps.
Thanks,
Quintin
<I would remove this fish to another system, pronto... Perhaps try baiting out, removing the larger worms (covered on WWM under Polychaete (in) Compatibility)... but I suspect the Hawkfish mostly here. Bob Fenner> | 
|
Unknown HHiker predator 4/5/08
Recently I have been stocking a new reef set up. 90 gallon with sump and 20 gallon refugium. I started with Live rock. Before adding any fish or inverts I observed the live rock for about a month.
<A good practice>
Noticed a Mantis shrimp and successfully removed. I then added two peppermint shrimps, a cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, sally longfoot crab, emerald crab (dime size) , a blue leg hermit ,five turbo snails,8 small red leg hermits and a black brittle star fish. All the inverts have been doing well. Water parameters are great. Now to my problem.
First fish added was a Lawnmower Blenny. After three days, found a piece of his skeleton remains attached to a piece of live rock.
<!>
I then added a scooter Blenny. A month went by and all was OK. I then added a 1.5 inch six line wrasse, and a 2 inch ocellaris clown. after three days, the wrasse is missing, I did find what seemed to be a piece of fish or some sort of organic material in a mucus cocoon under a piece of live rock. I believe it is a piece of the six line wrasse. I suspect something is attacking my fish.
<Me too>
Before these fish disappeared I did notice that they were inactive the day preceding their demise. The very first day these fish were introduced, they were very active and eating, so I do not suspect illness. They both disappeared three days after their introduction.
Whoever the culprit is , has not attacked the blenny or any inverts. All shrimp and crabs OK.
<Noted>
How can I identify the culprit?
<Baiting and trapping>
About a month ago I did see a worm with bristles sticking out from a rock. I was observing the tank at night with a flashlight. I only saw about one inch of him before he retreated back into the rock. Would a worm attack fish and leave inverts alone?
<Some species do, yes>
I have not seen this worm for over a month now. Should I set traps with pieces of fish at night to see if I can trap anything.
<Yes, I would>
Should I remove the existing fish and inverts
<I would leave these in place>
and place in the refugium until I trap the culprit.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Frank
<Bob Fenner> Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse
Lemon Aid? (Dealing with Lemonpeel Angel Aggression) 03/19/2008
Good morning-
<Hi there! Scott F. in today!>
C. punctatus I believe is the correct name.
<No, it's SCOTT F> Heheh, just kidding...Think your reference to a wrasse got cut off?>
I have a 55 and the current inhabitants are 1 Lemon Peel, 1 False Perc, 1 Firefish goby and 2 Yellow tail Damsels. The Lemon Peel rules the tank and probably chased the smaller Perc to his carpet surfing death.
<That sounds about right, given the typical personality of this species.>
I would like to add another Perc and at the same time add a flame hawk and 1 or 2 C. punctatus. Can I add 2 to my 55 if they are not a pair but just 2 individuals or do I need to find a pair or just add a single?
<I would limit my fish additions in this aquarium. Maybe the "replacement" Perc and the Hawkfish. The Hawkfish, may be able to better stand up to the nastiness of the Lemonpeel than the Wrasses. Really, adding any new fish to a relatively modest sized aquarium with a known "alpha fish" is a dice roll. Be prepared for possible issues and the need to rescue someone if things get out of hand. You could try the old trick of shuffling the rockwork around to create "new" territories for everyone, but this still may not work. Be forewarned!>
I would like to have 2 fairy wrasses so the male will display and stay more comfortable. I want to add them all to the main tank at the same time to spread out the aggression from the Lemon Peel. I would Qt the new arrivals for a month. I would put the LP in the fuge for a week or so until the new fish have been in the main tank and settled down.
Thanks again!
Walt
<Well, Walt, the idea of the "timeout" for the Lemonpeel is a good one! I'm still a bit hesitant to give you the thumbs up for the two Fairy Wrasses. I think that one more fish is really all the system could handle from a bioload perspective, as well as a social one. I can't imagine the Lemonpeel getting any more sociable, but he will ultimately accept (or kill) the other fishes in "his" aquarium. Sounds rather brutal, but this is the reality of stocking dynamics. Proceed with caution! Regards, Scott F.> Aggressive Lawnmower Blenny or Brittle Starfish! 03/11/2008
How are you all? Thank you once again for all of your help!
<<Good Morning, Andrew here today>>
Ok, can you tell me who the culprit may be? About 5 days ago I purchased a Midas Blenny. Very pretty and sweet he acclimated to the tank and was out swimming in an hour.
<<You did not quarantine for 4 weeks??>>
He happened to scout out a hole in a rock that my lawnmower blenny sleeps in every night and camped out for a bit before the Lawnmower spotted him and had a fit! He was trying to get him to get out by shaking his body against the hole but the Midas was scared and wouldn't come out. The Blenny then went into the same hole and pushed him out very quickly. I then noticed a white very small spot on the Midas' left fin.
<<Could of been caused by the two blennies in the same hole>>
Over the past few days it has gotten smaller. I have been soaking food in Garlic Extreme.
<<Garlic extreme is not a cure for anything. All this will do is bolster the immune system a little>>
Two night ago all my fish were fine. They all ate and disappeared as they do when lights go out. I also had a small Bi colored Blenny for about a month now. The Midas has been staying in his hole for the most part except to come out and feed and swim on his side of the tank closest to his rock. I noticed yesterday a.m. that the Bi colored Blenny was missing! I do have, or shall I say did have until today, a Brittle Starfish. I took him to my LFS and gave it to him. He said that it wouldn't have been the Brittle and that I should keep him as he was so beautiful and looked "well fed" He said it was probably my Lawnmower Blenny that killed him and the Starfish ate him.
<<This is a good possibility. Depending on the species of brittle you had, some are known fish predators like the green brittle. What SP. of brittle was yours?>>
I couldn't help it and told him just to keep him because I didn't want to take anymore chances. I noticed that my Six Line Wrasse has a bite out of his tail fin! The Lawnmower has NEVER bothered my Wrasse or Dwarf Coral.
Do you think it was the Brittle or the Lawnmower?
<<Lawnmower blennies are not aggressive fish per say, except to others of similar body shape>>
I had been feeding my Brittle every night at first by hand with shrimp and scallops and fish. The LFS said not to do that and only feed him every three nights or so. Do you think he got hungry and ate my little Bicolored friend? The Lawnmower chased the Bi color every once in a while but never came close to trying to bite him.
65 gallon with 75 lbs. live rock and several small frag coral
Order which introduced and time in tank flollows:
Dwarf Coral Beauty (2 Months)
Six Line Wrasse (2 months)
<<this fish should of been added last>>
Lawnmower Blenny (1 1/2 months)
3 Blue Green Chromis (1 month)
Bi-color Blenny R.I.P. :) (3 weeks)
Midas Blenny (5 days)
Starfish
Brittle Starfish (1+ months) gone now ( My Son bought it)
Algae eating starfish (2 months aprox.)
Shrimp
1 Skunk cleaner (1+ months)
Water param.s have been great. I check them every week as well as have my LFS just to compare.
<<At face value, i would say its a possibility that you can put this disappearance down to the brittle star. Out of the fish you stock, the 6 lines wrasse is about the most aggressive, and really should of been added last. My advice, now the brittle has gone, is to monitor the current stock>>
Thank you in advance for your opinion and all of your help! Rachel
<<Thanks for the questions, Hope this helps. A Nixon>> Re: Aggressive Lawnmower Blenny or Brittle Starfish! 03/12/2008
Hi Andrew! Thank you for your quick response.
<<No problem>>
Yes it was a Green Brittle. Attached is a photo of what looks like him setting up for the evening for his dinner! At the time I took the pic, I thought he was just getting "comfortable" with his environment. The LFS my Son bought him from said that don't eat fish.
My Wrasse has never bothered one fish except for a Purple Pseudochromis that I added. He immediately went after him. I quickly got the Pseudo out and took him back and traded for the Midas Blenny which he has not bothered once. The Six Line is probably my favorite fish as he is always out. He really seems to "dance" in the current at the front of the tank when I turn the stereo on. Almost seems to be to the beat of the music! He is really cool! I added him in the beginning due to a bristle worm problem. I did do extensive research but it seems as though all the reef safe community fish I am interested in can become territorial and should be added last. Where do you start?
<<Well, where do you start? that's always a good question. The best place to start is by having at hand a good selection of books to research, rather than forums>>
Anyway, after looking at the pic and reading my response to your questions, do you still think it was the Green Brittle?
<<Yes, i would be happy in saying it was more than likely the green brittle. They can be / are predaceous>>
Or should I go back and get him? To tell you the truth, I thought he was cool that he would eat out of my hand. But on the other hand, he kind of gave me the creeps because he reminded me of a Tarantula! I just thought he would be nice to have because LFS said they ate everything down to fish waste!
<<He he he...yes, they do eat everything down to fish waste, including small fish too>>
Thank you once again Andrew! Rachel
<<Good luck Rachel, hope the above helps. A Nixon>> | 
|
Fish gone missing! SW pred. f' 1-31-08
Hello.
<Hi. Yunachin here.>
First thank you all at WWM for your help.
<You’re welcome.>
Second I have an issue.
I have a 30g reef tank that is very healthy. I do weekly water changes and test the water regularly. Since the inception of my tank I have a predator hiding in the depths of my live rock.
To date I am missing 3 peppermint shrimp, two sally light foot crabs, 1 green Chromis, a scooter blenny, and now the latest addition a Purple back Pseudochromis. All of this has disappeared without trace.
<Wow! That is quite a few.>
This creature seems to strike at random as I still have some of my original livestock.
<Which is?>
I assume that it is an opportunistic feeder that is nocturnal. I have watched the tank by night and have not seen anything or heard any clicking (mantis shrimp) that probably does not mean much as I don't watch it every night.
<Firstly, most mantis shrimp that do click are not nocturnal and usually do not prey on fish. They do on crabs, shrimp and snails. Have you checked the surrounding areas for any jumpers?>
I am switching over to a 150g in the next month when I move and I was wondering if there is anything I should look for or anyway I can get rid of this pest? Any ideas as to what it might be?
<Send me the list of the fish that you left out and we can go from there. Right now I am thinking that it could be a green-serpent starfish. Check out this link for more information: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/grbritstrf.htm ; >
Thanks
<You’re welcome—Yunachin> Fish Gone Missing RE 2-1-08
Hello Yunachin
<Hi there!>
The fish that I still have in my tank are
a Green Chromis, Ocellaris clown, Cherub Pygmy Angel
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Blood Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp
Trumpet Coral, and some Green Star Polyps.
<Sounds good. I just wanted to check to make sure there were no other potential predators.>
There have been no jumpers and the tank is covered. That is the first thing I thought of once I started
missing fish.
<I definitely think there is a Green Serpent Star in your live rock. These brittle stars can arch up in the sleeping caves of fish and drop down onto the fish and inverts, almost like dropping a basket on top of them. I would suggest when you move your rock into your larger tank; do a thorough search of your rock to see if you can find him. Here is some more info on the brittle star family: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm ;>
Thanks for your help
<You’re welcome!> Tank Aggression 11/20/07
Hi there.
<Hi, need some info before responding. How large is your tank? James (Salty Dog)>
I have done significant research on this and have an idea of the answer, but I would really appreciate your input. I've had the same fish in this tank for a few months, and I have not seen any signs of aggression -- until recently. Even now, I haven't seen any aggressive behavior first-hand...but for the last couple of weeks or so, several of my fish, one by one, have been showing up with ugly-looking wounds on the tops of their bodies. Here is what I have in my tank:
1. Yellow Tang (3.5") (introduced last)
2. Coral Beauty Angel (3")
3. 3 Green Chromis (1-1.5")
4. Hybrid Anthias (appears to be a mixture of a tri-color and maybe a squareback) (3.5")
5. Diamond Goby (4")
6. Midas Blenny (4")
7. Indigo Dottyback (3.5")
8. Six-Line Wrasse (1.5")
9. Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (2")
10. Peppermint Shrimp (large)
11. Several hermit crabs
The fish which were injured were three green Chromis (which died shortly thereafter) and, most recently, the Anthias (which is now notably and understandably shy, but does not *appear* to be that badly injured).
I think you'll agree that I can easily eliminate the Chromis, the Anthias, the goby, the blenny, and the hermit crabs as potential culprits. I also don't believe that the tang or the angel are to blame. Based on my research, the fairy wrasse also seems unlikely to become aggressive. Also, I simply don't think that the six-line wrasse is big enough to inflict the type of wounds I was seeing on the Chromis.
That leaves me with the Dottyback and the shrimp. I haven't been able to find much of anything about peppermint shrimp becoming aggressive towards fish, especially not something the size of the Anthias. So, by process of elimination, that leaves me with the Dottyback. I've read on your site (and others) that Dottybacks can be quite aggressive, although usually more so in wild-caught ones than tank-raised ones. The hype about the indigo Dottyback, however, is that it's got "all the spunk of a Fridmani, but none of the aggressive tendencies," or something along those lines.
Do you agree that the indigo is the most likely culprit, or have I missed something?
Thanks so much!
-Marty Re: Tank Aggression 11/22/07
The tank is 50 gallons, with at least 60 pounds of very porous, well-seeded live rock.
I know it's on the smallish side, but I've been very careful in creating the environment this time, adding the most aggressive/territorial species last, and the tank has been established for 6 months now so should have good biological filtration.
<Your tank is much too small for all the fish you have, and I'm sure the tang is the culprit in this case.
The tang is just protecting the very little property he has to defend.>
Thank you!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
-Marty |
Queen Angel/ Fire Shrimp
Big Fish- Bigger Problems? (Stocking Compromises) 11/19/07
Hi WWM,
<Hey there! Scott F. on the bridge of the WWM starship tonight!>
My name is Tom, and I have a few Questions about my tank. I have a 100 gallon tank with a Large Yellow Tang, 2 Percula Clownfish, a Copperband Butterfly, a Blue Hippo Tang, 2 Small Damsels, a Purple Lobster, 2 Fire Shrimp, an African Red Starfish, and 4 Turbo Snails.
I also have 110 lbs of live sand and a whole lot of live rock. I have just introduced a Queen Angelfish to my tank.
<Oh, man- "buzz kill" time, sorry. That's a pretty serious crowd for this sized aquarium! What do this aquarium, a can of sardines, and the WWM Crew after a free MACNA buffet have in common? "I know, Scott- they're things that are STUFFED!" Exactly. Think about the long-term implications of such a packed aquarium. The Hippo Tang and the Queen Angel are HUGE fishes when they mature (the Queen can hit 18 inches in length and the Hippo pretty close), and require very large aquariums to accommodate them for anything close to their potential natural life spans (decades). Time to start shopping for a larger aquarium.>
It was pretty shy at first, but now it chases the blue Hippo Tang and Copperband and it pretty aggressive towards them. Is this normal and will this behavior fade? (same thing happened with the Yellow Tang, but it wasn't as aggressive) The Angelfish hasn't bit off and fins or caused damage to any of the fish.
<This may very well change! Like a thirsty frat boy at a keg party, the Queen Angel will get meaner and meaner until it gets what it wants- total domination of the aquarium! These fishes have a reputation for extreme territoriality in the wild and in captivity, and this will be magnified significantly in a crowded aquarium. I'd consider giving these potentially larger fishes to aquarists who have the quarters to accommodate them comfortably.>
My second problem is that the Angelfish has been bothering my fire shrimp. It has bitten off some of their claws and legs. I have separated the shrimp and put them in a separate container in the same tank allowing plenty of water flow.
<Good move and quick thinking. In this case, there is certainly potential for the shrimp to become either Angelfish chew toys, or the appetizer for their next meal!>
I am going to care for them until they regrow their limbs in their next few molt. (Hopefully it works...) I was just wondering if it is unsafe to keep any type of shrimp or crab in the same tank as the angelfish?
<I'd be hesitant with the larger angels...the potential exists for an unhappy outcome if they are kept together. It's not 100% certain, but it's a possible risk.>
I have been told that they could be in the same tank, but obviously not in mine. Is this a big problem? Would coral banded shrimp or cleaner shrimp be better to have? (also been bothering my snails, but no damage)
<I would feel better with Cleaner shrimps in there, but again- fish are like people, and have unique personalities. Perhaps your Angel has some sort of crazy vendetta against shrimp because of an unfortunate incident hat occurred after the fish settled out of its pelagic stage...Perhaps it was imply in an ornery mood that day. Who knows? Regardless, I'd take the cue and not house this fish with shrimps. Of course, given your aquarium's size, I wouldn't keep this fish, either!>
I like fish a lot but I also like a lot of inverts too.
<Yep- can relate. I like seared Ahi Tuna but my budget usually screams "Starkist"! Such is life! Really, the solution to a successful mixed aquarium with fishes and inverts is to choose compatible animals. In other words, if you like delicate stony corals and you love Teardrop Butterflyfish, you're going to have to compromise- separate aquariums, or a different species of Butterfly that's planktivorous.>
I would like to have a tank filled (but not overfilled) with all kinds of life. Would it be best to take the Angel back to the store?
<Absolutely! This is a very conscientious approach, and I'm proud of you for learning! It's better for all parties involved here! In the hobby, like in life, you can't have it all, but might be able to have most of it!>
Thanks for your time,
Tom
<My pleasure, Tom- keep learning and sharing! Regards, Scott F.>
The Missing Bannerfish 10/20/07
Just wanted an opinion on a strange occurrence...
<Okay>
200g FOWLR
200lbs live Tonga rock
28" Snowflake Moray
2 x Bannerfish (one 4", one 6")
5" Harlequin Tusk
5" Magnificent Foxface
3.5" Longnose Hawk
fairly large banded serpent star
<... Ophiarachna incrassata?>
I wrote awhile back about my smaller Bannerfish and how it has a habit of floating on the surface and one particular spot in my tank. I got the Bannerfish together and they've been 'friends' since May. Furthermore, they briefly picked on (2 - 3 days?) the Magnificent Foxface when he was a new addition back in late July. Since then, everyone's been getting along extremely well. I've had the Moray for a year now and he's always shied away from all the fish... especially the Bannerfish. He won't feed when they are present. There have been a few instances of them taking food from his mouth, freaking him out, etc...
So, let's back up about 10days ago. I notice the larger Bannerfish slowly moving down on top of the smaller Bannerfish and ripping a tear out of the base of his long trailing TopFin. The fin was torn, but was mostly grown back as of last night. For the past 10 days, I've noticed a little bit of nipping but then they swim along side one another as if they're 'friends' again. I remember thinking to myself that it wouldn't surprise me if the smaller Bannerfish was going to be a casualty. I don't know why I thought that, maybe the fin nipping and the long time habit of laying flat at the surface just seemed rather odd. I figured that if the flat surfacing habit was actually a problem... the problem would've taken it's toll on this fish a long time ago.
<An unusual behavior...>
Of note, the odd time... either of the Bannerfish pick at the Magnificent Foxface. The Foxface doesn't seem stressed out about it at all after all it's the 2nd biggest fish in the tank (eel aside) mass wise. My other observations... the eel hasn't been eating as regularly as it has over the past year. It seems interested in maybe a 1/3 of what I'd usually feed him per feeding... feeding him twice a week. However, he always seems to show his face with interest whenever meaty foods are in the tank for the other fish. Since I noticed his hesitance feeding, he's lost a bit of weight... enough that it was noticeable for sure, but still not a scrawny eel by any means.
<Okay>
I saw both Bannerfish swimming about acting normally today at 7am. This afternoon at 5:30pm, within about 20seconds I knew something was not right in my tank. The two Bannerfish are the most aggressive eaters in my tank and they are always begging at the surface when I'm in the aquarium room. Only the larger Bannerfish showed up. I turned the pumps off and used a flashlight to check for a fish hiding in distress or a carcass. Couldn't see anything. I did notice my large banded star in a different location that I'd never seen him at before. I figured I'd check out the eel so I coaxed him out with a bit of krill. I'd say he looked a little heavier than usual. I also did an ammonia test which indicated a reading of zero. Then again, if there was a carcass in the tank would it take a day or two for ammonia to show up on a test kit? Would a 4" Bannerfish even cause an ammonia reading in 230gallons of water volume??
<Mmm, not especially... if the system was well-"cycled"...>
My theory... either the two Bannerfish got into quite the tussle and the smaller one perished.
<Not likely>
Perhaps the smaller Bannerfish got stuck by the Foxface?
<Only a bit more likely>
I'm thinking from 6 months of observation the Snowflake did not seek out and kill the smaller Bannerfish as he ducks back into shelter when either of the Bannerfish are around. Does it sound likely that the fish had perished and perhaps both the eel and the large banded star cleaned up the carcass?
<Much more likely, yes>
I don't want to rip apart 200lbs of liverock to look for a carcass that I am about 80% sure resides in the belly of my Moray Eel. The carcass could be in some of the tunnel work that the eel has dug out. Definately not in a covered overflow or out of the tank as the eggcrating on top is securely in place.
<Not a good idea to take the system apart... This fish is gone, entirely>
What are your thoughts? Do nothing but keep up with the ammonia tests for a few days? Think the other fish woulda chipped in on feeding on remains? Can a 4" Bannerfish be devoured by my critters that quickly?
<Yes... surprising to some I know>
I'm a little bit leery about putting my 4" Regal Tang in the tank now... even though he has 3+ weeks of quarantine left.
Dave
<I would keep your eye on the Brittlestar... Bob Fenner> Re: The Missing Bannerfish – 10/20/07
Thanks Bob.
<Dave>
To clarify... the serpent star is beige/brown with back bands on it and a black circle around the body disc. It's quite commonly offered at the retailers in Calgary. The star used to reside in my smaller tank, mostly with my yellow watchman goby. I would think it would be unlikely that the star caught/killed the Bannerfish, but the different position I found the star in on the same day my fish perished would certainly suggest that it had a hand in cleaning up the carcass... which is a good thing i suppose.
<Yes>
He seems to do a fine job eating the Snowflake Moray leftovers.
With the likelihood of the eel/starfish cleaning up the scraps... would you agree that I shouldn't be overly concerned about other stock at this point?
(i.e. my new 4" Regal Tang after he finishes quarantine).
<Yes>
Thanks, have a great weekend!
Dave
<You as well. BobF> Question about reef tank... unknown predator eating fishes 10/14/07
I have a 120g reef tank. I set it up august 2005. I have damsels, Chromis, a Naso tang, a purple tang, and a yellow tang, and 1 clarkii clown. Everything has been fine up until this summer. All of my bottom dwelling fish, gobies, mandarin, and blenny have suddenly disappeared. Next my smaller damsels have disappeared. Now my blue velvet damsel, whose bigger at three inches, has what looks like a shallow, but wide bite mark on his side. I have had an ongoing problem with bristleworms. I catch a few every night, and occasionally I get a large one. The biggest was 12 inches, that got caught in my overflow box. I caught a crab earlier this year. No one knows what kind it is. I got rid of it. It looked like a sally lightfoot, but was told it wasn't one.
I'm not worried about the clownfish. He stays in his foot long anemone or swims near the surface. The tangs, however, stay in the rocks at night. They grew up together and school together with no fighting. I really need to know what's in my tank, or if it's the bristleworms doing the damage.
<Could be them... or crustaceans... Mantis, crabs...>
I'm almost out of damsels, and I really don't want to lose those tangs. I bought them when they were the size of a quarter and now they're at least 5 inches, Naso is about 7 inches. I didn't read about tangs not getting along until after I bought them. So, I feel like I'm lucky they get along so well.
I also have polyps, mushrooms, Kenya tree, and other soft corals, and a brain coral, and they are fine.
Do you know what could be going in my tank? Could it be bristleworms? In case you need to know, I check with a red light several times throughout a lot nights.
<Good>
All I ever see is copepods, bristleworms, tiny starfish, brineshrimp, and several of what looks like shellless snails on the glass. And I check during the day. I haven't bought any new rocks, everything have been the same for over 2 years, minus the missing fish now.
Thank-you, Robin Cook
<I'd try a baited trap or two types... to see what there is to see. See WWM re such. Bob Fenner>
Re: question again... unknown predator 10/14/07
This is Robin Cook again. I just e-mailed a few minutes ago about my damsels and bottom dwellers disappearing. I forgot to say that every so often all the fish jump, like electricity has hit the water.
<Mmmm, a good clue... likely a Mantis or Alpheid... snapping!>
My hands have on occasion been in the tank when this happens and I don't feel anything. I don't know if that has anything to do with losing fishes, but thought I would include it. There's only the skimmer and pump that has an electrical cord that's submerged. I live in the south and don't use a heater. I really doubt it has anything to do with electricity since now I see a fish with a mark on it's side. I can try to take a picture, but I'm not good at photographing fish. Believe me I've tried to get pics after I've thoroughly cleaned the tank.
Robin
<Try the traps. Bob Fenner> |
Missing fish(es)??? Many predators... – 10/01/07
Greetings, I have a 180-gallon tank with 250#'s of LR. It's been up and
running for about 2 1/2 months. This is what I have in it, a tube anemone,
<A very pretty fish eater, will eat ugly fish too!>
large green brittle starfish,
<Fish eater>
flower anemone,
<Fish eater>
3 emerald crabs,
<Fish eater>
1 sailfin tang, 10-15 hermits
<Fish eater>
/snails,1 Peppermint Shrimp,1 yellow watchman goby and 1 Urchin. Now I’m missing or have not seen my Lawnmower Blenny, Fire Fish Goby and Blood Red Shrimp in a couple of weeks.
<Is a big tank... could still be hiding out. But with so many potential predators....>
I keep checking my livestock daily and write everything down in a notebook.
<This will benefit you. Is a very good habit to be in!>
I think my brittle star had them all for dinner or could it be the tube anemone or flower Anemone.
<All are possibilities! Hard to determine who is the guilty party here.>
Please let me know what you think.
<I think you need to decide what you want to keep in your tank and make more appropriate choices so not to lose so many little lives!>
Thanks
<Welcome! Mich> Attention Bob Fenner; Trapping a Damsel and A Query (NRA V.s 2,3> 8/21/07
Hi Bob
<Kerry>
Please let me begin by apologizing for sending this through the FAQs. It seems that the link to email you directly doesn't work.
<Yes>
Thanks again for your assistance with my Lawnmower Blenny/Feather Duster issue. All is well and they are in our display tank now (with no interaction to date; we are keeping an eye on things).
A story to share if I may (nothing new to you I'm sure, but interesting to us) and a query after that;
Two years ago, my-then-boyfriend-now-hubby and I got into the hobby, setting up a 20 gallon marine tank. Being rookies, we made the typical mistakes and lost corals for making them, but we have been successful (to date) with our fishes and Corallimorphs and we have learned as we've gone along. We chose 2 small Perculas, a Regal Tang (who was so small he could hide behind a quarter if there had been one in the tank) and a small Three Stripe Damsel. Nine months after starting out we moved and "moved up" to a 90 gallon tank (the 20 is now one of our quarantine tanks). For two years the fishes have gotten along wonderfully. The Damsel and Tang have shared sleeping quarters almost from day one. We thought we had the Damsel who was the exception to the rule regarding Damsel attitudes. We should have been so lucky!!
<Things... e.g. Damsel beh., changes>
Recently, we decided to add some new "critters". Being (somewhat) wiser, this time we did our research. We attempted to choose our new pets wisely, trying to ensure that they would not occupy the same areas as our current fishes and that their "personalities" would be compatible. We quarantined them. We rearranged the rocks. We acclimated them with water from the display tank; the lights were dimmed while we did so. We added them to the display tank with the lights dimmed. We had approximately 20 minutes of peace and then our exceptionally calm Damsel became possessed and gets worse daily. From the time that the lights come on until they go off, he chases the new fishes (a Firefish and a Canary Wrasse; the Blenny has been left alone as he didn't react the first time he was charged). Neither of them has been driven into hiding but the Tang appears to be stressed by it all. He has been spending the day frantically swimming back and forth behind the rocks. He is a "fraidy fish" with a nervous disposition but this is atypical behavior for him. Hubby had to make a tough decision (the Damsel was one of his choices when we started out), opting to get him out of the tank. We looked for suggestions of how to accomplish it; almost all saying that we would have to take the rock out in order to net him. For a while it seemed we would have to.
We ended up using a twist on an acrylic barrier. We had a relatively large piece of "eggcrate" left over from making a shelf to use when cycling live rock. I (half) jokingly suggested making an "eggcrate" barrier to trap him; hubby cut it so that it just fits inside of the tank (front to back) and cut notches for the frame at the top of the tank so that it goes from in the substrate to protrude above the water level by a few inches. He moved most of the rock to one half of the tank (an awful pile, but it stayed submerged) but was unable to get the Damsel to go to the other end of the tank. He was becoming frantic and getting "creative" with ideas of how to trap the Damsel (I could see my life degenerating into an aquatic "Caddyshack"; the ideas scared the beejeebers out of me...if only the Damsel knew!!). Yesterday, I moved two rocks which made up the "roof" of the hidey hole the Damsel and Tang were in (more through good luck than good management) and much to my surprise they bolted to where we wanted them. I put the "eggcrate" barrier into place, got out the net and the Damsel and I went to battle. (The Tang went to hide behind a pump; a wise choice considering that "net work" is not my forte). The Damsel immediately recognized that he wasn't going to be able to get through the middle of the barrier so he swam up and down the edge where it met the front glass. After about 5 minutes, I managed to net him. I spread the rocks out again, gave the Tang about half an hour to come out from behind the pump and peace is reining supreme.
For a fish the size of the Damsel, the "eggcrate" worked wonderfully. It was easy to cut to the exact shape, light enough to be able to manage with one hand and the Damsel was too large to fit through the grid (but saw it so he didn't smash into it thereby injuring himself). I had recognized some time ago how bright the Damsel is, but this experienced has certainly confirmed it. His behavior changed with ours and he certainly knew where to look for a potential escape from behind the "eggcrate" barrier. It saddens us that he isn't in that tank any longer but again, we've learned (his nature won out over his nurture and we've moved one more tiny step up that darned steep learning curve!!).
Now for the query...
We are (finally) adding a sump and small refugium to the display tank. Out came our "invert" bible, Reef Invertebrates, Natural Marine Aquarium Series, and we both read the refugium and "plant" sections. Doing so reminded me to search online for Volume 2, 3, etc. (I bet you're shaking your head by now). I managed to Google my way back to WWM and found a letter/reply posted some time ago about this very thing. Is Volume 2 still "stalled"? If so, please add my voice to those clamoring for it!!
<Is still stalled... I am wont to produce the last volumes by myself... JasonC has stated at times that he is working on the layout of the fishes (V.2)... it is timely IMO... for the market... and I've penned the ancillary pieces on Selection, Quarantine... and Antoine and I did about half the articles... some years back...>
In all seriousness, thank you so very much for all you do for the hobby. Collectively, "The Crew" provides much insight and has a wealth of knowledge that benefits hobbyists and their pets all over the world.
Again, with many thanks and appreciation!!
Kerry
<Welcome my friend. Re the Dascyllus... I might try adding two more of this species (will spread aggression, attention...) or ultimately give this one fish away... there are other settings where it will co-exist more peacefully. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Polyps. Lots of Hermits, Damsels... and a "who dun it" 5/21/07
Hello, and thanks for taking time to help me. I am a 15 year old novice in a fishy crisis.
<Good start>
I have a 30 gallon Salt water tank, which has been running for about 6 months now. My live stock is currently about 20 blue leg hermit crabs, 5 red leg hermit crabs,
<Yikes... this is way too high a stocking density for these...>
spanning from about 1/8 of an inch to 2". I also have some misc. crabs (none reaching more than a half an inch in size) Also have sand sifting star which I was given by the LFS because it was injured in there tank and had lost an arm.
I also have about 20 plus Orange Polyps spanning from 1/4 of and inch to about 21/2 inches when fully open.
I HAD 2 false perc clowns and 3 blue-green Chromis
<...>
knowing that this would be all the fish I put in the tank.
<No>
Slowly but surely my fish started disappearing. Over a span of 3 weeks my fish disappeared overnight. Now I know when you usually hear the words disappear you think that the person just haven't looked hard enough. I have taken all rocks out of the tank gone through all the filters and dug through the sand. These fish are gone, no where to be seen.
<Likely consumed during the night while laying near/on the bottom... after much beating during the day by the alpha individual>
I am now down to one blue-green Chromis (the biggest of all the fish in the tank) who seems to still be there when I awake every morning. I have research the issue but nothing has really answered my question, Can/Do/Will Polyps eat fish?
<Yes>
I know they are do no photosynthesizing and they are fed tri-weekly.
Its been about 2 months now and the Chromis is still alive, but I am still a little scared about putting more fish in this death trap called a fish tank.
<Is really too small to house such damsels, including Clowns (which are also Pomacentrids>
Your Input on any of the information/livestock would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
Ryan
<Please read here re stocking small marine systems: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/smmarsysstkgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above, and in-text where you find links and lead yourself. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Re: Polyps. Lots of Hermits, Damsels... and a "who dun it" 5/23/07
Thanks Bob, I guess I would just like to clarify on a few things.
1. How many Hermits would you say should be in a tank of this size. The local fish store told me 1 per gallon...
<None per gallon. Please... learn to/use the search tool/indices on WWM... For this here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/hermitcrabs.htm
and the linked files above, and elsewhere re Marine Scavengers...>
2. Are you saying the alpha fish is killing the other fish which are then eaten at night?
<Most likely scenario, yes>
If so would you approve of me trading it in for another fish at the LFS so i could stock my tank with new fish all at the same time.
<I would NOT do this "all at one time" stocking in such a small volume... Again... there are a few tens of thousands of folks that use our site every day... learn to look all this up>
3. You said yes Polyps do eat fish. How big does the polyp have to be to eat the fish. Could the polyps in my tank have eaten my fish?
4. Is a watchmen goby going to be bothered by hermit crabs?
I was thinking of stocking my tank as follows.
2 false perc clowns.
1 watchmen goby
1 firefish
however many hermits you see fit.
4 margarita snails
1 sand sifting star.
20 Orange polyps
30lbs of live rock
4 inches of live sand
Thanks for your assistance.
Ryan
<Have just skipped down. RMF> Clownfish and regal tang, Six-line Wrasse and missing shrimp... Mis-stocked SW... – 03/09/07
Hi,
<<Hi Tom.>>
I have used your excellent website many times before and have a query that I couldn't find (admittedly I was a bit quick) anywhere. I have a Percula 90 with 2 common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), a regal tang (Paracanthurus hepatus), a sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) and a 6 spot goby (Valenciennea sexguttata). My problem is that I added the clowns after the tang and it has sort of adopted one of them as its friend, I don’t mind this but they are now shutting out and attacking the other clown.
<<Your tank is too small to house a regal tang to maturity. Returning/re-housing the tang is your best option here. If you must have a tang, look at the smaller species commonly called ‘Kole’.>>
Another problem is that since I have added the sixline wrasse one of my 2 cleaner shrimps has gone missing, would the wrasse have attacked it?
<<Absolutely!>>
It is about the same size as the shrimps and didn’t and still doesn’t go near them for cleaning.
<<..But will gladly go near than for eating. Not uncommon, especially during moulting.>>
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Tom Parr
P.S. I have used you before and you helped the most out of everyone I asked.
Thanks for that as well :)
<<Glad to help Tom. Lisa.>> -Minimizing aggression-
Hello to all! <Hello! Kevin here> You guys have helped me plenty in the past, and I'm hoping you can help yet again. I have a 60 gallon tank with current inhabitants being a tomato clown, cherub angel, yellow tail damsel, Firefish, and a bicolor blenny. Yesterday I purchased a Splendid Dottyback from my LFS, and he is currently in quarantine. From what I've read, these are one of the most aggressive Dottybacks? <Yep.> I'm wondering if it'll bother my Firefish and blenny....whom have been coexisting for about 7 months now....which is also the length of time since I last added a fish. <It may, but it's nice that the non-aggressive critters are already established> I guess I'm hoping that they'll be established enough already. Any suggestions on how to minimize aggression upon introduction? <Not really, since the more aggressive one is being added to an established tank.> Also, would it be safe to rearrange and add live rock with the fish still in the tank? <This will only work against you by removing the territories of the already established fish.> I just don't want to go through the hassle of netting all those little buggers! I also wanted to add 3 green Chromis. Would this be a good idea or has my tank reached it's capacity? <There's always room for Jell-O.. er... Chromis that is.> There are some mushrooms and zoanthids in there as well, but that's it by way of corals. I just don't want to overstock, but I appreciate the Chromis' iridescent green color. <I think you should be all set, good luck with the new addition! If it starts beating on the residents, you'll want to remove it.> Any input would help! thanks much for a great website. Karina
<Good luck! -Kevin> Shy Emperor Angel and Fishing Hooks
Hey Bob, Quick question about an Emperor that I just bought.
<Anthony Calfo in your service while Bob sits staring at his hand... "all natural" acid flashback, I think>
First of all it was at the store for about 2 months and ate out of my hand there. The transition to my home was so smooth because he just went into a bucket
<grumble, grumble... buckets are very hard on fish eyes/membranes... a bad way to ship. Soft plastic bags flex. LFS boo-boo>
and into my tank without a net.
<excellent and considerate!>
5min after being in the tank he was approaching the top when I came to the tank. He is PERFECT and curious and eager. The only problem I'm having is that my 2 tangs are such voracious eaters that even thought the Emperor is going after food, he's not getting as much as he should.
<three words for the yellow tangs... barbless trout hooks, er...never mind>
The result is my overfeeding which is obviously no good.
<agreed...unacceptable>
Any ideas?
<remove the tangs to quarantine until the angel establishes dominance and familiarity with tank and other mates, then re-introduce the tangs into the Angels territory... but no guarantee. Tangs can be assertive>
Will he just learn to get more aggressive when it comes to feeding time?
<hard to say... will suffer in the meantime>
He's the biggest guy in the tank so he's not being chased or anything.
<its all about attitude... just look at domino damsels; you'd swear they eat wolf cookies and drink gorilla milk every day for breakfast>
Thanks Bob....keep up the great work. Rick
<doing the best I can, Anthony> Netting
Lorenzo,
<Bob back, barely>
Excellent. Thanks for the tips. I actually got one of the tangs out today.
He was the docile one that was getting picked on by "big yellow". Got him with the net by blocking off his main entrances to the rocks. All the other fish would chase him off when he tried to use their entrances as escape routes.
<Good technique>
Now, I still wanted to remove a coral beauty and the domino. I'll just have to be persistent I guess. The coral beauty is gonna be a real pain because he is very shy and a suspended feeder. Worse case is I leave him. At least he is a small fish.
This will leave me with 5 fish (Yellow tang, Naso, small Fiji damsel, and 2 clowns) in my 75 gallon. What do you think? This should be okay right?
Anyway. Thanks again...Steve
<Sounds fine. Bob Fenner> Can you help... (fish compatibility questions)
Dr. Fenner,
<Just Bob, please>
I hope you will receive this letter. I have been reading every part of your web site dealing with saltwater aquariums. I have two of your books as well as a few by other authors. A dear friend of mine has written to you before and recommended that I write to you and get a few answers to some questions I have.
<Certainly>
The tank I have plus all of it's equipment was a b-day gift that I received at the first of the year.
85gal, wet/dry filter with no bio-balls, red sea skimmer, 300 watt PC lighting on 10hrs. a day, water temp 78 degrees, all water parameters just right.
3 blue damselfish, 1 yellow tail clown, 1 flame angle, 1 hippo tang, and 1 valentini puffer.
<A very nice gift>
My questions are as follows;
1) I have one damselfish who during the day slides behind the overflow box. It will not come out unless I am offering brine shrimp. He is pale blue, skinny, but a very active at night. Is this normal for some? Or should I become concerned?
<Probably normal... this is likely a social species (either "hanging out" in a group, or duking it out one on one all day...) that "misses its conspecifics"... If you have enough room, you might consider adding a couple more of this same species>
2) My hippo tang has to be even more shy then the damselfish. He will cram it's self into rock crevasse s (70lbs LR) He will eat the dried algae sparingly but has become sporadic swimmer if he does venture out.
Yet again, should I be concerned?
<No... this is a reclusive species in general... some become more outgoing in settings with lots of activity in and outside of their tank>
3) the last of my questions is if you think the fish I have now are compatible? I know there are always personality differences but speaking generally how do you feel about the mix.
<They're a "good mix"...>
I should also add that the only fish I have that shows much aggression behavior is the angle and the clown, but I have observed that any nips happen if one comes to close to the other personal rock.
Any advice would be of great help.
<All marines are "nippy" to an extent... likely no problem here... no real damage is evident I'd bet.>
Congratulation on an outstanding we site!! It has and still is my saving grace.
Clair
<Thank you for your kind, encouraging words. Do consider adding the couple more damsels... and a bit of live rock with macro-algae on it... this may help to stir some interaction amongst your livestock... Bob Fenner> Re: Can you help... (fish compatibility questions)
Bob,
I hope you remember an e-mail that I wrote a few days ago. I know you receive numerous e-mails in a day. I feel like I am taking advantage of your generosity. I hope this is not the case.
To sum up my previous letter, I ask about my concerns over my shy Hippo Tang and the hiding Damselfish fish.
A disaster in my eyes has befallen my fish. I have two blue devil damselfish who are active fellows. I came into the room that houses my tank to see the two of them picking apart my hippo tang. He was very dead. :(
I took his body and a water sample to my LFS to see if they could find the cause of death. (they offer a autopsy for any fish bought at their store) No parasites detected and my water was just fine.
<This happens, sorry to state... "Psychological stress" commonly offered as a cause of death...>
I came home and all looked well in the tank. That night I noticed my flame angle hiding which is very unlike her. She is always swimming about. My yellow tailed clown was fine. This morning I wake up to find my puffer dead! Now I cried my eyes out because he was my buddy. :( So I went through the same routine with my LFS as above, and got the same explanation.
<Regardless, I would execute a modest water change, add some activated carbon to your filter flow path... to aid in removing some of the "results" of these fishes passing>
My flame angle will not come out from behind my live rock wall. The clown as always swims around like she owns the place. The damselfish are fighting like cats and dogs. I see wounds around their fins and middle body. The damselfish that hides behind the overflow box has come out only to nip at the other two until they drive him back into hiding.
<Damsels can become very aggressive... to the point of trouble, by species, size/growth, size of system... they are at least to some degree responsible for your losses>
It seems selfish of me to seek your advice but I am at a loss. My only idea is that the damselfish could see the tang was weak and went after him. That resulted in my puffer and angle stressing and killing the puffer and put the fear of god into my angle. That is my novice theory.
<I am in agreement>
Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, S.G. 0.023, temp 79 degrees. I have reduced the light to 5hrs a day.
Is there anything I can do? I don't want my angle or clown to die! Should I get those blue devils out?
If yes, how? ( I have tried over two months to get them out only to have given up a few weeks ago)
<I would likely trade the Damsels in... for something more easygoing>
I apologize for the lengthy letter. Thank you so very much for you time and knowledge. I wish there was something I could do in return.
Warmest regards,
Clair
<Your friendship, involvement is more than adequate reciprocation. I thank you. Bob Fenner>
|
|
