Aneomones eating clownfish?

FishPimp315

New member
I have had 4 clowns vanish.... they did not jump out, they did not get sucked down the overflow. they are not in the tank period. has anyone ever heard of this?
 
I've had a clownfish just dissapear, but that was only one... We're they sick? An anemone won't eat them unless they are sick and can't keep up their slime coating...
 
it is a heteractis,they were tank raised Black Ocellaris. they seemed to be healthy. i still have one left who is doing great. the aneomone is quite large and now living in my refugium.
 
the only thing i could think ( and this is just a thought with no science to back it up) is that because they are tank raised maybe there is some issue with the slime coating?maybe they are not producing enough of it? this whole
 
I have the 3 clowns in my 55. One maroon, and two false Percs all of which are wild caught. They all host the same condy anemone. But I had this happen to me before.. The reason why is that when they are tank raised they are vulnerable to the anemone because of their slime coating.. Well mind you this is all according to my lfs correct me if I'm wrong..

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thanks guys. i was just wondering if i was crazy or if there was a conspiracy to steal my clown fish in the middle of the night lol
 
Are you absolutely sure you don't have an Atlantic carpet (Stichodactyla helianthus)? That could explain the disappearances.
 
That's not Heteractis FishPimp. Just based on the tentacles, that looks like a Macrodactyla. White verrucae on the column would confirm. LTAs aren't about eating fish in general, much less clownfish, but that's not to say it's impossible.
 
That's not Heteractis FishPimp. Just based on the tentacles, that looks like a Macrodactyla. White verrucae on the column would confirm. LTAs aren't about eating fish in general, much less clownfish, but that's not to say it's impossible.

there really is no other explanation. (that i can think of) Like i said earlier. there is no way that they were sucked into the sump, or could have jumped out. I had 4 vanish. 1 every night. 4 nights in a row......
 
How large were the fish? Are they currently hosted by the anemone? Having more than 2 clowns in a tank that is less than 6' long is generally not a good idea. They can fight and if they're not used to being hosted, the anemone could eat them.

What other fish and inverts are in the tank?
 
I agree with Gary. I've had fish swim right through the tentacles of my LTA with no response from the anemone. That's not to say it couldn't happen, but it is unusual.

Is it possible you have a different kind of predator in the tank? A mantis, maybe? What other fish do you have in the tank. A fish can easily die and be taken care of by the cleanup crew in a single night.
 
I have the 3 clowns in my 55. One maroon, and two false Percs all of which are wild caught. They all host the same condy anemone. But I had this happen to me before.. The reason why is that when they are tank raised they are vulnerable to the anemone because of their slime coating.. Well mind you this is all according to my lfs correct me if I'm wrong..

Sent from my EVO 3D using TapaTalk

I would suggest that you question LFS a little more. Being tank bred doesn't make them more vulnerable. If they're not being hosted by an anemone, they tend to not produce as much slime. If they get chased or jump right in, they don't have the slime, and aren't protected.

Also, did your LFS sell you all 3 fish and condy? I'm willing to bet that you'll end up with 1 or 2 clownfish when it is all said and done. 3 is a recipe for disaster. The condy probably isn't a very good host either. They don't host naturally and have been known to eat clowns.
 
How new is the tank? For example, the LPS in your avatar is actually in REALLY bad shape. Have you tested your parameters recently?
 
I had 4 vanish. 1 every night. 4 nights in a row......
i think there is your clue, if they're disappearing at night it sounds like something is sneaking up on your sleeping fish, what else do you have in your CUC?? an anemone is the least likely candidate in most tanks with rogue crabs being the number 1 killer i believe. best bet is a surprise attack a few hours after lights out, learn where each fish likes to bed down for the night and look for the monster sneaking up on them!
 
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