GBTA eats live fish????

[joncowden]

Hey
Ok.. little pi$$ed
I had the best fish I had ever had, a diamond sand sifter goby... Then today it VANISHED...
I came home from work and noticed my GBTA was hunkered between rocks..So I checked it out.. Its mouth was WHITE and large, I mean REAL large... Almost thought it was dead due to the face the mouth was larger than the bubble tips...
So I proceed to move ALL of my rock to find my ONE missing fish... and he is NO WHERE!!!!!
So my question, do GBTA eat gobys that are totally peacefull sucking sand??? At the time, my GBTA was on the sand floor, where naturally, my sand sifter resides.. It ONLY makes sence. But since I LOVE THESE FISH, what can I do to prevent this??? Thanks

Jon
SLASH

 

[blumarlin]

Yes, btas can & will eat anything that comes along their path. My rbta ate a cleaner shrimp that had been in my tank w/ the nem for a year. I had feed the nem well the night b4.

Btas usually settle w/ their foot in the rock, not in the sand. How long has the nem been in the tank?

If the nem is new to the tank, I would give it a few weeks to find a place where it is comfortable in the rocks. Then it should be safe to add your goby.

 

[joncowden]

Crap...I wish the guy at the LFS told me that before he sold me the goby and the nem in the same night... He's cool and all and knows about my tank, but ***....

 

[Henryreef]

Wow, I have heard stories about freak BTAs killing fish and shrimp, but They are rare. Sorry to hear about your fish, I would make sure it was your BTA, and not something else. Also check to make sure you can't find a body in your rockwork.

 

[kimsie]

Also - those diamond goby's are NOTORIOUS jumpers. Is your tank covered? Have you checked everywhere behind the tank?

 

[joncowden]

Already checked for a carcus IN and OUTSIDE the tank... When i came home my nems mouth was huge and WHITE... That only tells me one thing, my white fish is in it...
But i looked on all sides of the tank, inside my cabinet, moved all the rock.. No lil goby

 

[joncowden]

Also why would my Nem, which is SUPPOSED to love lots of light, be trying to hide on the backside of a rock where it is dark?? My light isnt that bright.. Its a 65watt x 2 one PC is actinic and one pc is 10k....