How many fish can an anemone eat???

reefer1970

New member
I purchased a softball sized white long tentacle anemone a week and a half ago (some people think it may be a condy). I am missing a large Flame Angel and a couple smaller fish. My Maroon clown started hosting it and I was hoping he would chase the other fish away but now I am missing mt Coral Beauty!! I havent actually seen them in it but they have not jumped out and only other place they would be is dead in the rocks. There has been no disease in the tank and water is fine. My LFS says feed the anemone and he wont go after the fish but if he ate a Flame angel, wouldnt that fill him up for awhile?
 
Your anemone is not "going after" anything, they do not hunt fish.
If it is a condy they could have easily been stung bad enough to die, eating them or not.
How big is tank?
Is there enough room for fish to swim and not brush against the nem?
 
I would first assume that the fish died and their bodies are somewhere in the rockwork.
Healthy fish usually know how to avoid the anemone's tentacles and rarely get caught and eaten.
 
I agree, Anemones don't go after fish, sometimes a small fish might get chased into one, but there is not much chance of a flame angel getting trapped by one. Like they said, a sick fish could swim into one and not have enough strength to get out. Those stings are pretty strong to fish, and I think most fish have instincts to stay away from them.
 
My female flame wrasse got tagged (her fault for trying to steal food) by my large green gig and last night I think she was stealing food from my new mimic anemone which have a potent sting but he is healthy so it didn't affect her as badly.
 
Do you keep a moonlight on at night? It would help fish see the nem at night when your other lights are off so they won't accidentally swim into one.
 
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When I have lost fish such as tangs or angelfish to anemones. I have always found a carcass spit out in the morning when the lights come on.- shane
 

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