Jigsaw Clownfish Dead
- Thread starter EMBRYOGUY
- Start date
mobert
Active member
Sorry for your loss. I had healthy fish dissappear overnight in my previous tank. I don't know what happened to them but when I switched to my new tank, I left the Brittle Starfishes and most of the really big worms behind. Best wishes for future fish. Sorry again for your loss.
818
New member
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! That sux bro.
Jovreefer
New member
HOLY CRAP! my heart just sunk when I read this!!!! then I looked on the calander to make sure it was not april 1st.
I would think it would either be the nass snails or possibly old age. You really have no idea how old WC fish are unless its a developing juvi still. Nass snails are very oppertunistic! I caught one on a live goby before, the goby jumped up and swam away knocking the nass off... and since then I've pulled all that I can find out of my tank. I still have 1 or 2 though
I would think it would either be the nass snails or possibly old age. You really have no idea how old WC fish are unless its a developing juvi still. Nass snails are very oppertunistic! I caught one on a live goby before, the goby jumped up and swam away knocking the nass off... and since then I've pulled all that I can find out of my tank. I still have 1 or 2 though
fingerwrinkles
Premium Member
Really sorry to hear about the loss as that was a beautiful specimen.
One possibility to consider is that some corallimorphians are known to exude a low level toxin that basically causes a stupor in animals which ingest the toxin. As the mushooms do not have nematocycts to catch and hold prey like anemones, the toxin drugs the fish and causes it to lay still on the mushroom so that the mushroom can warp itself around the prey and ingest it (as you note, elephant ears are well known for doing this). As clowns often take hosts in tanks which they wouldn't hang around in the wild, it is possible that this happened here, but the mushroom couldn't ingest the clown. However, the snails saw an opportunity and began the feast, which is how it sounds like you found them.
One possibility to consider is that some corallimorphians are known to exude a low level toxin that basically causes a stupor in animals which ingest the toxin. As the mushooms do not have nematocycts to catch and hold prey like anemones, the toxin drugs the fish and causes it to lay still on the mushroom so that the mushroom can warp itself around the prey and ingest it (as you note, elephant ears are well known for doing this). As clowns often take hosts in tanks which they wouldn't hang around in the wild, it is possible that this happened here, but the mushroom couldn't ingest the clown. However, the snails saw an opportunity and began the feast, which is how it sounds like you found them.
EMBRYOGUY
New member
fingerwrinkles.
THANK YOU for that thorough explanation. definetly a possibility. your explanation is prob the most plausible one ive heard and one i m leaning towards also. thank you very much.
jov. yes, someone else also mentioned age as possible factor since he was wc. he was just so vigorus in this movement and activity throughout the tank. but definetly a real possibility.
thank you everyone for your thoughts. they have made this situation better.
THANK YOU for that thorough explanation. definetly a possibility. your explanation is prob the most plausible one ive heard and one i m leaning towards also. thank you very much.
jov. yes, someone else also mentioned age as possible factor since he was wc. he was just so vigorus in this movement and activity throughout the tank. but definetly a real possibility.
thank you everyone for your thoughts. they have made this situation better.
Bones18
In Memoriam
Not exactly.... He was perfect after I worked through making them healthy, however I woke up one day and he was laying in a leather coral.... regular breathing, good water.... The only noticeable change was his cheeks looked to have been caved in, and I know that it was not like that the nite before.... Honestly I find mine to be a mystery also...
EMBRYOGUY
New member
i know now the 100% reason why the jigsaw clownfish died!
the same hairy mushroom was moved to a diff tank with a small pair of clowns i was going to sell. they were hosting it but i figured they would only be there a couple days befor shiping out. this morning i found the mushroom balled up tight. inside was the little onyx.!
so its not a speculation anymore its 100% fact hairy mushrooms can eat clowns.!
the same hairy mushroom was moved to a diff tank with a small pair of clowns i was going to sell. they were hosting it but i figured they would only be there a couple days befor shiping out. this morning i found the mushroom balled up tight. inside was the little onyx.!
so its not a speculation anymore its 100% fact hairy mushrooms can eat clowns.!
ClownReef®
Bubbletrousing
Well, arent hairy mushrooms anemones after all???...those #$%^ers!!!!
EMBRYOGUY
New member
mobert,
i think the circumstances have to be just right. obviously the clowns have to host the mushroom and it also has to be relatively small and the mushroom very large. i just had a bad situation. the mushroom was so strong i had to use a metal rod to pull its grip apart. like a venus fly trap! despite my speculation i was sure after the loss, but this morning i saw definitive proof. atleast something good came from my clownfishes death. information is invaluable.
i really think its fine to keep hairy mushrooms in with clowns, as long as they do not host and are smaller than the clownfish. i just know i will not take any more chances with hairy mushrooms at all. i think there is also a chance the mushroom released some toxin to kill the clownfish, bec the mushroom did not "strangle" the clownfish to death. its body was in perfect shape. the only way the mushroom would be able to eat this clownfish in nature is slowly after the clownfish was disabled.
FINGERWINKLES QUOTE BELOW
sorry i did not give you credit sooner. i just traced back thru the thread. i think you are 100% correct. thank you for the thorough, detailed , scientific explanation.
i think the circumstances have to be just right. obviously the clowns have to host the mushroom and it also has to be relatively small and the mushroom very large. i just had a bad situation. the mushroom was so strong i had to use a metal rod to pull its grip apart. like a venus fly trap! despite my speculation i was sure after the loss, but this morning i saw definitive proof. atleast something good came from my clownfishes death. information is invaluable.
i really think its fine to keep hairy mushrooms in with clowns, as long as they do not host and are smaller than the clownfish. i just know i will not take any more chances with hairy mushrooms at all. i think there is also a chance the mushroom released some toxin to kill the clownfish, bec the mushroom did not "strangle" the clownfish to death. its body was in perfect shape. the only way the mushroom would be able to eat this clownfish in nature is slowly after the clownfish was disabled.
FINGERWINKLES QUOTE BELOW
sorry i did not give you credit sooner. i just traced back thru the thread. i think you are 100% correct. thank you for the thorough, detailed , scientific explanation.
EMBRYOGUY
New member
fingerwinkles. hope its ok im going to add your quote to my forum.
toofishy.com of clownfish information. THANK YOU AGAIN>
of course this rare event would happen to my best clown. ! but your explanation fingerwinkles makes me feel alot better about the situation. thank you !
toofishy.com of clownfish information. THANK YOU AGAIN>
of course this rare event would happen to my best clown. ! but your explanation fingerwinkles makes me feel alot better about the situation. thank you !
BristlewormKing
New member
Thanks for the heads up!!
Thanks for the heads up!!
OMG...I just got a pair of picasso clownfish last week and put them in a tank filled with various mushroom - after reading this thread, I just moved the mushrooms! Thanks for keeping everyone informed!
Thanks for the heads up!!
OMG...I just got a pair of picasso clownfish last week and put them in a tank filled with various mushroom - after reading this thread, I just moved the mushrooms! Thanks for keeping everyone informed!
