LTA ate FLAME ANGEL!!

[agfahy]

I wish I would have taken a photo of it. It took the LTA about 12-16 hours to consume the entire 3" Flame Angel.
So now that this has happened, I have some questions before I replace the Flame.
I searched the forums for similar incidents but no luck.

I've had the LTA for about 6 months. He has definetly grown larger. I feed him whole pieces of krill 1-2 times a week. Sometimes only once a week depending on how busy I am.
58 gallon tank with a 250 watt HQI

1. Did the anemone eat my Flame because I was under feeding him?
2. Will he continue to eat my other fish, if given the oppertunity, even if I keep him fed?
3. Am I feeding the right food? My GSM loves to grab the krill off the water surface and take it down the his LTA.
4. What are some signs that the anemone is under fed?

Any help would be apprechiated greatly. I will continue to search the forums for info.

Thanks

 

[davocean]

Sounds like your flame just got too close.
I've had my LTA for 3 years w/ no fatalities.
I hope saying that does'nt jinx me!
I've heard alot of people say their flame picked at corals.
I won't get one for that reason.
Your GSM's probably take good care of your nem, so I doubt hunger is an issue.
Nems are opportunists, if something gets close and touches it,
snacktime!

 

[Angel*Fish]

Oh my gosh that's awful! Sorry for your loss.

If I was going to feed anyone more it would be the other fish. The flame may have been caught trying to get food off the anemone.

 

[twon8]

part of having an anemone is accepting that at anytime they can eat any of your fish. i have had a rbta for two years and he hasn't eaten a fish that i know of, though i have had a few chromis disappear.

 

[Meloco14]

AFAIK the anemone is a liability regardless of how often you feed it. They do not control whether or not they sting. If a fish runs into them, it can get stung. It will be injured or die, whether the anemone proceeds to eat it or not. The presence of your clown should normally keep other fish a safe distance away. As mentioned, perhaps you need to feed your fish more. Maybe the angel was trying to get food off of the anemone. Did this happen during the day, or at night. Some people say adding a moon light will help your fish avoid running into the anemone. Also, it might be a good idea to feed all of your fish first, on the opposite side of your tank, and then spot feed the anemone after they have had their fill. HTH, and rest assured you are not at fault here. As mentioned, any anemone is a liability in any tank with fish. They can even kill and eat clownfish.

 

[OCDP]

eek, that's pretty insane if you ask me.... an LTA eating a flame?!? Was the flame really small? Was it weak/sick?

Honestly... it's no miracle that no one (that ive seen) states that their BTA/RBTA/GBTA's have eaten a fish... it's because BTA's are not sticky enough at all to catch and consume a fish.

I think LTA's are slightly more sticky, as I've found... but stilll, if your flame was matured, healthy and overall in good condition, he could have put up a fight... a good fight. Why? Becuase as you said it took him 12-16 hours to consume him! I don't understand how he couldn't have fought his way out???

Either way, I am sorry to hear you lost your fish this way.... how sad. I just find it slightly odd that's all...I've never heard of LTA's eating a fish... I've heard of carpets going to town on fish... but never a BTA or LTA .. (but that could just be me!)

Also, looking at the picture.. your flame appears to be quite large, or fairly large.. and your anemone appears to be medium sized or so... haha it baffles me if this anemone truly did eat the fish.. it's just not adding up to me.

And of course I am not denying the fact that your anemone really did eat the fish, I just find it bizarre! (if you havent noticed )

 

[The Reefer91]

yowzers, guess i'll be sticking to a BTA. by the way, i know this is irrelivent, but how was your flame angelon the reef? did he nip at coral?

sorry for your loss though, that really is a bummer

 

[TippyToeX]

I don't think the LTA has a powerful enough sting to take out the flame and draw it in, unless the flame was sickly or dead. Just my .02.

Very sorry for the loss.

 

[OCDP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6865502#post6865502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TippyToeX
I don't think the LTA has a powerful enough sting to take out the flame and draw it in, unless the flame was sickly or dead. Just my .02.

Very sorry for the loss.

.


Sorry, I have to agree... None of this adds up really, IMO.

 

[agfahy]

Thanks everyone.
I don't know how the flame got entangled be the LTA. All I know if he liked to hang out with the clown by the anemone.
The Flame just recovered from a bad case of HELLA.
But he had been healthy for a good month or so.
I watched the anemone consume 1/2 the Flame Angel. The rest he deposited next to him.
The Flame was a great fish. I only saw him nibble on my very smallest hammer corals.