My anenome ate my clownfish!

[tokitay]

Just like the title says. My green bta ate my tomato clown. I noticed he was m.i.a. a day or so ago. Today, I looked at my tank and watched the anenome regurgitating the clownfish.

Clown was happy, healthy, and all tank parameters were OK. Is it possible the clown was flashing in the sand and knocked off his protective slime?

This is a new one on me. Anyone else ever had this happen, or have any ideas?

 

[rrome]

How long was the fish in the tank before this happened?

 

[M. Python]

I had a clown accidently get eaten. He would swim headfirst into the mouth of the anemone. One day he went all the way in and couldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t get out. He swam around in the anemone until he died this also killed the anemone it was an L.T.A.

 

[ezhoops]

this does happen usually with carpets though. Sometimes like mentioned the clown will attempt to swim further into the anem and actually get eaten.

Are you certain you have a GBTA and not another type of anem, it is certain uncommon for a GBTA to eat a clownfish, not saying it doesn't happen.
sorry for your loss

 

[stykthyn]

that is always a possibility with a nem. can you post a pic of your BTA, as this normally wont happen with them.

 

[tokitay]

Rrome, The clown was in with the bta for about six or seven months. Both had been doing really well. The bta has gone from about 6" diameter to about 15" diameter. It is really big!

I'll post a pic of the whole occurence this eve. I got some pretty good pics of the anenome regurgitating the clown carcass.

 

[Uriel]

Now I'm scared...

I just inherited a 46 gallon set-up, halides, tons of corals, maroon clown, a few shrimp, orchid dottyback, from a friend who decided to get out of the hobby.

I had decided to get the clown an anemone, and was just looking here for suggestions of types.

I do not want to get him eaten, especially by a questionable species.

Are there any 'safer' anemones? He is about 3.5" long, robust and active, but I think he really wants an Anemone.

As well, what risk is there to any other fish/inverts? I have a spot cleared (I moved the bulk of the softies to another tank, and have enough space for the Anemone (A few random shrooms, single zoanthids etc, but nothing too big), without much for hi to sting.

I have a little 2.5" steinitz Goby in there, but he stays at the opposite end of the tank. The orchid dottyback stowed away in a big shroom colony, and now lives with my baby fuzzt dwarf lion, a damsel and a green chromis. The lion is far too small to eat anyone, fear not, plus he is getting moved soon.

I wanted to add a filamented flasher wrasse, maybe a cardinal, 1-2 other small fish. Might the anemone eat these critters?

Any lelp will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to critique, as my experience is 95% with Mantis Shrimp, with fish being a relatively new thing.


-Ron

 

[stykthyn]

if you feel skeptical or intimidated by an anemone, then by all means skip one. Clownfish have shown that they do not need one and can/will live quite happily without one. If you want to see it host, try givning it a surrogate, such as a hairy mushroom, or an LPS.

 

[paulallen]

This exact thing happened to me, I didnt see your thread so i started a new one.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=820122
Here is the thread that i started there are pictures of the clown in the anemone and pictures of the regurgitated clown after.

 

[paulallen]

This exact thing happened to me, I didnt see your thread so i started a new one.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=820122
Here is the thread that i started there are pictures of the clown in the anemone and pictures of the regurgitated clown after.

 

[Uriel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7146360#post7146360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stykthyn
if you feel skeptical or intimidated by an anemone, then by all means skip one. Clownfish have shown that they do not need one and can/will live quite happily without one. If you want to see it host, try givning it a surrogate, such as a hairy mushroom, or an LPS.

Well, it has lived with several rocks covered in blue mushrooms for years, as well as 2 Frogspawns. I put one frogspawn in the tank again, with the other in my 30 (They were all way to crowded, with little room to swim for the fishes).

Perhaps he will become less shy with time, as he hides a lot now (It's only been week at my place, so I'll just be patient.

-Ron