Purple Rhinopias

[billysanborn]

I woke up a few days ago to something downright aweful. My 7 inch rhinopias upside down in the tank. Water tested out perfect and everything else in the tank is fine. Blue spiny lobster, purple reef lobster, black percula clowns, and many soft corals. I was out the night before this happened, and my girlfriend claims nobody touched the tank when she had some people over to our apartment. any ideas on what happened??

 

[FMarini]

w/o a necropsy you won't be able to tell what happened, but i will say this is NOT uncommon for this species.
For whatever reason they are just not a long lived species for the home aquarium, and while a few folks are having some success w/ them, most are not

 

[myerst2]

So sorry for your loss. That's one my biggest nightmares that I'm going to wake up and find mine that way. What were you feeding your Rhino? How often were you feeding him? What size were the prey items? Did the Spiny Blue Lobster or Red Lobster bother it? Sorry again for your loss

 

[bohannbj]

wow

 

[billysanborn]

rhinopias

rhinopias

The rhino was in my tank for 3 years approx. he was eating silversides, krill, squid, clams, and the occasional damsel that he could catch. Nobody else in the tank ever really bothered him. Very sad i cant get over it. everything else is still doing great in that tank.

 

[skyhigh222]

Did he ever shed his skin?

 

[myerst2]

MY Rhino tends to shed about every 2-3 weeks, especially after a water change. Also I have never seen a fish defecate more like a god than any other fish. There perfect minature dog poops. So scientific. Regards, Tim

 

[skyhigh222]

Maybe thats why, if they shed too much(every 2-3 weeks is alot), It means there is something wrong with water and their environment. How good is your water? I mean phosphate and etc..

 

[billysanborn]

rhinopias

rhinopias

he shed about every month to month and a half

water quality is perfect, low to zero phosphates, corals are thriving,everything else is doing wonderful now.

i got a frontosa rhinopias to replace the purple one he is doing great now and is perching on my live rock as we speak

 

[skyhigh222]

nice to hear that. The thing is that i have got a red one but it does not shed that much. anyway sorry about your loss. This is one fish that I would cry for if it dies. You just wane sit there and watch them for hours.

 

[billysanborn]

i was very upset when he died, your right its just great to watch him sway in the current for days on end