What can eat an anemone???

[divemasterjim]

My orange spotted Blenny and my bulb anemone are missing
What could eat them?
The only fish I have right now are a blue tang and a clown fish

 

[Amphiprion]

There aren't too many things that will outright eat an anemone (what we commonly have in our aquaria, that is). More likely, it may have retracted or drifted off somewhere (which isn't good). You may want to check around the tank to make sure the blenny didn't jump out.

 

[divemasterjim]

I pulled some of the rocks out today and nothing. How could they just dissapear?

 

[Amphiprion]

It definitely seems that way, but no. Did you cover up your powerhead intakes? It could have been sucked into one of them. What kind of setup, setup age, water parameters, tankmates, etc?

 

[nm354]

I find it very unlikely they just dissapeared.

 

[divemasterjim]

Now my sand sifting starfish is missing a leg

I only have a blue tang and a clown fish in there along with some hermit crabs and snails

 

[kamil5000]

Some butterfly fish eat anemones - but you don't have any in your tank. Also big bristtle worms can eat your anemone and other inhabitants,

Also, Anemone may have eaten your blenny.

Has the Anemone wandered before?

Starfish missing a leg? could be a hitchiker crab or worm, or the leg is disentidrating due to malnutrition.

Sometimes things disappear in the aquarium never to been seen or without a trace.

I've had a small anthia disappear recently and two skunk cleaner shrimps about year ago. All vanished into thin water!

 

[divemasterjim]

The leg looks like it was ripped off
I thought maybe the anemone may have eaten the blenny but where did he go? he couldnt have been sucked into anything it is impossable.
I think I have a really big worm
I see tunnels that are made out of sand and what looks like spiders webs between rocks, it has to be some type of worm.
I have never seen anything in the tank which is 2 1/2 years old, but that doesnt mean its not there.
If I have a big worm how do I catch it? or kill it?
What if I dipp all the rocks in fresh water? I know it will kill the stuff on the rocks but it will grow back, and I only have to dip a few of the large rocks.

 

[kamil5000]

No. Do not dip rocks in fresh water - too many beneficial creatures will die and this will upset the balance of your tank.

To see what you have in your tank that you do not know about you have to wait until about one hour after all the lights have gone off in the Aquarium and room where the Aquarium is situated.

The get a red light (or some torch with the lense covered in a red transparent) and check out what's about in your tank. You may notice a crab, mantis or a nasty worm (not all bristleworms are bad - most are very good scavangers that clear dead and decaying matter).

If you do see an unwanted worm, you can either get it out using one of these traps (I've tried it and it works).

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_miscellaneous_coralife_trap_em.asp?CartId=

or with tweazers - if you are quick enough to grab it (do not touch them with your barehands as the bristles are an irritant and some can be very painful)

For crabs/Mantis you can get a Mantis trap that should catch them.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

Or even build your own trap. Do a search on Mantis trap and you will get a lot of detailed info on this site.


Otherwise see from what rock they came from and QT that rock until you catch it.

The worms that you see with spaghetti type tentacels across the sand are good worms and should be left alone.

After you catch your suspect. Take a pic and post for ID in the invertabrates section and you will get a reply if it is a good or bad critter.

If it is bad (and nobody wants it)- the best way to dispose of it is by freezing it.

 

[kamil5000]

Viewrs desretion advised

Here are some Bristleworms.

And a one of two nasty Xanthid crabs I caught in my tank.

Also a starfish falling apart due to incorrect acclimation at the LFS. It looks like something has eaten it - but this is not the case.

Good Luck

 

[divemasterjim]

the starfish has been in the tank for 7 weeks and this was the first time i have seen a problem. Im pretty sure I acclimated him correctly

 

[sarahkucera]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7810692#post7810692 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by divemasterjim
Now my sand sifting starfish is missing a leg

I only have a blue tang and a clown fish in there along with some hermit crabs and snails

Your starfish may very well be disintegrating due to malnutrition. Sand sifting stars are only reccomended for aquaria larger than 50 gallons and with at least a 3 inch deep sand bed. And that sand bed needs to have a lot of open space too, if your rockwork takes up a lot of the sand bed then that is that much less space that the star has to take in nutrition.
Any smaller of a tank or less sand and the starfish won't have enough nutrition and will slowly die.
Also, it's possible that since you have only those two fish that there isn't enough detritus being created for it to eat even if your tank is otherwise appropriate.

Of course, since you don't have any specs of your tank posted, it's possible that you meet all of the above criteria and you simply have a killer worm. I'm just posting the most common causes of sand sifting sea stars failing to thrive in captivity.

Pictures?
Tank specs?
Water parameters?