Did my long nose hawk kill my wrasse?

[lik3r_of_things]

I put a McCosker’s wrasse in my 90 gallon. There was no aggression that I noticed during that day, but the next morning the wrasse was dead with one of its fins ripped off. I had put a royal gramma in the tank at the same time and it is totally fine. My longnose hawk fish has been in there for several weeks. Do you think that it is the one that killed the wrasse? If so, should I get rid of the longnose until I have my tank more stocked?

Current stock also includes an ocellaris pair, 2 firefish, 3 banggai cardinals, lawnmower blennny, and a foxface.

 

[MnFish1]

I don't think there is any way to know whether - one fish killed the other - or whether the new fish had a disease/bad transport/etc - and diet - followed by other fish, etc trying to eat it. So - I wouldn't rush to move anything - if everything is getting along. JMHO - I would watch out for disease, etc.

 

[lik3r_of_things]

I don't think there is any way to know whether - one fish killed the other - or whether the new fish had a disease/bad transport/etc - and diet - followed by other fish, etc trying to eat it. So - I wouldn't rush to move anything - if everything is getting along. JMHO - I would watch out for disease, etc.

It was fine in the quarantine tank. I really want to have a wrasse, but I’m afraid to try it again.

 

[MnFish1]

It was fine in the quarantine tank. I really want to have a wrasse, but I’m afraid to try it again.

When a fish dies quickly (after receipt) - the most likely thing is some kind of problem with acclimation or trauma. IME. I would think it would be 'odd' that a hawkfish would be attacking the wrasse in the middle of the night or any of the other fish. If I understand correctly - everything was fine during the day - the fish was dead in the AM?

 

[lik3r_of_things]

When a fish dies quickly (after receipt) - the most likely thing is some kind of problem with acclimation or trauma. IME. I would think it would be 'odd' that a hawkfish would be attacking the wrasse in the middle of the night or any of the other fish. If I understand correctly - everything was fine during the day - the fish was dead in the AM?

That is correct. I drip acclimated him to the quarantine tank and he was fine. When I put him in the DT he immediately laid on the bottom. Maybe he got hurt moving from QT to DT.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Was there a big gap in salinity between DT and QT? How did you move the fish also?

 

[bnord]

never had a long nose, and I know where some of my shrimp went with my spotted hawk, but hard to believe a diurnal hunter like the Long nose would have gone postal on the wrasse. Assume you have some CUC that could have worked o the dead wrasse?

 

[damsels are not mean]

Aggression also seems unlikely because 1 night of aggression doesn't usually kill a fish unless the aggressor was really committed to killing the other fish.

 

[lik3r_of_things]

Was there a big gap in salinity between DT and QT? How did you move the fish

No gap in salinity. I moved him with a net. Is that bad?

 

[lik3r_of_things]

never had a long nose, and I know where some of my shrimp went with my spotted hawk, but hard to believe a diurnal hunter like the Long nose would have gone postal on the wrasse. Assume you have some CUC that could have worked o the dead wrasse?

Yes I have some hermit crabs and nessarius snails that could have been munching on it

 

[blaxsun]

Wrasses can be really fickle. I introduced a healthy blue sided wrasse and 3 days later he was just dead. Luck of the draw, I guess...