I have a monster in my tank :(

[Aronsaquarium]

I woke up today to find my beloved Mandarin fish not swimming around much..
I thought maybe he’s having a bad day..
he ate a little if food was right by him, but didn’t chase it.

Then I looked closely a couple hours later and saw that every single one of his fins are shredded

He sleeps still in his slime on the sand. So I assume In the morning before he woke up he got hammered by another fish.

I just moved him to a cycled 10g tank where I’m breeding Tigger pods, so he’ll have his own space with his favorite food (and all my hard work over the last couple months )

Who would be the culprit here?

Diamond watchman Gobe
Purple FireFish - 07/28/23 - P & F
2 Percula Clowns
Green Spot Puffer Brackish Converted
Yellow Wrasse
Bicolor Dottyback
Double Saddleback BTFLY

 

[RichReef]

That appears to be fin rot. Notice how the sand is sticking to it. A nice shot of it's belly area would be more informative.

 

[Aronsaquarium]

To happen in 12 hours?

I took the picture right after moving him, so he got all slimy.. I didn’t see that stuff before moving him though

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

If it’s not disease I would be thinkinking it was puffer or wrass

 

[Sesty22]

My watchman Goby would attack my Tailspot Blenny all the time. I had to re home him, All has been peaceful since. My clowns are the nicest, but they leave everyone alone for the most part.

 

[Seansea]

Ya if he wad near watchmans hole couod have been issue. Altho most of the time watchman flare their mouths but never see biting. Clowns can be brutal when in their zone. Guessing watchman tho since they both occupy sand zone

 

[lion king]

The puffer and the dottyback would be my fish of the interest, with the puffer taking the #1 spot, they are notorious.

 

[Uncle99]

Puffer

 

[littlefoxx]

I agree with the puffer too

 

[KrisReef]

No one else suspects the Starfish?

Without pictures of the injured fish it's difficult to imaging what would inflict the reported "fin damage."

Hope it recovers for you.

 

[Aronsaquarium]

No one else suspects the Starfish?

Without pictures of the injured fish it's difficult to imaging what would inflict the reported "fin damage."

Hope it recovers for you.

The startfish is in the 10g he was transferred too
I posted a video but I know you can’t see those in a phone.. I’ll take some pictures
But pretty much looked like he had a horrible fight

I really hope he pulls through I’ve had him 6 months and waited a long time this food that was eating frozen food well

 

[Lavey29]

Other tank fish don't typically nip at mandarins because they have a mucus slime coat that is foul taste to other fish. It's part of their defense ability.

 

[Dominic Sakon]

I woke up today to find my beloved Mandarin fish not swimming around much..
I thought maybe he’s having a bad day..
he ate a little if food was right by him, but didn’t chase it.

Then I looked closely a couple hours later and saw that every single one of his fins are shredded

He sleeps still in his slime on the sand. So I assume In the morning before he woke up he got hammered by another fish.

I just moved him to a cycled 10g tank where I’m breeding Tigger pods, so he’ll have his own space with his favorite food (and all my hard work over the last couple months )

Who would be the culprit here?

Diamond watchman Gobe
Purple FireFish - 07/28/23 - P & F
2 Percula Clowns
Green Spot Puffer Brackish Converted
Yellow Wrasse
Bicolor Dottyback
Double Saddleback BTFLY

Puffers should be kept in predator only systems.. If any of your fish end up dead and missing parts of their bodies, there is your answer right there..

 

[Bugzin]

I had a purple dottyback once that harassed fish in my tank. Donated her back to the LFS and she harassed everyone in the tank she was in there. Nobody ever bought her and one day she disappeared.... I wonder is she is still on this earth

I'd blame the dottyback but that's just my experience.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I woke up today to find my beloved Mandarin fish not swimming around much..
I thought maybe he’s having a bad day..
he ate a little if food was right by him, but didn’t chase it.

Then I looked closely a couple hours later and saw that every single one of his fins are shredded

He sleeps still in his slime on the sand. So I assume In the morning before he woke up he got hammered by another fish.

I just moved him to a cycled 10g tank where I’m breeding Tigger pods, so he’ll have his own space with his favorite food (and all my hard work over the last couple months )

Who would be the culprit here?

Diamond watchman Gobe
Purple FireFish - 07/28/23 - P & F
2 Percula Clowns
Green Spot Puffer Brackish Converted
Yellow Wrasse
Bicolor Dottyback
Double Saddleback BTFLY

Clowns or dottyback my suspects. Set your cell phone on video mode for about 40 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a bully at feeding time.
Review the video and see who it may be

 

[Sharkbait19]

Sounds like a classic green spot puffer to me - there are some mean fish on the list but none have the damage potential of the puffer imo. It’s also the most likely to attack a fish that otherwise stays out of the way.
Clowns and dotty are definitely possible, but with a puffer in the tank I’d always lean there.

 

[Aronsaquarium]

So update:
Looks like we were all wrong
I kept it in my 10g for the last few days while it recuperated and ate all my pods

I just put him back in my DT, and within a couple hours I saw my Double saddleback butterfly chasing him around picking at him.

So I guess they can’t live together

 

[Seansea]

Wow. Would not have seen that comin. Think of butterflies as mostly docile.