Rock Anemone ate my Kole Tang

[MoreReefPlease]

Woke up this morning, looked for my Kole Tang.......

what the heck? SERIOUSLY? I just got done feeding it 2x krill , 3 days ago....

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Has anyone had any experience with rock anemones eating larger fish? I've only had BTAs, LTAs and sebae before and they never ate the fish in the tank.

 

[Krully]

I’ve read about carpets eating fish but rock anemone seems unlikely, especially catching a tang

 

[Cell]

If it did, the fish was likely dead or dying already.

 

[Chefwheredyougo]

any chance the tang was sick or injured before the RFA got it?

 

[Fred2482]

If it did, the fish was likely dead or dying already.

I would agree, it seems there may be another issue that caused the tang to be vulnerable enough for it to get eaten.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Tang was super healthy, colorful and full of movement yesterday. Was eating and generally justed seemed fantastic.

 

[JasonK84]

Is it possible the tang was in a weak state? How long has the tang been in the tank? Do you QT and treat new additions? When was the last addition?

 

[MoreReefPlease]

 

[DeniseAndy]

I had it happen to a smaller fish, but I am pretty sure the fish died and fell near the rock nem. Fish can died suddenly. My Kole tang did on me last month. Was out one day happily eating, colorful and over night I could not find it anywhere. Gone. It was about 2.5"

 

[DeniseAndy]

Any nem will eat what lands near them if they can. They do not go out and seek it like carpets do sometimes. But, hey, food is food. My guess by the size of the baby, it died overnight. Sorry for your loss.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Just went and looked at my LiveAquaria orders and the Tang was added on the 18th of April....

My last order was for a Pearl Bubble Coral on the 28th of April.

I really don't think the fish was weak but she was a baby Kole Tang ...

 

[MoreReefPlease]

I increased my temp by 1 degree yesterday, I really don't think that's what killed her but who knows.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Did it go through any qt? Mine had gone through a full 30days with meds and was good. It happens. Especially with the little guys. It could have gotten stung too. Then weakened and died. So sorry. I love Kole tangs.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Did it go through any qt? Mine had gone through a full 30days with meds and was good. It happens. Especially with the little guys. It could have gotten stung too. Then weakened and died. So sorry. I love Kole tangs.

I QTed her for 14 days in a 20g and then put her in the MT, didn't have any issues.

Man, just sucks. I've lost a Coral beauty, orchid dottyback, Platinum Clown and pajama Cardinal to ick from a LFS - 3 months ago - and now this.

I can't win.

 

[ca1ore]

Just went and looked at my LiveAquaria orders and the Tang was added on the 18th of April....

My last order was for a Pearl Bubble Coral on the 28th of April.

I really don't think the fish was weak but she was a baby Kole Tang ...

Agree that the anemone probably just ate a dead/dying fish opportunistically. Very small bristle tangs often come in very thin and half starved and it can be touch-and-go for a while. Not sure I'd characterize ANY fish in my system for less than a month as 'super healthy'.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

Agree that the anemone probably just ate a dead/dying fish opportunistically. Very small bristle tangs often come in very thin and half starved and it can be touch-and-go for a while. Not sure I'd characterize ANY fish in my system for less than a month as 'super healthy'.

Understood. She just had great colors and was so active, would have never thought she'd be the one to go. If anything a bangai or convict goby lol.

 

[MoreReefPlease]

I seriously love my fish so when one perishes I take it personally.

I'm not in this hobby to buy and replace, I really do care for my livestock.

Sad.

 

[Reeffraff]

It certainly is possible for rock flowers to eat small, healthy fish. Usually happens at night, especially if the fish get startled and darts blindly about the tank. During the day, the fish are pretty good at avoiding contact with anemones. I personally witnessed a rock flower devour a good sized goby when a fellow reefer turned on the tank lights suddenly to show me something after the lights had already gone out. The fish freaked out and swam right into the anemone. We pulled the fish out (it wasn't leaving in its own) but it was too late.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Terrible situation, but thank you for taking pictures. I have seen mini carpet anemones give very healthy fish a really nasty sting. It is possible for a flower anemone to kill a kole tang. I have seen a situation where someone pulled the fish out early on, and the fish survived, but that is probably too late in this situation.