Torch Coral and Clown

reef_squared · Dec 22, 2014

Will a torch coral eat a clown? I saw my two nano clownfish in the tank last night and this morning I can only find one.... It is a fairly new tank (~ 3 months old) with only some zoas, clowns, scooter blenny, snails and hermit crabs. Thanks!

GHill762 · Dec 22, 2014

no it won't.

did it jump? did it go down the drain into the sump (assuming you're sumped)?

KorD · Dec 22, 2014

A torch coral as a really really tiny mouth... I am betting it wither is in hiding, or it died and the bristle worms took care of it, or it ended up in your filter/sump

How large was/is the clown?
I had a full size cardinal fish go missing one night. there was nothing left of it after I awoke

Sully · Dec 22, 2014

What size is the tank? How long have you had the clowns? Were they sold as a mated pair or did you try and pair them yourself?

reef_squared · Dec 22, 2014

Its just a biocube 14. The clowns were nano and not sold as a mated pair. I have had them for about 2 to 3 months. The clown that disappeared was the smaller of the 2 and did host the torch coral. I have looked everywhere in the tank and no luck finding him.

SantaMonicaHelp · Dec 23, 2014

I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope your clown will show up soon!

-Yating

Sully · Dec 23, 2014

Could have gotten beat up and the crabs got him. Crabs will clean stuff up pretty quick. Hopefully he'll show up though.

AJQ69 · Dec 24, 2014

Did u find it?

reef_squared · Dec 28, 2014

Never found him

surfnsalt · Dec 28, 2014

reef_squared said:
Never found him

Check the back chambers really well with a flashlight, I've had fish jump back there when I had the bio 14. Good luck.

reef_squared · Dec 29, 2014

Just to update: Checked the back chambers and nothing! Got another nano clown like 3 days ago and this morning both nano clowns were there before I went to work, I come home 8 hours later and there is only 1. No luck finding this one either. Does anyone have any ideas why they keep disappearing before I get another one? Is it my torch coral? Am I not feeding enough?

KorD · Dec 30, 2014

Sounds like you got a little shop of horrors tank going on...... I would not think the torch is eating the clown... how big is the torch... do you have any pics of your tank and the coral?

What is the size of the nano clowns?

GHill762 · Dec 30, 2014

they're either dying and getting eaten, jumping/getting sucked into something, or there is a predator in your tank. the torch isn't eating your clowns.

maybe you've got a eunice worm or something.. lol.

reef_squared · Jan 1, 2015

I think I caught the culprit in the act! Found my largest green stripe hermit crab eating my last nano clown today. Would a hermit crab hunt if there is not enough food in the tank?

reefguy40gal · Jan 2, 2015

Just the opposite. My clown killed my torch coral (black arms with green tips) due to him being overly agressive when hosting.

KorD · Jan 2, 2015

reef_squared said:
I think I caught the culprit in the act! Found my largest green stripe hermit crab eating my last nano clown today. Would a hermit crab hunt if there is not enough food in the tank?

How large is the hermit crab? normally clowns are fast swimmers and try and stay away from critters that could hurt them.

reefguy40gal · Jan 2, 2015

reef_squared said:
I think I caught the culprit in the act! Found my largest green stripe hermit crab eating my last nano clown today. Would a hermit crab hunt if there is not enough food in the tank?

Maybe the clown died by something else's hand....and the crab is just feeding off the carcass?

My emerald crab killed a very expensive clam I had in the tank. I think.