Aussie Elegance Coral Ate Two Fish...Anyone else had this problem?

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NickDownUnder

New Member
Hi All,
The other day I noticed that my Cleaner Wrasse wasn't around. He stayed missing for 2 days and despite alot of searching I could find no sign. Eventually I gave up and bought a replacement from my LFS. At the same time I picked up a Banggai Cardinal Fish who seemd at home in the tank straight away. However, next day I came home from work and couldn't see the Cardinal - so now I'm really concerned - 2 fish in 3 days!
After a thorough search I noticed the tail of the missing Cleaner Wrasse poking out from under a rock. After extracting the dead wrasse I noticed ansty whitish welts on its torso. A more thorough search showed the tip of a black and white fin poking out of the slightly closed Elegance coral. Using a pair of lightweight plastic tongs, I was able to open the coral and remove the (now half digested) Cardinal. Both the Cleaner Wrasse and Cardinal were in excellent physical condition.

I guess my question is has anyone else experienced this? I was led to believe that Elegance coral were an ideal tank mate. It has been in the tank very happily for 6 weeks. I feed regularly with a combination of phytoplancton and brine shrimp. It's at the bottom of the tank resting on the substrate and under the shade of a slight overhang so the lights aren't too bright. Flow rate in this part of the tank is low to medium. I'm pretty sure the coral is getting enough food and not too much light. I also don't skim 24/7 deliberately to increase the in water nutrients for this coral. Therefore I don't think its hungry. I'm obviously concerned that future repeats will be costly for me and a grisly ending for the fish!

My tank is a RSM 250 with the standard T5 Daylight and Actinic tubes.
 
PIMPALA

PIMPALA

Well-Known Member
It's MOST likely that your fish died from something else, and the sea fish parts floated into the Elegance, and it was attempting to eat it.

Very unlikely that the coral actually killed the fish. In fact, I'd say with 99.9% certainty that it wasn't the culprit.
 
N

NickDownUnder

New Member
PIMPALA said:
It's MOST likely that your fish died from something else, and the sea fish parts floated into the Elegance, and it was attempting to eat it.

Very unlikely that the coral actually killed the fish. In fact, I'd say with 99.9% certainty that it wasn't the culprit.
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Jason
Thanks for the reply. In the case of the Cardinal I am 100% sure it did not die first. I only saw it 4 hours Previously and it was very healthy. As for the wrasse, it was the liveliest and healthiest fish in the tank before it went missing. The welts on its body we're also significant.
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
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to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members
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Be sure to start a tank thread & share your tank with us, we love pics :dance:
 
whippetguy

whippetguy

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
PREMIUM
I was just reading the other day about a guy who had a lobophyllia eating his fish and he had photos to prove it. Although lobo's and in this case catalaphyllia are normally not fish killers, there's always the case of a rogue coral out there. Just like fish, you don't always get what you expect in terms of behavior.
 
PIMPALA

PIMPALA

Well-Known Member
Ive searched and searched. There is no evidence that I can find of anyone ever having an elegance eating any fish larger than say maybe 1/2" long.


Seeing a dead fish inside, or half way inside of a coral is VERY common, and Ive seen it in my own tanks dozens of times. Ive even came home to a RBTA with half a lion fish sticking out of it. That doesnt mean that the nem KILLED the Lion. It just means it was trying to eat it. In fact, he might have died, and then jerk clown dragged his body over to the nem to feed it.


My point it is, lots of fish die for no reason (that we know of) especially cardinals. Banggai cardinals are very finicky, and I see more of them die than stay alive.
 
PIMPALA

PIMPALA

Well-Known Member
Honestly, until I see video of a Coral like that eating a live, healthy fish, I won't believe it.

I've seen too many fish play around, in, and on elegance corals.


And saying a copperband died in an aquarium, is like saying a mandarin died suddenly. Or like saying that they are surprised their morish idol died. Copperbands are NOTORIOUS for looking healthy and then all of a sudden they are dead on the overflow or powerhead.
 
L

lobo

New Member
NickDownUnder said:
Hi All,
The other day I noticed that my Cleaner Wrasse wasn't around. He stayed missing for 2 days and despite alot of searching I could find no sign. Eventually I gave up and bought a replacement from my LFS. At the same time I picked up a Banggai Cardinal Fish who seemd at home in the tank straight away. However, next day I came home from work and couldn't see the Cardinal - so now I'm really concerned - 2 fish in 3 days!
After a thorough search I noticed the tail of the missing Cleaner Wrasse poking out from under a rock. After extracting the dead wrasse I noticed ansty whitish welts on its torso. A more thorough search showed the tip of a black and white fin poking out of the slightly closed Elegance coral. Using a pair of lightweight plastic tongs, I was able to open the coral and remove the (now half digested) Cardinal. Both the Cleaner Wrasse and Cardinal were in excellent physical condition.

I guess my question is has anyone else experienced this? I was led to believe that Elegance coral were an ideal tank mate. It has been in the tank very happily for 6 weeks. I feed regularly with a combination of phytoplancton and brine shrimp. It's at the bottom of the tank resting on the substrate and under the shade of a slight overhang so the lights aren't too bright. Flow rate in this part of the tank is low to medium. I'm pretty sure the coral is getting enough food and not too much light. I also don't skim 24/7 deliberately to increase the in water nutrients for this coral. Therefore I don't think its hungry. I'm obviously concerned that future repeats will be costly for me and a grisly ending for the fish!

My tank is a RSM 250 with the standard T5 Daylight and Actinic tubes.
Click to expand...
 
L

lobo

New Member
Well, Nickdownunder I believe you!! three weeks ago i brought home a baby dwarf lionfish about 1 1/2" long. eating good and doing what they do. i noticed him creeping around the rock and corals looking for food and from time to time just kicking it in the open brain. yesterday after the lights came on i noticed something in the center of my elegance so with my feeding tongs reached in and pulled out my dead dwarf lion!! elegance had a good hold on him!!. i have tried feeding the elegance directly but the damn clowns always steal his food. i am going to start direct feeding the elegance frozen prawns a couple of times a week to ensure this doesn'.t happen again
 
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