Clown ate my BTA?

[beachlvr31]

I bought a BTA I introduced him to the tank and the following day, I noticed the clown taking a liking to it...so much so it appeared it was eating it. it has not been seen since. Is this possible or common? it was attached to a rock when i purchased it. It is definitely not on the rock any longer but i'm not sure if the clown ate it or if it just went off to find a more comfortable or suitable place. has anyone ever heard of a clownfish eating a BTA?

 

[alix2.0]

it probably just moved

i have a hard time imagining a clown eating an anemone into oblivion.

 

[nycbob]

the bta probably moved. is this a new tank?

 

[beachlvr31]

I've moved a lot of the rocks around looking for him but still haven't seen him. The clown is a good size and the anemone wasn't too big so is it possible he ate it? Is there a minimum size that the BTA needs to be? My clown is probably a good 3-4 inches.

 

[perfectdark]

What type of clown? And how big or small is "not too big" when you described your anemone. IMO Its highly unlikly your fish ate your anem, not many creatures eat them at all and even when they are dead the list is small.
Depending on the size of the fish and type. Also the size of the anem its very possible that your fish could of hosted so aggresivly that it died. If it was a small anem it could of easily fallen in to a spot and withered in to almost nothing but a small pile of goo, and gone un-noticed. More information is necessary and also age of your tank and how long you have had both inhabitants would help.

 

[beachlvr31]

This 75g tank has been set up for about 8 months. The clown has been in it since it cycled although I had it for about 6 or 7 years in a 30g fish only aquarium prior. It is what I believe is called a black and red tomato clown and is about 3-4 inches long. The anemone however was probably less than two inches. The clown was only able to rub it's face on it etc. I only witnessed this for about 1/2 hour during my lunch that day and by the time I came home from work the anemone was gone. Do you think it would be ok if I purchased a larger BTA?

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by Beachlvr31
This 75g tank has been set up for about 8 months. The clown has been in it since it cycled although I had it for about 6 or 7 years in a 30g fish only aquarium prior. It is what I believe is called a black and red tomato clown and is about 3-4 inches long. The anemone however was probably less than two inches. The clown was only able to rub it's face on it etc. I only witnessed this for about 1/2 hour during my lunch that day and by the time I came home from work the anemone was gone. Do you think it would be ok if I purchased a larger BTA?
How long was the anemone in the tank for? And how did you acclimate it. Also post your water chemistry, in actual numbers SG, Alk, pH, Nitrates, Amonia, Temp, and Calc, acclimation shock and or water chemistry may have played a role in why your anem died. Or you might have purchased an unhealthy specimine from the start.

 

[slugkeeper]

Did you check underneath each rock? Sometimes small ones will crawl under the rock to avoid aggressive fish and you can't see them until you actually lift the rock up and turn it over. Make certain of your water parameters and everything before you purchase another BTA - and make certain it is actually larger than the clownfish or you could be faced with the same problem again.

 

[integral9]

It's probably under a rock or something. BTAs like to move about, especially the small ones. btw. When a clown is 'eating' or chewing on an anemone, they are more than likely just acclimating themselves to it. I don't think they are actually eating the tentacles, just sucking on them. I think it's how they get their bodies to mimic's the anemones coating so they won't get stung.

 

[lexluethar]

Originally Posted by Integral9
It's probably under a rock or something. BTAs like to move about, especially the small ones. btw. When a clown is 'eating' or chewing on an anemone, they are more than likely just acclimating themselves to it. I don't think they are actually eating the tentacles, just sucking on them. I think it's how they get their bodies to mimic's the anemones coating so they won't get stung.
Agreed, it is either hiding or dead. If it was dead you would probably see particles of it around the tank.
As for eating it, clowns will bite / suck on the tenticles of anemones to acclimate themselves. Mine has been hosting a bta for about a week and every once in a while you will see it holding onto a tenticle or two with its mouth, looking as if it was eating it. But no damage is done to the anemone.

 

[wildjosh]

Let us know if you find the BTA, this post has me curious now.