Help anemone ate my clown

[littlebuck]

I have had a bubble tip about 8 mos ago and it was in my 29 gallon tank with another one and my maroon clown. Yesterday i took the BT out of that tank and put him in my 72 gal. I purchased 2 tomato clowns. about an hour ago both clowns were swimming around and doing good. and just went out to feed. noticed that one of the clowns were gone. I said there is no way it could eat the clown. But to my surprize the bta ate my clown. it was inside of him. I lifted up the rock and when i did i pulled him foot of one side of the rock because it was attached to a another rock. I could see it in the anrmone and after moving the rock i seen it come out the bottom of the BTA. Is this common or does anyone know know why it would do it. Since it was around a GS clown for a while was it not used to otehr fish? If anyone know please let me know i would appricate it. Thank you.

 

[roadrunner]

I'm sorry about your anemone eating your clown and i'm also sorry b/c i cant help you but i had a question...what type of lighting do you have on your 29 gallon tank to keep the BTA in there, i would really like to get one but i'm not sure if i have enough lighting!?! i have a 26 gal tank with 2x65 watt lights.

 

[kimc]

That's terriable!! I would just die if my LTA ate one of my clowns... It would probably ruin me for life, from ever buying another anemone. I don't have the xpertise to answer your question... sorry.

 

[littlebuck]

well on my 29 gallon i have 4-75 watt VHO. I have 300 total watts of light. Ya i know but these i just got yesterday and for the 2 clowns it was only 15.00 so its not like a big loss. and maybe it was a since since my other tomato clown was getting picked on from the other one. But thanks for your help. If you had some more light on your 26 i would say get one but only having 2-65 pcs is not really enought like IMO but its up you.

 

[sulley]

are u sure the fish came out of the bottom of the anemone??

 

[littlebuck]

well it came out somewhere i dont really know the exact place why?

 

[jhebi]

Did you feed your anemone?? Maybe it could be because it wasn't fed....JMO

 

[littlebuck]

No i feed it all the time. Trust me he eats. I spot feed him ever other day. Not sure it get the food every time but i know my clown will get most of it when it floats away and brigns it back. Thanks for your though.

 

[just&ash]

it may have been that the clown fish was a weak one, Because a normal BT wouldnt eat a clown fish. In the wild they work as a team together. Also it may have been trying to rub the scent of the BT on its self and wasnt quick enough. Good luck!! :happyfish

 

[littlebuck]

well i dont see how it was weak. :thinking: I dont know if why is would have been rubbing the scent on it but who knows. But its not a real big problem. Ill just get another pair of gold strips so i can have some more babies.

 

[thomas712]

Ok Littlebuck~
What seems to be the problem? Anemone eating your clown fish?
How long have you had the Maroon's? Just put them in there and the anemone got one? It could have been an acclimation problem, dieing fish can send off signals and a dead or dieing fish in an anemeons tentacles is nothing but food to it.
It would be my opinion but a healthy clown fish might have only been stung a few times and might develope some black spots from a BTA if that. But if the clown wanted to it would not give up either and eventually have hosted with it.
Who's to say though if it always works out between an anemone and a clownfish, I'm sure in nature that some get eaten by their hosts.
Thomas

 

[littlebuck]

well he did take host to the BTA. So it was kinda weird that i found it dead. I dont think it was healt issues but never know. It did not have ant black spots on it once i took it out of the tank. Also i have had the maroon for about 6 months. That is true about them not always being good with each other. Well its not that big of a deal just wanted to know if anyone know why it would happen. Becuase my other tomato is in it now and its fine. Its weird. ALso it is starting to split i think could that be why?

 

[creative]

First anemonies only have one opening. What goes in must come out the same opening. Secondly it is the slime coat on a clown that protects the clown. The Anemone does not even reallise a fish is present with a clown. See the clowns slime coat is so similar in makeup of the anemone, the anemone dosen't even know it was there. So if something happened to the clowns slime coat it might just appear as another fish. The fact that the fish was under the anemone was most likly consequental.
Well that is my 2 cents and all IMO.

 

[unleashed]

ok this one is slightly confusing.you seen the fish inside the anenome? but it came out of the anenome from the base of it.was it still alive when it came out from underneath?.
as for physical attributes of an anemome they have one opening only its the mouth they take food in and expell waste from the same hole. a sting from an anemome is not like a bee sting or a poke its a shock almost like electrical charge the healther the anenome the stronger the shock.as for them eating a clown yes it has been known to happen .clown fish have a special slime coat that protects them from being shocked.if this slimecoat is lost the fish Is volnerable to being eaten as like any other fish the anenome encounters.

 

[mr_bill]

I've heard that some clowns are eaten by very large in comparrison anemones. They aren't pulled into and stung by the anemone, but just swallowed whole. Is is possible the anemone had opened its mouth wide enough for the clown to swim right in?
If it helps any, I can take some pictures of a sabae who is abused regularly by a pair of clowns.