When Anemones attack

[chano]

My condy has been in my 29g with a black and white striped damsel for 2 weeks. Untill yesterday morning they seemed to be cool with eachother. When i turned the lights on the damsel started trying to "bully" the anemone. It was picking at him a little and giving him a hard time in general. After a couple of minutes i had a failed attempt at getting the damsel out of the tank to put him in the sump/fuge of my 55g, which is running but without the tank. He went into the back left corner at the base of my LR. The anemone started moving down the live rock and it expanded its tenticles to quite a bit bigger than i had seen it do before trapping the damsel in the corner. It continued down the live rock pretty slowly. Seeing its impending doom the damsel swam into the intake of my filter and took the quick death of the impeller. Was crazy to see man do i wish i had a camcorder.

 

[ynotme4886]

I just got a Condy about a week ago... my tank has a clarkii and a keyhole angel. The angel decided it wanted to check out the condy and the condy didnt like it so it stung him. I was looking in the tank and the keyhole angel was twitching like someone poked him with an electric cattle prod.
Needless to say he hasnt bothered the condy since.
Ynot

 

[perfectdark]

All atlantic anemones are foreign to clowns and damsels, they arent natural hosts for any species of fish. And they are far more aggressive than other anemones IMO. You can see quite a show when you mix the 2 together.

 

[chano]

Well that was the only fish i had in the tank. One of my CC stars already learned its lesson and the other one is smart enough not to try. The brittle star lives under his rock and eats what the anemone either drops or doesnt take. Doesn't really move around much unless he is hungry. The anemone hasn't moved since i put him in.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
All atlantic anemones are foreign to clowns and damsels, they arent natural hosts for any species of fish. And they are far more aggressive than other anemones IMO. You can see quite a show when you mix the 2 together.
I've seen Damsels hosting in anemones in the Carribean while diving in both Bonaire in Cozumel.
That said, anemones should not be kept in small tanks for just this reason.
Furthermore, all intakes, etc. MUST have pre-filters to prevent livestock from getting killed. Animals don't choose to commit suicide.