whats the worst that could happen?

[danny zubot]

I found my brand new Flame angel in the very back on my corner tank dead with orange fuzzy stuff growing all over him. In order to get the carcass out I will need to dismantle the whole right side on my tank! I don't have a clue as to what killed it but my question is what is the worste that could happen if I just left the carcass in the tank? What is that orange Fuzzie stuff.
Here's a pic of the work ahead should I have to remove the dead flame angel.

[Bob I]

I have lost fish without ever seeing the carcass. They likely became bristleworm food. The biggest one was a Purple Firefish. Sometimed when you leave them they will start to float, or get moved by the current. That usually happens before decomposition sets in.

[mr_alberta]

Worst case senario:

Dead fish -> ammonia spike -> causes more death -> tank crash.

Of course that all depends on size of tank, cleaning crew, size of dead fish, etc.

[monza]

Can't you blow him out with a power head, or suck him out with a hose. The later sounds real tasty!

Dave

One dead fish to take down a tank, I doubt it unless your talking a nano.

[mr_alberta]

I agree that is probably won't happen unless its a huge fish or a very small tank, but that is the worst that could happen

[Invigor]

flames are picky and usually die for no reason at all

[danny zubot]

I noticed him last night and didn't have time to do anything then. If the janitors have done a fairly good job of decomposing the fish I'll leave it I guess. If it still has lots of that fuzzy orange stuff I think I'll have to remove it. There goes my Friday night!

flames are picky and usually die for no reason at all

My last flame only died because I dropped a rock on it.

[Tarolisol]

I have a 77 and one a fish dies i just let the bristle worms go towork, They will destroy a dead fish to nothing but a skeleton in no time.

[Samw]

I discovered early on that Flame Angels require higher oxygen levels than other fish. I've had 3 Flame Angels die since I started the hobby. The first one died within weeks because I didn't have enough aeration (I had no aeration equipment at the time. I was skimmerless. I only had powerheads for circulation.). I then added a skimmer and my 2nd Flame lasted many months until 1 day I turned off the skimmer and it died overnight while the Clowns and Tang were fine. My 3rd Flame, after many months, jumped and died. I leave my skimmer on 24/7 now and I no longer have mysterious Flame deaths. Out of all the fish that I've kept (which isn't many), I'd subjectively rank it as the number 2 most demanding fish for oxygen.

[christyf5]

Can you maybe get a poking stick in there or something and yank it out?? Thats going to be alot of work to get it out of there

Christy