lost yellow tang to a green bubble anenome

[geweagle]

Hello all,

I had a very curious yellow tang. Was a great fish. Very active. Family loved him. he got too close to the green bubble anenome. Found him laying on the bottom next to the anenome. I put him in a quantine area and tried to keep him upright. He was still breathing at the time. But after an hour he was finished. Those anenomes can be nasty.

I have a checker butterfly fish which seems curious too and picking at the anenome. Seems unaffected. But I am worried. any suggestions?

And do anenomes excrete soething to attract the fish. they always seem to want to hang near it.

Thanks

[Zoaelite]

I feel for you, never fun losing a tang such smart animals.

I would check your parameters though, there is zero possibility a healthy yellow tang could fall victim to a bubble tip nem, possibly a carpet but not a bubble tip.

[geweagle]

I checked and everything was normal for the tank. Not got the PO4 where I need but its been hovering around 0.5 ppm for the past month or so. It was so sudden. He was fine, active etc and looked a few minutes later he was on his side under the green bubble tip. So I assumed it was the anenome.

[Zoaelite]

PO4 isn't all that much of a deal with fish, your NH3, Nitrate and Nitrite levels are in check though?

I'm sure others can attest, the sting of a bubble tip isn't all that potent compared to some of the other nems out there.

[ponokareefer]

I agree with Zoalite that it is unlikely that a bubble anemone has caused the problem with the yellow tang. Was there any marks on the fish from the anemone, or did you find any other marks on the fish from something else that might have happened to it?

[geweagle]

There was a red region on one side up near the dorsal fin. Not a scrap or line but a region, sort of like a red bruise. Never saw it before. It was very strange because it was so sudden. If it was a chemistry issue I would expect to see the fish in stress before and adnormal behavoir. He was fine. Also all the other fish in the tank are all fine and no sign of stress.

I agree it is strange. Even today all the fish seem normal and were active when I feed them.

No sure and likely will never know for sure.