[jblabs]

Much to my surprise my Coral Beauty was dead last night when I came home.

Of course my brittle star (among other scavengers) was consuming it. Is it possible fora 6 inch, tip to tip, brown brittle star to kill a 9 year old Coral Beauty? Or is it more likely it succumbed to something else and was then consumed by the scavengers?

This is the first fish I've lost that wasn't new and in quarantine. Checked all parameters and nothing is out of whack including near 0 nitrates.

 

[DLBerlin]

No I dont think so. Thats a pretty small brittle star. It may have died of old age? Not sure how long they live but 9 years is getting up there I think.It was 9 years in captivity right-so it may even be older than that. Bummer to lose a fish youve had so long.

 

[Specialk]

Sorry about your coral beauty, 9 years is pretty long for a fish in captivity. Did you have the fish in your tank this long?

Kaye

 

[Addicted Reefer]

No way to tell wether the brittle killed it obviously. But most of the time when my brittle would try and kill stuff was at night when the fish were not moving as much.

Either way I ended up taking mine back when it reached 18" across. It was constantly stealing foods from my anemones and trying to wax my fish.

 

[jblabs]

Hmm thought I had responded to this post.

No my saltwater experience is only about a year, (20+ fw) and this was one of my first fish. I got it from another MI reefer about 7 months ago, and they told me it was over 8 at that time.

Worst part about it now is that my yellow tang had "paired up" with the coral beauty and followed it all day. Since it died the tang has just hid in the rocks and poked out to grab a bite of algae or food. Hope it eventually comes back out.

Mike

 

[DLBerlin]

Youll have to get him a new buddy
We went with only the clarki in the 180 for a long time-was she ever happy when we added some more fish