new fish possibly carpet dinner

mwood · #1 12/04/2007, 02:32 PM

I was acclimating my new goldrim tang today over lunch. I got him all acclimated and in the tank, and he was looking fine. I went upstairs to eat, and turned off all the lights in the room so the other tangs wouldn't bother him. Came back down a little later and couldn't find him anywhere. The blue haddoni carpet was closed up and swollen like a softball. I'm afraid he got eaten. If he did, will I see any bones or remains floating around later?

It's so hard to say because it is a large tank and I do have a lot of live rock. If the nem got something, I can only assume it was the new guy.

CHARLIE AGUILAR · #2 12/04/2007, 10:17 PM

Depending on how big the carper is it may spit some of the remains out.

AquaReeferMan · #3 12/04/2007, 11:41 PM

My haddoni ate a 5" blue throat trigger once. I didnt notice any remains.

AquaReeferMan · #4 12/04/2007, 11:43 PM

IMO turning the lights off was the only mistake you made. They need to see it to stay away from it. Hopefully its just hiding. Keep us updated.

mwood · #5 12/05/2007, 11:08 AM

Pretty sure it's gone. Guy on ebay had one left and is sending it to me today. I paid for it as it wasn't his fault. This time I'll leave the lights on, feed a damsel to the nem right before, and put a kitchen strainer over the nem for a few days.

mwood · #6 12/05/2007, 11:11 AM

Maybe I should offer a service to have people send me the mean fish they hate and I'll video the nem eating it.

mwood · #7 12/05/2007, 12:38 PM

Quick question. Has anyone every tried to target feed a live fish to a carpet nem? Will I have any trouble doing it? Thinking about holding the damsel in the net with my hand and opening the net right into the nem.

OrionN · #8 12/05/2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwood
Quick question. Has anyone every tried to target feed a live fish to a carpet nem? Will I have any trouble doing it? Thinking about holding the damsel in the net with my hand and opening the net right into the nem.

I just feed it dead sea food. There is nothing natural about forcing a fish to it's death into the anemone. I would not do something like that just to watch an anemone eat a live fish. In the confined space of the aquarium, fish just don't have that much of chance with a Haddoni carpet.
BTW, the anemone would attach to the net and you may pull off some tentacle when you remove the net.
Please don't consider this a flame. I am sure someone would flame you for this.

ssavader · #9 12/05/2007, 01:24 PM

Agree with OrionN- try some silver sides (thawed), large mysis, or pieces of marine fish/shrimp/scallops purchased from the grocery store. I get a piece of white marine fish, a large shrimp, and a large scallop from the store, put them in the quisinart, roll into a ball, and flatten out while in a zip-lock baggie. Then freeze. I can then break off any size I need to feed either fish, crabs, or mt BTA. Sometimes the store even gives me the shrimp or scallop for free so they don't have to weigh them!