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View Full Version : She ate my Xenia!


zoomfish1
02/26/2007, 12:44 PM
I brought home this large 2 stalk piece of xenia mounted on a nice piece of shell. Gingerly placed it on the sand, putting the shell under about an inch so it will stay put. I had spent an hour acclimating in a bucket prior to placement.

I left for the afternoon and on returning hoping to see this nice speciman pulsing feverishly. What I did see was 2 stripped stalks of xenia about an inch tall and looking very eaten.

Now, for the suspect list: 1 clarkii clown about 4". 1 black velvet damsel about 5". 1 tomato clown. 3 purple reef chromis. 1 green chromis.

The investigation followed. Upon stealth observation I noticed several of the suspects lurking near the victim, although none seemed to ingage it negatively. Close to retiring for the night, I turned on the actinics and turned off the halides and continued my observation of the suspects. Then, without warning or provocation, Ms. Clarkii clownfish nips off another tasty morsel and dives for the rockwork as I scrambled for the tank yelling you SOB, you're dead!

Well, after calming down for a few minutes and fabricating a fish trap for mornings use, I delicately lifted the poor victim from its temporary and shortlived home and gently placed it in an area of decent flow in the fuge, turned on the fuge light and sauntered off to bed.

It's been just over 2 days since the attack and things have calmed a bit. Ms. Clarkii has recieved a short, although unearned, reprive, only to serve her banishment beginning one day in the near future.

There is no punch line, nor moral to this unfortunate event. Only a warning from the now notorious Ms. Clarkii. " Watch those fresh meat Xenias if you're gonna put'em near my house".

Story told, and yes, true to every event.

cl2ysta1
02/26/2007, 01:10 PM
LMAO. Clowns are pretty agressive with their territory. They will eat and nip anything that is close. I'd suggest next time not putting it by the clowns home ;) i've heard a few accounts of clowns eating things that are close to their home

zoomfish1
02/26/2007, 01:47 PM
You just said the magic words. I placed it below her nem on the sand.

She's still in a heap-o-trouble though.

papagimp
02/27/2007, 11:58 AM
My clown pair likes to play in my xenia....go figure. Never ate any of it though.

zoomfish1
02/27/2007, 01:00 PM
Ms. clarkii is the boss in this tank. I can't add anything without her killing it. Oh yea, she's definately gonna be outahere. Her cohort, a black velvet damsel, is about 4" also. They're both gonna be gone. Then, maybe some peace and quiet.

Matter of fact, I put in a home made fish trap last night. Damsel went in, ate the krill, then tore it all to he** getting back out.

I may have to get my gun next.

cl2ysta1
02/27/2007, 07:27 PM
we had to enlist the help of two percula soldiers to kick ours (damsel) out ;)