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View Full Version : The Rotting Royal Gramma


scuba-al
12/21/2011, 04:22 PM
5 days ago I noticed a white mark on my royal gramma, like its scales were pulled off. It has been eating since then.

24 hours ago: it was missing a pectoral fin; its caudal (tail) and dorsal fins were very frayed; it had more mysterious white marks; but it was eating. I knew it was going to die so I left it to do that.

Today I couldn't find it. Expecting to be able to peel away just 17 pounds of rockwork and find a body, I just slaved over looking for its body for an hour. Nowhere to be found. ANYWHERE.

What the hell...

I run a skimmerless 28 gallon system. Weekly 15% water changes. Also are 1 small rock each of zoanthids and palythoas. I have a peppermint shrimp and ~20 small (3/4 - 1" across maximum) brittle stars. There's also 1 small watchman goby and 20 or so cerith snails. (No nassarius, if it matters.)

Could the shrimp and brittle stars have polished off a 2" fish off in 24 hours? I have looked everywhere. Should I be doing large water changes? The body is gone, I am SURE.

What do I do? I'm about to take water in for testing, I'll report back in a few hours.

Reefmedic79
12/21/2011, 07:17 PM
Nassarius are meat eaters so it would have mattered. No hermits?

To answer your question, yes a brittle star and peppermint shrimp could polish off a fish in 24hours. A water change would be benificial, you could end up with a small spike in your ammonia and nitrites, but it may be unlikely if the fish was eaten before it really has a chance to decompose.

00Warpig00
12/21/2011, 09:28 PM
sounds like it was murdered to me... just sayin... But by what?

scuba-al
12/22/2011, 01:56 PM
Yes I had "murder" on my mind at first but the goby is peaceful and that leaves just the small shrimp. No hermits, by the way. Thanks for helping out the average noob, I'll do a 5 gallon WC and monitor the tank stats

jamest0o0
12/22/2011, 02:55 PM
Maybe a bad hitchhiker? Don't those fish hang in the rockwork a lot as well?

fobeboy
12/22/2011, 03:07 PM
A murderer dandandandaaaaa lol...we got a murder my case in our hand... We need to call scobydo and the gang....lol........cant help my self.......hope it works out for ur tank bro....some times it helps the tank when some thing like that happen...

00Warpig00
12/22/2011, 06:31 PM
I'm bettin there is something in your tank that only comes out at night that you just became aware of, but have still never seen. A "Jack The Ripper" I guess we will know if your goby ends up murdered next. Probably ambushed your Gramma where he sleeps and took off his fin and started at his caudal fin. Missing fin, tattered caudal and bite marks. He ran into something...

Nick

Deacon
12/22/2011, 07:37 PM
Lost a 3+ inch flame angel one time. Never found a body or bones or anything. I figured the bristle worms took care of it.

evilfrog
12/22/2011, 10:40 PM
could be a mantis shrimp or Bobbitt worm. youll know for sure if the goby or any other small fish mysteriously dissapear