skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Spotted my two anthias having a play in my partially closed giant cup mushroom the other day. After waving wildly in front of the glass and tapping gently on it they went off somewhere else and swam around. Came home from work on Friday nite and couldn't see the female. Immediately got suspicious and inspected the mushroom (it was a really nice closed up ball the night before). Mushie was nicely expanded and mouth was quite big. Almost while watching it started puking out a big ball of stuff (looked a bit like snot) with peachie pinkie bits. Got very suspicious then. After a bit one of the kids said its vomit was floating round the tank! Nice. Hooked it out and there was a nice fishie skeleton in the vomit! Bye bye anthias. First time anything has been dumb enough to swim around in the partially closed mushie (that I have seen) but as I have lost a couple of firefish that vanished in the past the mushie is under strong suspicion now! BUGGER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Got a pic of this thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDM Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 gutted dude, i know how this feels. a pic would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Picture of what? The mostly digested anthias or the mushroom? The anthias (or at least what was left of it has been binned). Will see what pics I have of the mushie. It is nicely extended at the moment so might snap a new one. It is about 30cm extended. Will post a pic soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Took some new pics. Tried to get some fish in the pic for scale. The yellow tang in the second pic is about 9cm long so gives some idea of its size Fortunately it is not vomiting at present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 First time anything has been dumb enough to swim around in the partially closed mushie these things eat fish all the time, i had a friend who saved his yellow tang twice, however 3rd time it ran out of luck. some info The largest mushroom anemones are from the genus Amplexidiscus, which have small tentacles spread out over their discs, and can reach a diameter of up to twelve inches. These are known as 'elephant ears' and are known to 'eat' fish! This is one mushroom anemone I would not recommend. I have one and have not been able to keep any gobies or blennies in the same tank, as they will eventually meet their fate as food for these large mushrooms, due to their habit of 'resting' on corals. Elephant ear mushroom anemones have a potent sting, which stuns the fish, and then they just roll up around it, trapping the fish so they can slowly digest it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Is that what I have up the back, The green ones??? Note the Green large mushies to the right, are these the same??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Is that what I have up the back, The green ones no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Reef wrote The largest mushroom anemones are from the genus Amplexidiscus, which have small tentacles spread out over their discs, and can reach a diameter of up to twelve inches. Yep, pretty sure thats what mine is! Anyone want a frag? Maybe that is why my firefish disappeared. Have not had any trouble with blennies or other gobies. Cracker, are your green mushies rhodactis? Have some similar but they are mainly brown/purple with bits of green and blue. Also have a couple that are almost white Does yours do the balling thing like in the second photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 hang on. picture one shows a large single elephant ear below a toadstool leather. next post/picture shows a colony of green hairy mushrooms above the toadstool. now which one did eat your fish?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 The fish eater is the elephant ear in the first set of pics that I put up at least that is where the skeleton came from. These pics were taken this evening just before I posted. The second set of pics with the hairy mushrooms were taken some time ago (maybe even last year). You can still see the hairy mushrooms in the first set of photos with the yellow tang in it, above the toadstool leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevan Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 I had one (elephants ear ) ate two fish got the second one out by ripping the elephants ear open but fish died next day (lawnmower blenny) after that got rid of it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
land_lubber Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hey Skippy, Do you happen to have a 6 line wrasse in your tank? just wondering because I have a firefish and everytime it comes out of hiding my 6 line wrasse tries to attack it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 yep, sixlines are pricks some times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 My dottyback is the angry beaver in my tank :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 'elephant ears' and are known to 'eat' fish! This is one mushroom anemone I would not recommend. So why do importers bring them in then, skippy it's a shame they didn't tell you this when you purchased this mushroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBlog Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 So why do importers bring them in then, skippy it's a shame they didn't tell you this when you purchased this mushroom. Are importers supposed to make decisions for us upon what is acceptable and not acceptable to put in our tanks (in terms of what will kill what)? Don't we already bitch on a daily basis that MAF puts too many restrictions on what we can and can't have? Now you are asking that the importer make these same sort of decisions for you? It is the responsibility of the aquarist to educate themselves on what they put in their tank before they dish out the cash; certainly NOT the importer's responsibility. Anemones eat fish on many occasions. I can bet that you (Fay) wouldn't want an importer saying, "OK, no more anemones since they can eat a fish from time to time." We all make these mistakes of putting something in our tanks that we may wish later on that we hadn't. Don’t blame someone else for when this happens. It was nice to see that Skippy did not take this position. Sorry for your losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Have to agree with JoBlog 100%. You take responsibility for everything you put in your tank, no one is twisting your arms. Why do importers bring it in? Easy to answer, because people buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Nah, wasn't told when I bought it that they like to munch on the odd fish but have found out since I got it. As it hadn't been much of an issue (ie wasn't aware of it eating my fish) didn't worry too much about it. Hadn't really connected the disappearance of my firefish with the elephant ear until now. Thought they had died under a rock as they did a lot of hiding in a hole. First one went then a couple of weeks later the second one. Landlubber, no I don't have a six line anymore - he jumped! Didn't bother my other fish though. He was quite peaceful. Have a dottyback that is also fairly peaceful. Tends to hang around one end of the tank and doesn't bother (or get bothered) by anyone else. JoeBlog - I agree that there is no point in getting stroppy at the LFS or importers if something in your tank eats something else. Its the world at work!! Just have to chalk it up as (costly) experience. Though I think I have a few "nasties" in my tank that have a tendency to eat things or poison things due to there toxicity (ie elephant ear and devils hand). Most things don't seem to have problems, but I guess my fish losses may be higher than some others. Have lost a few that appeared to go blind for no apparent reason (refer previous post) so maybe that has something to do with it. Bit annoying that I haven't been able to figure out why though as I can't fix it if I don't know :evil: Very reluctant to get rid of either of the elephants ear or the devils hand as they are both showpieces and quite spectacular when in full extension. The devils hand is about 50cm dia and as mentioned earlier the elephants ear is about 30cm - quite neat when both extended. My tank is completely softie based, no acros (yet) - though I think Puttputt has ideas of changing that when he moves up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 Have to agree with JoBlog 100%. I don't agree 100% My fish know not to go into Anemones!! or I wouldn't have any fish by now three very big Anemones in the main tank and have never seen a fish lost to one. How many people have paid for those big bristle stars and kept them in their tanks so why bother bringing them in and I wouldn't have thought a mushroom could have eaten my fish. It's a good way of selling more fish I guess 8) And remember, there are traders out there thinking that if you are dumb enough to buy it, they are smart enough to sell it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 wouldn't have thought a mushroom could have eaten my fish If you had researched your purchase you would know. Buy a book before you buy a coral (there are pics of a mushroom eating a fish in Eric Bournemans book), its not exactly a big secret. I don't follow what you are saying about brittle stars? Are you saying they are bad? I hope not, I must have at least 20 in my tank, some are MASSIVE. All the litrature I have read shows that green ones are a problem for being fish predators, the rest are just scavangers. I've never had a problem. Again , I did research before I made my purchase. Take responibility for your own decisions, don't expect someone else to do it for you. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 Take responibility for your own decisions, don't expect someone else to do it for you. O.K. I have books and the internet but that doesn't help when your standing in the shop. 8) I have lots of those bristle stars too. I mean the one that I have posted in the past that everyone has taken out of their tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 I don't follow you? What does a brittle star have to do with things? Who has removed them? Not me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 If you had followed past posts you would know now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 ? I don't waste all my time reading the posts on here, didn't realise it was a pre-requistie. As for the brittle stars, they are scavangers. Just becase you see a brittle star eating a fish does not nessessarly mean that it was the cause of death. So I am still lost on your point. Or are you saying no-one should import anything that can eat fish? Or should we just not import things that eat fish that you don't know about? Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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