An Unpleasant First makes for a Crappy Monday

[SmallFry]

So today I lost a fish - the first since started this hobby about two years ago. Just as you'd expect it was one of my favourites too, Blueberry my Coral Beauty. We'd been away for a couple of days, but nothing unusual, got back on Saturday evening, everyone fine, still fine Sunday evening. Everyone eating just as usual. This evening I don't see Blueberry at feeding time, so I go looking and she's on her side behind a rock dead as a Dodo.

The only thing that changed is I brought some new food (Spectrum) for them back with me which they all seemed to like. I can't see that being the cause.

Everything is normal in the tank:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate ~5-10ppm
pH - 7.8
Temp - 25.5C

The shrimps, royal gramma, wrasse (who somehow got into the 'sump' section of the tank - again) and the tomato clown (doesn't count because he's pure evil and I don't think the combined forces of NATO could kill him) are all fine and eating well.

My question I suppose is whether this a common thing, do fish just decide to die for no reason?

Can anyone suggest a possible cause - there seemed to be nothing at all wrong with any of them, and still doesn't for that matter?

How long does a Coral Beauty live - could it be old age (two years seems young to me though)?

I'm also a little suspicious that the clown may have had a hand in it since the wrasse was in the 'sump' again too, but they always seem to have held their own before, and she had no damage to her fins.

Finally what should I do now? With no sign of illness, no real warning and nothing obviously out of whack in there I'm at a bit of a loss where to go next.

Blueberry:

[Coleus]

Sorry for your loss. Sometimes it happens with no clear explanation. Seems to be in excellent health one day and then is dead in the next day. So i just assume fish can have a heart attack just like human.

[toytech]

Im 0 for 2 lattely with coral beauties , mine wouldent eat or just up and died the day after i got it . I think there like all fish and only live so long , and never show signs of stress so it always comes out of the blue .

[SmallFry]

Thanks for the replies, I'm hoping it's just a random incident, though with the clown being territorial she could've been stressed but not showing it I guess. I get the feeling the clown's going to end up in solitary if he's not careful.

Anyway, I'll probably replace her at some point, but probably not until I get the newer, bigger tank online.. I have read that the Coral Beauties are sensitive, maybe I just got lucky with Blueberry - for a while.. They are definitely nice fish though and worth persevering - always out and about cruising through the rockwork..

[Ryan]

you have to remember alot of these fish are wild caught. Clownfish and even angels can stay small their whole lives.

With dwarf angels the females stay 1/3 or 1/2 the size of a male so you may have gotten an older female who turned male in your tank and then passed 2 years later. Meanwhile its lived 10 or 15 years on the reef before you seen it.

[apex82]

Just lost my coral beauty 2 days ago(fav fish as well) due to mysterious causes... However all my fish are struggling so a bit different. It sucks, they are awesome fish.

[dsaundry]

2-3yrs life span I think is about the norm in captivity.