What on earth happened to it?

GreenSpottedPuffer · #1 02-02-2009, 11:54 PM

I don't know...I just don't think its fair to give up a fish like this just because you have decided you would rather have anemones and inverts. People do it all the time though--which is why I wish people would really think about what they are stocking their tanks with and how its going to work long term.

Not singling you out by any means and I have done this too of course but its not fair to the animals. We KNOW puffers do not belong in a reef. They eat inverts, they eventually cause nitrates to rise over time, ect. ect. They are destructive PREDATORS.

I have kept many puffers in reefs in the past but I go into it knowing that the puffers come first and then the reef. When I stock the tank, I add corals and inverts that I hope will make it but in the end if they get eaten, I don't really mind because the tank is all about the puffers.

If you can't have this kind of an attitude about keeping puffers in a reef then they are best kept in a FO or FOWLR tank.

I think you just have to make a decision here...do you guys want a full blown reef or a large puffer? If you continue to try to do both, you are also going to have to get used to loses. Its just part of keeping a predator with its prey in a small box.

What do you think would happen if you kept a wolf in say a 5 acre pen with a couple deer? Even with heavy daily feedings, the wolf is very likely to kill the deer one day...

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

You had me convinced he ate the nem since I have no idea of whom would have done this. The seahare thing blows my mind too since he has never had any interest in them. What other explanation could there be for the losses and deaths? Since you have experience I figured I should believe you since you are the puffer god. He has not had the appetite he usually has so perhaps you are right and I just don't want to believe it since he's my boy.

I don't think I could rehome him although it would make life so much easier in the long run. I would be such a jerk about what home he would go to as well, nobody would want to deal with me. All my fish are pets and I do care whom they go to and the life they get beyond me.

I wish I had another tank for him and just am on the fence about him. He has so much personality. Frank wants a nem and although he knew not to get one did anyways. Then I got the clown since they should be a pair... Frank built the system and my hands are tied with his impulse buys at times. I take losses in my tank seriously and this one has me baffled.

We both know Griff isn't going anywhere I love him too much. Plus who would want a fish that gets indigestion, eats snails and small fish and whatever else he could sample. All I know is something did this to the nem and I wish I could be sure of what happened here...

fishytime · #2 02-03-2009, 01:43 AM

Far to soon for a nem imho.

my2rotties · #3 02-03-2009, 02:14 AM

I fully agree but my husband buys what he wants and I am left to care for things we are not ready to have.My params are excellent as always and I am a stickler for testing and water changes. It may be too soon, but water quality is not an issue and therefore did not kill the nem. SOMETHING did some serious damage to it not water quality.

Aside of you saying it is far too soon for a nem, do you have any insight with your experience to help pinning down what happened to it? Say this happened two years down the road... what would your suggestion or insight happen to be? Saying it is too soon for a nem does not help since I essentially know that already.

I'm pretty certain many many people had no clue puffers might eat a nem. I still would have to see it wiht my own two eyes, and wonder if I have a hitch hiker in my tank that did this. Is there an other probability of what or who could have done this aside of the obvious. Instead of saying it's too soon or the puffer, how about we try to look at other options since I feel neither of the aforementioned is the culprit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishytime

Far to soon for a nem imho.

fishytime · #4 02-03-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

I fully agree but my husband buys what he wants and I am left to care for things we are not ready to have.My params are excellent as always and I am a stickler for testing and water changes. It may be too soon, but water quality is not an issue and therefore did not kill the nem. SOMETHING did some serious damage to it not water quality.

Aside of you saying it is far too soon for a nem, do you have any insight with your experience to help pinning down what happened to it? Say this happened two years down the road... what would your suggestion or insight happen to be? Saying it is too soon for a nem does not help since I essentially know that already.

I'm pretty certain many many people had no clue puffers might eat a nem. I still would have to see it wiht my own two eyes, and wonder if I have a hitch hiker in my tank that did this. Is there an other probability of what or who could have done this aside of the obvious. Instead of saying it's too soon or the puffer, how about we try to look at other options since I feel neither of the aforementioned is the culprit.

Your husband needs to shop somewhere where they wont sell you something your tank isnt ready for.

And for what its worth...chances are it was a bristle worm that found a dead spot from where the nem was removed and started in on the nem.

BlueAbyss · #5 02-03-2009, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishytime

Your husband needs to shop somewhere where they wont sell you something your tank isnt ready for.

And for what its worth...chances are it was a bristle worm that found a dead spot from where the nem was removed and started in on the nem.

+1 on the bristleworm or some other worm...

I was thinking about what you said my2rotties, about it looking like a bullet exit wound... I remember reading somewhere about a large worm that would come out at night, tear a chunk out of an anemone with some sort of hook appendages, and go back into hiding (it`s feeding time apparently over for the night) only to return the next night to feast again, until such time as the `nem was dead, then would move on to another `nem. Unfortunately, I only skimmed the article and it was a long time ago, so I can`t even begin to tell you where I read this or even what website it was on. Sorry I can`t be of more help

my2rotties · #6 02-03-2009, 06:11 AM

OMG!!! How do I managed to find and catch something like this thing. I won't be sleeping very easy now thinking its in there with my fish. I am relieved that I have not gone crazy, thinking something ate my nem. I should have taken pictures but it was pretty gross.

This is very useful inof and it is much appreciated. I'm really grossed out right now. I wonder what else it will now start eating...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueAbyss

+1 on the bristleworm or some other worm...

I was thinking about what you said my2rotties, about it looking like a bullet exit wound... I remember reading somewhere about a large worm that would come out at night, tear a chunk out of an anemone with some sort of hook appendages, and go back into hiding (it`s feeding time apparently over for the night) only to return the next night to feast again, until such time as the `nem was dead, then would move on to another `nem. Unfortunately, I only skimmed the article and it was a long time ago, so I can`t even begin to tell you where I read this or even what website it was on. Sorry I can`t be of more help

my2rotties · #7 02-03-2009, 06:01 AM

Haha, that's a whole different can of worms... My husband was told to bring the nem back if it was not doing well, but who has the time when things go badly. It was fine; actually awesome at bedtime, and the morning it was not so awesome anymore.

After it was home, I got mad at hubby and went and gave the guy at the LFS crap for selling it to him, since he knew we were not ready for it. The LFS KNEW we weren't ready for one, but hubby wants what he wants.

However if my hubby came in the store and insisted he buy it, what would you say? I just told him we weren't ready for one, and he came back with, "Well I was ready for one". Would you refuse to sell a client if they insist on the item? You know the client will just go else where and buy it.

The bristle worm makes sense and that gives insight to things. I just wonder how long that was going on for since I never touched the nem. It was doing exceptionally well until it wasn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishytime

Your husband needs to shop somewhere where they wont sell you something your tank isnt ready for.

And for what its worth...chances are it was a bristle worm that found a dead spot from where the nem was removed and started in on the nem.

my2rotties · #8 02-03-2009, 02:36 AM

If a wolf is well fed with meat thrown to it, it would rather not expend any energy in killing prey if it is not hungry. Griff eats like a piglet and I could possibly see him nipping at something if I did not feed him for days. I still seriously do not think it was him and feel there is something else that did this.

Because I made a mistake in trusting an LFS for saying he is safe in my tank, I have had to set aside most everything I wanted to do with this tank. Although a nem is an invert, it never occurred to me he would even touch one. I can honestly say he has no interest in it and still feel he did not do it.

What other possibilities could there be aside of Griff doing it?

Yes I said I wanted to rehome him but never would. I have heard so many people tell me to get rid of the puffer, repeatedly... not going to happen. I had a super bad week with one disaster after the next with my system which had nothing to do with water quality or Griff eating anything. Just a myrad of freak accidents and disasters one after the next...

I was venting and you never saw Griff in the sales section of canreef... he is a keeper.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #9 02-03-2009, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

If a wolf is well fed with meat thrown to it, it would rather not expend any energy in killing prey if it is not hungry. Griff eats like a piglet and I could possibly see him nipping at something if I did not feed him for days. I still seriously do not think it was him and feel there is something else that did this.

Because I made a mistake in trusting an LFS for saying he is safe in my tank, I have had to set aside most everything I wanted to do with this tank. Although a nem is an invert, it never occurred to me he would even touch one. I can honestly say he has no interest in it and still feel he did not do it.

What other possibilities could there be aside of Griff doing it?

Yes I said I wanted to rehome him but never would. I have heard so many people tell me to get rid of the puffer, repeatedly... not going to happen. I had a super bad week with one disaster after the next with my system which had nothing to do with water quality or Griff eating anything. Just a myrad of freak accidents and disasters one after the next...

I was venting and you never saw Griff in the sales section of canreef... he is a keeper.

I will agree to disagree about the wolf

A family friend used to be the head vet at the big zoo out here and had a "pet" cougar on his farm in a very, very large pen. He also had deer (part of his home business). As a kid, I used to play with the cougar until it got big and too dangerous to play with. It was still very, very tame and of course well fed. Actually kind of fat

One day it escaped from its pen and guess what...killed several deer. Just ran around killing them. Didn't eat a single one. They do become "tame" but always have instincts.

I have had puffers that let shrimp live with them for up to a year and then suddenly kill them one day. Nothing to do with missing a feeding...just suddenly hunt them down.

There really is no point in arguing this as you know your fish better than I do but I am just saying its going to happen as the years go on with him.

I still don't think he killed this nem based on what you say but I just hope you are not expecting to add a bunch of them in the future.

I sense some disappointment when you talk about having to keep Griff which is really too bad since just a month ago you were very thrilled with him. You have a perfect sized tank for him to have a great life but just need to create a tank suitable to him.

Good luck.

Borderjumper · #10 02-03-2009, 03:06 AM

A wolf will kill for the sport.
I used to live on a farm out in the country. We had a Great Dane that we had raised from a tiny puppy. He was a gentle giant.. lol in fact his name was Wimpy. One day I came home from work and a goat was dead out in the field. Figured it was a coyote but thought it a bit odd that the dog hadnt chased it off. A week later I came home and the dog had a 6 month old calf by the neck trying to take it down. The dog didnt do it because he was hungry and I dont even think he did it from instinct. I think he was bored and it was something to "play" with. The calf was fine, the dog didnt fare so well.

Im wondering if your puffer didnt get bored and started poking or bumping the nem? And as it goo'd the more fun it became?