Can clownfish kill coral?

[MMAX]

Can it go the other way around? Can a coral kill a clownfish? Had a baby ocllaris (1") in a tank with a torch coral. One morning the clown is gone. Never did find the body, not on the floor or anywhere else. I'm thinking maybe the torch got hungry?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Had an elephant ear-type, very large mushroom coral close up over my eating-frzn mysis mandarin goby about 8 years ago. One minute the goby was sitting on the coral, then next the coral was closed over the "stupid" fish, (I thought it was smart enough to swim away), and a few minutes later, when I looked again, the coral was slowly opening up with the goby dead in the middle. Mandarin gobies are poisonous I believe, so the coral didn't "eat" and digest it, but it certainly killed it.

[daniella3d]

What do you mean a few minutes later?? you did not pull the fish out?!!??

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

Had an elephant ear-type, very large mushroom coral close up over my eating-frzn mysis mandarin goby about 8 years ago. One minute the goby was sitting on the coral, then next the coral was closed over the "stupid" fish, (I thought it was smart enough to swim away), and a few minutes later, when I looked again, the coral was slowly opening up with the goby dead in the middle. Mandarin gobies are poisonous I believe, so the coral didn't "eat" and digest it, but it certainly killed it.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

What do you mean a few minutes later?? you did not pull the fish out?!!??

I didn't see the fish inside the coral. I thought it was smart enough to swim away when the coral closed up. I just noticed it sitting there. A couple minutes later, saw the coral closed up. A few minutes later saw the coral open up with the dead mandarin sitting on it. I was working on my computer at the time and glancing over sporadically, not sitting right at the tank staring at it.

[daniella3d]

no, I don't think so. your clownfish probably dies and the cleaning crew ate it.

My clownfish went into the frogspawn and decided it was not a pleasant experience and did not return but it was fine.

I even doubt a torch can sawllow a whole fish.

Originally Posted by MMAX

Can it go the other way around? Can a coral kill a clownfish? Had a baby ocllaris (1") in a tank with a torch coral. One morning the clown is gone. Never did find the body, not on the floor or anywhere else. I'm thinking maybe the torch got hungry?

[MMAX]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

no, I don't think so. your clownfish probably dies and the cleaning crew ate it.

My clownfish went into the frogspawn and decided it was not a pleasant experience and did not return but it was fine.

I even doubt a torch can sawllow a whole fish.

Nope, no cleanup crew in that tank. If you saw the size of the torch you might think again.

[daniella3d]

I am surprised. Did you actually saw the fish get into the coral mouth and being sawllow whole?

My torch have such a small mouth.

Originally Posted by MMAX

Nope, no cleanup crew in that tank. If you saw the size of the torch you might think again.

[MMAX]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I am surprised. Did you actually saw the fish get into the coral mouth and being sawllow whole?

My torch have such a small mouth.

Like I said, I couldn't find the body anywhere. Not dried up on the floor or anywhere else. The torch is the only other place it could have gone. When it's happy I've seen it swell to about the size of a baseball and I've fed it chunks of shrimp the same size as the missing clown.