Killer in da House!

[Bifferwine]

So I bought this fist-size ball of xenia a week ago... It's been doing fine up until today, thriving. Tonight I was watching my tank with a flashlight, with the lights out like I do every night, and found a "strict herbivore, harmless to other invertibrates" (according to my invert book written by Dr. Ron Schimek) eating my coral for dinner! Even the Great Mod jhnrb himself said, "Herbivorous, harmless to other invertebrates." (Don't worry, I don't blame you!). The culprit? My "vegetarian" Tiger Cowrie (his name is Mr. T. Cowrie, Mr. T for short).

Sorry for the blurry pics, they were taken with the lights out!

And this was what was left of my fist-sized xenia colony (I moved it to my fuge, hopefully it'll recover):

Yep, only one polyp survived. Out of over a dozen. I think Mr. T is headed to the LFS tomorrow... Sad to see him go, I've had him for a long time :( and he is definitely a beautiful part of my tank.

Sarah!!!!!!!! Mad!!!!!!!!! At Mr. T!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kimoy]

put him in the fuge

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't really want to put him in there, he'll crawl into the other sections and get stuck to a pump or something... I guess I could put some egg crate over the top to keep him from crawling into other sections...

I tried to lure him away from the xenia with some nori, but he ignored the veggies. He was biting down on the coral then spitting out chunks of smashed up xenia flesh... How sad!

 

[kimoy]

i'm sory to hear that sarah.

 

[bobby]

WOW that sucks, sorry to hear it.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, my fuge section is about 8 gallons, so I think that's probably too small for him? Maybe I should give it a try, he's awfully pretty :).

 

[JellyMan]

I pitty the coral. Hope you figure out something to do with him sarah thanks to jerm I know what its like to loose a xenia especially a pretty blue.

 

[yote]

Thanks for that post biff,,now I have written proof that i'm not the only that shines a flash light in their tank.
Hate that your xenia got eat though.

 

[jhnrb]

Cowries (certain species) can feed on corals. Apparently you have one that is looking for an alternative food source. You need at least a 100 gal tank and lots of micro - macro algae for them to feed. Probably after the zooxanthellae contained in the coral. sorry for the loss. (it happens.).

 

[JellyMan]

Thanks for that post biff,,now I have written proof that i'm not the only that shines a flash light in their tank.
Hate that your xenia got eat though.

Hey I shine a light in my tank as well.

 

[55king]

yea i woke up to my foxface eating my xeniai loct all but 2 and i had bout 12 not happy with him so i put him in with my niger and snow flake eel (he is a good cleaned so i'll keep him for now )
p,s i'm a shiner to

 

[Bifferwine]

Maybe xenia are just tasty?