Help...My clown fish is eating my frog coral

[Jose]

I have a frog coral for two weeks. I didn’t have any problem with this coral until today. My clown fish is eating my frog coral … I don’t know what happen???
Any advice …. I don’t know what to do?????
Thanks
Jose

 

[steve-s]

You have actually seen the fish tear the flesh of the frogspawn or the tentacles are simpley receeded? Clowns will host in a variety of corals/non coral items but will typically just irritate them, not actualy consume them.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jose]

Hi Steve
I have actually seen the fish tear the flesh of the frogdpawn and of course the tentacles receeded for that...
Do you think my coral can suffer damage with this kind of irritate???
Thanks
Jose

 

[steve-s]

What kind of clown? Sound like you might either have a cinnamon, clarkii or tomato? They can be rather "frisky" in the cohabitation of anmeones/corals which can lead to severe damage. There is little you can do to curtail the issue save remove one or the other.

Eventually the coral will perish. Depending on water quality, brown jelly disease is also a large concern.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jose]

Oh my God
My clown fish is a false percula ..... i am thinking to put my clown fish in my 20 galons refugee ....
???Brown jelly disease ???/ Are there any way to avoit this disease????
Thanks
Jose

 

[steve-s]

Brown jelly disease is a bacteria that attacks and consumes coral flesh. It does not typicallly infect healthy coral but rather ones that have been injured. It can be avoided quite easily really as long as the water chemistry/quality is good. If you have high nitrate and the like, doing a few good sized water changes (well aged/aerated first) will help reduce the potential for this to occur.

I wasn't trying to alarm you, just warn you of the potential.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

If you cannot relocate the clown, you might consider relocating the coral. Really depends on what light you have over the refugium and what else is in it. If nothing else, at least until the clown is caught so the coral does not receive further injury. You should also be aware that if the clown has adopted this coral, there is a good chance it will choose a different one once the frogspawn has been removed.

It is usually much easier to catch fish after lights out when they are unaware or "doppy". If you wait a few hours after lights out and the room has been dark (or in very low light) a while, try again then. They are usually a snap to catch under those circumstances.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jose]

I don’t have very much light in the Refugium (only 4 cheap fluorescent bulbs)… so I don’t think my coral would be very happy with this kind of light…
I will try to remove my clown fish..
Take care and thanks again
Jose