Sharkbait19
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- Aug 13, 2020
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I regret to announce the unfortunate passing of the beloved and famously aggressive clownfish, Luxo. She passed away earlier this week after two and a half months fighting a nasty bacterial infection on the head.
It began soon after I upgraded Luxo and her mate from their Fluval 13.5 prison into a biocube 32. While initially meant to be extra space for the two, I decided to try out some tankmates as well. She took to them about how you would expect, and shredded up my shrimp goby almost instantly. So I decided to remove her for some time and introduce the new fish first, including a shrimp goby, ruby dragonet, and six line wrasse. The goal was to introduce fish that were either low-profile enough to avoid Luxo's attention, or in the case of a six-line wrasse, feisty enough to not get pushed around.
Well unfortunately, the six-line wrasse was a bit too feisty and reintroducing Luxo was the only time I'd ever seen her get beaten up by another fish. I chose not to intervene, and eventually, Luxo claimed her anemone and put the wrasse into his place. Since then, she remained in charge of the tank, and all the fish got along quite well.
However, during the first few days of fighting, Luxo got hit right above the eye, and an infection started. Though mild at first, eventually things got to a point where I needed to pull Luxo and begin antibiotic treatments.
After a week and a half, the lesion seemed to have healed up nicely, so I returned her to the tank. However, not long after being reintroduced, the swelling returned, looking much more severe. I debated catching her again and when I ultimately decided that things appeared to be taking a turn for the worse, she was already too weak to swim. Two days after I began treatment again, Luxo was dead.
I've experienced quite a few losses in my fish tanks, both corals and fish. But Luxo was a fish that defined much of my love for the hobby. She was a fish that--despite being a bit of a psycho--was an interactive and focal point of my aquarium. She was one of few fish that I saw more as an individual pet rather than a piece to a larger reef system.
It's definitely hard to continue feeling passionate about the biocube after this loss, considering the tank was designed as a long-term home for her and Sharkbait. Luxo seemed like the type of fish who, in spite of whatever crazy things might happen with corals, inverts, or other fish, would have remained constant.
No fish can replace the special personality and legacy that Luxo has had. But I will try to honor Luxo by making the biocube as good as it can be.
Rest in peace, Luxo.
It began soon after I upgraded Luxo and her mate from their Fluval 13.5 prison into a biocube 32. While initially meant to be extra space for the two, I decided to try out some tankmates as well. She took to them about how you would expect, and shredded up my shrimp goby almost instantly. So I decided to remove her for some time and introduce the new fish first, including a shrimp goby, ruby dragonet, and six line wrasse. The goal was to introduce fish that were either low-profile enough to avoid Luxo's attention, or in the case of a six-line wrasse, feisty enough to not get pushed around.
Well unfortunately, the six-line wrasse was a bit too feisty and reintroducing Luxo was the only time I'd ever seen her get beaten up by another fish. I chose not to intervene, and eventually, Luxo claimed her anemone and put the wrasse into his place. Since then, she remained in charge of the tank, and all the fish got along quite well.
However, during the first few days of fighting, Luxo got hit right above the eye, and an infection started. Though mild at first, eventually things got to a point where I needed to pull Luxo and begin antibiotic treatments.
After a week and a half, the lesion seemed to have healed up nicely, so I returned her to the tank. However, not long after being reintroduced, the swelling returned, looking much more severe. I debated catching her again and when I ultimately decided that things appeared to be taking a turn for the worse, she was already too weak to swim. Two days after I began treatment again, Luxo was dead.
I've experienced quite a few losses in my fish tanks, both corals and fish. But Luxo was a fish that defined much of my love for the hobby. She was a fish that--despite being a bit of a psycho--was an interactive and focal point of my aquarium. She was one of few fish that I saw more as an individual pet rather than a piece to a larger reef system.
It's definitely hard to continue feeling passionate about the biocube after this loss, considering the tank was designed as a long-term home for her and Sharkbait. Luxo seemed like the type of fish who, in spite of whatever crazy things might happen with corals, inverts, or other fish, would have remained constant.
No fish can replace the special personality and legacy that Luxo has had. But I will try to honor Luxo by making the biocube as good as it can be.
Rest in peace, Luxo.
