Acan Ate Neon Goby! Help

[Jjd531]

Okay, so I just posted on here, but I just came across something, my acan was eating my neon goby, it was stuck in its mouth and could not get out and I had to physically open the acans mouth to free it. The goby looks to have some minor skin damage but seems to be stung and breathing heavily at the bottom at the moment he can still swim correctly It would seem, and his fins seem intact. Is there anything I can do for it or at least possibly to prevent infection. This was my first saltwater fish and have had it over a year will be disappointed to lose it, I have never had this happen nor have I heard of ACANS eating fish, maybe dead fish, but not a live fish. As of right now I put pellets in all my acans to close their heads, because maybe they're hungry, but I feed pretty well. The goby is in a plastic cup with holes, in my overflow box so nothing attacks it, because I saw nessarious snails trying to get him.

 

[Jjd531]

Update: I think my goby has passed or is passing I dont want to disturb it anymore for right now. But I just would like this to go out as caution/ warning to anyone running small reef tanks or keeping small fish. Acans have the ability to eat your small fish, I'm kind of speculating the goby may have tried to sit on the acan resulting in a sting and subsequently getting grabbed and I guess the damage was done before I intervened. RIP Neon Goby, first saltwater fish, I thought I'd kill you the first day :,)

 

[Big G]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Crashjack]

My guess is that the fish was already comprised and just ended up where the acan could slowly eat it. I’ve seen acans eat shrimp molts, but they eat so slow, healthy fish aren’t likely to wait for an acan to eat them. I have fish lay on and right next to acans and have never had one react to a sting. I’m not saying it isn’t possible but that it is probably more likely the fish was dying when the acan got it.

 

[Jjd531]

My guess is that the fish was already comprised and just ended up where the acan could slowly eat it. I’ve seen acans eat shrimp molts, but they eat so slow, healthy fish aren’t likely to wait for an acan to eat them. I have fish lay on and right next to acans and have never had one react to a sting. I’m not saying it isn’t possible but that it is probably more likely the fish was dying when the acan got it.

I was starting to consider that option as well, I read neon gobies only live for about 18 months and I had mine over a year so you could be right and he was weak,
and he just floated his way back to the bottom to start a new. The only thing that seemed fishy (do to me what you must for that pun) was that he seemed fine earlier today and could have gotten stung, also just the way the acan was grabbing it seemed like it may have been trying to get out but again could have been weak, the acans head was kind of curling around him and all of its sweepers were holding it towards its mouth. Kind of wish I'd snagged a picture, for the science, would have felt bad though.

 

[SEAN REILLY]

Wow!....I'm Truly Sorry For Your Loss Of That Little Guy..
And Being that He/She was Your FIRST Swimmer, Well that makes it Hurt More I would Dare To Surmise .....I know it won't make the Loss Any less Devastating, But keep in mind This!......We all TRY to emulate a small slice of some of the Most Harsh Environments on the Planet! Where Just ONE FALSE MOVE! Results in one organism doing exactly what it was evolutionary programmed to do!......Eat or Be Eaten!.....

It Stinks even MORE because those Little Neons Are indeed Part of the "Facultative Cleaner Crews" For the MUCH LARGER Fish Species, i.e. Huge Groupers, and Even Some Species of Hammerhead! and other Reef Sharks!!......So they aren't used to being in Fear of other Reef Dwellers!.....

But since they are a True Goby....They constantly need to Perch (Rest) on Anything (As Gobies don't have the Traditional Swim Bladders as the other 99% of Fish do!)

So Unfortunately, They make a very nice Snack for just about EVERY Large Polyped Stony Coral, (And And Any Anemone, I have myself seen an Aptaisia Grab and Kill one Very unlucky Cleaner Goby Some years ago! Leaving me to Witness Just How Powerful those Pest Glass Anemones Really are! As the Goby was Killed INSTANTLY!

Again, Sorry For The Loss Of Your Little Guy!....And Keep In Mind Most Cleaner Gobies Only have a 2-4 Year Lifespan .... And at least it was of No Fault of Your Doing.....

Sean.