Ornate wrasse death

[littlefoxx]

Hey guys found my ornate wrasse dead this morning. Was worried about him because I had not seen him in a week but thought he might be in the sand. Today I found him dead (no sign of sickness or anything) with a huge hole in his side. Didnt look to have been dead a while. I didnt take a picture before I flushed him but it did look like a bite and then being eaten, not from hermits as his was clearly something with teeth. I have a baby chain link eel I havnt seen in a while (same one I posted about) thats six inches. Could he have killed the wrasse in the sand or maybe the wrasse died and he was munching on him? All other fish are accounted for and no bite marks. I do have a horseshoe crab that also could have been eating him after he died but it looked like a bite and chunk ripped out.

Trying to figure out if I have a murderous and hungry baby moray on the loose since I cant find him to spot feed him food and just leave some of his predator food on the sand every other day to see if he will eat it. Wrasse was the only sand dwelling fish, the rest are two larger tangs, a baby yellow, baby foxface and adult clowns

 

[KrisReef]

Ooh, this sounds potentially very bad. I hope I'm wrong but a fish with a hole and perhaps a missing eel as well????

My mind says Bobbit worm perhaps?

Sorry, loosing fish is a sad thing. Hope I'm wrong but wanted you to consider this now to rule it out if possible.

 

[littlefoxx]

Ooh, this sounds potentially very bad. I hope I'm wrong but a fish with a hole and perhaps a missing eel as well????

My mind says Bobbit worm perhaps?

Sorry, loosing fish is a sad thing. Hope I'm wrong but wanted you to consider this now to rule it out if possible.

Oh F no if theres one of those scary things in there Im getting my fish corals and inverts out and dropping a bleach bomb!!! How do I know if I have one?

 

[KrisReef]

Oh F no if theres one of those scary things in there Im getting my fish corals and inverts out and dropping a bleach bomb!!! How do I know if I have one?

These things tend to hunt at night.
Just because my mind went to the worst option, I hope I am wrong. No need to freak just yet. Let's see what others suggest.

Can you post a picture of your tank?
Maybe search Bobbit on here and see if anyone has posted a picture of their injured/dead fish to compare with the fish you flushed this morning.

I was snorkeling in Morea and swam into a shallow lagoon that had huge worms lurking amongst rocks, sand, and detritus that was scattered about the bottom of the backwater I was checking out. I was totally freaked and expected to get bit by one of them but they ignored me. SO, on the bright side, you probably only have one.

 

[littlefoxx]

Oh F no if theres one of those scary things in there Im getting my fish corals and inverts out and dropping a bleach bomb!!! How do I know if I have one?

 

[sc50964]

I seem to recall your other thread about your clown fish suspected to be sick. Is that right?

 

[littlefoxx]

I seem to recall your other thread about your clown fish suspected to be sick. Is that right?

No, never had a sick clown in this tank. That was my 15 nano, this is my 125!

 

[sc50964]

No, never had a sick clown in this tank. That was my 15 nano, this is my 125!

Any possibility of cross contamination?

 

[littlefoxx]

Any possibility of cross contamination?

Nope those clowns all passed in the nano. Nano is just a coral tank now

 

[littlefoxx]

These things tend to hunt at night.
Just because my mind went to the worst option, I hope I am wrong. No need to freak just yet. Let's see what others suggest.

Can you post a picture of your tank?
Maybe search Bobbit on here and see if anyone has posted a picture of their injured/dead fish to compare with the fish you flushed this morning.

I was snorkeling in Morea and swam into a shallow lagoon that had huge worms lurking amongst rocks, sand, and detritus that was scattered about the bottom of the backwater I was checking out. I was totally freaked and expected to get bit by one of them but they ignored me. SO, on the bright side, you probably only have one.

I think I dont have super good spots for a bobbit that big honestly looking at my rocks. Im just wondering if its my baby eel that was eating it and I spooked him. Still cant find him at all though which is why Im confused

 

[littlefoxx]

@Slocke any ideas??

 

[littlefoxx]

Looking at pictures I think if it was a bobbit it would have done more damage to the wrasse. Only one side was eaten and almost in a perfect square. Wish I would have thought to take a picture of him because now Im paranoid theres a bobbit in my tank!!!!

 

[blaxsun]

Scavengers do make quick work on fish; is it possible the hole was post-mortem?

 

[littlefoxx]

Scavengers do make quick work on fish; is it possible the hole was post-mortem?

Yeah thats why I was wondering if my eel thats been MIA was eating him after he died

 

[Slocke]

Doesn’t sound like an eel. They are not subtle hunters. If they can’t swallow their food while they tie them selves into a knot and rip chunks free. I think you’d know.

When new fish just vanish I wonder about cyanide collection as cyanide often kills slowly and the fish often become shyer but that is a big shot in the dark.

 

[blaxsun]

When new fish just vanish I wonder about cyanide collection as cyanide often kills slowly and the fish often become shyer but that is a big shot in the dark.

Sure seems to be a lot of unexplained fish deaths in the past 6 months...

 

[littlefoxx]

Sure seems to be a lot of unexplained fish deaths in the past 6 months...

Yeah that, LFS got a new supplier where this wrasse was from so that makes sense

 

[littlefoxx]

Doesn’t sound like an eel. They are not subtle hunters. If they can’t swallow their food while they tie them selves into a knot and rip chunks free. I think you’d know.

When new fish just vanish I wonder about cyanide collection as cyanide often kills slowly and the fish often become shyer but that is a big shot in the dark.

Yeah Im just wondering what tore chunks off the wrasse! Still cant find the eel anywhere