Reef Tank: Rest in Peace

Removed because: The week of 5/14/2003, both seemed to sag and begin decomposing, so I removed the taller one. The second appears to have recovered. Later, on July 18 2003, the rose anemone split (again!), and one of the clones spent a week on top of the remaining carnation. It never recovered.

Removed because: It was very active when young and small, but grew quickly (tripled in size?) and slowed down. For the last few months, it was very lethargic. Possibly just died of old age?

Removed because: During a protein skimmer failure in June 2003, the polyps all shrank and then decomposed over a couple of days.

Removed because: During a protein skimmer failure in June 2003, the polyps all shrank and then decomposed over a couple of days.

Removed because: Within a couple of days, the tail fin showed signs of battle damage, possibly from the purple tang (although that isn't for certain). Also, for a day, the gills on the right side were red. Within a week the fish had died, for unclear reasons. Soon thereafter, the tank had nitrate troubles which killed a number of corals; perhaps the beginnings of that issue bothered the butterfly fish.

Removed because: Anemones can move, and often sting stationary corals when they do. So it's hard to keep too many in a community tank. Once I got the rose anemone (which is the same species), this very healthy individual wasn't needed any more, so I sold it back to a LFS.

Removed because: Since we wanted to observe a clownfish/host anemone behavior, we decided to get a maroon clown to go with the rose anemone. Different clownfish species aren't compatible in the same tank, so we sold the school of four ocellaris back to a LFS. (The maroon spent about thirty seconds after initial introduction to the tank, before taking up residence in the rose anemone!)

Removed because: Sold back to a LFS, in order to make room for a cleaner shrimp (as Ick insurance) and/or peppermint shrimp (to contain aiptasia anemones).

Removed because: Since it was hard to see, and hard to feed (being in the back, behind rocks), and since it wasn't a good clownfish host, and the rose was much prettier anyway, I sold this back to a LFS.

Removed because: Sadly, the coral beauty dwarf angel picked at the polyps, and the emerald crab climbed and broke the delicate structure. All that remains is a stump of the trunk.

Removed because: On 4/10/2003, I noticed one of the two purple firefish had spine bones where the last 1cm of tail should be! Over the next few hours, I got to observe the fire shrimp eating the fish alive (!) from behind. It was still breathing, and sometimes would swim off into the open water. But it soon returned to the sandy bottom under the rocks, and the shrimp would resume eating it! Kind of a aggressive for a 'scavenger' shrimp. In the months before and since, it has never bothered another fish (including the other three firefish that sleep on the sandy bottom under the rocks).

Removed because: Since we prefer anemones, the urchin was returned to the LFS where it had been purchased.

Removed because: A "reef safe" sea urchin was introduced, which immediately began devouring this anemone. It didn't make it.

Removed because: This starfish slowly became less active, and eventually tears appeared in its arms, exposing the white flesh underneath. Finally, parts began disintegrating. It probably starved to death, although it did seem to find food for some time. (And the red starfish remains happy.)

Removed because: Probably developed a case of Ich (but not visible) within a few days. Spent time scratching itself on sand, rocks, and even the emerald crab! It died within a week or so.

Removed because: This one was probably added to the tank too early, and it likely starved to death.

Removed because: Died almost immediately. Poor acclimation? Yet the clownfish added at the same time did fine.