New Mandarin dead in 12 hrs

[Ttraer]

Here is my new Mandarin just after drip acclimation and 12 hours later. Is this injury postmortem or cause of death? If the latter, what causes such an injury? Almost circular deep hole. No known predator hitchhikers in tank.




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[PB_Smith]

most things won't eat mandarins because they have nasty tasting slime coat and secrete a thick mucus layer when they sleep. It could be bristle worms, but they would have done the damage post-mortem.

 

[54seaweed]

from the number of posts I must assume your tank is new and recently cycled
mandarins are fragile fish they eat about 2000 pods a day , I am sure your tank couldn't produce that amount on a daily basis , they require a tank that is matured of a year or more and has a good population of pods ,
this will help give you a better understanding of mandarins.
...I'd like to buy a Mandarin! | Melev's Reef

the hole in his head could have been from a fish , crab , snail , or even a worm eating it

 

[Ttraer]

My tank is over 18 months old, I am well aware of their dietary needs and they are more than met. I have a habit of thoroughly researching any addition to my tank.




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[PB_Smith]

you know what they say when you assume things........

 

[Beej1254]

Considering the mortality rate of Mandarins under the care of people who don't understand their dietary needs it's totally understandable for that to be a first place to check. If it died of malnourishment in 12 hours it wouldn't have been your fault at all and we all just want to help out someone who asks.

The wounds look to be from your CUC to me but I don't know what else you have in the tank that may have attacked it.


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[Ttraer]

Small hermits and snails. A coral banded is my prime suspect but it has not bothered any of the wrasses that sleep nearby and I've never seen it go after a single fish. So I think it's possible but unlikely.

I have a trap set to see what I find in the morning for any unwanted nocturnal hitchhikers.

I may have come off strong but I have rarely received friendly advice on here. One individual criticized that my anemone was suffering from poor water quality and stress because it split. In pristine water...that was 7 anemones ago!!! I have to give them away!



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[Sniperhank]

The thing about mandarins is always about their highly specialized feeding needs. Even if someone can keep one fed in our tank, that doesn't mean that it wasn't starving when you bought it.
That is a hole from a clean up crew trying to clean up the mess.

 

[Ttraer]

I tend to agree. But have never seen just a hole...they clean up....fast. But it was a Mandarin.


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[fish wrangler]

I tend to agree. But have never seen just a hole...they clean up....fast. But it was a Mandarin.


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Just throwing out an idea here, but isn't it possible that your CUC just got to the carcass? The mandarin may be died a few hours before you found the body.

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[Ttraer]

Very possible, but they tend to leave very little to find....much less a body with a "bullet" hole??. But it is a foul tasting Mandarin so that's my theory for now unless I find something at night in a trap. Last nights only trapped some of my Nass Snails?


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[PB_Smith]

Very possible, but they tend to leave very little to find....much less a body with a "bullet" hole����. But it is a foul tasting Mandarin so that's my theory for now unless I find something at night in a trap. Last nights only trapped some of my Nass Snails��


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what type of nassarius snails do you have?
Are they the white/grey/beige smallish ones or are the larger spotted ones with brown spots on white?
the larger ones are pretty voracious and their mouth parts could very easily make a hole like that.

 

[Ttraer]

Very Interesting. There are some larger ones in there, no more than 3-5 in a 75 g Are you saying they made the hole after the Mandarin was gone or killed it?


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[Reeffanman]

Is there a bulge on its left side just below it's head? I looked at the pic to see if he looked malnourished, and it didn't look quite right to me . Wondering if there was a mass or even hosting some sore of parasite.

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[Ttraer]

There was no bulge, but some matter from the inside was removed. Suspect it died from shipping and the hole was made by a large nass, have had another since and it is eating and growing fine. Great addition to the tank love to watch the little guy hunt. Just need to be mindful of its diet.


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