WhiteCloud
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have lost my dearest fish today. Lenny the Blenny. He was a Lawnmower Blenny that I had for nearly a year. He was a very happy and healthy fish. Was loved by the family. Here is a excerpt from my wife's Blog about Lenny:
http://oniwolda.livejournal.com/31099.html
Anyway...it was feeding time...and Lenny is ALWAYS ready for his. Even if it is a meaty meal, he would at least try it...and then spit it out. He knew Nori was not far behind. A troubling thought just hit...in the picture on my wife's blog, is the extact place of his death...and it is his favorite spot in the tank. He could always keep an eye on things there.
About a month ago....I got an Umbrella Mushroom Polyp. And...I put it on the Rock where Lenny likes to sit. Looked like a nice spot for a Coral. Lenny even liked it. I would often see him sitting in the coral. "Isn't that cute"....I would think to myself. NEVER AGAIN!!!
I was feeding the troops...and no Lenny. He sometimes hides for a few hours...but food always brings him out. No Lenny. I put some Nori on the clip. No Lenny. Finally...I noticed the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp was much bigger than before. It had been growing..and looked very healthy. I looked closer at the Umbrella Mushroom, and through the thining sides...I could swear I saw Lenny Blenny inside...looking at me from withing the Coral. Naw....that's impossible...or is it?? No Lenny...Big Coral...I think I see him....NOOOOO!!
Was time to get the exacto knife...I start cutting the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp, on the side. It shrinks down to nothing..the size it normally gets. Oh My God...what have I done...I nearly killed a coral for nothing. It couldn't have eaten Lenny...so I stopped as strings of "Coral Blood" were oozing out. I felt bad....but again...no Lenny.
Finally...it was time for Lights Out. Lenny often comes out at night when the lights are off. I turned on the room light...and I see one of my cleaner shrimps going after the Coral. Oh no...perhaps I went too far with the coral...and it was dead or dying. Then I looked closer...the cleaner was working a large lump out of the Coral..Oh My God!! LENNY!!!
Lenny had been indeed "eaten" by a coral. Lenny would let the cleaners clean him..and would let anyone "play with him". I will never know the true story of what happened...I could only think that Lenny was "playing with the coral"...the coral's mouth opened larger...and he "burrowed" himself inside...and was not strong enough to get out as the coral squeezed in around him.
Lenny was not sickly, and was one of my most healthy fish, but I think his Curiosity got the best of him.
Has anyone ever seen, heard about, or even thought a death like this was possible. Anenomes...they can kill fish...but a coral...and small Umbrella Mushroom Polyp!! I never thought this possible.
I do not know what the fate of the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp will be. If it survives my cutting, and the cleaners "expulsion" of the evidence...I think it is going to the LFS. Even the thought of this coral disgusts me right now. I do not know what his fate will be that this point.
All I know is that Lenny the Blenny is gone...and there will never be a Blenny that was as animated, friendly, or curious than Lenny.
Who the hell thought you could EVER be this attached to a fish...I never did!
Whitecloud
http://oniwolda.livejournal.com/31099.html
Anyway...it was feeding time...and Lenny is ALWAYS ready for his. Even if it is a meaty meal, he would at least try it...and then spit it out. He knew Nori was not far behind. A troubling thought just hit...in the picture on my wife's blog, is the extact place of his death...and it is his favorite spot in the tank. He could always keep an eye on things there.
About a month ago....I got an Umbrella Mushroom Polyp. And...I put it on the Rock where Lenny likes to sit. Looked like a nice spot for a Coral. Lenny even liked it. I would often see him sitting in the coral. "Isn't that cute"....I would think to myself. NEVER AGAIN!!!
I was feeding the troops...and no Lenny. He sometimes hides for a few hours...but food always brings him out. No Lenny. I put some Nori on the clip. No Lenny. Finally...I noticed the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp was much bigger than before. It had been growing..and looked very healthy. I looked closer at the Umbrella Mushroom, and through the thining sides...I could swear I saw Lenny Blenny inside...looking at me from withing the Coral. Naw....that's impossible...or is it?? No Lenny...Big Coral...I think I see him....NOOOOO!!
Was time to get the exacto knife...I start cutting the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp, on the side. It shrinks down to nothing..the size it normally gets. Oh My God...what have I done...I nearly killed a coral for nothing. It couldn't have eaten Lenny...so I stopped as strings of "Coral Blood" were oozing out. I felt bad....but again...no Lenny.
Finally...it was time for Lights Out. Lenny often comes out at night when the lights are off. I turned on the room light...and I see one of my cleaner shrimps going after the Coral. Oh no...perhaps I went too far with the coral...and it was dead or dying. Then I looked closer...the cleaner was working a large lump out of the Coral..Oh My God!! LENNY!!!
Lenny had been indeed "eaten" by a coral. Lenny would let the cleaners clean him..and would let anyone "play with him". I will never know the true story of what happened...I could only think that Lenny was "playing with the coral"...the coral's mouth opened larger...and he "burrowed" himself inside...and was not strong enough to get out as the coral squeezed in around him.
Lenny was not sickly, and was one of my most healthy fish, but I think his Curiosity got the best of him.
Has anyone ever seen, heard about, or even thought a death like this was possible. Anenomes...they can kill fish...but a coral...and small Umbrella Mushroom Polyp!! I never thought this possible.
I do not know what the fate of the Umbrella Mushroom Polyp will be. If it survives my cutting, and the cleaners "expulsion" of the evidence...I think it is going to the LFS. Even the thought of this coral disgusts me right now. I do not know what his fate will be that this point.
All I know is that Lenny the Blenny is gone...and there will never be a Blenny that was as animated, friendly, or curious than Lenny.
Who the hell thought you could EVER be this attached to a fish...I never did!
Whitecloud
