War of the roses

[francblack]

For quite some time I have had a purple firefish and a strawerry psuesochromis and the have both been model citizens from day one and they looked picture perfect. Upon feeding tonight I noticed that the strawberry was beat up pretty bad and as I look a little more so is the firefish. It looks like they beat the dayligghts out of each other there fins are all damaged and they look like they had a rough one. I think it is a territory issue because they both seem to like to hang out inside a certain rock that I have. Seeming how catching these two is going to be near impossible would anyone happen to have any suggestions.

[salt creepette]

let em duke it out and hopefully they will grant a truce?!

maybe ditch the rock (into the sump) they both like and force them to choose new territories?

[JennM]

It's unusual for a firefish to go to war - usually it's the loser. Even more unusual for the pseudochromis to get beaten up - it's usually the aggressor.

Could you have a predatory crab? That would explain the torn fins - crab could be trying to take out the sleeping fishes at night. Have you lost any fish and never found the bodies?

Jenn

[francblack]

I havent lost any fish yet but I do have an emerald crab. Maybe I should drop him in the fuge.

[JennM]

It's *possible* that it's the emerald. Possible too that you've got a hungry hitchiker.

You can set a trap -- use a glass, bait it with something smelly, set it upright against the rock with the lip of the glass against the rock. Crab can jump in to take the bait, but can't get out again.

You might be surprised who you catch. I caught crabs 2 years after my tank was set up, and the last time I set a trap for the one crab I could see, the next day I had two!

Jenn

[salt creepette]

ive had some of my fish get chunks taken out of their tails randomly after several months of getting along too. i did have two emeralds, but they both died (all other inverts are fine) but I dont know for sure if it was them. I also have hermits in my tank. hope you figure out what happened.

[512148048]

weird hope u figure it out b-4 u lose some thing good luck