Fish stung by aiptasia?

I've noticed this aiptasia sitting in a rock crevice for the last few weeks, but I've been busy enough with other tank related issues to grant him a general pardon. He hasnt multiplied, and has been to himself.

Until last night. I come home to feed the fish and one of my blue/green chromis is fluttering around on the bottom. I looked for any obvious signs of illness, but didnt see anything. He was just looking quite stunned, disoriented, kept listing over to the side or upside down, hardly able to keep from getting swept in the current. I wish I had remembered to take a video. He disappeared into the rocks and I havent seen him since. RIP

I suspect this was due to a sting from the aiptasia, as my water parameters are fine (expect for Phos), and none of the other fish are displaying similar symptoms? Anyway, a little lemon juice and boiling water later, the little beast was history. Tit for tat.

Does the behavior sound like a sting?

 

No, not from aiptasia.

 

I had a chromis do that just out of the blue. Maybe an internal infection.

 

I would bet it was the Aiptasia also. When I first got my liverock used it was infested with it. I added 6 green chromis and one by one they all acted like your describing and died. Once I got rid of the aiptasia every other fish was fine. Including yellowtail damsels.

 

aiptasia is some nasty stuff.. stings everything it seems. had some corals that always seemed agitated and would close up constantly. couldn't figure out what it was... upon close inspection there was aiptasia at the base of the corals stinging it. once I eliminated the aiptasia using aiptasia-x the corals have been doing great and almost instantly afterward they opened up fully.

 

Well, I guess what I'm looking for is if anyone else has had their fish stung by it, and what the reaction was of the fish? What are symptoms of an anenome sting?

 

I do not believe that an aptaisia's sting would harm a chromis. They just arn't that toxic.

 

+1.

Just because the other fish are fine doesn't mean it was the aiptasia. The only fish you lost were Chromis.

 

Yeah I gotta agree with above post, most likely not the aiptasia. Chromis can drop like flies for no appearent reason IME.

 

aptasia are not like other anemones, their sting is only harmful if in contact with something for prolonged amounts of time, its not an imediate thing. therefore your chromis would have had plenty of time to react. its practically impossible it was the aptasia.

also i have had this same thing happen to a school of my blue chromises, just out of the blue they were laying on the tank bottom gasping for air. then my snowflake eel got them unfortunately