So during the first feeding of the day, I like to observe all the fish, make sure they are eating, and just in general make sure everything is looking up to spec. Well today I saw something that I wouldn't believe unless I saw it for myself.
I'll start off by saying, my Royal Gramma is one of the first fish I put in my tank about 8 months ago. He established his little cave / home relatively early and its pretty much common knowledge with my tank inhabitants that area is "off-limits". Getting too close to this area means you get met with angry face and wide open mouth. Any snails that enter his area get yeeted into the stratosphere etc... you get the idea.
Well... In comes the full sized Pom-Pom Crab. Now I didn't think much of it, but in the back of my mind I was a little nervous... The crab was creeping into the RG's cave and I thought to myself this might not be good. At first, I don't think the RG noticed it entering but then the crab positioned itself so it was basically blocking the front entrance to the cave and immediately the RG charged at it with an open mouth. Except instead of retreating like most things, the crab gave the RG a nice little anemone punch and it completely threw the RG off guard. He quickly swam out of his cave looked confused and butted himself up against the glass laying down on his side breathing heavily.
This is where he still currently is. Laying on his side breathing heavily. He still seems responsive to things around him but is completely away from his cave (which he never is) and is laying down on his side. I'm monitoring him currently and the expression on his face is "shocked". Definitely looks stressed out. Keep in mind this is a perfectly healthy fish that has been eating just fine, and I watched him eat prior to this encounter (so please leave the disease comments out of it).
Anyone else experience a Pom-Pom crab tagging a fish with some ill-effects afterwards?
I'll start off by saying, my Royal Gramma is one of the first fish I put in my tank about 8 months ago. He established his little cave / home relatively early and its pretty much common knowledge with my tank inhabitants that area is "off-limits". Getting too close to this area means you get met with angry face and wide open mouth. Any snails that enter his area get yeeted into the stratosphere etc... you get the idea.
Well... In comes the full sized Pom-Pom Crab. Now I didn't think much of it, but in the back of my mind I was a little nervous... The crab was creeping into the RG's cave and I thought to myself this might not be good. At first, I don't think the RG noticed it entering but then the crab positioned itself so it was basically blocking the front entrance to the cave and immediately the RG charged at it with an open mouth. Except instead of retreating like most things, the crab gave the RG a nice little anemone punch and it completely threw the RG off guard. He quickly swam out of his cave looked confused and butted himself up against the glass laying down on his side breathing heavily.
This is where he still currently is. Laying on his side breathing heavily. He still seems responsive to things around him but is completely away from his cave (which he never is) and is laying down on his side. I'm monitoring him currently and the expression on his face is "shocked". Definitely looks stressed out. Keep in mind this is a perfectly healthy fish that has been eating just fine, and I watched him eat prior to this encounter (so please leave the disease comments out of it).
Anyone else experience a Pom-Pom crab tagging a fish with some ill-effects afterwards?
