Could my clowns have eaten my fire goby?

[mccarrick]

Hey all,

    I have a 16 gallon biocube with 2 ocellaris, zebra hermit, and a green emerald crab. I added a fire goby last week and he was doing really well, it took awhile for him to come out so I could feed him but yesterday he was doing especially well. The clowns chase him a little bit bit I hadn't seen anything really terrible. Today I found it at the bottom with almost half of it missing, it's spine was showing. It was still alive, shockingly. I had to end it's suffering unfortunately. Any clues as to what may have happened? I have 2 powerheads but I don't see how it could have possibly got stuck in it. When I first got into the hobby a few years ago I was reading that it would be fine to keep the three fish in a tank that size but I've  been doing a lot of reading the last few days and it seems that some people say that it's okay but some say that it's overstocked. Suggestions? 

 

 

I also posted this under pico reef by mistake and can't figure out how to delete it... anybody know how?

[Tamberav]

Clowns can be aggressive in small tanks and firefish are easily frightened. The missing spine/parts is probably from your CUC/crabs and bristle worms just taking advantage of a free meal. It is impossible to say what exactly its demise was. Clowns sometimes beat up new fish, emerald crabs sometimes grab fish, fish sometimes appear healthy but die for no apparent reason (likely stress), ect.

 

 

[Natereef]

Its the crab. Never trust any crab in. An aquarium. No crab is reef safe. Only hermits. 

[Band Hunter]

I had a serial killer mis bar clown.  It was my first saltwater fish so I was partial to it.  I have no doubt it was responsible for killing every other fish I ever put in the tank.  The first couple I wasn't sure at first but then I caught her in the act.  Once the lights went out she went on the hunt.  Came home late one night to her checking a tank mate into the corner in the dark.  Her victims included in order:  Cleaner shrimp, Orange Diamond Goby, Green Clown Goby, Royal Gamma (this one put up the most fight, till she broke his back dead in the center of his body, lived another couple months like that but rarely came out of his rock again, and finally my prized Pygmy Pacific Angel fish.   I wouldn't put it past the clowns at least participating in the goby down fall.