Are elephant ears dangerous?

[strapingyunglad]

My lfs has a gorgeouse two polyp elephant ear colony for a great price and i REALY want it, but everthing ive read says they can eat fish if the sit on them for too long. Apparently they close around it like a venus fly trap. This is a pretty big problem for me because i plan on getting a percula clown in the future and since and elephant ear would be the best candadate for hosting (no anemone) if the elephant can, it will eat the clown

So my question is How comon would this be? Does any one have any experience with this?

 

[drnecropolis]

 

[strapingyunglad]

DrNecropolis;386803 wrote: http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral/elephant-ear-fish-eating-mushroom-claimed-two-my-clowns-46269.html">http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral/elephant-ear-fish-eating-mushroom-claimed-two-my-clowns-46269.html</a>[/QUOTE]


Thanks DrN. i suppose thats a no go on the elephant ear. Its a shame too, it looked awsome.

 

[drnecropolis]

As far as I know all mushrooms have the potential to do so... Kinda crap shoot I would imagine.. I have never heard that until you brought it up..

 

[strapingyunglad]

DrNecropolis;386808 wrote: As far as I know all mushrooms have the potential to do so... Kinda crap shoot I would imagine.. I have never heard that until you brought it up..

Yeah, but all my mushies are an inch or two across. These things get a foot across, so if any ones gonna eat a fish id say it would be these guys.

 

[strapingyunglad]

Hmmmm, ive got lots of yes and no. I guess it depends on the specimen and fish involved. If only there were some way to vote on the matter.....like maybee a pole or somthing.....were could we find one of those.....

 

[strapingyunglad]

dawgdude;386824 wrote: Well if there was a poll and it had an option for with caution, or dependent upon situation then that would make me more incline to vote. Its not a yes or no.

I would throw that in there if i knew how, But its looking like a no to me. After realy thinking about the size of my tank and the size of the coral i think it would take up to much space. That coulpled with its possible homocidal tendancies makes it look like a bad idea.

 

[strapingyunglad]

My tank is a 20 gl bowfront. Ive got a back corner corner of the tank i could keep it in and it would fit.....but realy i just dont want it to eat my fish. There are two polyps on this rock. I think im going to try and contact the lfs owner and see it i can strike up a deal just in case it eats somthing.

 

[grouper therapy]

Yes they will eat fish. They are opportunist,right size fish, right time, gone fish. Mine has never eaten one but he can if he wants to.

 

[swfk44]

good to know i won't be havin any of them

 

[enderg60]

any fish that is healthy will not get eaten. now if a sick or dieing fish lands on it, see ya.

 

[grouper therapy]

EnderG60;387159 wrote: any fish that is healthy will not get eaten. now if a sick or dieing fish lands on it, see ya.

So all of yours got eaten?

 

[dakota9]

Mushrooms close very slowly...... I'd say any healthy fish would have time to escape. Sounds like the "Scuba diver getting his foot caught in a giant clam" </em>myth to me.

 

[mclovin]

I've had one for two years with no losses.

 

[grouper therapy]

I'm not sure the speed in which they close , I have never even timed one. But I did rescue a clownfish from one in a lfs. The clownfish may have been<u> sick</u></em> or even <u>dead</u></em> when he entered the mushroom, but he was either <u>treated</u></em> or <u>resurrected</u></em> while in there. Once he was released he lived for about two weeks until sold. Now I don't want to start any myths but I'm pretty sure the cup mushroom's intention was not freedom for the fish. Like I said I have had one for over a year with no problems but they do have the ability to catch fish and either heal,resurrect,consume or release. Oh and by the way the store owner had released the same fish the week before.