[Richy]

1 foxface 2 clownfish 2 pajamas 1 serp star 2 emerald crabs live sand live rocks
20 gallon tank lighting 6am - 6pm salinity 1.020 temp 78
Water changed less than a week ago...
The tank is 8 months old and has been fine up until a week ago.
A week ago the first clown was wrapped up by the serp and died.
That same night I noticed the other clown swimming upside down.
The next morning he was totally ingested by the serp star.
I made damn sure to feed the serp star after that .
Three days later the serp star has the foxface wrapped up but I saved him in time. (I think).
The foxface has white splotches all over, cloudy eyes, a wing stuck to his side, breathes heavy, and doesnt eat much.
Questions:
1 Why is the serp on a rampage or is he just eating dead fish?
2 What is the best treatment for me for ich? There are so many debates on treatment.
3 Why would a serp go after a foxface I mean cmon , its a big fish.
4 Why didnt the foxface sting the serp? At least I don't think he did. He didn't seem to mind being eaten alive.
5 I raised temp but some say to lower salinity and some say to raise to fight ich. Who's right?

[madman19710]

my wife has a serpent star i call him the undertaker we know something has died when he doesnt come out at feeding time they are predaters but usually a bigger fish needs to pretty sick before he gets them 2 damsels and a hippo tang so far

[Richy]

i kinda wanted to see what it would look like for him to stuff a whole foxface in his mouth and eat it like a snake eats a koala bear

[Ninong]

Check out my post here for the answers to all of your questions about ich.

Most seastars are ravenous omnivores that will eat almost anything if they can capture it. They are unpredictable in aquaria.

[rayjay]

"1 foxface 2 clownfish 2 pajamas 1 serp star 2 emerald crabs-----20 gallon tank"
Sounds like a tank built for stress and death. That's more fish than I would put in my 40g tanks, let alone my 20.
It's highly unlikely that the serpent star killed the fish but was most likely an oportunistic scavenger. The fish don't have to be dead, but if they "smell death" they move in to clean up.
To treat fish, you need to do it in a hospital tank, not the show tank.
As for lowering your s.g., it's already too low for the comfort and long term survival of inverts. Most fish can handle down to 1.0075 but it's chancy going down to that level unless you have an acurate method of testing the s.g..

[Richy]

i am going to get a 55 tomorrow , its my fault and i will rectify...thanks

[dragonladylea]

Its not green is it?? The star I mean.

[Richy]

no this guy is purple

[Huma Huma65651]

A foxface should have at least a 75 gallon aquarium.