Anemone Looks Like It Is Dying

[Ryan Garrett]

I have a small tank and had let it cycle until all of its levels were perfect. I brought a sample to my local Petco where I had an employee claim my tank was healthy and ready for fish. So, I bought an LTA and a clownfish and brought them home. I only had them traveling for 15 minutes. I temp. acclimated them then drip acclimated them and put them into the tank. The clownfish has been great but the anemone was not sticky, shriveled up once it got in my tank and its stomach has expanded out of its mouth. The water got cloudy after roughly 12 hours so i did a 25% water change. I tried moving the anemone into a crevis in my rocks and it just kept moving and not opening up. So I left it be and it buried itself in the corner and it looks terrible, colors non-vibrant, tentacles shriveled and stomach popping out. PLEASE HELP... I don't want it to die but I would rather take it out before my clown gets harmed.

 

[EmdeReef]

Welcome to R2R!

Sorry for your problems.

It sounds like a sick anemone. Could you post pics?. How long have you had the tank? And what size? It’s usually best not to add anemones until at least a 5-6 months until everything stabilizes.

 

[mta_morrow]

Your tank is not ready for an anemone.

LTA’s require approximately 4” deep sand bed preferably placed near rock work.

Do you have pics?

What are your major parameters?
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

The nem will require strong lighting and good flow at the sand bed level.

#welcometoR2R

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Welcome to R2R!

Sorry for your problems.

It sounds like a sick anemone. Could you post pics?. How long have you had the tank? And what size? It’s usually best not to add anemones until at least a 5-6 months until everything stabilizes.

 

[Ryan Garrett]

This was it when I put it in

 

[Webslinger]

You tank won't support an anemone yet. The tank is to new and unstable. I would recommend researching before you put anything in your tank. Will save you $$ and frustration.

 

[CWR24]

Hey there Ryan, sorry to hear of the troubles.

Besides what the others have added so far, it's probably best to shop for things you want to stock your tank with moving forward, by going to a more reputable local store with a better level of attention given to just fish and saltwater in general.

Good luck!!

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Hey there Ryan, sorry to hear of the troubles.

Besides what the others have added so far, it's probably best to shop for things you want to stock your tank with moving forward, by going to a more reputable local store with a better level of attention given to just fish and saltwater in general.

Good luck!!

Thank you, should i take it out ASAP, I definitely do not want my clown to be affected because he has been doing great.

 

[CWR24]

This was it when I put it in

Another thing to mention that has happened to many of us is you have to be careful with anemone and power head pictured.

Especially in new conditions, an anemone will likely move all over the aquarium including the glass in search of its "happy spot". And in the process it will often get too close to your exposed pump and have its tentacles sucked in and getting shredded some and jammed in there causing more headaches.

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Yeah I made sure I left the power head off for the past 35 hours I’ve had it

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Yeah I made sure I left the power head off for the past 35 hours I’ve had it

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Yeah I made sure I left the power head off for the past 35 hours I’ve had it

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Yeah I made sure I left the power head off for the past 35 hours I’ve had it

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Yeah I made sure I left the power head off for the past 35 hours I’ve had it

 

[Webslinger]

When the anemone dies make sure you remove it from tank asap as it will prolong your tank from becoming stable. Slow and steady wins the race. Good luck.

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Thank you, I really wish that the employee at petco had told me my tank was not ready for the anemone... but he was obviously just trying to sell me the animal without care.

 

[Captain Quint]

I'm am sorry to welcome you under these circumstances.

The anemone is not well as you already know and I'm sorry to see/read of this.

Great advice has been given on maturing a tank and not relying on what the Petco aquatic employee said. It would be best to invest in some test kits to know at least your basic parameters.

At this point, it would not hurt to pick it up and do the smell test to see if it smells awful and going into a putrified condition. They can recover from a pretty bad condition to being nice and healthy but I'm not sure of the abilities and if you have a hospital tank in place to help bring it to a better condition.

What type of rock are you using if I may ask?

Please keep us advised and fingers crossed for you.

 

[Captain Quint]

Thank you, I really wish that the employee at petco had told me my tank was not ready for the anemone... but he was obviously just trying to sell me the animal without care.

Honestly, he/she may not really know.

 

[Webslinger]

In a few years with stable conditions anemones can become weeds. I give them away a few times a year.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

This was it when I put it in

Sorry for your troubles, that’s a rough way to start things of.

If I may ask, what kind of rock is that? It certainly doesn’t look like something you would want to keep on a reef tank.

 

[BeejReef]

Welcome to the forum Ryan,

I would remove the anemone and try to return or exchange it from the store you bought it from or donate it to someone with an established tank.
Check around on here. Check on FB user groups. You'd be surprised how many reefers there are out there. Strong chance you'll find someone within a half hour who may house or trade for your nem.
Maybe they'll even simply hold it for you for a few months. Everyone loves a rescue. My understanding is that it's chances are very slim otherwise.

 

[MSB123]

Sorry for your troubles, that’s a rough way to start things of.

If I may ask, what kind of rock is that? It certainly doesn’t look like something you would want to keep on a reef tank.

+1

 

[Ryan Garrett]

Sorry for your troubles, that’s a rough way to start things of.

If I may ask, what kind of rock is that? It certainly doesn’t look like something you would want to keep on a reef tank.

I treated the rock based on forums like this and YouTube... I know it is fine because it hasn’t effected my water parameters or the clownfish.... I have some granite too also treated.

 

[MSB123]

I treated the rock based on forums like this and YouTube... I know it is fine because it hasn’t effected my water parameters or the clownfish.... I have some granite too also treated.

What kind of rock is it?
Reef rock is a very certain kind of rock which has a ton of surface area.