Anemone that doesn't like to stay put!

webbl19 · Sep 21, 2015

So I got a long tentacle anemone on Saturday. All was good. I had him up on a rock the first night, stayed for awhile. Woke up Sunday and he was laying sideways on the sand bed. Picked him up and put him back up Sunday morning. Stayed there, kinda moved about an inch or so. Sunday after lights went off he came unattached again. I dug a little hole in the sand, turned off my flow and set him in the hole this morning.

I know they are bottom dwellers, he doesn't seem to move around on sand though, always ends up laying sideways. What is the trick with these guys? I've seen PVC pipe being suggested, does the sand need to be out of the of the pvc so he can attach to the bottom glass?

He seems healthy and is very very sticky (kind of a pain to get him off my hand when I pick him up). Eats good, gave him some chunks of shrimp to try and persuade him to stay, but nooooo.

Here he is. Nice and happy on a rock.

Z06-Hec · Sep 22, 2015

Stop picking him up and putting back in place, if he is moving he doesnt like the spot.
What I have had luck with is having rock with nice size holes in them. I have a few rocks that they loved and dug their foot securely into. They need to feel protected is 1, then check the flow in that area. Is he flowing there, the tentacles? If it is flowing it could be too much flow. On the other hand some like a lot of flow. Depends on the nem.
My bubble tips stay put for the most part. I had one that moved a few inches day and night and figured out it was already in the best spot and stayed put.
When i first started with nems, i made the mistake of moving it over and over back to the spot i wanted to and i stressed the nem out and killed it. If you dont have a rock with nice size holes in it where it can feel nice and tight, try stacking 2-3 rocks together to make a little crevice where they touch with no back outlet. So sort of make the hole for him, like a tiny cave he can feel his foot is secure. Then worry about the flow and light it gets.
I dont think i have to say, your water quality is number 1 priority.

webbl19 · Sep 22, 2015

Z06-Hec said:
Stop picking him up and putting back in place, if he is moving he doesnt like the spot.
What I have had luck with is having rock with nice size holes in them. I have a few rocks that they loved and dug their foot securely into. They need to feel protected is 1, then check the flow in that area. Is he flowing there, the tentacles? If it is flowing it could be too much flow. On the other hand some like a lot of flow. Depends on the nem.
My bubble tips stay put for the most part. I had one that moved a few inches day and night and figured out it was already in the best spot and stayed put.
When i first started with nems, i made the mistake of moving it over and over back to the spot i wanted to and i stressed the nem out and killed it. If you dont have a rock with nice size holes in it where it can feel nice and tight, try stacking 2-3 rocks together to make a little crevice where they touch with no back outlet. So sort of make the hole for him, like a tiny cave he can feel his foot is secure. Then worry about the flow and light it gets.
I dont think i have to say, your water quality is number 1 priority.

Well it's not that I put him back where he was. I put him in the sand now. And he doesn't move he floats around in the current. I have the circulating pump turned off now. Only my return pump is on right now. I put him in a little pvc pipe this morning. He seemed like he dug in last night, but as soon as I was leaving for work this morning he went floating away so I turned the pump off.

So I should just let him float around and hope that he sticks somewhere?

Z06-Hec · Sep 22, 2015

If you have a nice hole or rock structure for his foot, go ahead and turn pump off and place him there, see if he attaches. Then when you try to turn pump on make sure its not blasting him. See how that goes, if he moves from a spot you think is nice then let him be.
When i killed mine, i saw it stressed and mouth was open. I got scared and pulled him out and put him in a bin with water. In there he turned totally inside out, i could see his internals from his mouth thats how big and open it was.

twilliard · Sep 22, 2015

Anemones are fascinating creatures
I wouldn't so much call them bottom dwellers.
When they don't like the environment they will move.
Its based on flow and lighting. Stress will make them move about.
When I introduce one I first feed my fish. I watch the flow pattern of the food and pick a quiet spot on the rockwork. Not in a high light area.
I turn off my powerheads and place him in the spot I chose.
Give him an hour or two to settle down.
Once he is firmly attached I turn the pumps back on (in this low flow area)
He will then move around a little till he is comfortable with the flow he chooses and lighting.
Don't blast him with light, he will let go to find a spot with less light.
Hope this helps a little!!

Z06-Hec · Sep 22, 2015

When it comes to lighting, I tend to listen to my Nem on whether to increase the lights or not. So my biggest bubble tip chose a spot on the rocks that was created by 3 rocks like i was saying. The edge of the 3 rocks together made a tight little cave for it to plant onto.
It retracts or extends and stretches when it wants like or does not want light. That helps me adjust my LEDs.

webbl19 · Sep 22, 2015

That's the hard thing. He doesn't move like the other ones I've had. He just seems to let go and then floats off.

webbl19 · Sep 22, 2015

Well he was floating around when I got home again. I've turned off my return line and my powrrhead. There is no movement in the tank now. I have a 2 bulb corallife t5ho unit with a super blue and actinic light on. I don't have my white leds on right now. Is that to much light? I have the unit pushed all the way to the back of the tank and I have him sitting on the bottom next to a big rock in the front. Still looks like plenty of light though. I can't dim these down. Should I just turn the lights off? My white led strip is only a 10w led strip that came with the tank. Should I turn that on only?

Here is is now. Seems like he shrinks when the flow is off.

Can kinda see his foot, still a gap

Z06-Hec · Sep 22, 2015

Doesn't look like too much light, might be too little. That looks like an ok spot, if it attaches to that rock next to it.

Trex · Sep 23, 2015

How deep is your sandbed? (( M. doreensis )) are sandbed dwelling anemones.

What size tank?
What lights do you have?
What lights was it under?
What are your current water parameters --- with numbers please.

Did you notice any damage (( even the size of a pin head )) to the bottom of the foot -- usually dead center.

webbl19 · Sep 23, 2015

Trex said:
How deep is your sandbed? (( M. doreensis )) are sandbed dwelling anemones.

What size tank?
What lights do you have?
What lights was it under?
What are your current water parameters --- with numbers please.

Did you notice any damage (( even the size of a pin head )) to the bottom of the foot -- usually dead center.

Probably about 2-3inches in most spots. Some deeper spots from my goby.

20gallon tank with a 10gallon sump/refugium
I have a 2Bulb CloralLife T5HO unit. Super blue and actinic bulb, and normally turn on a 10w warm white led strip also.
He was under I think 1 or 2 ocean revive led units, in a big cube.

I can get params later, I'm at work right now.

I see no damage to him at all. His foot looks good, nothing nasty looking about him. He appears nice and healthy and full. I left him alone last night with all the flow turned off, when I woke up he was in the back of course, but he looked to be on his foot between the back glass and one of my rocks. I think he dug in back there, but it's hard to see.

webbl19 · Sep 23, 2015

Made a pit stop at home before my class I have to take for court. He moved again since this morning. He wasn't here when I left. I guess he is just cruising the tank. At least his is on his foot now, the other times I've seen him he's been on his side so it worried me. Could have been from flow I guess? All flow is on currently, but this is a very quiet corner, his tentacles barely move.

Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates all read 0. Ph is 7.9ish. Color is in the middle of 7.8 and 8.0. I have the API saltwater test kit.

Amoo · Sep 24, 2015

As has been said multiple times, LTAs are sand Nems. That spot he has himself in now, in the sand at the base of a rock tens to be their preferred location. Try burying his entire foot in a location like this, or even right where he is at and your chances for successful placement will go up tremendously.

webbl19 · Sep 24, 2015

I'll try again. He seemed to be attached in that spot in the last pic, but now he is on the other side, still in the back of the tank. It's not helping that my tomato clown has now called him home, so he is disruptive. Should I put the clown in my sump/refugium for now? Or just let them be? The tomato clown pecks at me when I put my hand close haha. Protective little fella.