Anenome help

[fugetaboutit05]

dont get too frustrated here.. we all have been where you are. the issue is that some things are not reversible (or easily reversible).. if the anemone is too far gone, i dont know anyone here that could help you save it.. many animals dont show signs of distress until its too late (with what we know about marine life).. the fish are much easier to maintain.. if they havent shown any issues, then water changes to keep ammonia (primary) and nitrates (secondary) down until the tank is actually cycled is possible - just requires work. - again this assumes you're not using tap water - b/c there are all sorts of toxins in there that you are not testing for (toxic to marine life not humans).

Yes, i will be switching to RODI tomorrow. Wont be using the tap ever again.

 

[sunken3]

I closed 1 power head, and dimmed the lighting to about 40%. As soon as i did that the anenome released its footing, and began trying to fit under a rock formation. Now this creature for 2 days has been at full bloom, with a disc size roughly around 7”, with the tentacles ranging from 1.5” to about 6.5”.... it is not a small creature lol.... which has me very concerned about its new attempt to fit into this area

they move and shrink and expand all the time. I wouldn't worry too much there..

 

[Jilly92]

I closed 1 power head, and dimmed the lighting to about 40%. As soon as i did that the anenome released its footing, and began trying to fit under a rock formation. Now this creature for 2 days has been at full bloom, with a disc size roughly around 7”, with the tentacles ranging from 1.5” to about 6.5”.... it is not a small creature lol.... which has me very concerned about its new attempt to fit into this area

I have 3 anemones and they all do weird things sometimes. My first anemone got caught in the powerhead (still lived but lost all tentacles) that's why I always leave the powerheads off a day. They can release water and become quite small and fit in very small crevices if they're not happy with the water params.

 

[sunken3]

I have 3 anemones and they all do weird things sometimes. My first anemone got caught in the powerhead (still lived but lost all tentacles) that's why I always leave the powerheads off a day. They can release water and become quite small and fit in very small crevices if they're not happy with the water params.

agreed. I once was transferring one between tanks and dropped him on the ground (4+ foot splat).. his tentacles shot off.. and he made it just fine. I am talking about BTA's .. the rest of the nems seem a lot harder to keep (other than flower).

 

[fugetaboutit05]

do you have a pic of the nems mouth?

otherwise - just do your water changes keep the ammonia down with water changes (remember to let the new water mix for several hours) and dont stress... you have created more work by adding all these guys too early.. but with effort, it is just more work.. not an impossible task.

I do but its not very clear, its position made it very difficult to get a clear shot of its mouth.

It was slightly open, not gaping, and not bulging. If the area around its mouth was the size of a nickel, the mouth was open slightly less than the size of a dime. But not perfectly round, more like the shape of..... well, if you are a mature age, than... that shape lol

I appreciate the advice, i am willing to put in the work to attempt to save the animal. I don’t like losing things i am responsible for.

 

[OrionN]

I do but its not very clear, its position made it very difficult to get a clear shot of its mouth.

It was slightly open, not gaping, and not bulging. If the area around its mouth was the size of a nickel, the mouth was open slightly less than the size of a dime. But not perfectly round, more like the shape of..... well, if you are a mature age, than... that shape lol

I appreciate the advice, i am willing to put in the work to attempt to save the animal. I don’t like losing things i am responsible for.

Goodluck. I wish I can be close by to help.

 

[Jilly92]

agreed. I once was transferring one between tanks and dropped him on the ground (4+ foot splat).. his tentacles shot off.. and he made it just fine. I am talking about BTA's .. the rest of the nems seem a lot harder to keep (other than flower).

Oh noooo. I can see that 10 second, pure silence, mouth open response haha so sad.. I have 5 or 6 rock flower,1 pink tube anemone which is beautiful and easy and would love a tank full of them and 2 rainbow, one rose. My tube also lost all its tentacles in switching tanks but grew back in probably a month or 2. What anemones have you had difficulties with? I would like to get some more.

 

[fugetaboutit05]

I have 3 anemones and they all do weird things sometimes. My first anemone got caught in the powerhead (still lived but lost all tentacles) that's why I always leave the powerheads off a day. They can release water and become quite small and fit in very small crevices if they're not happy with the water params.

So if thing guy actually manages to get under the formation, leave him there? I don’t want to stress it out, so i want to minimize interacting with it physically as much as possible

 

[Jilly92]

I do but its not very clear, its position made it very difficult to get a clear shot of its mouth.

It was slightly open, not gaping, and not bulging. If the area around its mouth was the size of a nickel, the mouth was open slightly less than the size of a dime. But not perfectly round, more like the shape of..... well, if you are a mature age, than... that shape lol

I appreciate the advice, i am willing to put in the work to attempt to save the animal. I don’t like losing things i am responsible for.

How did it respond to feeding?

 

[Jilly92]

So if thing guy actually manages to get under the formation, leave him there? I don’t want to stress it out, so i want to minimize interacting with it physically as much as possible

Of course. I never try moving them. Why are you opposed for it to be there? Lol

 

[CanuckReefer]

So if thing guy actually manages to get under the formation, leave him there? I don’t want to stress it out, so i want to minimize interacting with it physically as much as possible

Yes leave it where it wants to go, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get your hands wet in the future, often when you dont want to lol...

 

[fugetaboutit05]

Yes leave it where it wants to go, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get your hands wet in the future, often when you dont want to lol...

So...... update.

The anenome got under the rock. Then kept going straight into the intake for my filter where its been for at least 6-7 hrs... mind you i said it was a large creature so it blocked off the entire intake. With the filter blocked everything in the tank is now in jeopardy. Where the once lively creatures were seemingly acclimating to their new environment, they are all now showing signs of severe distress and suffocation. The LFS doesn’t open for another 2.5 hrs. Which means a major water change is at least 6-8 hrs away.

Surprisingly the dang anenome is still alive... I don’t know how.

Lessons are being learned the hard way today.... Can i change the water after i mix it and as soon as it gets to proper temp? I know many of u said to not change it that quickly but i would deem Thais an emergency situation

 

[OrionN]

Since the number 1 priority is the ammonia, you can use the water quickly and use tap water but you must match salinity and temperature to a few degree anyway. You also need to neutralize the chlorine in the tap water. Tap water is not ideal but that is of lesser concern than the chewed up tissue resulting in ammonia, food, and the ammonia put out by the animals. That is why you should stop feeding the animals and do a lot of water changes.

It is the same when we evaluate a medical condition for a patient. Not all problems have the same urgency. We need to take care of the problems that will kill the patient first. Other problems can wait.
For the fish tank, the ammonia, temperature and change in salinity. If you use tap water, it is the chlorine in the tap water. These 4 problems must be manage or your tank is dead.

Nitrate, other impurities introduced by tan water, stress to the animal and fish are important but not vital.

This is my last unsolicited recommendations to the OP and this thread. I wish you the best. Good luck.

 

[fugetaboutit05]

Since the number 1 priority is the ammonia, you can use the water quickly and use tap water but you must match salinity and temperature to a few degree anyway. You also need to neutralize the chlorine in the tap water. Tap water is not ideal but that is of lesser concern than the chewed up tissue resulting in ammonia, food, and the ammonia put out by the animals. That is why you should stop feeding the animals and do a lot of water changes.

It is the same when we evaluate a medical condition for a patient. Not all problems have the same urgency. We need to take care of the problems that will kill the patient first. Other problems can wait.
For the fish tank, the ammonia, temperature and change in salinity. If you use tap water, it is the chlorine in the tap water. These 4 problems must be manage or your tank is dead.

Nitrate, other impurities introduced by tan water, stress to the animal and fish are important but not vital.

This is my last unsolicited recommendations to the OP and this thread. I wish you the best. Good luck.

I appreciate the advice bud. I spent the morning setting up for a RODI water change @65% tank volume.

I tested for salinity ( @ 1.025) & Ammonia (just under 1.0PPM.)
Temp holding steady in the tank @80 deg F, i got the dead tissue out, vacuumed the entire tank of debris and skimmed the particles.

I invested in (8) 5gal food safe buckets, additional 300w heater, thermometer, and a multi use water pump. Mixing in a 65 gal tub in my living room lol....
My wife is going to kill me......

 

[Jilly92]

So...... update.

The anenome got under the rock. Then kept going straight into the intake for my filter where its been for at least 6-7 hrs... mind you i said it was a large creature so it blocked off the entire intake. With the filter blocked everything in the tank is now in jeopardy. Where the once lively creatures were seemingly acclimating to their new environment, they are all now showing signs of severe distress and suffocation. The LFS doesn’t open for another 2.5 hrs. Which means a major water change is at least 6-8 hrs away.

Surprisingly the dang anenome is still alive... I don’t know how.

Lessons are being learned the hard way today.... Can i change the water after i mix it and as soon as it gets to proper temp? I know many of u said to not change it that quickly but i would deem Thais an emergency situation

Do you have a test kit? I would go ahead and test and post numbers. Do you have something you can place around the anemone the keep him safe, and add a decent rock in that he can attach to? If so I would put him in container and turn all the flow up to get some aeration. You could also add airstone. Did your anemone drop tentacles? Are you buying your water premixed? Make sure to check salinity

 

[Soryu]

I appreciate the advice bud. I spent the morning setting up for a RODI water change @65% tank volume.

I tested for salinity ( @ 1.025) & Ammonia (just under 1.0PPM.)
Temp holding steady in the tank @80 deg F, i got the dead tissue out, vacuumed the entire tank of debris and skimmed the particles.

I invested in (8) 5gal food safe buckets, additional 300w heater, thermometer, and a multi use water pump. Mixing in a 65 gal tub in my living room lol....
My wife is going to kill me......

I own a few dozen buckets, tons of water pumps, heaters, RODI, tons of test kits. I think I own some reef tanks too .

But in all seriousness, we're all rooting for you here. Some of the worst advice I've received has been from some of the local fish stores in this area. Unfortunately I believe they make most of their money on livestock so the desire to get fish in to a tank as fast as possible is a big factor in sales for them. A lot of these folks are giving some great advice and I know it looks sometimes like people are being hard on you but quite a few of us are very passionate about this hobby and hate to see animals suffer.

I really hope everything turns out well and your tank thrives.

 

[fugetaboutit05]

Do you have a test kit? I would go ahead and test and post numbers. Do you have something you can place around the anemone the keep him safe, and add a decent rock in that he can attach to? If so I would put him in container and turn all the flow up to get some aeration. You could also add airstone. Did your anemone drop tentacles? Are you buying your water premixed? Make sure to check salinity

I do have a test kit, its called a “master saltwater test kit”. Bought it at the LFS, its the one where you fill the vials and play the match game on the back of the card lol... it included a test for ph, nitrite, nitrate, & ammonia.

I asked the guys at the store if i should testing for anything else and they said no. All I would ever need to test for would be those items. Now I’ve seen a lot of people testing for more with saltwater, such as phosphates, and other chems. Would you recommend further testing? Or stick with the basic kit i have already.

Water parameters from last night :
PH @ 8.1 PPM
NITRITE @ 0 PPM
NITRATE @ 40 PPM
AMMONIA @ .25 PPM
SALINITY @ 1.025

As of this morning approx. 6 hrs ago :
PH, NITRITE, & NITRATE remained the same
AMMONIA SPIKE @ 1.0 PPM (or just under,color was slightly lighter than 1.0)

As for the anenome, i do not have a secondary tank to place him in, i will be working on that after i stabilize the main tank in the next day or 2. I put a rock structure in front of the intake to block any living creature from getting to it while making sure there is still plenty of flow around it. The anenome i have isn’t a BTA, i know that they are easier to care for(another lesson learned over the past few days), this is a Macrodactyla, a long tentacle anenome with the red boot. They burrow and attach/anchor in the substrate, not surfaces such as formations or the glass. After learning the correct species for this guy, i did my reading, and while not the most difficult to care for, they are not advised for beginners. Especially one as new to the marine life as myself.

Yes i am mixing my own water. I did for the initial setup ( using tap water), and i am doing so again today, but MUCH differently. Ive invested in equipment to mix and prep the new water myself. I’m just waiting for the temp to equal out. I’m now using RODI water, and ill be adding a bio stabilizer to it, and testing prior to the change. Ive already tested the ph (8.1ppm) and the ammonia(0PPM). Before adding i will test for the nitrites and nitrates. Salinity in the new water has stabilized @ 1.020. Ill raise it when the temp gets closer to 75 deg F.

 

[fugetaboutit05]

I own a few dozen buckets, tons of water pumps, heaters, RODI, tons of test kits. I think I own some reef tanks too .

But in all seriousness, we're all rooting for you here. Some of the worst advice I've received has been from some of the local fish stores in this area. Unfortunately I believe they make most of their money on livestock so the desire to get fish in to a tank as fast as possible is a big factor in sales for them. A lot of these folks are giving some great advice and I know it looks sometimes like people are being hard on you but quite a few of us are very passionate about this hobby and hate to see animals suffer.

I really hope everything turns out well and your tank thrives.

I agree, the advice received on this forum has been tremendously helpful in making decisions on how to move forward.

The steps and procedure I’m undertaking as we speak are derived directly from the combination of input gotten here. I appreciate the outpouring of support from you all, being a novice, having people with more knowledge and experience pulling not only for myself but the creatures I’m trying to save means a great deal.

I will definitely keep this thread updated on how things go over the next few days. All of the time spent giving advice was not wasted by you all. I’m definitely giving it 110% right now lol... ill be danged if I’m gonna let these guys die without a fight.

 

[Jilly92]

I do have a test kit, its called a “master saltwater test kit”. Bought it at the LFS, its the one where you fill the vials and play the match game on the back of the card lol... it included a test for ph, nitrite, nitrate, & ammonia.

I asked the guys at the store if i should testing for anything else and they said no. All I would ever need to test for would be those items. Now I’ve seen a lot of people testing for more with saltwater, such as phosphates, and other chems. Would you recommend further testing? Or stick with the basic kit i have already.

Water parameters from last night :
PH @ 8.1 PPM
NITRITE @ 0 PPM
NITRATE @ 40 PPM
AMMONIA @ .25 PPM
SALINITY @ 1.025

As of this morning approx. 6 hrs ago :
PH, NITRITE, & NITRATE remained the same
AMMONIA SPIKE @ 1.0 PPM (or just under,color was slightly lighter than 1.0)

As for the anenome, i do not have a secondary tank to place him in, i will be working on that after i stabilize the main tank in the next day or 2. I put a rock structure in front of the intake to block any living creature from getting to it while making sure there is still plenty of flow around it. The anenome i have isn’t a BTA, i know that they are easier to care for(another lesson learned over the past few days), this is a Macrodactyla, a long tentacle anenome with the red boot. They burrow and attach/anchor in the substrate, not surfaces such as formations or the glass. After learning the correct species for this guy, i did my reading, and while not the most difficult to care for, they are not advised for beginners. Especially one as new to the marine life as myself.

Yes i am mixing my own water. I did for the initial setup ( using tap water), and i am doing so again today, but MUCH differently. Ive invested in equipment to mix and prep the new water myself. I’m just waiting for the temp to equal out. I’m now using RODI water, and ill be adding a bio stabilizer to it, and testing prior to the change. Ive already tested the ph (8.1ppm) and the ammonia(0PPM). Before adding i will test for the nitrites and nitrates. Salinity in the new water has stabilized @ 1.020. Ill raise it when the temp gets closer to 75 deg F.

Your nitrates are getting really high i would do a water change asap. When mixing saltwater i would bring all of your rodi to correct temperature of your tank before you add the salt. Getting the salinity right can be a little tricky, but you need to let this mix for a couple hours, I usually mix mine overnight. I'm worried for your nitrates though so I wouldn't worry with the temp being so accurate before adding more salt I would just get it mixed asap. Also when you do this water change get 5 gal buckets and keep track of how much you take out so you know how much to put back in. Water changes=saltwater and top off is freshwater when you get evaporation. And I would atleast purchase the redsea reef foundation testkit and a phosphate tester as well because anytime you have a problem these are good indicators as how to solve it.

 

[sunken3]

I do have a test kit, its called a “master saltwater test kit”. Bought it at the LFS, its the one where you fill the vials and play the match game on the back of the card lol... it included a test for ph, nitrite, nitrate, & ammonia.

I asked the guys at the store if i should testing for anything else and they said no. All I would ever need to test for would be those items. Now I’ve seen a lot of people testing for more with saltwater, such as phosphates, and other chems. Would you recommend further testing? Or stick with the basic kit i have already.

Water parameters from last night :
PH @ 8.1 PPM
NITRITE @ 0 PPM
NITRATE @ 40 PPM
AMMONIA @ .25 PPM
SALINITY @ 1.025

As of this morning approx. 6 hrs ago :
PH, NITRITE, & NITRATE remained the same
AMMONIA SPIKE @ 1.0 PPM (or just under,color was slightly lighter than 1.0)

As for the anenome, i do not have a secondary tank to place him in, i will be working on that after i stabilize the main tank in the next day or 2. I put a rock structure in front of the intake to block any living creature from getting to it while making sure there is still plenty of flow around it. The anenome i have isn’t a BTA, i know that they are easier to care for(another lesson learned over the past few days), this is a Macrodactyla, a long tentacle anenome with the red boot. They burrow and attach/anchor in the substrate, not surfaces such as formations or the glass. After learning the correct species for this guy, i did my reading, and while not the most difficult to care for, they are not advised for beginners. Especially one as new to the marine life as myself.

Yes i am mixing my own water. I did for the initial setup ( using tap water), and i am doing so again today, but MUCH differently. Ive invested in equipment to mix and prep the new water myself. I’m just waiting for the temp to equal out. I’m now using RODI water, and ill be adding a bio stabilizer to it, and testing prior to the change. Ive already tested the ph (8.1ppm) and the ammonia(0PPM). Before adding i will test for the nitrites and nitrates. Salinity in the new water has stabilized @ 1.020. Ill raise it when the temp gets closer to 75 deg F.

out of curiousity, is your LFS a petco or petsmart? that could be the root of your advice issues.. unless you get really lucky, most likely just a store employee with basic knowledge.

just stick to what you're doing. get good clean rodi to mix with the salt.. keep your ammonia under control with water changes until your tank bacteria matures.. (that will take about a month). the water changes will also take care of your nitrate issue. whether you can save the guys you have now is a bit of determination and luck.. ammonia will burn the fishes gills and cause other issues - whether they are too far gone or not is a bit of the luck portion.. clowns are pretty hardy (as far as fish go). the nem is a crap shoot.. those guys can be tricky on a good day.

i also wouldnt stress too much about testing other parameters at this time.. as log as you're doing your water changes with RODI (with a TDS of ZERO) - testing with your current kit is all you need. (when that runs out, i would suggest looking for a better set of tests).

phosphates and such will be taken care of with your water changes at this point.. and the guys you have aren't very finicky to phosphates - you would need to test for that if you get into more difficult corals.