Anenome help

[Reefer678]

I recently got a new anenome. I have had the anenome a few days now. At first it looked good and was moving to find a spot. (I lowered the lights to acclimate it) Then the next day I raised the lights up 10% and the anenome went hide and deflated. I then lowered the lights back down and did some tests. The salinity was very high at 1.029. I then did a water change and lowered it down to 1.027, ph 8.2. That didn't seem to help at all. If anyone is familiar with steves led's and redsea 130d I would like to know yours settings. My lower lps frags seem to like the increased light more. Day 1 vs day 6 pics below. The tank has had fish for 5 months and cycled for another 3 months before that. 8 total. I know its a bit early.

Store purchased from was low light and 1.024 sal, ph 8.5


I have a small frag tank separate that doesn't have any fish and has been up for 3 years as a last resort. It has supported anenomes in the past

 

[dvgyfresh]

Did you acclimate the nem? Sounds like a big swing in salinity could possibly cause issues without acclimation. Otherwise it could still be acclimating you have just added it to the tank. Is it always deflated ? Or just periodically?

 

[Edb381]

I've had my blue tip anenome now for about 10 days. Placed it in a small rock cove I created in the front of the tank. She seemed fine until yesterday morning my husband went to feed the fish and noticed it was missing. He was able to find where it moved, under a rock cliff on back side of the tank. Today it has moved further under the rocks and shrunk down. It has something ballooning from the center. Tried to get pics as best I could. pH is 8.2, nitrates little high at 20, all other parameters are on target. Not sure whats happening with it. Any ideas???

 

[BostonReefer300]

Nems will frequently deflate/hide/etc. when put into a new tank. Just try to keep your parameters in textbook range (1.029 is definitely too high) and if they're not there, make small adjustments to get them there gradually. Make sure the nem has places to totally hide from light as well as get plenty of light higher up vertically without needing to travel over sand ideally. It will eventually find a spot it likes. I've now had numerous BTAs and LTAs and the first few weeks are always stressful on me (and the nem). I had one who never made it after deciding to hide in the dark. All the others eventually thrived. Now I have the opposite problem that they're splitting and growing out of control!

 

[Edb381]

Thanks. When you say 1.029 is too high are you referring to salinity? My Sybon refract shows salinity is 1.026.

 

[Jekyl]

I've had my blue tip anenome now for about 10 days. Placed it in a small rock cove I created in the front of the tank. She seemed fine until yesterday morning my husband went to feed the fish and noticed it was missing. He was able to find where it moved, under a rock cliff on back side of the tank. Today it has moved further under the rocks and shrunk down. It has something ballooning from the center. Tried to get pics as best I could. pH is 8.2, nitrates little high at 20, all other parameters are on target. Not sure whats happening with it. Any ideas???

How new is the tank? Anemone need a mature tank, 9 months is good, year or longer is better. Salinity 1.025, temp ~78, nitrate around 10, alkalinity around 8, strong lighting and decent flow.

 

[GoReefin]

When you lowered your salinity you lowered everything else including calcium, alkalinity, magnesium. I'd recheck everything and see what's off.
1.026 is perfect. Get some refractometer calibration solution at 35ppt and see what your refractometer says. It could be off as well.

That looks to me like a long tentacle anemone they love the sand bed not the rocks.
A better picture would help with ID. They also like 3 inches of sand to bury their foot.

 

[Jekyl]

When you lowered your salinity you lowered everything else including calcium, alkalinity, magnesium. I'd recheck everything and see what's off.
1.026 is perfect. Get some refractometer calibration solution at 35ppt and see what your refractometer says. It could be off as well.

That looks to me like a long tentacle anemone they love the sand bed not the rocks.
A better picture would help with ID. They also like 3 inches of sand to bury their foot.

Agree on either LTA or condy

 

[GoReefin]

Agree on either LTA or condy

The second pic is definitely a condy. Sorry didn't realize this was an old thread bumped by a new problem

 

[BostonReefer300]

Yeah, I was referring to your salinity. I agree with comments regarding making sure your refractometer is calibrated. Regarding LTAs and sand, my LTAs all seem to prefer rock. Anyway, I have a hard time telling some LTAs from BTAs when I first get them and they don't inflate fully

 

[Edb381]

How new is the tank? Anemone need a mature tank, 9 months is good, year or longer is better. Salinity 1.025, temp ~78, nitrate around 10, alkalinity around 8, strong lighting and decent flow.

Thanks for this info. So how do you maintain it in a reef tank when corals grow best in 8.2-8.4 pH. Salinity is 1.026 by my refract. Nitrates are a little high at 20, just got a new protein skimmer so I anticipate nitrates to come down. Just recently did water exchange and cleaned filter about 2 wks ago. Temp is steady 78 with auto thermometer / heater. I have LED lights on an auto program cycling through the day to night settings (Fluval marine 800mm). Tank is 3 months cycled without fish or corals, 4 months now with 5 fish and 5 coral frags plus feather duster.

 

[Jekyl]

I started with 2 nems, which turned into 7, largest being 12" across right now and I've never had my ph that high. Usually pretty steady at 8.15. Unsure on your light being sufficient but I couldn't find any information about it. However if there is an issue, your lighting isn't it. Stability is key. Don't go moving the anemone around either, keep your hands off. Most nems take some time to get acclimated and will wander looking for safety. Where did this nem come from? LFS? If so, how long was it there? Wild caught? If you notice a gaping mouth or lingering unhappiness a cipro treatment could gelp out. Best to have some cipro on hand if you want anemone. Better to have and not need but sometimes time is against us.

 

[Edb381]

I started with 2 nems, which turned into 7, largest being 12" across right now and I've never had my ph that high. Usually pretty steady at 8.15. Unsure on your light being sufficient but I couldn't find any information about it. However if there is an issue, your lighting isn't it. Stability is key. Don't go moving the anemone around either, keep your hands off. Most nems take some time to get acclimated and will wander looking for safety. Where did this nem come from? LFS? If so, how long was it there? Wild caught? If you notice a gaping mouth or lingering unhappiness a cipro treatment could gelp out. Best to have some cipro on hand if you want anemone. Better to have and not need but sometimes time is against us.

We did get it at LFS. It had a fleshy bubble in the center earlier, now its just flat in middle and tentacles are kinda deflated.
If it's not fuller appearing tomorrow I may try the cipro treatment. Where can I get some?

 

[Edb381]

When you lowered your salinity you lowered everything else including calcium, alkalinity, magnesium. I'd recheck everything and see what's off.
1.026 is perfect. Get some refractometer calibration solution at 35ppt and see what your refractometer says. It could be off as well.

That looks to me like a long tentacle anemone they love the sand bed not the rocks.
A better picture would help with ID. They also like 3 inches of sand to bury their foot.

Yea, I believe it is a long tentacle,, definitely not a bubble. I had it in the sand to start and it moved itself under the rocks still in the sand. My sand bed is about 4 inches deep in most places. Sand starfish has displaced some but not anywhere anemone was.
I have calibration solution and test is before testing the water. Calcium 440 , dkh 197 and magnesium 1350

 

[BostonReefer300]

The second pic is definitely a condy. Sorry didn't realize this was an old thread bumped by a new problem

Whoops I just realized the same thing! Sorry I didn't realize it was a tag along thread.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Anemone does not look bad and 4 months is enough time to allow tank to mature for introduction. Right now, forget the Cipro. Too easy to drop a pill and ignore the true requirements for an anemone.
The most important thing you’ll need to take care of before you bring your anemone home is perfecting the tank and water conditions which should be stable. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up.
Take some time to get parameters just right and let the closed environment cycle for a few months. This ensures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures. Water should be on the alkali side as well. Monitor water conditions regularly to avoid any major changes. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be undetectable at all times using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

• Water temperature: 77°F - 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
• pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
• Water hardness: 8 to 11 dKH
• Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
• Nitrate < .5
• Phosphate < .04

When you first introduced your anemone to the tank, it would have been best to turn down any pumps. Chances are, your new anemone will move around the tank until it finds a suitable spot to call home.
If it starts to move towards any coral, simply direct your water current to the coral. This will discourage the anemone from anchoring near it. It will move to another area to attach.
Anemone lighting is a very important aspect of their care. These creatures need a lot of light to thrive because they’re photosynthetic which means that they absorb light to produce food and growth. The anemone has zooxanthellae in its body, which are symbiotic microorganisms that they feed on. Without proper lighting, the anemone will expel the zooxanthellae and turn white. This process is called bleaching and often leads to death.
A moderate amount of flow is recommended. Many aquarists soon find out that too much flow will cause the anemone to stretch out and look stringy. Keeping things moderate will help avoid this from happening. Avoid directing your flow directly at the anemone. These creatures enjoy subtle movement at all times but too much direct flow hitting the anemone will force it to move.

 

[Jekyl]

We did get it at LFS. It had a fleshy bubble in the center earlier, now its just flat in middle and tentacles are kinda deflated.
If it's not fuller appearing tomorrow I may try the cipro treatment. Where can I get some?

Chewy.com and a few other online sites have without a prescription. If unable to find online you may need to consult a veterinarian

 

[Edb381]

Anemone does not look bad and 4 months is enough time to allow tank to mature for introduction. Right now, forget the Cipro. Too easy to drop a pill and ignore the true requirements for an anemone.
The most important thing you’ll need to take care of before you bring your anemone home is perfecting the tank and water conditions which should be stable. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up.
Take some time to get parameters just right and let the closed environment cycle for a few months. This ensures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures. Water should be on the alkali side as well. Monitor water conditions regularly to avoid any major changes. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be undetectable at all times using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

• Water temperature: 77°F - 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
• pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
• Water hardness: 8 to 11 dKH
• Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
• Nitrate < .5
• Phosphate < .04

When you first introduced your anemone to the tank, it would have been best to turn down any pumps. Chances are, your new anemone will move around the tank until it finds a suitable spot to call home.
If it starts to move towards any coral, simply direct your water current to the coral. This will discourage the anemone from anchoring near it. It will move to another area to attach.
Anemone lighting is a very important aspect of their care. These creatures need a lot of light to thrive because they’re photosynthetic which means that they absorb light to produce food and growth. The anemone has zooxanthellae in its body, which are symbiotic microorganisms that they feed on. Without proper lighting, the anemone will expel the zooxanthellae and turn white. This process is called bleaching and often leads to death.
A moderate amount of flow is recommended. Many aquarists soon find out that too much flow will cause the anemone to stretch out and look stringy. Keeping things moderate will help avoid this from happening. Avoid directing your flow directly at the anemone. These creatures enjoy subtle movement at all times but too much direct flow hitting the anemone will force it to move.

We are spot on with all but the nitrates.
It moved forward this morning as if it is trying to get back to its original spot. After talking with my husband last night, it appears it may be an issue of over-feeding. He is home in the mornings and I leave early before lights are on in the tank. He saw me feeding it on weekend ( I usually feed once weekly with music or brine shrimp we give the fish as well) and thought it needed fed daily like the fish. Could that have stressed it to want to move?

 

[vetteguy53081]

We are spot on with all but the nitrates.
It moved forward this morning as if it is trying to get back to its original spot. After talking with my husband last night, it appears it may be an issue of over-feeding. He is home in the mornings and I leave early before lights are on in the tank. He saw me feeding it on weekend ( I usually feed once weekly with music or brine shrimp we give the fish as well) and thought it needed fed daily like the fish. Could that have stressed it to want to move?

Generally when they move-
Too much light, water flow or both

 

[Edb381]

Thats the strange part I had it in a spot at bottom of the tank under our LEDs for past 10days not in heavy flow area. BTW....I confirmed it is a blue tip sebae anenome.