Black Widow Anemone VANISHED

[Bnagle]

As of this morning, my Black widow anemone has vanished. I had him in a hydroponics container with a RBTA in my 40g frag tank, plumbed into my 300g display tank. Attached several pics below. The container is 2" above the water line so no chance it crawled out. Only two things I can think of that happened:

1) RBTA cannibalization..has anyone EVER experienced such a thing? Did the BW wander into the bigger RBTA?
2) Disintegrated overnight..highly unlikely as it was healthy yesterday and I had no spike in nutrient levels. Phosphates actually dropped from .07 yesterday to .05 this morning.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

As of this morning, my Black widow anemone has vanished. I had him in a hydroponics container with a RBTA in my 40g frag tank, plumbed into my 300g display tank. Attached several pics below. The container is 2" above the water line so no chance it crawled out. Only two things I can think of that happened:

1) RBTA cannibalization..has anyone EVER experienced such a thing? Did the BW wander into the bigger RBTA?
2) Disintegrated overnight..highly unlikely as it was healthy yesterday and I had no spike in nutrient levels. Phosphates actually dropped from .07 yesterday to .05 this morning.

Some thoughts on where it went.

I have had them crawl over the edges of my basket, even though it is out of the water.
I have had them work there way through the holes in the basket. Fixed this with cross-stitch mesh you get at a craft store.
I have never had a bubble eat a bubble though...Not saying it is not possible.
If it died and melted, you would know it. Even small ones mess the water up quite a bit. Same goes for it going through a powerhead and getting chewed up. Although I have had them wander and go through powerheads, and only end up with a few tentacles lost.

If it was me, I would just watch the tank to see if it pops up. Also check filter sock if you have one, look in the sump, and if the rocks are easy to move, try to locate it.

 

[shred5]

Some thoughts on where it went.

I have had them crawl over the edges of my basket, even though it is out of the water.
I have had them work there way through the holes in the basket. Fixed this with cross-stitch mesh you get at a craft store.
I have never had a bubble eat a bubble though...Not saying it is not possible.
If it died and melted, you would know it. Even small ones mess the water up quite a bit. Same goes for it going through a powerhead and getting chewed up. Although I have had them wander and go through powerheads, and only end up with a few tentacles lost.

If it was me, I would just watch the tank to see if it pops up. Also check filter sock if you have one, look in the sump, and if the rocks are easy to move, try to locate it.

Agreed exactly the same thing happened, I use a pond planter basket. One night my black widow was not in there and had crawled over the rim and I found him two feet away from the basket.
It was out of the water too..

I have had them go through the holes too on larger baskets.

Also check near the other anemone. I had on sitting pretty much on top the other one and I thought one was gone.

 

[Bnagle]

Some thoughts on where it went.

I have had them crawl over the edges of my basket, even though it is out of the water.
I have had them work there way through the holes in the basket. Fixed this with cross-stitch mesh you get at a craft store.
I have never had a bubble eat a bubble though...Not saying it is not possible.
If it died and melted, you would know it. Even small ones mess the water up quite a bit. Same goes for it going through a powerhead and getting chewed up. Although I have had them wander and go through powerheads, and only end up with a few tentacles lost.

If it was me, I would just watch the tank to see if it pops up. Also check filter sock if you have one, look in the sump, and if the rocks are easy to move, try to locate it.

There is just egg crate in this 40g frag tank so pretty easy to see that its not in the tank. I will check the sump but that would mean it went thru the overflow strainer, the strainer on the durso pipe, travel thru 10ft of pvc and into the sump..

 

[Eagle_Steve]

There is just egg crate in this 40g frag tank so pretty easy to see that its not in the tank. I will check the sump but that would mean it went thru the overflow strainer, the strainer on the durso pipe, travel thru 10ft of pvc and into the sump..

I have had one make it from my main display, through a remote fuge, into a sump in the basement. They are funny little critters lol.

Also, check around the tank, on the outside. I have had one (only one) crawl the glass then fall off on the outside.

 

[Bnagle]

I have had one make it from my main display, through a remote fuge, into a sump in the basement. They are funny little critters lol.

Also, check around the tank, on the outside. I have had one (only one) crawl the glass then fall off on the outside.

Is it possible it died or got chewed up with no ill effects on the tank considering its ~370g in total volume? SPS in display are all doing fine.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Is it possible it died or got chewed up with no ill effects on the tank considering its ~370g in total volume? SPS in display are all doing fine.

My fault. I missed the plumbed into the main display. It could have gotten out and chewed up and you would not have noticed it.

Hopefully you find it though. It was a pretty good looking nem for sure.

 

[Purplelobst92]

did you ever find the nem?

 

[ReefAddict0887]

He’s tiny probably just tucked in a crevice somewhere I’m sure he will pop up eventually

 

[Pjones]

I had a RBTA get into it with a power head still a decent sized nem. a good bit larger than the nem pictured I put it in a Tupperware bowl that i had punched holes in with a paper punch hole puncher approximately 1/4" put the lid on and put back in my Tank to see if it survived. The next Day it was out of the bowl and attached to a rock nearby the only way out was thru the 1/4" holes. It is still in the tank on the same rock doing well. it is still in your system somewhere. Good Luck finding it.

 

[Bnagle]

did you ever find the nem?

Lol, I forgot to post in here that I eventually found it. It was found a couple days after I started this thread inside one of the pipes in the overflow. Craziness!! It’s doing great now

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Lol, I forgot to post in here that I eventually found it. It was found a couple days after I started this thread inside one of the pipes in the overflow. Craziness!! It’s doing great now

Glad to hear ya found the critter.