Bleached anemone

Rohirrimus · Feb 13, 2024

Hello guys, 20 days ago I got this anemone in pretty bad shape:

I dripped it over 2-3h, added her to the tank and it gripped on the spot.

It was fully bleached and closed.

over the last 20 days I’ve been feeding it 2-3 times per week ( shrimp, some reefroids..) and it seems like it’s slowly more active ( it closes and opens better) and there is some slight colouration in the tips :

so it definitely seems to be getting better, however I still don’t get almost any tentacle extension.
My questions are:

-Flow ( it awkwardly chose the spot in the crevice of the rock). I noticed it isn’t getting a good enough flow ( food waste wasn’t being removed ) so I increased my wave makers, but the flow on it is still pretty weak, do you guys think I should direct some flow towards it?

-feeding ( do you think I can increase the feeding? ) it seems like it chose spot under a rock , most likely it doesn’t want light without having any of its algae

- any other tips to get tentacles to start expanding?

My parameters are:
- dkh 10.7
- mg 1400
-ca 420
- salinity 34
- no3. 2
-po4 0.02

Overall it seems to be getting better, my tank is quite stable (I got it in this shape it didn’t deteriorate in my tank) so parameters are fine

Any advice would be welcome. Thanks

bradleym · Feb 13, 2024

I would say that, as long as it is improving, don't change the flow, position, or lighting. Feeding should not be more than every three days, in my opinion. And regarding tentacle extension, this anemone has been sick so long that it has consumed its tentacles for energy. It will need to grow new ones, which can take weeks or months.

Rohirrimus · Feb 13, 2024

bradleym said:
I would say that, as long as it is improving, don't change the flow, position, or lighting. Feeding should not be more than every three days, in my opinion. And regarding tentacle extension, this anemone has been sick so long that it has consumed its tentacles for energy. It will need to grow new ones, which can take weeks or months.

Ouh, very interesting, I thought they shrink like hammers , I had no clue that they actually eat their own tentacles .

Light will have to be changed in about 2-3 weeks (got ai blades on the way to replace my failing reefleds ) but I will match the par. Thanks

bradleym · Feb 13, 2024

Rohirrimus said:
Ouh, very interesting, I thought they shrink like hammers , I had no clue that they actually eat their own tentacles .

Both are possible. Shrinking tentacles happens quickly and recovers quickly. Consuming tentacles comes from weeks of bad health, and takes a long time to regrow as well.

Rohirrimus · Feb 13, 2024

bradleym said:
I would say that, as long as it is improving, don't change the flow, position, or lighting. Feeding should not be more than every three days, in my opinion. And regarding tentacle extension, this anemone has been sick so long that it has consumed its tentacles for energy. It will need to grow new ones, which can take weeks or months.

I see , okay thanks , I think that might be a case since it seems that it’s having more tentacles on bottom than top, this is a bit better picture:

But the coloration is definitely coming back (pale but it was white like a4 paper when I got it ) .

Rtaylor · Feb 13, 2024

Rohirrimus said:
Ouh, very interesting, I thought they shrink like hammers , I had no clue that they actually eat their own tentacles .

Light will have to be changed in about 2-3 weeks (got ai blades on the way to replace my failing reefleds ) but I will match the par. Thanks

They don’t technically ‘eat’ the tentacles. It’s more like how a starving person will begin to consume muscle tissue for energy. It’s not physically eating the tentacles. Consuming may be a better description.

D-Nak · Feb 13, 2024

Looks like its health is improving. You'll just have to wait it out a few more weeks.

OrionN · Feb 13, 2024

Yes, that is a BTA that is improving. They don't require a lot of flow or light. As long as it is improving, keep everything the same. It would be great if you documented it improving health.

Rohirrimus · Feb 13, 2024

OrionN said:
Yes, that is a BTA that is improving. They don't require a lot of flow or light. As long as it is improving, keep everything the same. It would be great if you documented it improving health.

Definitely will do, I will probably update this post with new pictures as it gets better.

Rohirrimus · Mar 2, 2024

OrionN said:
Yes, that is a BTA that is improving. They don't require a lot of flow or light. As long as it is improving, keep everything the same. It would be great if you documented it improving health.