Bubble tip anemone help needed!

[camsoft2000]

Hello, I’m new to this forum and looking for some help. I’ve got a fairly newly cycled 500ltr aquarium and a dozen fish/inverts and a single soft coral. Just added a pink BTA today and place its door in a gap in the rock and it’s just flopped over and looks lifeless not moving. Its tentacles are only moved by the water current as far as I can see. It’s all shriveled up. I did acclimatize it for about one hour 30 minutes. It was healthy and happy in the LFS store. Its completely flop over as if lifeless.

Tank parameters are stable. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 1ppm, Salinity 1.024, Phosphate 0.24ppm, KH 12 dkh, Alk 10 dkh.

Any advise or reassurances would be apreciated.

 

[camsoft2000]

I’ve just moved it I think it was stuck in a hole. Stuck to a different part of the rock but is now hanging upside down.

This thing is stressing me out.

 

[camsoft2000]

Now off rock onto sand. What should I do. Just leave it? I don't see how it's going to move from the sand bed

 

[camsoft2000]

It’s now face down in the sand near the rock. Hasn’t moved. I know it’s not dead as when I moved it early it did stick to the rock. Should I just leave it alone?

 

[Red_Beard]

if it isn't swirling around on the sand let it be, otherwise put it back on the rock in a spot where it will have light (also don't cook it while it acclimates with too much PAR) but also not be blasted with flow and leave it alone. Any time there is any kind of parameter swing they will exhale all the water in their body, they being mostly water, makes it look worse than it is. It may do this frequently if water conditions are poor or if parameters swing or if it feels like it at night or whatever. Anemones do odd stuff all the time and are going to do what they want. Best thing to do is get it into a spot it isn't going to be beat up in the flow and just give it some time to settle in. 10 dKh Alk is probably higher than what it was used to, and 1 ppm nitrates kinda low.
Big warning sign that something is off is if it barfs out it's guts or leaves it's mouth gaping open for more than a couple mins.

 

[jas111]

Great advice from red_beard. Being that you just add it give it time to acclimate.

 

[camsoft2000]

if it isn't swirling around on the sand let it be, otherwise put it back on the rock in a spot where it will have light (also don't cook it while it acclimates with too much PAR) but also not be blasted with flow and leave it alone. Any time there is any kind of parameter swing they will exhale all the water in their body, they being mostly water, makes it look worse than it is. It may do this frequently if water conditions are poor or if parameters swing or if it feels like it at night or whatever. Anemones do odd stuff all the time and are going to do what they want. Best thing to do is get it into a spot it isn't going to be beat up in the flow and just give it some time to settle in. 10 dKh Alk is probably higher than what it was used to, and 1 ppm nitrates kinda low.
Big warning sign that something is off is if it barfs out it's guts or leaves it's mouth gaping open for more than a couple mins.

I’ve put it on a small bit of rock and placed it in a perspex breading box as it was rolling on the sand due to the current. It’s sticking to the rock ok though flopped over.

I didn’t know about it exhaling water that would explain why it was being blown around.

Should I just leave it in the box for a few days so it doesn’t get battered?

 

[camsoft2000]

Can't really see it's mouth tbh, it's flopped over.

 

[dedragon]

isnt KH and alkalinity the same thing? Either way alk is pretty high. What are you using to measure KH and alk?

Anemones usually do not do well in young tanks which is why most people would recommend a tank be at the least 6 months old but 9+ months is usually better. The more you touch the anemone the more stressed out it is going to get so I would just leave it be, unless it is flying around the tank. If it is getting carried by the flow then move it to an acclimation box for the time being. Also if you can, run your lights in acclimation mode or just dim them for the time being.
Best advice I could give would be to have a more experienced reefer hold onto it for you while your tank gets more mature.

 

[camsoft2000]

isnt KH and alkalinity the same thing? Either way alk is pretty high. What are you using to measure KH and alk?

Anemones usually do not do well in young tanks which is why most people would recommend a tank be at the least 6 months old but 9+ months is usually better. The more you touch the anemone the more stressed out it is going to get so I would just leave it be, unless it is flying around the tank. If it is getting carried by the flow then move it to an acclimation box for the time being. Also if you can, run your lights in acclimation mode or just dim them for the time being.
Best advice I could give would be to have a more experienced reefer hold onto it for you while your tank gets more mature.

Just wondering if there is anything I can do to advance the maturity but dosing etc, or whether the nem will just adjust to my system over time? I’m going to leave it be in the box for time being.

 

[jkcoral]

You just added it to the tank, just give it a while so it can try to get settled.

And stop moving it around, if at all possible. If it attaches to a rock and you try to remove it, you can injure the anemone’s foot. And a broken foot leads to a dead nem. Just put it next to the rock or in your box with some rock and turn off the flow in your tank for about 20-30 minutes so it can attach his foot.

 

[exnisstech]

Set it leave it be. I've had nems go from 8 inches accross when inflated to smaller than a ping-pong ball when they are deflated. Everytime you move it you are starting the process all over again

 

[exnisstech]

This thing is stressing me out

Your probably stressing the nem out

 

[camsoft2000]

Your probably stressing the nem out

Good point. Going to just let it do its thing.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Now off rock onto sand. What should I do. Just leave it? I don't see how it's going to move from the sand bed

All the changes made is in essence stressing this out and more each time an adjustment is made. Anemones should be introduced into a tank at least 4-6 months of age where the parameters have stabilized, in particular nitrates and phosphates. If this is a newer tank- this is a high part of the issue.
Avoid extremes such as extreme light and water flow which will cause the anemone to hide.
Too low of light and they shrivel or climb.

salinity - 1.025
alk 8-9
mag 1300
temp 76-79
nitrate< 15
Phosphate < . 08

 

[camsoft2000]

I’m still concerned just because it’s not moving and looks lifeless just face down foot up. Should I continue to leave it, it’s not attached to anything.

 

[camsoft2000]

I appreciate that advice and that it needs to be introduced to a mature tank but at this point in time we are where we are so I want to give it the best chance I can in my tank.

 

[camsoft2000]

it's not moved all night, also not attached to the rock I put next to it. It's face down and looks lifeless. Surely it can't survive upside down? Just wondering if I would try and attach it again

 

[camsoft2000]

Some of the tentacles have fallen of and can be seen at the bottom of the tray

 

[Shibaken3]

stop touching it! most likely going to die anyway because the tank is too young