Chopsticks for the anemone?

[Ireland.Escada]

My new anemone is hanging upside down and I have been trying to feed it. I used the turkey blaster and it just closed up. Then I got chop sticks and tried to put a little bit of silverfish. But that was just dropped.

I don’t want to force it to eat, what should I do?
Is it normal for them to get upside down? Is there a different food I should try?

 

[Danroo]

It’s normal for them to be upside down, but not normal to not snatch food or stretch that much downwards instead upwards. What are your parameters and what kind of lights are you using, Plus type of anemone?

 

[Ireland.Escada]

this photo was taken the following morning after getting him this week. The tank lights had been off. I am runing my lights at a preset for new fish/new coral so it’s not very strong.

ammonia was zero
There was a slight increase in nitrites
The salt is 1.026 but my measuring devise waved up to 1.027. I have been taking out a few cups of salt water and adding a few cups of RODI. It is still reading 1.026

I got the anemone a few days ago. I had no idea it could kill a tank.

I thought it was a bubble tip

 

[Danroo]

1.026 salinity is perfect how are your nitrates, phosphates and alkalinity? These are the major elements that have to be stable. Mine is upside down and hiding as well buts it’s not stretching or not being able to grab food from the Turkey blaster.

 

[New&no clue]

As it is a new addition to the tank, I wouldn't suggest feeding it. That can just cause more stress. I would advise giving it at least a week to acclimate.

 

[Ireland.Escada]

Ok, I will stop feeding. But I tried again just a bit ago. His mouth is open. He did grab onto a small silverfish and then let it go.

tank stats: phosphate 1
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0


Light: orbit marine led light

7 hrs low/med 15 min sunsets/rise 4 hour 10% blue moonlight

I can’t really see anything else in the manual about the lights.

 

[MaxTremors]

My new anemone is hanging upside down and I have been trying to feed it. I used the turkey blaster and it just closed up. Then I got chop sticks and tried to put a little bit of silverfish. But that was just dropped.

I don’t want to force it to eat, what should I do?
Is it normal for them to get upside down? Is there a different food I should try?

You really shouldn’t be feeding them such big meals. I saw a study where the guy contents of wild BTAs was 99% plankton sized bits, and that in most cases feeding an anemone large meals actually costs the anemone resources to digest it (ie it expends more calories digesting the meal than it gets from the meal). I would recommend just feeding it some mysis, reef plankton, brine shrimp, basically any small, plankton sized meaty foods. I will try to find and post the study, but anecdotally, I’ve found my anemones to do better with smaller more frequent feedings. Just use a turkey baster/pipette to gently squirt some food into it.

Is you’re anemone sticky? When you try to feed it, does the food stick to it? If not, it’s stressed out and you should refrain from trying to feed it until it’s stretching out into the light.

 

[Danroo]

Lights should be fine for awhile they’re considered weak but won’t bleach your anemone or avoid taking food. Try some mysis shrimps. It might be able to grab those tiny shrimps. Seems to me your tank isn’t stable the algae growth around those rocks might be starving your anemone. Or it’s just taking its time to settle in.

 

[Chrisv.]

Just leave it completely alone for a week. Don't go anywhere near it. After it settles in, maybe see if you can get it to go for some mysis... But seriously, for now, leave it alone.

 

[MaxTremors]

Ok, I will stop feeding. But I tried again just a bit ago. His mouth is open. He did grab onto a small silverfish and then let it go.

tank stats: phosphate 1
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0


Light: orbit marine led light

7 hrs low/med 15 min sunsets/rise 4 hour 10% blue moonlight

I can’t really see anything else in the manual about the lights.

Your phosphates being 1.0 ppm is incredibly high (the recommended range is 0.03 to 0.08ppm), and your nitrates being zero is a problem. You also need to ensure stable alkalinity (anemones don’t use Alk, but are still affected by swings). If you’re using API test kits, they’re really not useful for reefing applications, they’re not very accurate and have awful resolution (meaning they are nowhere near specific enough). If you want recommendations for specific brands for specific parameters, feel free to ask

Also, your light is not really adequate for anemones, until you can upgrade it, I would put it on a 12 hour photoperiod at 100% (you can ramp it up and down for a couple hours on either end of the photoperiod). I would also stop the moonlights, fish and corals need 12 hours of no light, if you want to keep the blues/moonlights on at 1% for a couple hours you can, but don’t leave them on all night.

I don’t want to seem like I’m telling you that you’re doing everything wrong, it’s clear that you’re trying to keep it healthy, there’s just a few things to iron out.

 

[Ireland.Escada]

You really shouldn’t be feeding them such big meals. I saw a study where the guy contents of wild BTAs was 99% plankton sized bits, and that in most cases feeding an anemone large meals actually costs the anemone resources to digest it (ie it expends more calories digesting the meal than it gets from the meal). I would recommend just feeding it some mysis, reef plankton, brine shrimp, basically any small, plankton sized meaty foods. I will try to find and post the study, but anecdotally, I’ve found my anemones to do better with smaller more frequent feedings. Just use a turkey baster/pipette to gently squirt some food into it.

Is you’re anemone sticky? When you try to feed it, does the food stick to it? If not, it’s stressed out and you should refrain from trying to feed it until it’s stretching out into the light.

I don’t think he is sticky. And I think everyone is right that he is still stressed. I am going to keep the lights on the low setting again today. Maybe tomorrow I will turn them up.

Mia there anything I can do to help reduce his stress besides the lower lights and not feeding?

 

[New&no clue]

How old it the tank? The best thing to do to reduce stress is to have stable parameters

 

[Ireland.Escada]

Your phosphates being 1.0 ppm is incredibly high (the recommended range is 0.03 to 0.08ppm), and your nitrates being zero is a problem. You also need to ensure stable alkalinity (anemones don’t use Alk, but are still affected by swings). If you’re using API test kits, they’re really not useful for reefing applications, they’re not very accurate and have awful resolution (meaning they are nowhere near specific enough). If you want recommendations for specific brands for specific parameters, feel free to ask

Also, your light is not really adequate for anemones, until you can upgrade it, I would put it on a 12 hour photoperiod at 100% (you can ramp it up and down for a couple hours on either end of the photoperiod). I would also stop the moonlights, fish and corals need 12 hours of no light, if you want to keep the blues/moonlights on at 1% for a couple hours you can, but don’t leave them on all night.

I don’t want to seem like I’m telling you that you’re doing everything wrong, it’s clear that you’re trying to keep it healthy, there’s just a few things to iron out.

Hey Max, I appreciate you and the information. I have been hitting an aquatic store and they do a “scan with a disk”. I do think my test at home is not 100% on point. What would you recommend? Do you recommend a light?

at night the lights are off. But it’s in my bedroom so TV lights are on for a few hours. The bedroom light comes on also. And then, I turn on the lights sometimes to check the fish.

 

[MaxTremors]

Hey Max, I appreciate you and the information. I have been hitting an aquatic store and they do a “scan with a disk”. I do think my test at home is not 100% on point. What would you recommend? Do you recommend a light?

at night the lights are off. But it’s in my bedroom so TV lights are on for a few hours. The bedroom light comes on also. And then, I turn on the lights sometimes to check the fish.

I wouldn’t worry about house lights or the TV, just so long as it’s not light shining directly into the tank.

As far as test kits, for nitrates and phosphates, I like the Hanna checkers, I just really hate trying to color match, there are other kits that are fairly accurate but I just like getting an actual number. For Alk, Cal, and Mag, Salifert or RedSea are fine.

For lighting, it really depends on the tank dimensions, what your budget is, what you want to grow (besides the anemone), whether you want LEDs, Halides, or T5s (do you want to change bulbs once a year), and whether you want a light that can grow with you (meaning a light that would be useful on a larger tank). If you can give me a little more info, I could give you a better recommendation (or a few options).

If the anemone isn’t sticky, I would just give it low flow, keep your lighting normal (it will move out of the light if its bothered), and give it time. The fact that its still attached to the rock and its mouth isn’t gaping is a good sign, its likely still adjusting to your tank.

 

[Ireland.Escada]

I wouldn’t worry about house lights or the TV, just so long as it’s not light shining directly into the tank.

As far as test kits, for nitrates and phosphates, I like the Hanna checkers, I just really hate trying to color match, there are other kits that are fairly accurate but I just like getting an actual number. For Alk, Cal, and Mag, Salifert or RedSea are fine.

For lighting, it really depends on the tank dimensions, what your budget is, what you want to grow (besides the anemone), whether you want LEDs, Halides, or T5s (do you want to change bulbs once a year), and whether you want a light that can grow with you (meaning a light that would be useful on a larger tank). If you can give me a little more info, I could give you a better recommendation (or a few options).

If the anemone isn’t sticky, I would just give it low flow, keep your lighting normal (it will move out of the light if its bothered), and give it time. The fact that its still attached to the rock and its mouth isn’t gaping is a good sign, its likely still adjusting to your tank.

Should I start to panic with these photos?

 

[New&no clue]

No, It is still attached, still inflated, the mouth is not gaping, it looks like it's leaning out towards the light. All of these are good.