Inverted anemone

[Klyph]

I think I posted this a few months ago, but presenting it again. My rock flower anemone’s mouth has been extended for 5 months now. See attached pic. I’ve been told it’s agitated and will go back to normal, but it’s been FIVE months. I would rather it either go back to normal or die than stay this way.

One detail, I had been feeding it small chunks of raw chicken a few times before this happened. Someone corrected me in that, so I stopped. Not sure if that caused permanent harm or what.

Any thoughts on what’s going on?

 

[James M]

Not much you can do but just wait.
Why would you feed it raw chicken

 

[DangerDave]

I don't get the chicken either. Not something many anemones eat often lol. I've heard of this happening to flowers before, people have been able to push them back in and sometimes they stay.

 

[philosophile]

Hmmm.. When I've had Rock flowers, they never did that for 5 months, but they did do that once in awhile to expel (poop) what they've eaten. Feeding it chunks of chicken is pretty different from its normal food, not because its chicken per se, but because terrestrial animals will have a lot more structural support material in the meat (think ligaments and cartilage) than fish, because fish float in the water, and don't have to fight against gravity (that's why fish cooks so much more quickly than terrestrial animals). So my WILD guess would be that there is some chicken matter that is undigestible to the nem that might be stuck at the bottom of its gut. and its having a hard time expelling it.

SO..... I would suggest holding it upside down and maybe gravity can help it out? Ideally you can just invert it, and some how lift it up off the sand so that it can stay upside down for a while, and maybe that'll help.

Alternatively, maybe if you feed it a ton, the new food ball can grab on to the bits that are left behind in the chicken, and be expelled with it?

Again... I'm just spitballing here. It's an interesting problem though

 

[Klyph]

Yeah, I’m an idiot for doing that. Just kinda weird that it’s stayed like this so long. I would assume it would’ve died by now.

I like the idea of trying to coax out the chicken, if that’s what’s going on.

My next question would be how to dislodge it. It is very much planted itself under this rock edge. I’ve tried to move it, but quit after getting scared I was about to hurt it.

How do I dislodge it?

 

[KorD]

To dislodged it I would lightly tickle its foot starting at one edge where it is attached. I just did that with my LTA because it was walking towards my RBTA.

Another way is to lift and prop the rock out of the water if you can and make sure the nem is upside down towards the tank. Sooner of later it should fall off. I have seen stubborn ones hang on for dear life.

Sorry but I had to laugh about the chicken... It reminded me of the commercial for tuna fish.. it is known as the chicken of the sea.