Inverting rock flower anemone

[Klyph]

Has anyone ever seen their rock flower anemone do this? It’s like it’s trying to turn inside out. I’ve been waiting for it to settle down, but it just keeps getting worse and worse.

 

[reef lover]

Yikes! Is that his mouth?
@Ron Reefman you ever seen this before?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Yes I have. My best advice is to leave it alone for the next few days to as long as a week or more. I'm no expert on RFA behavior, but I don't think this is that uncommon and I doubt that it's a problem. And anemones can look distressed for days at a time and then go back to looking perfectly OK.

I'm going to assume it's not new to the tank and that it gets good light and spot fed at least once and awhile? Like once every couple of weeks to once a month. I can't prove it, and I'm not a scientist or biologist, but IMHO, the colorful RFA's that come from deeper water (30 to 60 feet) don't do photosynthesis as well as the more plain and less colorful RFA's that come from shallow water (1 to 20 feet). And because of that I think occasional spot feeding is good for them. They may survive without spot feeding, but they do better with spot feeding.

I shut down all my pumps once every couple of weeks and spot feed the RFA's as well as spray some small food around the tank. My tank is full of zoas. After 10 to 15 minutes I'll turn the pumps back on. I've read that well fed RFA's are more likely to reproduce and I've had 3 rounds of babies over the last 18 months.

 

[Klyph]

Yes I have. My best advice is to leave it alone for the next few days to as long as a week or more. I'm no expert on RFA behavior, but I don't think this is that uncommon and I doubt that it's a problem. And anemones can look distressed for days at a time and then go back to looking perfectly OK.

I'm going to assume it's not new to the tank and that it gets good light and spot fed at least once and awhile? Like once every couple of weeks to once a month. I can't prove it, and I'm not a scientist or biologist, but IMHO, the colorful RFA's that come from deeper water (30 to 60 feet) don't do photosynthesis as well as the more plain and less colorful RFA's that come from shallow water (1 to 20 feet). And because of that I think occasional spot feeding is good for them. They may survive without spot feeding, but they do better with spot feeding.

I shut down all my pumps once every couple of weeks and spot feed the RFA's as well as spray some small food around the tank. My tank is full of zoas. After 10 to 15 minutes I'll turn the pumps back on. I've read that well fed RFA's are more likely to reproduce and I've had 3 rounds of babies over the last 18 months.

Yes, that’s his mouth. He’s been the tank for several months. I do spot feed once every week or two.

I will admit I originally started feeding him chunks of raw chicken, before someone told me I was crazy. Interestingly, he seemed to be ok with that. It’s been the last month or so (well after I switched from raw chicken to mysis shrimp) that he started inverting.

He just keeps getting worse.

 

[Klyph]

Yes, that’s his mouth. He’s been the tank for several months. I do spot feed once every week or two.

I will admit I originally started feeding him chunks of raw chicken, before someone told me I was crazy. Interestingly, he seemed to be ok with that. It’s been the last month or so (well after I switched from raw chicken to mysis shrimp) that he started inverting.

He just keeps getting worse.

I actually haven’t fed him any 10 days or do. Should I try?

 

[reef lover]

I wouldnt feed just yet and give it time as ron suggested.

 

[Reef4Fish]

Did he survive? Mine did the same thing this morning so I put the door in the middle of his stomach and about four minutes latter he had slowly wrapped his stomach around the food and pulled it back in. He doesn't seem to get enough food from brine shrimp. So I have to feed him every other day.