Is this anemone a goner?

LDJ · Feb 9, 2023

Is this Anemone a goner? Any suggestions?

dedragon · Feb 9, 2023

First thing i would do is move the anemone crab into the sump of acclimation box for now. It can actually cause more harm than good for an unhealthy anemone and make it worse. If its been like this for awhile or has been declining a cipro treatment might be in order

Jekyl · Feb 9, 2023

Doesn't seem happy... current parameters, tank age, lighting and using RODI?

LDJ · Feb 15, 2023

Jekyl said:
Doesn't seem happy... current parameters, tank age, lighting and using RODI?

Tank is 14 months. Salinity 1.025. ph 8.1. Nitrates 15ppm. Tank has been very stable. This is my second attempt at an anemone first ended up like this one. Any ideas?

LDJ · Feb 15, 2023

LDJ said:
Tank is 14 months. Salinity 1.025. ph 8.1. Nitrates 15ppm. Tank has been very stable. This is my second attempt at an anemone first ended up like this one. Any ideas?

Yes using Rodi.

LDJ · Feb 15, 2023

LDJ said:
Yes using Rodi.

Coral Life 32 Gallon Led lighting.

dedragon · Feb 15, 2023

LDJ said:
Coral Life 32 Gallon Led lighting

The included lighting or added on lighting? Lighting is inadequate if it is just the biocube included lighting

Dbichler · Feb 15, 2023

Agree with above it’s starving needs better lighting

LDJ · Feb 15, 2023

Yes it’s just the standard bio cube LEDs. At this point would it be worth moving ito a higher spot on the reef rock? It’s not moving at this point. Any other ideas beside adding more light? My corals are doing well

Jekyl · Feb 15, 2023

LDJ said:
Yes it’s just the standard bio cube LEDs. At this point would it be worth moving ito a higher spot on the reef rock? It’s not moving at this point. Any other ideas beside adding more light? My corals are doing well

Some supplemental lighting would help. An orphek or reefbrite bar would be easiest.

dedragon · Feb 15, 2023

LDJ said:
Yes it’s just the standard bio cube LEDs. At this point would it be worth moving ito a higher spot on the reef rock? It’s not moving at this point. Any other ideas beside adding more light? My corals are doing well

Jekyl said:
Some supplemental lighting would help. An orphek or reefbrite bar would be easiest.

idk if this is possible with the biocube jekyl. Might be time to upgrade the whole lighting system or just remove the hood entirely and add a hang on a new fixture

OrionN · Mar 5, 2023

It is not sick (like infection and the like) but it does not like the water and light. Treatment by optimized water condition with frequent water changes and increase light to better reef light.
Feed it. Right now it will not be able to eat quickly or digest large pieces of food. Cut fish and shrimp strip/cube size of large mysis and feed it a few every 3rd days. If it able to eat that the. Increase to more food. I would not feed anemone more offend than every 3rd day because they actually need time to digest the food. If you feed it more often, or too much, they often just regurgitate the food up later partially digested.
Good luck with that BTA

Dom · Mar 5, 2023

LDJ said:
Tank is 14 months. Salinity 1.025. ph 8.1. Nitrates 15ppm. Tank has been very stable. This is my second attempt at an anemone first ended up like this one. Any ideas?

What is your Alkalinity? Low alkalinity is often responsible for an unhappy Nem.

Dom · Mar 5, 2023

LDJ said:
Yes it’s just the standard bio cube LEDs. At this point would it be worth moving ito a higher spot on the reef rock? It’s not moving at this point. Any other ideas beside adding more light? My corals are doing well

Leave it alone. Nems can move.

If it is staying put, it is happy with its location. If it needed more light, it would move higher in the tank, just as it would move into a more direct path of a power head if it required more flow.

My experience has been that when a Nem looks unhappy, it may be the alkalinity.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 5, 2023

I dont see a starving anemone here but rather either a low light or low flow issue. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be safe verified by using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

Water temp: 77°F - 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
Alk: 8 to 11 dKH
Salinity: 1.024 to 1.025
Nitrate < 5 -10
Phosphate < .04 - .08

Acclimation is very important for them as well as introduction. Most anemones will move around the tank until they find a suitable spot in the tank to call home. If anemone starts to move, simply direct your water flow towards the coral. Anemone lighting is an important part of their care as they need good light to thrive because they’re photosynthetic which means that they absorb light to produce their energy source for food and growth. Anemones have zooxanthellae in their body which they feed on. Without adequate lighting, the anemone will expel the zooxanthellae which many think is poop and turn white which is bleaching and often leads to their death.
A moderate amount of flow is recommended as well as moderate light. Too much flow will cause the anemone to stretch out and look stringy. Keeping things moderate will help avoid this from happening. Avoid directing your flow directly at the anemone which stresses them.
Assure your light is moderate and flow is not excessive in your case

olonmv · Mar 5, 2023

I have a BTA that went from this:

To this:

After trying an in tank cipro treatment with no improvement I just let it be (with great andvise from here) and kept my chemistry on point. It’s getting better everyday.

olonmv · Mar 5, 2023

To add: I just saw the nem crab. My woes started when I added the crab to my system. And it quickly declined. I still think to this day that the nem hates hosting. Before the crab, my nem would be annoyed by the clown trying to be hosted and would close up for a few minutes then open up. When I added the crab it would do the same thing except the crab didn’t care and would try to burrow its way in. People swore up and down that it was my parameters. Nothings changed except for the removal of the crab.