Long tentacle anemone won’t attach

Brad2157 · Aug 26, 2020

I just picked up a long tentacle anemone with an ocellaris clownfish from my LFS this past Saturday. It has moved around my tank a bit across the front. I did some reading and found out that it’s suggested to clear out a spot in the sand, all the way down to the bottom glass and they should attach. Once they are attached, then fill in around them with the sand. It was also recommended to turn off the powerhead to reduce current until they attach. I turned off the powerhead, so it’s been hardly any flow (just flow from the two JBJ returns that have Hydor Flo rotating return heads). I dug a spot down to the sand and put the anemone in. It has stayed in the hole, but it hasn’t attached yet. It looks like it’s constantly on it’s side all the time, although it’s not always the same direction. I may have stressed it some during moving it around the tank several times. I’ve attached a picture of how it was this morning before I left the house for work. It looks healthy from what I can tell. I fed it the day after I got it (fed on Sunday) and again yesterday afternoon. I would like it to be on the front viewing area of the tank, but I know they will move to the spot they like.

Is this normal to take this long to attach? Any suggestions or ideas?

LegendaryCG · Aug 26, 2020

Dont feed them, and let it find it’s own spot. They’ll catch what they need out of the water if they are hungry and until it settles in your more likely to over feed it.

jamie1210 · Aug 26, 2020

Dig a hole in the sand against a rock. It will lean up against the rock and dig in. Don't feed an anemone unless it's established in your tank--meaning, it no longer moves around, and is generally happy.

old salt reefer · Aug 26, 2020

Here's a picture of a LTA I picked up on Saturday(Pet Supply Plus with coupon $20.85). I fed it Saturday and every day since and will continue to do so for the first 2 weeks I have it. Then will move to every other day for a couple weeks, then every 3 days, etc.(if bleached I'll be feeding everyday a lot longer) The stress of being collected then shipped half way around the world with little light causes the anemone to use lots of stored energy, by feeding it your replacing that. I've had many anemones over 5 decades, lost a lot, did good with a few. Learned a lot-do real good now. When buying don't care if it's bleached but it's got to be attached to something in the store when I buy it and it's mouth has to be closed or I pass on it. LTAs are one of those anemones that you'll find tons of threads about it not attaching on the internet. if a LTA even has a pin hole in it's foot it may never attach and that hole will just get worse. if you have amiphipods in your tank they will find that pin hole and keep eating at it and making it worse.
In my picture you can see the plastic(food) container I put it in. I did this right from the bag at the store(no gravel in it yet), clipped the plastic container to the side of my aquarium and started dripping water into it. by the time the anemone was ready to go into the tank(in the container) it was attached and I started adding gravel with a plastic spoon around it.
You say your's has moved around (it's NOT moving around, it is floating around) and not attached.
You want a anemone not to move(not the same thing as floating around) FEED IT--this is in the beginning after some time you start feeding less and less.
So If I were you I would put it into some kind of container with straight walls(like I use or a coffee cup) in lower flow and FEED it. When it attaches add gravel to cup. This could be in hours or days.
In a couple of months when it has started doing better you can work on getting it out of the cup and into a spot in the aquarium.
Now I have to fix my problem. I like to buy anemones and get them good and healthy and then sell them(or trade) and start over. My LFS gets shipments in on Fridays so every Saturday I go look----

old salt reefer · Aug 26, 2020

I should add that you can clear a spot out of all gravel/sand and put a piece of tubing(think like PVC pipe with all the edges sanded smooth) in to that spot then put the anemone into it. You want this to be just slightly smaller than the oral disc( meaning about 2-3 times bigger than the foot). remember to turn down the flow and FEED it. Once the anemone attaches just slide it up and over the anemone and push the gravel sand around it ad keep feeding it so it stays put. Smaller meals are better than 1 big one. You can feed it one whole shrimp once a week or cut the shrimp into 7 pieces and feed 1 piece everyday.

All above works for me. I see all the people that say not to feed a new anemone. I see just as many that say to feed it. I know decades ago the train of thought was anemones didn't need to eat but once a month if that(I lost a lot of them back then). I believe as they get bigger (older) they don't need to eat as often but when young they like to eat. That's just me others may differ.

Brad2157 · Aug 26, 2020

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it very much!

chizerbunoi · Aug 27, 2020

I did a write up on this with pictures last year. Search my profile for threads and you will see it.

LTA like DSb of 4” or more. If they don’t have the proper conditions they will wonder around a lot. If you don’t have a deep enough sand bed, push most of your sand to the area where you want it to stay. An alcove or crevice by a U shape rock is most ideal for them. Once settle they can tolerate low to high flow.

chizerbunoi · Aug 27, 2020

How to attach/mount an anemone?

I didn't see a post for this so thought I just create one that can be referenced. This is my method that works really well. Please contribute if you have other methods. Before anything, obivously make sure you purchase a healthy anemone with a foot that is not injured (no rips/tears) and the...

www.reef2reef.com

DSEKULA · Aug 27, 2020

They really like a dsb spot where the rock meets the sand or even a couple rocks aranged in a way to hold a dsb area between them. I arranged spots pike this for my lta and carpet and both havent walked for over a year.

Backtolifemassage · Aug 5, 2023

tnw50cal said:
Here's a picture of a LTA I picked up on Saturday(Pet Supply Plus with coupon $20.85). I fed it Saturday and every day since and will continue to do so for the first 2 weeks I have it. Then will move to every other day for a couple weeks, then every 3 days, etc.(if bleached I'll be feeding everyday a lot longer) The stress of being collected then shipped half way around the world with little light causes the anemone to use lots of stored energy, by feeding it your replacing that. I've had many anemones over 5 decades, lost a lot, did good with a few. Learned a lot-do real good now. When buying don't care if it's bleached but it's got to be attached to something in the store when I buy it and it's mouth has to be closed or I pass on it. LTAs are one of those anemones that you'll find tons of threads about it not attaching on the internet. if a LTA even has a pin hole in it's foot it may never attach and that hole will just get worse. if you have amiphipods in your tank they will find that pin hole and keep eating at it and making it worse.
In my picture you can see the plastic(food) container I put it in. I did this right from the bag at the store(no gravel in it yet), clipped the plastic container to the side of my aquarium and started dripping water into it. by the time the anemone was ready to go into the tank(in the container) it was attached and I started adding gravel with a plastic spoon around it.
You say your's has moved around (it's NOT moving around, it is floating around) and not attached.
You want a anemone not to move(not the same thing as floating around) FEED IT--this is in the beginning after some time you start feeding less and less.
So If I were you I would put it into some kind of container with straight walls(like I use or a coffee cup) in lower flow and FEED it. When it attaches add gravel to cup. This could be in hours or days.
In a couple of months when it has started doing better you can work on getting it out of the cup and into a spot in the aquarium.
Now I have to fix my problem. I like to buy anemones and get them good and healthy and then sell them(or trade) and start over. My LFS gets shipments in on Fridays so every Saturday I go look----

This is great information. I purchased a long tentacle anenome about 2 weeks ago. The foot was about an inch and half to two inches in diameter. I fed with mysis shrimp and now it has retracted. It looks like an inverted balloon with tentacles barely sticking out. It hasn’t attached either. Any advice. My clownfish fell in love with it.

I bought a rose tip anenome for them that was smaller and I think they beat it up. I’ll attach before and after. It still looks like the “after” picture. Going on 3 months. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thank you in advance.