My anemone is looking awful

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

Hey y’all
My anemone decided one day he wasn’t happy where he was so he started moving around. I lost sight of him and after a week I thought he might have died on me. I did a water change just in case. Today my diamond gobies were sifting sand like always and uncovered my anemone. He is still alive so I placed him up on a rock. He has attached himself to it but I’m not sure he will live. Has anyone else ever had this happen to them? Is there anything I should do for him or just let him be and just watch him?

KrisReef · Jun 20, 2019

Never happened to me or to anyone I know. Can you post a picture of the new location?
Does the anemone look beat up or is it open? Is it gaping? Sloughing off tissues?

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

Nicole Sarnowski said:
Hey y’all
My anemone decided one day he wasn’t happy where he was so he started moving around. I lost sight of him and after a week I thought he might have died on me. I did a water change just in case. Today my diamond gobies were sifting sand like always and uncovered my anemone. He is still alive so I placed him up on a rock. He has attached himself to it but I’m not sure he will live. Has anyone else ever had this happen to them? Is there anything I should do for him or just let him be and just watch him?

What kind of anemone? If it is a sand dwelling anemone, the rocks may not be the best for it. Also, how old is the tank, what are the parameters, lighting, etc. needs some background to able to help you fully.

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

My anemone is a bubble tip. It’s not sloughing off any tissue that I can see. It isn’t showing any tentacles right now...I’m hoping it will. My par is as follows:

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 15
Phosphate trace
Alk 8
Calcium 440
Mag 1500
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.5

My aquarium is almost 3 years old
I have a current USA pro light
He still has his pink foot and is attached to the rock

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

My anemone is a bubble tip. It’s not sloughing off any tissue that I can see. It isn’t showing any tentacles right now...I’m hoping it will. My par is as follows:

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 15
Phosphate trace
Alk 8
Calcium 440
Mag 1500
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.5

My aquarium is almost 3 years old
I have a current USA pro light

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

How long has the nem been in there? Was he added recently and then sat still for a while and then decided to move?

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

I got him several months ago and he found his spot and stayed put for a long time then about 3 weeks ago he started moving around. I lost sight of him and after a week thought he was dead...did a water change to be on the safe side and now my gobies uncovered him today. He has been missing for about 3 weeks.

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

any changes about the time he moved? Big water change that may caused an alk swing for example? Any changes at all to flow or lighting?

Even if no changes, sometimes nems move, but lets be sure not to try and move it or annoy it for now.

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

I think my alk was not right because I just found out that I have to dose B-Ionic alk part to keep up with my tanks demands. I have been dosing for 2 days now and I did a water change 3 days ago with fritz red high alk salt but it still wasn’t enough to bring my alk up. My alk was a 6 3 days ago before the water change now it is an 8. I am slowly increasing my alk to 10.

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

that would make one unhappy, but that was a few days ago. Can you think of anything around the time the nem decided to move?

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

It could have been my alk back then. I was only testing my pars once a week and there were times that my alk was 7 but I was only doing a water change once a month. I do remember doing a water change a few days before he started to move. When he did start moving I was worried that my nitrates were climbing so I only checked that. But Nitrates were fine. Other than that I cannot think of any other reason. I also just learned that corals and apparently now anemones use alkaline that was something I was not aware of till I lost my Duncan coral a couple of days ago. I might have had my aquarium for almost 3 years but I’m still learning a lot and unfortunately still making mistakes.

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

Well you are in the right place. Lots of good people here and tons of knowledge. Keep an eye on the nem, and try to keep things stable. Alk is ok if it moves a little, but we are talking .5-1.0 at most and not a huge jump. so if it is 7 and you hit it to 10 real quick, things get very angry. For now, just keep an eye on the nem and keep us updated. They are usually pretty tough little critters. If something goes south though, reply back to this thread and tag me in it. I will watch my email this evening and get some super duper people on here involved if needed.

How to tag: (in case you do not know)

type "@" and then the users name. select that user from the drop down box that appears.

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 20, 2019

My nem is moving down the rock now that the light has gone down to blue...what do I do? @Eagle_Steve

Also will my nem get his tentacles back because right now he has nothing?

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

Nicole Sarnowski said:
My nem is moving down the rock now that the light has gone down to blue...what do I do? @Eagle_Steve

Also will my nem get his tentacles back because right now he has nothing?

@Nicole Sarnowski
Sorry for the late reply, my alert never went off and I did not get an email like usual.

I would let it walk down. If it is moving via its foot and not floating around, it may just want a calm place to recoup or it may not like the light. Still keeping its foot attached is a good thing.

On the tentacles. Are they actually gone or retracted? If they are actually gone, that is not good, but I have seen them recover from shedding them with no assistance.

@OrionN would mind reading over this and provide your thoughts? Bubble nems I have had always pull through if left alone.

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

Also @James M can you take a gander?

Eagle_Steve · Jun 20, 2019

And we will add #reefsquad to this if they do not mind. Doesn’t look like Orion is online and not sure if James is either.

James M · Jun 21, 2019

The foot being attached and moving around means there’s still hope.
I would just let it do it’s thing as you try to recover it back to Good health. Once it Settles begin feedings due to it bleaching.

reef lover · Jun 21, 2019

Agreed try light feedings over the next few days...if he does not start to regrow tentacles or gets any mushier looking than i would cipro asap...

Jon Fishman · Jun 21, 2019

I would leave it alone, but also I wouldn't feed it...... takes energy for those things to eat..... it was hanging out buried in sand, pretty sure it can fend for itself for a bit.

Nicole Sarnowski · Jun 21, 2019

Well he was using his foot to move so there is hope. I can’t find him this morning so he might be down under a rock. I don’t want to move my rocks to find him...I will just have to be patient and hopefully see him again. He did live through the ordeal of being buried that’s a plus. I will just keep watching.

Thanks y’all for your words of wisdom.
I will keep y’all posted.