Rock flower anemones DYING

[Uncle99]

0 ammonia, both PO4 and NO3 too low to detect.

That’s low for nem.
They would starve….

 

[eggplantparrot]

That’s low for nem.
They would starve….

I spot feed pretty much every day

 

[Rtaylor]

You can try ordering online. Many American companies will ship the meds to Canada, you do risk it getting confiscated at the border, but I hear it usually makes it through. Might not help this time, but might be worth trying to get some to keep on hand for the future.

 

[Uncle99]

I spot feed pretty much every day

They needs consistent source of nitrate and phosphate, everything requires that.

 

[reeferguy3303]

Anemones do need po4 and no3

 

[Rtaylor]

They needs consistent source of nitrate and phosphate, everything requires that.

People regularly put anemones in newly mixed saltwater with 100% daily water changes (very common with Magnifica’s and giganteas). The anemones are fine. The level of phosphate and nitrate in nsw is .005 and <.1 respectively. Pretty sure anemones survive ok in the ocean. The zooxanthelle algae needs enough nutrients to survive. If it weren’t getting enough, it would be bleached. The nems aren’t bleached, so it doesn’t seem likely that low nutrients are the cause.
It is also easy to identify an anemone that is expelling zooxanthelle.

 

[Uncle99]

People regularly put anemones in newly mixed saltwater with 100% daily water changes (very common with Magnifica’s and giganteas). The anemones are fine. The level of phosphate and nitrate in nsw is .005 and <.1 respectively. Pretty sure anemones survive ok in the ocean. The zooxanthelle algae needs enough nutrients to survive. If it weren’t getting enough, it would be bleached. The nems aren’t bleached, so it doesn’t seem likely that low nutrients are the cause.
It is also easy to identify an anemone that is expelling zooxanthelle.

You posted undetectable N and P.
Running zero or even near zero nutrients would not work in my DT.


My systems based more on the heavy in, heavy out model.

But If that’s working for you, then perfect, not nutrient based as you correctly point out.

Most nems do poorly in unstable waters.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have no clue what your issue is here. I'm really sorry for your problems here. But I've found my RFAs to be quite hearty and I very rarely lose one. The losses have almost always been predators that feed on anemones like a file fish and some shrimp.

I kept 25 RFAs in a 16g tank with a HOB filter for a couple of years with no issues... but I wouldn't recommend it. I think you are probably over feeding them.

I'd consider pulling them out and keeping them in smaller containers, like Tupperware or anything that is deep enough to cover them well, but with less overall water. Keep them all separate. Do twice daily 50% or more water changes with water that is well mixed and the right temp. I've keep RFAs in small Tupperware containers for weeks while waiting to find a proper home for them. They did so well that I pulled water from the DT to do the water change and even put the old water back in the DT. The reason for the twice daily change was just to keep oxygen levels up.

 

[Duncan62]

Maybe try the opposite, human instinct is to feed or nourish, maybe stop feeding, and let them pooh, feeding everyday day is like you drinking a milkshake daily, you need time to breathe and pooh/digest

Rfa is completely photosynthetic. It benefits from feeding. Once ot twice a week at most. The daily feeding is not helping.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Rfa is completely photosynthetic. It benefits from feeding. Once ot twice a week at most. The daily feeding is not helping.

The shallow water, much less colorful RFAs can do very well with just photosynthesis. But the colorful RFAs that come from deeper water are less able to survive long term on just photosynthesis. However, feeding the fish also feeds the RFAs. I'd only 'spot' feed the RFAs a small piece of shrimp or silversides once every couple of weeks at most.

 

[eggplantparrot]

The shallow water, much less colorful RFAs can do very well with just photosynthesis. But the colorful RFAs that come from deeper water are less able to survive long term on just photosynthesis. However, feeding the fish also feeds the RFAs. I'd only 'spot' feed the RFAs a small piece of shrimp or silversides once every couple of weeks at most.

I don't have any fish in this tank and I don't broadcast feed anything so I thought I'd feed to keep nutrients up. I've also only fed little bits of LRS so I didnt think I was overfeeding. I will cut it back though

 

[dvgyfresh]

I feed my rfas every other day , I’ve read a study that anemones in the wild do eat alot however it’s mostly plankton sized / very small things. I feed 2-3 mysis every other day soaked in selcon

 

[Duncan62]

I feed my rfas every other day , I’ve read a study that anemones in the wild do eat alot however it’s mostly plankton sized / very small things. I feed 2-3 mysis every other day soaked in selcon

 

[Duncan62]

Feeding makes mine do this. Bottom is actual birth. I'm infested.

 

[fulltang]

I spot feed pretty much every day

Curious how this all turned out for you?

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hi all, I'm losing beautiful nem's including ones I've had for over a year and it's emotionally killing me.

Set up is a 12G shallow that was recently set up, with around 40% rock from a 2 year old nano rock flower tank that was broken down.

I introduced 2 new nems into the nano a week before it was broken down and the 12G was set up, and they looked fine in the nano.

About a week after the 12G was set up though, I noticed one of the new nems, an absolute beauty, bright pink skirt and highlighter yellow oral disk, started shrinking a bit and one side of the oral disk looked shrunken up. Day by day it got worse and started turning to mush starting from that side.

It started to not attach very well so I was able to take it out and dip in iodine, which did not help. I lost it after over a week

One of my really small ones, a bit over a quarter size, started showing the same symptoms right after the death, and it went down hill even faster.

Now my absolute FAVOURITE, a bright golden orange that I've had for over a year and decent in size, is starting to show symptoms too. It looks to be hanging on better as I'm guessing it's larger and healthier, but I feel like crying thinking I might lose this guy.

It's still attached under the sand by a rocks edge so it will be difficult to remove for dipping.

Does any one have tips for this.

This year's been tough... I've been losing torches in my other tank as well and this now is pushing me over the edge

params? lights? flow? tank super young too, that rock is bleak white

 

[eggplantparrot]

Curious how this all turned out for you?

I was unable to procure Cipro and tried the little bit of furan-2 I had left as it's also an antibiotic I believe

It seemed to slow down the infection on my favourite nem but ultimately it succumbed to it and melted away.

Life got a bit too busy and I left the Furan 2 in the system a bit too long and the nems bleached out, but no other nems seemed to have been infected.

After some large water changes and some carbon, very surviving nem has recovered their zooxanthellae and are no longer bleached.

I've been spot feeding the whole time and have not seen any ill effects.

 

[eggplantparrot]

params? lights? flow? tank super young too, that rock is bleak white

40% of the rock is from the 2 year old tank the nems came from, mostly in the sump but 2 chunks sitting in the sand too.

Some sand and water was transferred over as well.

Light is hydra 32 on my own settings.

 

[fulltang]

I was unable to procure Cipro and tried the little bit of furan-2 I had left as it's also an antibiotic I believe

It seemed to slow down the infection on my favourite nem but ultimately it succumbed to it and melted away.

Life got a bit too busy and I left the Furan 2 in the system a bit too long and the nems bleached out, but no other nems seemed to have been infected.

After some large water changes and some carbon, very surviving nem has recovered their zooxanthellae and are no longer bleached.

I've been spot feeding the whole time and have not seen any ill effects.

Really sorry to hear that! I hope you find motivation to try again, RFAs are so cool and I'd love to have one in my pico one day. How's the other stuff in your tank doing?

 

[eggplantparrot]

Really sorry to hear that! I hope you find motivation to try again, RFAs are so cool and I'd love to have one in my pico one day. How's the other stuff in your tank doing?

I haven't given up!

The other nems are doing good *knock on wood*

Unfortunately the bleaching didn't only happen to the RFAs, all of the zoas and bubble tips were bleached too. They are recovering too albeit slower than the RFAs.

I think we are on the right track now at least.

RIP highlighter yellow and golden rainbow.