Sebae anemone wont attach

GrandpaShark · Aug 7, 2020

Happy Friday everyone. So last friday a week ago i purchased a sebae blue tip anemone for my 2 saddleback clowns. It won't attach to anything. I have placed it on 3 different sections of rock, I have dug 3 different holes in the sand in different locations. I have the anemone atm under a 2liter bottle cap in a hole in the sand for 2 days now, still nothing. When i dont have him held down he moves away to the back of my tank in a rock crevis and ends up upside down most of the time.
My flow is med flow i have viparapectra 300w led lights, my water peramiters are within the norm from ammonia, nitrites nitrates calcium, phosphates and magnesium. I had my flow turned down the first 2 days and turned my lights out for a few days Aswell. The anemoe still won't latch on to anything. ANY reasonable suggestions? If I can't find a way to get him to latch on I will need to get rid of him.. Can't have an anemoe just aimlessly wondering around my tank. I do not have any other anemones in the tank. Thanks

Ron Reefman · Aug 8, 2020

Set up a small container of water, a small tank or a bowl big enough to fill so the nem will be underwater when filled. Fill it with tank water. Move the nem into the small tank. Most nems are happy to attach to smooth surfaces. I don't know how big your nem is, but if you can buy a PVC pipe end cap big enough for it's foot, buy it and set the nem inside the end cap in the small tank.

Be prepared to do a 50% or more water change for the small tank every 8 to 12 hours or add an air stone and a bubbler. I did my water changes by just putting the anemone water back in the DT and taking water from the DT to top the small tank back up. This is way more about having oxygenated water for the nem than it is about the nem's water being contaminated. Nems don't do much to make water dirty or increase ammonia.

Typically I've had nems attach to the end cap in 1 to 5 days. I consider them attached when I can hold the PVC end cap upside down and the nem stays in it!

Then I'll put the end cap with the nem into the sand in the DT.

Good luck!

GrandpaShark · Aug 8, 2020

So get an end cap just big enough for his foot to fit into, not one big enough for the anemone to fit in. My anemone is small mabye 2-3 inches, just a baby.
Also yesterday I called around to my LFS it was suggested to dig down and around a rock area and gently shove him into the hole. I did that and this morning he has not moved from the spot and my clown was sleeping in the anemone last night into this morning. Fingers crossed he stays. This is the longest the nem has staying in one spot. Also I went to.grocery store and got one raw scallop cut a small.piece off but the nem didn't eat it. Do you think the nem is still stressed out?

Ron Reefman · Aug 8, 2020

Only the anemone knows for sure!

GrandpaShark · Aug 9, 2020

Ron Reefman said:
Set up a small container of water, a small tank or a bowl big enough to fill so the nem will be underwater when filled. Fill it with tank water. Move the nem into the small tank. Most nems are happy to attach to smooth surfaces. I don't know how big your nem is, but if you can buy a PVC pipe end cap big enough for it's foot, buy it and set the nem inside the end cap in the small tank.

Be prepared to do a 50% or more water change for the small tank every 8 to 12 hours or add an air stone and a bubbler. I did my water changes by just putting the anemone water back in the DT and taking water from the DT to top the small tank back up. This is way more about having oxygenated water for the nem than it is about the nem's water being contaminated. Nems don't do much to make water dirty or increase ammonia.

Typically I've had nems attach to the end cap in 1 to 5 days. I consider them attached when I can hold the PVC end cap upside down and the nem stays in it! Then I'll put the end cap with the nem into the sand in the DT.

Good luck!

I took your advice got 3/4 end cap the anemone took right to it. I already placed him in the DT, so far so good. I got a 1" from homedepot but the poor guy just sunk right in it, was sort of funny. Thanks again for the help.

Ron Reefman · Aug 10, 2020

GrandpaShark said:
I took your advice got 3/4 end cap the anemone took right to it. I already placed him in the DT, so far so good. I got a 1" from homedepot but the poor guy just sunk right in it, was sort of funny. Thanks again for the help.

This is why my wife calls me 'The Nem King'. ;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious And on a side note, my RFA tank had 4 nems spawn. As soon as I can, I'll post up photos and info in my RFA thread.

GrandpaShark · Aug 10, 2020

GrandpaShark said:
I took your advice got 3/4 end cap the anemone took right to it. I already placed him in the DT, so far so good. I got a 1" from homedepot but the poor guy just sunk right in it, was sort of funny. Thanks again for the help.

This morning the anemone is out of the end cap i am thinking the 3/4 was a bit to small i am putting him back in the 1" a little more room and even though the nem was sunk in a little he can retract out of it. I know this will work just have to be smarter than the organism. Lol

Ron Reefman · Aug 10, 2020

GrandpaShark said:
This morning the anemone is out of the end cap i am thinking the 3/4 was a bit to small i am putting him back in the 1" a little more room and even though the nem was sunk in a little he can retract out of it. I know this will work just have to be smarter than the organism. Lol

Yup. You want to be able to hold the end cap upside down to know it's well attached.