Severely Abused BTA Anemone

[Zakary2003]

I'm currently setting up my first tank. My parents have a fish tank and I helped maintain it before I moved out, but I am setting up my own tank for the first time. A relative offered me any remaining livestock and equipment from their horribly neglected former reef tank, which had very little left alive after the light melted over a year ago. There was a surprisingly healthy clownfish, some Kenya tree corals, some GSP with zero color, and the shriveled remains of a once giant green bubble tipped anemone with a bright purple foot. I took the anemone home with me and left the other livestock. It is super small and shriveled (about the size of a half dollar) and the green tentacles are all gone. It also turned bright white. It must be 1/20th of the size it was before the tank crashed. Does anyone have any suggestions on bringing it back to life? Does it even look alive at this point? The white area used to be the tentacles and the purple is the foot. It barely responds to touch but is still holding on to the shell I found it on. The previous owner thought it was long dead and was shocked to see that anything remained.

 

[SGV - Bluestar]

Barely alive, looks like it ate it's on tentacle to survive. Might start feeding it some small chunk meaty food.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Poor thing. I'd imagine that you picked it up in the nick of time, a week later and it might have died. Not sure if it'll be able to eat with no tentacles, but it'd be good to try. Don't put it under bright lighting immediately, the shock could finish it off. Put it under dim lighting to begin with, and slowly raise the intensity. If the foot is sticky, there's hope.

 

[Zakary2003]

I fed it a single small mysis shrimp this morning and shortly afterwards these bumps appeared. I think they might be the start of new tentacles.

 

[Dom]

To my knowledge, Anemones don't eat their tentacles.

 

[Zakary2003]

To my knowledge, Anemones don't eat their tentacles.

So what happened to them?

 

[TinyReefObsession]

To my knowledge, Anemones don't eat their tentacles.

I have no personal experience with this situation, but have read a handful of posts indicating that the anemones may eat their own tentacles when starving… which sadly sounds like it could be the case here.

 

[Dom]

So what happened to them?

When unhappy, Anemones will retract. As the Anemone is nursed back to health, the tentacles will begin to emerge.

 

[Dom]

I have no personal experience with this situation, but have read a handful of posts indicating that the anemones may eat their own tentacles when starving… which sadly sounds like it could be the case here.

Mind you, I am not suggesting the idea that Anemones will eat their own tentacles when starving is incorrect. I'm only saying that this is the first time I've heard of it.

 

[jabberwock]

following. Best of luck!

 

[Uncle99]

Does it stick?

 

[TinyReefObsession]

I'm currently setting up my first tank. My parents have a fish tank and I helped maintain it before I moved out, but I am setting up my own tank for the first time. A relative offered me any remaining livestock and equipment from their horribly neglected former reef tank, which had very little left alive after the light melted over a year ago. There was a surprisingly healthy clownfish, some Kenya tree corals, some GSP with zero color, and the shriveled remains of a once giant green bubble tipped anemone with a bright purple foot. I took the anemone home with me and left the other livestock. It is super small and shriveled (about the size of a half dollar) and the green tentacles are all gone. It also turned bright white. It must be 1/20th of the size it was before the tank crashed. Does anyone have any suggestions on bringing it back to life? Does it even look alive at this point? The white area used to be the tentacles and the purple is the foot. It barely responds to touch but is still holding on to the shell I found it on. The previous owner thought it was long dead and was shocked to see that anything remained.

I’m so sorry to hear about the state of things in the tank this poor guy came from. Thank you for getting it out of there. From what I’ve read, if they’re still sticking, and still eating (& it sounds like yours is doing both!), then the nem still has a chance We’re rooting for an amazing recovery over here.

 

[davidjmt]

This video can help you out on trying to bring it back to health

 

[Zakary2003]

The anemone is doing about the same as my last update health wise. I'm not sure what to do with it though, as it seems unhappy in my DIY acclimation box. It keeps rolling around (but will still stick and open up occasionally, so it isn't dead) trying to find a new spot. It seems most happy when the lights are completely off so I'm thinking it might have to do with the lights, despite the fact that I dimmed them by 75% when I added the nem into the tank. I might cover the clear top of the acclimation box to make it even darker for the nem but I'm worried about shading the corals below and I still want it to adjust eventually. Any tips?

 

[jabberwock]

Can you give him more structure inside the box to potentially latch on to?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm currently setting up my first tank. My parents have a fish tank and I helped maintain it before I moved out, but I am setting up my own tank for the first time. A relative offered me any remaining livestock and equipment from their horribly neglected former reef tank, which had very little left alive after the light melted over a year ago. There was a surprisingly healthy clownfish, some Kenya tree corals, some GSP with zero color, and the shriveled remains of a once giant green bubble tipped anemone with a bright purple foot. I took the anemone home with me and left the other livestock. It is super small and shriveled (about the size of a half dollar) and the green tentacles are all gone. It also turned bright white. It must be 1/20th of the size it was before the tank crashed. Does anyone have any suggestions on bringing it back to life? Does it even look alive at this point? The white area used to be the tentacles and the purple is the foot. It barely responds to touch but is still holding on to the shell I found it on. The previous owner thought it was long dead and was shocked to see that anything remained.

There's hope for this nem but water conditions/quality must be maintained

 

[Zakary2003]

Can you give him more structure inside the box to potentially latch on to?

I can certainly try. It has some rocks and shells already but it just wants to stick to the smooth plastic

 

[TinyReefObsession]

The anemone is doing about the same as my last update health wise. I'm not sure what to do with it though, as it seems unhappy in my DIY acclimation box. It keeps rolling around (but will still stick and open up occasionally, so it isn't dead) trying to find a new spot. It seems most happy when the lights are completely off so I'm thinking it might have to do with the lights, despite the fact that I dimmed them by 75% when I added the nem into the tank. I might cover the clear top of the acclimation box to make it even darker for the nem but I'm worried about shading the corals below and I still want it to adjust eventually. Any tips?

Poor guy is probably hypersensitive to the light right now after a year in the dark

What about something that creates a little tunnel/ cave type of coverage- so it won’t darken the entire tank beneath the box, but just enough to allow max coverage for the nem? Then it could adjust it’s own exposure to the light as it adjusts?

 

[littlefoxx]

That makes me so sad! Poor guy, nems are super cool animals. Im glad you took him and are trying to help him!

 

[jabberwock]

Poor guy is probably hypersensitive to the light right now after a year in the dark

What about something that creates a little tunnel/ cave type of coverage- so it won’t darken the entire tank beneath the box, but just enough to allow max coverage for the nem? Then it could adjust it’s own exposure to the light as it adjusts?

A clean piece of PVC, maybe an angled joint.