When to give up on anemone recovering?

SandJ · Mar 3, 2016

November 2015 I bought an established biocube. While rinsing the last bit of sand in a bucket before returning it to the tank, I found a tiny anemone (maybe 1/2" across). Barely any tentacles left, just little stubs.

Returned it to the tank and started feeding it. Then it hid under a rock. I thought it was dying, but it came back out a couple weeks ago. It has no tentacles, but will still eat if I hold the food up to it (mysis shrimp or small piece of LRS food).

This is what it looks like today...

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1457041366.519899.jpg

And this was it on 12/9/2015

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1457041682.315453.jpg

How do you know if an anemone has any chance of recovering?
At what point to you just remove it from the tank?

dieselkeeper · Mar 3, 2016

I wouldn't worry about feeding it at this point. Just make sure it is getting plenty of light. Nems need more light then food to survive.

ngvu1 · Mar 3, 2016

I would not give up on it yet. It looks better now. Just give it time and if the water is ok, it will bounce back. The joy of seeing it fully recovered is priceless ;-) good luck and let know the update

Tommy's Reef · Mar 3, 2016

Wow never seen that before

SandJ · Mar 3, 2016

The tank has an AI Prime on it. I turned the uv up a little and it is stretching out for the light. Has not moved up the rock any though.

I will just let it be and see what happens.

Oh, the first picture is now and the second picture was back in December.

AcroNem · Mar 3, 2016

I've had a nem come in that looked similar to that, but about the size of a pencil eraser. I forgot about it and several months later was 4" across. Don't give up, if you have a stable system it should recover.