Why are my anemone's hiding?

Frank · Feb 10, 2013

I bought my first bubble tip about 8 years ago. I run two 150 MH 2 ATI blue/1 super blue and just recently a ATI coral plus. MY buble tips has split 11 or 12 times I presently have 5 they have all gone and they stay near the top of the coral I have never seen one of them go to my sand bed. When I want to remove one I add a rock close to one so it can jump over then I hold the rock up side down over a container of water. I would add some rock higher up with some crevices for the foot. I have one large rock near the center of my tank where they all stay until I put something for them to jump on, They are very a hardy creature feed them. As with me and others with tank crashes, water getting out of control I have never lost one. I might just be lucky just my 2 cents worth.

Slickwill613 · Feb 10, 2013

Juice04 said:
Are you sure that is anenome? It seriously looks like something else. :smile:

Yup, the wife and I shared a good laugh

Trex · Feb 10, 2013

calf85 said:
I have 2x 550's, one on each side of the tank. You can see the one above in the top part of the photo. It's not pointed directly at him, but he gets a little bit of flow. I tried to put him in the sand a little bit, but I was trying to be gentle and couldn't really get him buried in it.

Make sure the power heads are covered, don't want it to get sucked up into it. You can place it in the hole and bury the whole foot, won't be an issue.

Frank said:
I bought my first bubble tip about 8 years ago. I run two 150 MH 2 ATI blue/1 super blue and just recently a ATI coral plus. MY buble tips has split 11 or 12 times I presently have 5 they have all gone and they stay near the top of the coral I have never seen one of them go to my sand bed. When I want to remove one I add a rock close to one so it can jump over then I hold the rock up side down over a container of water. I would add some rock higher up with some crevices for the foot. I have one large rock near the center of my tank where they all stay until I put something for them to jump on, They are very a hardy creature feed them. As with me and others with tank crashes, water getting out of control I have never lost one. I might just be lucky just my 2 cents worth.

The anemone in question isn't an E. quadricolor, it is an M. Doreensis, which are sandbed dwelling anemones.

Hudzon · Feb 10, 2013

What is it about a 1 year old tank that's different from a 2 month old tank (mine is 2 months, not 1, though I doubt that matters a whole lot in your assessment)?

There are more cycles to a saltwater tank then just the nitrgen cycle, when Rock and Sand are new they can and will asorb PO4 by the bucket loads and in a few month when they become saturated they will then release it back to the surface levels where it will feed alage and change the water chemistry, this can take from few months to up to 8 or so months, in between these stages micro fauna is constentally changing and adapting, that is why is it said that is a tank is not really mature untill it's a year or so old.

calf85 · Feb 11, 2013

I successfully buried his foot in the sand yesterday. Although he promptly crawled halfway out, he is still partially in the sand this morning and hasn't moved since. Seems happy enough where he is. I hope he stays there haha, the whole point of getting the anemone early was to let him find a permanent home and not lay waste to corals when I add them!

I also got some nitrate absorbing media and am setting up a biopellet reactor to help deal with nitrates. I know there have been a few mixed reviews on the internet, but my LFS loves the stuff and is running their display tanks with zero nitrates with biopellets. Will take a few months for full effectiveness of course, but we'll see how it goes!

NJHC · Feb 11, 2013

I just skipped over it to make a point...

mayday610 · Feb 11, 2013

Good news calf85. Hope it stays happy! Any luck spotting your bubble tip yet?

calf85 · Feb 11, 2013

Unfortunately no, I think he's a gonner. Seeing how much time the LTA spends fully extended makes me think that the BTA wasn't very happy from the start when I got him in the mail. Made it long enough to pass the two week guarantee of course :squigglemouth:... Fortunately he was pretty cheap and very small, so it's not a major loss, and it's probably not a great idea to have two different species of anemone anyway. I found a few pieces of what I think was him and removed them. My parameter's haven't spiked but I'm doing some extra water changes to be sure.

mayday610 · Feb 11, 2013

Yeah, it happens. We learn from our attempts so all is well. I'm not a huge fan of BTA's myself. I appreciate looking at them, but not one i would choose over others. I like LTA's and Carpets.

NJHC · Feb 18, 2013

Give it another month pick up "Fuel" by aquavitro and calcification and dose every other day . Your tank will get the nutrients it needs . I've been there believe me, u have questions or need help im me . What kind of set up u got ? Skimmer etc

NJHC · Feb 18, 2013

PS: sea bae anenome Are cheaper stronger and sometimes prettier

calf85 · Feb 19, 2013

Tank details are here, but in brief I have a Bak-Pak 2R+ skimmer, Biopellet reactor, and ~8 gallon sump on a 50 gallon tank.

My LTA still hasn't moved, has his stickiness, and is eating well. I think he's finally happy

.