Why is he on his side
- Thread starter cbrewer
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Bouncingsoul39
Valuable Member
Those nems need at least a 4" deep sand bed to bury their foot in. So, he's on his side because it's stressed and can't attach anywhere without help. There is nothing to indicate a split in the pic.
Normally, when someone gets one of these they dig a deep hole and place the nem in it and put some of the sand back to surround the red base with sand, then the nem will attach to the bottom. Doesn't look like your sand bed is suitable. Probably best to return it and exchange for a bubble tip nem that's easier to keep and will work with your tank.
You might consider researching the animal you are planning to purchase in the future and make sure that you can provide the proper environment and care for it BEFORE buying it.
Normally, when someone gets one of these they dig a deep hole and place the nem in it and put some of the sand back to surround the red base with sand, then the nem will attach to the bottom. Doesn't look like your sand bed is suitable. Probably best to return it and exchange for a bubble tip nem that's easier to keep and will work with your tank.
You might consider researching the animal you are planning to purchase in the future and make sure that you can provide the proper environment and care for it BEFORE buying it.
jaws789832
Active Member
Mine the foot stays attached but the tentacles retract when splitting. It usually takes about a day to complete. The main split happens quicker but there is usually some stubborn piece that doesn't want to disconnect and that takes a while for them to be able to march apart
Bouncingsoul39
Valuable Member
Oh sorry, Long Tentacle Anemone or LTA as we call them.
GHsaltie
Valuable Member
Obviously it's a little stressed, but in order to really help you and your nem out we need some more info. Firstly how old is your tank, can you list your parameters, what kind of lighting and schedule do you have, how long have you had the nem and when did it start floating around? Answering those questions will really help us to help you. As far as the sand goes, I don't think it's an issue, I've had LTAs in gravel that was maybe half an inch thick and once they find a spot they like they stay there. You can help it by making a hole in the sand, maybe in a lower flow area so it can attach and gently set it there. It may help to turn off powerheads until he settles.
Yescom
3.9 out of 5 stars 28Reviews
Yescom 129 Multi-Color LED Aquarium Light Extendable Full Spectrum Lamp For 36"-43inches Fish Tank
Lights on bout 8-10 hrs
We have him for 2 weeks we put some more sand in there he's moved to another spot, now he has white spots on his foot, parameters are good like they should be,
Have set up since July
GHsaltie
Valuable Member
The white spots are a part of the LTA coloration, I can't remember off hand what they are called. Can you list your parameter numbers?
This part does worry me, because typically anemones don't do well in tanks under a year old. Why? Because within that first year after setup the tank goes through a lot of chemistry swings, algae phases etc. and all of that can be exacerbated if the tank owner is new, since they are still getting the hang of things. The anemone does look healthy as of right now, it's just a matter of him settling into a spot. Try not to mess with him too much (I know it can be hard when you want to help your animals) keep an eye on him and see if he will settle on his own.
@AcroNem @eatbreakfast
This part does worry me, because typically anemones don't do well in tanks under a year old. Why? Because within that first year after setup the tank goes through a lot of chemistry swings, algae phases etc. and all of that can be exacerbated if the tank owner is new, since they are still getting the hang of things. The anemone does look healthy as of right now, it's just a matter of him settling into a spot. Try not to mess with him too much (I know it can be hard when you want to help your animals) keep an eye on him and see if he will settle on his own.
@AcroNem @eatbreakfast
Macrodactyla doreensis is the type of anemone. They do like sandbeds. Let it settle in a while (week) then try to feed it small amounts of like mysis. If it keeps moving, it is not happy. Probably need to add a nice deep area of sand for it.
Yea this is Macrodactyla doreensis, long tentacle anemone. The white spots on its foot could just be some sand or detritus its picked up as it's been moved around and as its traveled. They don't appear to be there in the first picture. They could also be from damage to the foot. Try not to move it any more and let it settle and bury where it prefers.
Amoo
Professional Thread Derailer
For starters this is definitely a M Doreensis, also known as a LTA.
If he has "found a spot" but is not attached and is laying on his side, he didn't find a spot he just blew to a low flow spot in your tank.
Can't see what is on his side due to poor picture quality, it's either sand or tissue. Reach your hand in and try to brush it off, wear gloves if you might be allergic. If it brushes off it's sand, if it looks attached it's tissue.
Did you say you added more sand to the tank?
I've seen a lot of Nems do okay in what most would have thought was poor lighting. Your light is nowhere near suitable for that Nem and may be part of why it won't attach. It wants more light.
I don't often say this, but you really need to get rid of this Anemone and slow down if you want to be successful in this hobby. I went back through your post history and your first post was basically you killing everything in your tank as of July 18th from simply going to fast. You may or may not have moved your tank at the start of August? You had a maroon is it still alive and in there? Your approach to reefing appears to be, you getting a little bit of information from somewhere, going for it then coming here and asking very very basic questions, many of which are answered in the stickies in his very forum. There is essentially NOTHING we can do to help you if you are not willing to take the time to help yourself.
The bottom line here is this, your lighting is not strong enough for this creature, your tank is not stable enough (especially if you added sand to try to help), you're going to fast and you really need to just STOP, slow down and try to learn. Reef-keeping isn't a learn as you go hobby. Don't get me wrong you definitely learn a lot as you go, but you will save yourself a lot more time, hassle and frustration if you learn as much as you can before reaching for your pocket book. You can throw as much money at this tank as you want, but you're going to continue to just kill everything over and over and end up just getting frustrated and selling everything if you're not willing to slow down and do a little research (more than just asking questions. Read the wealth of information here then ask question if you have any).
I'm sorry I very rarely recommend somebody get rid of an anemone, but based on your tank history, this is one of those times where that things chances of survival are very slim with the current state of your tank.
If he has "found a spot" but is not attached and is laying on his side, he didn't find a spot he just blew to a low flow spot in your tank.
Can't see what is on his side due to poor picture quality, it's either sand or tissue. Reach your hand in and try to brush it off, wear gloves if you might be allergic. If it brushes off it's sand, if it looks attached it's tissue.
Did you say you added more sand to the tank?
I've seen a lot of Nems do okay in what most would have thought was poor lighting. Your light is nowhere near suitable for that Nem and may be part of why it won't attach. It wants more light.
I don't often say this, but you really need to get rid of this Anemone and slow down if you want to be successful in this hobby. I went back through your post history and your first post was basically you killing everything in your tank as of July 18th from simply going to fast. You may or may not have moved your tank at the start of August? You had a maroon is it still alive and in there? Your approach to reefing appears to be, you getting a little bit of information from somewhere, going for it then coming here and asking very very basic questions, many of which are answered in the stickies in his very forum. There is essentially NOTHING we can do to help you if you are not willing to take the time to help yourself.
The bottom line here is this, your lighting is not strong enough for this creature, your tank is not stable enough (especially if you added sand to try to help), you're going to fast and you really need to just STOP, slow down and try to learn. Reef-keeping isn't a learn as you go hobby. Don't get me wrong you definitely learn a lot as you go, but you will save yourself a lot more time, hassle and frustration if you learn as much as you can before reaching for your pocket book. You can throw as much money at this tank as you want, but you're going to continue to just kill everything over and over and end up just getting frustrated and selling everything if you're not willing to slow down and do a little research (more than just asking questions. Read the wealth of information here then ask question if you have any).
I'm sorry I very rarely recommend somebody get rid of an anemone, but based on your tank history, this is one of those times where that things chances of survival are very slim with the current state of your tank.
