Advise on my LTA

[Fatboy Stinger]

So I finally bought my first anamene. Put it in my tank and watched it float around right towards my MP40 pump . Right away I turned it off, placed the LTA on the other side of the tank and turned the pump to a very low setting. That was last night. This morning I found him on the other side of the tank on his side like he was blown over there yet again. Im hoping that he takes a foothold soon because I don't like the lack of flow my tank has with the pump down so low. I am looking for any and every advise on keeping ths guy cause he is by far my favorite thing in my tank!

<a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u97/xacory/?action=view&current=IMAG0210.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u97/xacory/IMAG0210.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u97/xacory/?action=view&current=IMAG02091.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u97/xacory/IMAG02091.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[bradleym]

Well first off, you should know he's probably bleached, then dyed. So he's not healthy and when he recovers he won't be that blue color anymore. The health part of that is probably why he's not attaching. He'll want to be in the sand near the rocks. But he'll need regular feeding and strong lighting and may take several days to decide he's strong enough to dig in.

 

[Fatboy Stinger]

Well, I have plenty of light.
I have no problem with feeding him, but is it worth it to try before he attaches?
I never realized that they could be dyed.......Thats a bummer. Either way I want to do what I can to keep him.
From what I gather so far, it seems to be a waiting game now.

 

[SkullV]

Wow, very dyed, never seen one that blue! I wish they did come in that color in nature!! Good luck rehabbing it!

 

[bradleym]

IMO, you should make a wall/ enclosure with eggcrate or rock to protect him from the flow (ideally rock) so you can turn your flow back up in the meantime (it may be a while).

For feeding, I would try tiny pieces of silverside or mysis every other day after the first 2 days. That's my personal opinion though, many disagree.

 

[bradleym]

If he doesn't take it, just suck it back out or let something else eat it. Again, IMO.

 

[bradleym]

Some other guys in the same boat and "before and after" pics.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1011556

 

[bradleym]

Double post, sorry.

 

[greech]

I think an eggcrate box over it on the sand would be a good idea. Maybe dig a pit in the sand to put the foot in and then place the box over it. It was likely purposely bleached by starving it of light and then dyed. This being the case, you will want to slowly acclimate the nem to your lighting. Sounds like you have other corals in the tank that need light so a few layers of window screen cut to fit over the nem should help. Remove 1 sheet at a time over the course of several weeks and feed it (when/if it will take food) with good food from your grocers seafood department, preferable soaked in vitimans.

If it recovers it will probably be more of a brown color. Collectors get more for colored nems so unfortunately this happens.

 

[2Addicted]

Wow, very dyed, never seen one that blue! I wish they did come in that color in nature!! Good luck rehabbing it!

How do you know its dyed? I thought dyed anemones were all one color?

 

[SkullV]

How do you know its dyed? I thought dyed anemones were all one color?

Just judging from all the LTAs that I've seen. I am no anemone expert, just judging by the hours and hours of research I did when looking for my first anemone. They just dont come in that vivid a blue, if in blue at all!

 

[TDesaulniers]

How do you know its dyed? I thought dyed anemones were all one color?

It is one color. Blue. It's dyed.

 

[2Addicted]

It is one color. Blue. It's dyed.

Its blue white and red....

 

[Toddrtrex]

IMO, it is NOT dyed, the foot wouldn't be red. I think the white balance of the picture is making it look more blue then it actually is -- look at the sandbed. IMO, it is a partially bleached purple one.

 

[timjoemak]

Man, I wish nature gave anemones this colour.. LOL where can you even find a bright blue one??

 

[Winwood]

I agree I don't believe it is dyed either, just a little bleached. With a good amount of TLC and luck you may have quite a specimen on your hands.

 

[bradleym]

Fatboy Stinger, to sum it up, if it's bright blue like in the picture it's dyed. If it's actually purple, then it's just bleached. Treatment for either condition is the same though.

 

[2Addicted]

Fatboy Stinger, to sum it up, if it's bright blue like in the picture it's dyed. If it's actually purple, then it's just bleached. Treatment for either condition is the same though.

Either way the foot is still red. How would they dye part of an anemone then leave the rest of it its natural color?

 

[bradleym]

Either way the foot is still red. How would they dye part of an anemone then leave the rest of it its natural color?

When the anemone bleaches, it only expels the xooanthellae(sp?). Since there aren't any in the foot it stays the same. When they dye it, only the parts that are clear or white show the color.

 

[TDesaulniers]

Its blue white and red....

I'm talking about the part where they dyed it. The foot is red, yes. I was referring to the tentacles. The white you see in the tentacles is the aftermath of the anemone after it expelled the zooxanthellae algae or possibly the blue dye that was injected into it. If this anemone really was dyed, I guarantee you all of the tentacles were blue at one point. Seems like it's already in the process of expelling that blue dye out which is why you see the white in there as well. Understand?

Todd did bring up a good point though. The white balance may be throwing off the spectrum to a more "blue look." Of course, I am speaking in a hypothetical context about it really being dyed or just bleached. We need a picture with a flash.