Anemone Help

[Johnathanb]

I have had my anemone for a about a week now, yesturday got a hold of some of the fish food that I dropped in there. It just doesnt look the same when I first got it.

The mouth is open just a little, it closes up sometimes, but not all the way. I was wondering if these are normal behaviors.

Nitrate sits at around 20ppm. Salinity is at 1.024. pH is at 8.2. Nitrite and Ammonia both are at 0.

Also another question is, if the anemone is dieing will the clownfish not host it anymore?

Here are a couple of pictures.

 

[Johnathanb]

Here is one, just recently, part of the body is closing.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Looks like it is a bit bleached.

What size tank?
What lights do you have?

Would prefer that your nitrates were lower and that your salinity was a bit higher -- 1.0256.

 

[Johnathanb]

This one is a 20 gallon tank with a T5.

 

[Toddrtrex]

How many, and what type of bulbs?
What wattage?
Does your fixture have individual reflectors?

 

[Johnathanb]

That may just be the lights. Here is one without lights.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Looks even more bleached in that picture. If the tentacles are translucent, it is bleached.

 

[Johnathanb]

it is 4 bulbs, 22in 24watts each, so 96watts total

 

[garygb]

That is a bleached Entacmaea quadricolor, bulb tip. Your lighting should be fine for that species. Bleached refers to the anemone having lost most/all of its zooxanthellae (algae that colonize the tissue and provide the bulk of that species nutritional needs). Expect that over the weeks and months the anemone will develop a rich brown color. This is a good sign and indicates the overall health of the anemone is improving. Providing the anemone with very good water quality in the mean time will also improve the anemones health. I would try to feed the anemone small (pea size) pieces of fresh seafood--such as fresh shrimp from the seafood dept. of the grocery, also squid, mysis, silversides, krill would be accepted. Target feeding an anemone that is bleached provides it with nutrition that it's lacking due to the absence of the zooxanthellae and also expedites the recolonization of the zooxanthellae because the anemone digesting the food creates food for the algae. The anemone is nicely attached it looks like, which is a good sign. Also, your maroon has its one and only natural anemone host (E. quadricolor). The clown looks about the right size for that size anemone, so all that is good. I would definitely try to get the nitrates down. A nitrate level of 20 won't kill an anemone, but one that's acclimating won't be as happy as it would if the nitrates were lower. In the ocean nitrates are undetectable and that's what I suggest you shoot for. you want your specific gravity in the 1.025-1.026 range, temp in the 78-82F range, moderate water flow. Water changes, protein skimming, good circulation all go a long way toward keeping nitrates down. Also making sure not to overfeed the tank--food is the source of nitrates, ultimately.

To answer your question about anemone hosting if it is dying--I expect your clown would stay with that anemone until death do them part. However, from you pics, I wouldn't expect that anemone to die anytime soon. BTAs are the hardiest of the hosting anemone species and that one looks pretty good (other than being bleached, that is). If it starts to wander, you want to be sure and cover the powerheads. They can be damaged or killed by being sucked into a powerhead intake.

 

[Johnathanb]

Thanks for the help garygb!

The BTA has already done its wandering part when I first put it in the tank. Its been in that spot ever since.

 

[sqwat]

also he will shrink and look diff from time to time its how they expell water and waste and sometimes it will totally deflate as long as he is attched to the rock dont wory to much.i have brought nems back from this but only with perfect water and patients.get a kit that test for iron in youre water .iron is very important in photosythasis and i keep it on the high side with bleeching nems and corals.feed a tiny bit of food soaked in selcon or zoa every other day to every day just the size of a pencil eraser head.and keep water clean and dose iron on the high side.only if you get a kit that test for iron.it might be hard to get nems in alaska but i would go to whoever sold him to you and try to get youre money back cause he is a ahole salesmen.gl. setup a thread on the recoverywith daily pics and water readouts and feeding and we can all help.

 

[garygb]

Good to hear it's found a place and has been staying put for a while. A hole or cave in the liverock is the typical substrate BTAs attach, which looks to be the case with yours. Keep us posted and ask questions all you want. In time, you may want to upgrade to a larger tank, like perhaps a 29 gallon. BTAs can get rather large, but that isn't anything to worry about for a while.

 

[Johnathanb]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. When I woke up this morning the BTA shrunk to were my clowns couldnt even get in. Before I left for work it came back out. It has never detached it self from the rock. When I get home tonight I will post a few new pictures of the BTA. Thanks Again

 

[Johnathanb]

Few pictures for an update.

When I fed the clowns, I noticed them feeding my anemone, this is the first time I have seen this, so it was really intresting and amusing to me.

Here are two pictures of the anemone this morning. Clown trying to squeeze in haha.

 

[Toddrtrex]

You might have to remove/separate the clown from the anemone. Maroons are notorious for being hard on anemones, loving them to death.

 

[Sport507]

The nem is trying to split becuase it's stressed (new tank maybe) and that can be a good thing. The clown it in the way for sure. Just put something over it like a fish net or anything to keep the clown away for a day or so.

 

[garygb]

I don't necessarily think it is splitting. Seeing inside the anemone's mouth is likely because it had just been fed.

 

[Johnathanb]

So is it a good idea to keep the maroon clowns away from the anemone for awhile? or should I just leave it as it is? I havent been home to see how its doing now. I have another 5 hours of work to go haha. I also have my lights on a timer for 12 hours. Is that to much or to little?

 

[Johnathanb]

Before you mentioned I should upgrade to a bigger tank. I have taken a great interest in the Biocube HQI 29 Gallon. I will probally end up getting that tank either tuesday or possibly sometime mid next month. Question is, what steps would I have to take into transfering the anemone, live rock, and clowns into the new tank. The Biocube HQI comes with 150 Watt HQI Metal Halide Lighting, Built-in refugium chamber. Will buy the stand for it sunday.

 

[garygb]

12 hours is a good photoperiod. As far as the maroons, I got the impression they're pretty small. If the fish appear to be too vigorous with the anemone, then it's a good idea to separate them until the anemone is well settled. On the other hand, having clowns that are the right size can actually be beneficial to the anemone.

The biocube would made a good long-term home for your anemone and clowns. As far as how to transfer, ideally you would cycle the biocube with live rock and let the tank get established for a few months and then transfer in the fish and anemone. Some people cycle with hermit crabs, others just put a piece of shrimp in the tank and let it decompose and watch the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate do their increase/decrease. I would wait a few months after the cycle to add the anemone.