Anemone not Adapting - please advise

[andywar]

Hi all,

About 4 weeks ago I got a super rose bubble tip anemone - she was about 8 inches (open) in the LFS.

I placed her on top of a rock, and on the side were the flow is high.

That same day she moved to underneath a shelf rock, and stayed there for a couple of weeks.

I tried to feed her 1/2 a krill and then found she spitted it. I've found empty shells and dead legs of my hermits right below her, so she might have been eating them, but to sure...

One day she ended up in the sand all contracted and rolling, hence I moved her to the side of the tank with less flow.

She then again below a shelf rock, and just slightly expanded from time to time. But as she underneath the rock I cant feed her.

Just recently the Clownfish started noticing her, and tried to rub themselves in her, but still she didn't expand. She has never completely expanded since I placed her in the tank.

I had a 20% water change 4 days ago that stressed the whole tank because the sand was all over the place.

Today I found her again in the sand all contracted facing down, hence I placed her in an acclimation net - picture attached.

Here are the tank specifics and water parameters:
- 90 gallons
- 2 XR15 Radions - running between 20-30% for 9 hours
- 1 MP40 flow pump running different modes between 10%-30%
- PH 8.2, NO3 20, NO2 0.2, Alk 15 dkh, Ammonia 0, Phosphate 0.08, Calcium 425

I understand anemones take a while to adapt to a new tank, but its been over a month, and she still not expanding...

Should I leave her in the net for a couple of days to get used to the light?
I would really appreciate recommendations please.

 

[JC Slater]

Wow is your Alk really 15 dKH? That could be the problem. I keep my Alk around 9

I have an RBTA and mine likes a lower flow area and even in that spot its somewhat shadded by a couple larger torches. Usually the new will walk around in a new tank until it finds a spot it likes. But why yours keeps detaching is a good question. I'd start with lowering your Alk and possible Nitrates, get them down to around 10ppm. As for feeding it, honestly in the year+ I have had mine, Ive never fed it directly.

Hope that helps!

 

[Sk8r]

good alk range is 7.9 to 9 on the dkh scale.

 

[andywar]

Thanks for the comments.

The alkalinity went up after the water change 4 days ago, before it was 9, and even then the anemone just keep on hiding.

Do you suggest I keep her in the net for a few days?
Its been a couple of hours since I placed her there and she is already a bit larger...

I'm attaching the pictures of how it looks now.

 

[vhuang168]

Anemone not Adapting - please advise

How old is the tank?

Double check your alk and no2 readings.

What is the salinity?

Nems will move around if they feel that location is not good enough. But if they detach it means the environment (meaning water) is not good and they are doing a last ditch effort and hope the current will carry them to a better environment.


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[pfan151]

If alk went up that high after a water change something was very wrong with the mix. I'm assuming it's a wrong test or bad test kit. It's basically impossible to have your alk change that much from doing a 20% waterchange

 

[andywar]

Forgot to mention the Alk went up because I used "Marine Buffer - Seachem" to increase Ph as it was low (7.5)

After I did the water change I dosed once the Ph buffer - that took my Alk high, and fixed the Ph.

I'm already adding RO through the Reservoir, just tested again and Alk is down to 11

 

[andywar]

Tank is 3 months old, and I don't have the salinity level.
I only used saltwater from LFS.

 

[Dr. Reef]

there are no buffers for pH, everything out there is actually alk buffer which in-turn increases pH but temporarily. i would not use them. pH at 7.5 is a problem it needs to be atleast 7.8 (best range 7.8 to 8.3).
seems like the tank is not stable and you are still playing with things to get it right. that alone will causes stress to sensitive livestock which can end up in loss of animal.
i would recommend to read and read and learn and leave tank alone for now and dont add anything or any livestock till you learn enough and tank gets stable enough where you are not trying to bring parameters to a certain level daily. tank will stable when you leave things alone and parameters remail pretty stable for days if not weeks at a time.

 

[ca1ore]

My BTAs have all preferred a mid point in the tank with their foot in under a rock. Not a high flow anemone IME.

 

[vhuang168]

Tank is 3 months old, and I don't have the salinity level.
I only used saltwater from LFS.

Are you topping off? Tank needs to stabilize more before the nem is going to feel comfortable enough to stay put.


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[vhuang168]

My BTAs have all preferred a mid point in the tank with their foot in under a rock. Not a high flow anemone IME.

I have 1 that is on the other side of the rock facing away from a powerhead. It's clone, moved through the rock and parked itself in direct flow of the same powerhead, right underneath my ATL Banana Lokani and next to 1 of my milles. Needless to say, I lost both colonies.


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[Scottedontknow]

Tank is far too young for a nem of any kind. I always recommend a minimum of 6 months old (not including your cycling time). Nems are very picky they need a very well established tank along with solid water parameters to thrive. It maybe too late for your nem looking at its current condition it also looks very bleached out. Do you have anybody that can take it off your hands? Maybe try and give it back to the LFS maybe they can nurse it back


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[Snaredrum]

You dont have the SG and using LFS saltwater, what are you using for top off water? If you are using saltwater for top off the SG is through the roof i am sure.

 

[andywar]

Thanks to all for your comments and advice.

I'm using freshwater RO for top off water.

I 'll leave tank alone for now and don't add anything, until the tank stabilizes more.

Any other suggestions? for example - what about leaving her on the let or let her move around the tank?

 

[sde1500]

You need to know the salinity of your tank. NEVER NEVER NEVER assume, ask me how I know. I mix my own water, but was less careful about water changes and salinity went too high, I didn't check for too long, lost a nice coral.

I'm gonna say it was the massive spike in alkalinity that stressed the tank, not the sand. Lot of mistakes being made here. Hopefully won't bite you too bad. You will need to test alk, mag, and calcium frequently now that you have the BTA. You will want to keep it stable, very stable, like never changing stable. Sk8r has excellent targets in her signature.

Those pictures, is that in some sort of acclimation box? It looks terrible, but probably won't be happy while it is contained and can't find a good spot to attach.

 

[andywar]

You need to know the salinity of your tank. NEVER NEVER NEVER assume, ask me how I know. I mix my own water, but was less careful about water changes and salinity went too high, I didn't check for too long, lost a nice coral.

I'm gonna say it was the massive spike in alkalinity that stressed the tank, not the sand. Lot of mistakes being made here. Hopefully won't bite you too bad. You will need to test alk, mag, and calcium frequently now that you have the BTA. You will want to keep it stable, very stable, like never changing stable. Sk8r has excellent targets in her signature.

Those pictures, is that in some sort of acclimation box? It looks terrible, but probably won't be happy while it is contained and can't find a good spot to attach.

 

[andywar]

Thanks sde1500.

I'll get a refractometer.
Just checked Alk again and is at 11 and Ph 8.2

She is in an acclimation net - do you think is better to let her out?
I place her in the net because she was facing down in the sand.

 

[Snaredrum]

If it was me I would let her out so she can attach if she wants too. Might be way to much stress in that net to recoup.

 

[vhuang168]

I would be careful letting it out. It has already detached a few times. If you are not there when it does, it could become nem soup when it goes into your powerheads.


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