Anemone still eats, looks good, sticking to rock, but shrinking diameter

[billyjobs]

Hello everyone,

I haven't purchased an anemone in years! And I have stopped years ago because all that I've purchased usually turned themselves inside out. And now that I've been in the hobby for about 9 years now, I'm trying it again.

I purchased a Bubble Tip Anemone about 2-1/2 times the size of my female tank raised false percula clown. I drip acclimated the Anemone for 1 hour, I really really wanted this to survive and prove that I'm the best reefer ever! lol. Purchased 5/28/18, today is 6/28/18 one month later and it seems to be just the size of my clown fish now. It stays at one place around the top. I started feeding it everyday once I noticed it was getting smaller. It took the food every morning. Distract my clowns from swimming into it and squirt a few Mysis shrimp to it and it eat it all up well. But, the size of it isn't as big as when I first purchased. Tentacles are about 1/2 to and an inch long. They were much longer a month ago. Anemone stays at the same place, hasn't moved. It moved for about 2 days when I first introduced it. Wondering if you guys come into this issue, and if there is anything else I could do, or watch out for? Is my lighting too bright?, my lights are controlled with Kessil Spectrum Controller, they are set to 55% intensity max around noon and starts going down after. Full schedule is 12 hours. Lights are exactly 8.5'' from water surface. My highest rock is about 5'' from surface, Anemone hangs out about 6'' from surface. Is the light not intense enough? Any suggestions would be great, I'd hate to see this turn itself inside out.


Tank
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Tank Age: 2 1/2 years
Size: 24 Gallon JBJ Nano Cube
Lighting: Kessil a160we Tuna Blue
Filter: Carbon, Denitrate by Seachem, PhopGuard by Seamchem, Purigen
Protein Skimmer with tube running to outdoor for oxygen
Jebao wavemaker
Neo-Therm Heater 100W set to 78
Little hang on refugium with chaeto

Corals: Pulsing Xenias (was taking over tank, now maintained), Red Monti (growing), Green Monti (not much growth), Green Star polyps (small frag and growing), various polyps (fully open everyday), Frogspawn (growing amazing), Kenya Tree (extending out everyday), Green Ricordea (growing, splitting, spreading)

Fish: 2 False Percula tank raised, had them since tank was setup 2 1/2 years ago.

1 Snail, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 hermit crabs, that all I need for a 24 gallon and they do an amazing job. No major algae issues, however a little bit of film gets developed on the glass every other day.

Chemistry
Temp: 78-79 throughout day
Salinity: 1.025 (auto top off with kalkwassar 1/2 tsp per gallon in 3 gallon jug (total: 1-1/2 tsp)
pH: 8.2
Ammonia/Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20 (trying to get this down, just added de-nitrate by SeaChem a week ago and more water changes)
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 460
Magnesium: 1400

Maintenance
-Water changes 5 gals once a week to two weeks being the latest.
-B-ionic 2 part calcium dosing - once a day
-Red Sea Energy (trace elements) every other day
-Feeding Mysis shrimp every other day, but fed anemone everyday after it started getting smaller.
-Spectrum pellets everyday for fish on a automatic feeder at 11AM. Drops about 15-20 pellets. Fish consumes all!

 

[CSmooth2009]

Curious to see who possibly knows the answer to this. I have had the same issue as well before.

 

[Salty Waffles]

I am by no mean a nem expert, but I'll share what I've learned with my RBTA and from reading about them.

It stays at one place around the top. I started feeding it everyday once I noticed it was getting smaller. It took the food every morning. Distract my clowns from swimming into it and squirt a few Mysis shrimp to it and it eat it all up well.

You might try cutting feeding back to once a week or even less since the nem is a fairly recent addition. Even if completely settled in, feeding every day may be stressing the nem out.

Is my lighting too bright?, my lights are controlled with Kessil Spectrum Controller, they are set to 55% intensity max around noon and starts going down after. Full schedule is 12 hours. Lights are exactly 8.5'' from water surface. My highest rock is about 5'' from surface, Anemone hangs out about 6'' from surface. Is the light not intense enough?

Again, no expert here, but from what I have learned along the way if the nem didn't like the light, she would likely move away from the light if she's able.

My RBTA started at the bottom of the tank. She moved into a cave for a few weeks gradually peeking out more and more, gradually moving herself up. She has now worked herself up towards the top of my rocks and has stayed put and looks very happy.

My non-expert 2 cents......

 

[Salty Waffles]

Question: Did your nem move itself to the spot it's in? Or was it placed there?

 

[billyjobs]

Yes she's moved on her own the whole time. Stays close to the top, at one place. Footing is attached. It's hard to figure out, I've read about nems getting starved, then I've read to never feed it cause they just feed off of light and what's in the water. Yea, I'll bring the feeding down to once a week and see how it goes. I didn't feed it for the first 2 weeks in. I started when I noticed it shrinking. I will keep an update on here. Thank you.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I have had the same issue but with a mag,12+ inches in diameter and over the course of 4 years it is about the size of a quarter,

 

[stingythingy45]

"Filter: Carbon, Denitrate by Seachem, PhopGuard by Seamchem, Purigen"

Why all this?
No need.

Also, you should be feeding once a month. Lighting should be enough.