Blue Haddoni

[Winwood]

IME you need to provide additional treatment to save that anemone. It seems like these really brightly colored specimens aren't near the troopers the plainer ones are. I would try a different broad spectrum antibiotic. Sooner is best. I have only had success rescuing a few of the bright ones, and treatment was administered as soon as they began exhibiting symptoms.

 

[D-Nak]

I have a feeling that all of the major online retailers are now treating their anemones with Cipro. Blue Zoo confirmed that they are using it. I think that they think they are doing the customer a favor while also saving their bottom line -- it's cheap to administer Cipro to get them in shape for shipping (note I didn't say "perfect health" just healthy enough for shipping). After this last shipment of gigantea that Blue Zoo sold, it appears that they are no longer offering their 7 day guarantee. The problem I see is that they're QTing the nems in the same tank and providing a blanket antibiotic assuming all are sick then all are better after a few days. I think it's a big enough topic to warrant its own discussion thread, so I'll stop talking about it here.

In terms of the brightly colored specimens not being troopers -- I think there is a reason for this. As I've mentioned before, many times sick anemones look brighter and more vibrant because some of the zooxanthellae has already died, leaving a pastel looking anemone where the actual color of the nem shows though which is not masked by the brown of the zoox. It's not bleached yet because the zoox is in the process of being expelled, which is why we see lots of "rat poop" when we receive them. All anecdotal based on my experience and observations.

In the case of this haddoni, I think more observation is needed. As Taylor T eluded to, if the nem deflates at the same time every day, it could be a lighting issue. Some of my sick nems deflated at the same time everyday so I reduced the lighting schedule and/or intensity and the deflating gradually stopped. It's almost as if the nem fills up then deflates to take a breather. Unfortunately, we all know that healthy nems don't need to do this. Only careful observation will determine if the nem can pull through or not. If it appears to be declining in health, then administering antibiotics --maybe Septra/Bactrim instead of Cipro -- may help. The determination must be made quickly because I think there is only a small window of opportunity.

Good luck!

 

[ca1ore]

It would be an interesting topic for a new thread. My own view would be that as long as a vendor does a proper 7 day treatment it is fine. It is if vendors do incomplete treatments, the antibiotic equivalent of running non-therapeutic copper, that things become problematic. Minh can undoubtedly offer a better perspective, given his day job, but my understanding is that a complete course of antibiotics does not magically create resistant strains of bacteria. I just think that these anemones, regardless of their condition before being shipped, handle the transit process so poorly that a new infection can take hold. After all, the bacteria will exist in the shipping water.

 

[addictedreefer]

Any update?

 

[asudavew]

It stayed inflated all day yesterday. But it was still expelling zooxanthelle.

I called LiveAquaria 2 days ago for advice... since they treated it already ( I assumed)
I wanted to know what they would do. They told me to email them some specific information and someone would call me on my cell phone.

I emailed all my aquarium set up info to liveaquaria yesterday along with my water parameters. A CSR emailed me back last night to let me know they were passing my info to someone else.

I have yet to hear anything.

I gave the anemone a 45 minute Septra batch last night.

I did not have a chance to look at it this morning.

I'll know more at lunch.

My Alk was at 5 for some reason. I began adding baking soda mixed with RODI to bring it up slowly.

I don't know if that is related to the problems with the nem or not.

I'll post more when I have more info.

I will post the email I sent to LiveAquaria.

 

[asudavew]

Copy of the email to LiveAquaria:

Good Morning,

I spoke with Sue yesterday about the blue haddoni. She asked me to provide as much information as possible including: lighting, water parameters, target feeding results, etc.

I am having several problems with it and I am trying to figure out the best course of action.
It retracts and expel zooxanthellae every evening.
At times its mouth also gaps open and tissues protrude.
It seems to do better during the day, but seems to get worse as the day gets longer.

I tried target feeding it some frozen squid yesterday. The squid would stick to the tentacles, but it would not eat, and eventually it released the squid. The anemone is still sticky and it does look great at times. I would guess it’s about 50/50 right now. - 50% good, 50% not so good.

It is in a 4'x2'x18" aquarium. It holds 60 gallons and is part of my larger system.
Total volume is around 300 gallons.
I use Reef Crystals and RODI. I have an auto top off and I also use a GFO and carbon reactor.
I also have and Apex, sump, and refugium.
The sump holds an Aquamaxx Cones CO-3 skimmer that is rated up to 500 gallons.

My lights are OceanRevive T0247s. I am currently running the blue LEDs only. I'm running them at10%. I started at 5% and have been increasing by about 1% a day. The lights are on from 12:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. I have 3 small powerheads in the tank providing chaotic water movement. It's gentle and random.
I have 4 other anemones in the tank, 2 haddoni, 1 gig, and 1 magnifica. The two haddoni are doing well, the gig is doing decent, but still deflates occasionally, and the magnifica also deflates occasionally. All have their color and are not bleached.

My water parameters as of 10 pm last night (10/06/2014):

· Salinity: 35

· Temp: 80f

· pH 8.26

· nitrates undetectable

· phosphates undetectable

· calcium 460 mg/L

· kH = 5 (not sure if the test is faulty, but I checked this 3 times)

The only problem I can see is the kH. I started buffering last night with baking soda mixed into RODI. I plan to raise it slowly, about 1 kH a day. I will recheck it at lunch time today. And I plan to purchase a new test kit tonight. I do not have a magnesium test kit. I plan to order one ASAP. I only have 3 small SPS corals in my system. The rest of my corals are soft. So I was surprised to see a low kH reading.

I’m not sure if I should begin treating or continue to observe and hope it improves. I have Cipro and Septra on hand. I know it was likely treated for at least 7 days at the DD facility with Cipro so I’m not sure Cipro would be beneficial.


I've included several pictures.

The 5th picture was taken yesterday around 1 pm central.

The rest of the "white" pictures were taken yesterday evening.

The pics with the "blueish" tint were taken this morning at 7:40 am.

They show the anemone expanded some, but it does have some inner tissue protruding from its mouth.

I also included several full tank shots to show the anemones' placement in the tank.

 

[asudavew]

Around noon 2 days ago:


Around 8-9 pm 2 days ago.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Hopefully it recovers soon. Good luck!

 

[addictedreefer]

Has the foot attached? If not, that is a pretty bad sign.

Also, your note to DD indicates that some of your other anemones have been experiencing issues. Can you elaborate further?

 

[WantItNow]

ASUDAVEW...When I was explaining mine to you in a PM, it looks like your green one in that picture you posted. Flat, foot/tube completely buried with good ground coverage and vertical folds

 

[asudavew]

Has the foot attached? If not, that is a pretty bad sign.

Also, your note to DD indicates that some of your other anemones have been experiencing issues. Can you elaborate further?

It has not dug itself in an attached.

I have two relatively new nems.
1 gig
and
1 mag

They have been up and down since I got them.
Inflate, deflate, inflate, deflate...

I've been dipping them daily in Cipro solution.

 

[asudavew]

ASUDAVEW...When I was explaining mine to you in a PM, it looks like your green one in that picture you posted. Flat, foot/tube completely buried with good ground coverage and vertical folds

That's what you want.
Sounds like yours is doing better than mine.
Hopefully it will continue to improve!

 

[WantItNow]

Here's my first day pic like I was telling you in a PM.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Here's my first day pic like I was telling you in a PM.

That is definitely one unhappy haddoni. Did you send it to a lot of therapy sessions? Lol.

 

[WantItNow]

Lithium injections...Seems to be great now haha

 

[asudavew]

yeah not happy.

mouth closed up today?

 

[WantItNow]

yea these were taken on day one when we received them. I'll report back later with a current pic. Everything seems to be fine with this little guy. Will send over a current pic in a couple hours or so when I get to my office.

 

[WantItNow]

Someone found/made a new friend...

 

[Pinkskunk]

i persoanlly hate those clowns,they are VERY destructive of their host. they actually went INSIDE the mouth of the nem and disappear in it. very destructive. be very careful.

 

[OrionN]

I vowed to never keep those saddle back clown again. They killed one of my healthy green Haddoni. They are the only clowns I know off that go inside a Haddoni and rip the inner of the clowns and eat it.