Can anemones appear to be alive but be dead?

[unbreakable]

My LFS has an H. crispa but it has short tentacles, kind of white, not attached to anything and tentacles are not sticky.. does all of this indicate a dead anemone or one one its way out?

He said that it is definitely alive

 

[Slakker]

I'd think that if it was dead it would be dissolving/falling apart.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I would say that it is still alive, but in pretty poor condition.

For some it might by worth trying to bring it back to health (( if the price was right )). But if you are new to keeping anemones I would avoid it.

IME, it is pretty easy to tell when an anemone is dead, they fall apart and have a very pleasant smell to them.

 

[unbreakable]

im not new to it, but was wondering how long it could take it for it to begin becoming healthy? 2-3 months? im concerned about it not being able to grab food. all the tentacles around the mouth are really small, while the ones on the outer edge are longer.

do you think if i provided the right light that it may have a chance? its under 1 tiny pc bulb in about a 30-40g tank at the store

my first anemone was a purple LTA that did great, but i had to give it to a friend since i was breaking down my tank. had it for a few months, i regret giving it away now

 

[Toddrtrex]

It could take 2-3 months, or never. That is the risk, it is going to be hard to tell if it will make a recovery or not.

If you had your first ( and if I read it right only ) anemone for a couple of months, I would suggest passing on this one. Mainly because it will be an uphill battle, why not start off with a healthy one, will give yourself a better chance of keeping it long term. If they are giving it away might want to try it, but I wouldn't spend any money on it.

 

[unbreakable]

thanks todd, looks like ill keep looking around