Carpet anemone

[Valentini89]

Hi guys and gals.. I'm new to RC and have had a 26g reef tank running for the last 6-7 weeks. I picked up a 5" carpet anemone from a LFS 2 weeks ago and to start with everything was fine. It was eating, opening and closing. It even repositioned itself onto the glass from where I initially put it. Just last night it was open but would not fold up around the piece of squid I gave it. Now I'm starting to think it's dead. It is open on the sand with it's mouth open, and it is folded around the foot. It will not accept the food I gave it and is no longer sticky.

 

[billdogg]

Many things come to mind. Your tank is way too new. Generally speaking, 6 months to 1 year before the addition of an anemone is a good idea. At 7 weeks, your tank is barely cycled, much less established and stable.

Your tank is also arguably too small, especially for something like a carpet anemone that can get huge.

You make no mention of lighting, filtration, water parameters - please include Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, Specific Gravity (1.025 +/- .001), temperature.

What other livestock is in the tank?

We need way more details, and a picture or two would help as well.

 

[Valentini89]

Many things come to mind. Your tank is way too new. Generally speaking, 6 months to 1 year before the addition of an anemone is a good idea. At 7 weeks, your tank is barely cycled, much less established and stable.

Your tank is also arguably too small, especially for something like a carpet anemone that can get huge.

You make no mention of lighting, filtration, water parameters - please include Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, Specific Gravity (1.025 +/- .001), temperature.

What other livestock is in the tank?

We need way more details, and a picture or two would help as well.

I am using current usa marine pro LED, I have an IM biopellet reactor, an aquamaxx carbon reactor, fluval HOB filter and an eheim mini skimmer. All of my levels are on the low end of the spectrum, salinity is 1.030 as of today (was 1.025 but I made the mistake of adding the salt water from the bags I got my fish from the other night). I can't check cal or mag as I don't have a test yet for them. My live stock consists of 2 occil clownfish, 2 saddled toby puffers, 1 firefish, 1 6-line wrasse, 1 purple psydochromis, 1 blue green chromis, and a banaii cardinal. I am running two powerhead at opposite ends of the tank and have an Inkbird to keep my temp 78-79

 

[ReefEco]

Agree with Billdog, your tank is rather new for an anemone. The salinity swing is also likely not good, as anemone's are more sensitive to salinity swings than other livestock, like fish. Speaking of fish, that is quite a lot of fish for a 26 gallon, especially for a tank so young.

Gaping mouth is a telltale sign is an unhealthy anemone - it it starts to turn white or get fuzzy, get it out of the tank immediately, as it has started to decay and will easily foul the water in that small of a tank.

If it does die, hit the pause button on the tank and regroup, with the goal of researching thoroughly any future additions so as to not kill anything else.

Sounds like you already know this, but NEVER add the water from your LFS fish system. I would call them and ask them what medications they might have had in the water - if they say copper, then you need to do a large water change and run carbon immediately. I would probably do a water change and run some carbon anyway - who knows what was in that water....

 

[billdogg]

I am using current usa marine pro LED, I have an IM biopellet reactor, an aquamaxx carbon reactor, fluval HOB filter and an eheim mini skimmer. All of my levels are on the low end of the spectrum, salinity is 1.030 as of today (was 1.025 but I made the mistake of adding the salt water from the bags I got my fish from the other night). I can't check cal or mag as I don't have a test yet for them. My live stock consists of 2 occil clownfish, 2 saddled toby puffers, 1 firefish, 1 6-line wrasse, 1 purple psydochromis, 1 blue green chromis, and a banaii cardinal. I am running two powerhead at opposite ends of the tank and have an Inkbird to keep my temp 78-79

The clowns will require a minimum of a 50g tank, and then they will own that. Once they get established, they will become territorial and will defend "their" space to the detriment of your other fish. The puffers will love any inverts you might add. The 6 line wrasse Will go rogue and take out every fish in the tank. It's just a question of when. Ditto with the purple pseudochromis. I put one in with a 4' Undulated Moray and it held it's own. The Chromis is the same family as the clowns - there will be issues there, likely that the chromis will lose.

I must assume that you didn't quarantine any of your fish? You really might want to think about that too.

I agree that the sudden change in salinity was not a good thing - most fish can handle it well enough, inverts not so much.

Please read the stickies at the top of this page! there is a wealth of very important information that it would seem you are unaware of.

We really do want you to succeed, but you have gone way too fast, too soon, and are headed for disaster if you are not careful

 

[Reef_Chief]

You haven't actually said what your params are apart from salt and temp. No one can help you with such a vague statement as "the low end of the spectrum".
Any Ammonia or Nitrite?
What's your pH, alk etc etc.

Also 9 fish in a 27 gallon is over stocked imo and at 6-7 weeks that is wayy too much.



Sent from my Lenovo TB3-850F using Tapatalk

 

[Valentini89]

You haven't actually said what your params are apart from salt and temp. No one can help you with such a vague statement as "the low end of the spectrum".
Any Ammonia or Nitrite?
What's your pH, alk etc etc.

Also 9 fish in a 27 gallon is over stocked imo and at 6-7 weeks that is wayy too much.



Sent from my Lenovo TB3-850F using Tapatalk

PH 7.8 - ammonia .50 - nitrite 0 - nitrate 0 .. the anemone died and I removed it

 

[billdogg]

Ammonia is really .5? That level is toxic to everything you have in there. Even if it doesn't kill them straight out, there will be permanent damage to their gills from chemical burns.

Please get them out of there and into some clean saltwater mixed to 1.025-1.026. A 5g bucket with a heater and a powerhead will work. Add some Prime to the water of their new (temporary) home and do some water large water changes to the main tank. It sounds to me like it was never cycled in the first place.

 

[ladynavyvet]

Ammonia is really .5? That level is toxic to everything you have in there. Even if it doesn't kill them straight out, there will be permanent damage to their gills from chemical burns.

Please get them out of there and into some clean saltwater mixed to 1.025-1.026. A 5g bucket with a heater and a powerhead will work. Add some Prime to the water of their new (temporary) home and do some water large water changes to the main tank. It sounds to me like it was never cycled in the first place.

I have a 40 gallon tank, and don't have that many fish. My first fish weren't added until at least 6 weeks of the tank cycling with the live sand, live rocks, and the water. Then I only added a pair of clown fish, and waited again before adding anything else to my tank. Please follow the advice of the seasoned pros here, I certainly am from here on.

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[Valentini89]

I have a 40 gallon tank, and don't have that many fish. My first fish weren't added until at least 6 weeks of the tank cycling with the live sand, live rocks, and the water. Then I only added a pair of clown fish, and waited again before adding anything else to my tank. Please follow the advice of the seasoned pros here, I certainly am from here on.

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Yeah I was just ansy to get fish in the tank. I'm sure you understand. I have plenty of tank pics but I don't know how to post them here.

 

[Valentini89]

Retested ammonia just now and it read 0. Not sure why it was .5 earlier but it's good now.:dance:

 

[ali1]

Most likely a spike from the dead nem. You have knowledgeable users here guiding you. I would take their advice

 

[bcb577]

Take it slow,adding livestock to a newly established tank should be a very slow,and well thought out process,research EVERYTHING before you put it in your tank,I'm not trying to bash you I was new to this to not that long ago! It's easy to go crazy and add all those things that look cool to your tank,do a large water change and reboot.take it slow my friend!