Condylactis tentacles look "pinched"

[Mindflux]

This post is for a friend of my wife's.

She's got a condylactis anemone that started changing from white with purple tips to brown with purple tips. Doing some researching shows that it's likely just regaining it's zooxanthellae so that was nothing to worry about. However now it seems that MOST of the tips toward the ends are twisted up. (Like twisting a balloon to make a balloon animal).

Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite and Alkalinity are all in good ranges. I don't have experience with this particular Anemone so here I am asking via proxy.

 

[chilly724]

My guess is that you need to cut the flow. It will not twist with a more gentle flow.

 

[Mindflux]

My guess is that you need to cut the flow. It will not twist with a more gentle flow.

There's not much flow to begin with. If anything I think more flow could help.. hard to say.

 

[chilly724]

It might be setting in a circular flow that will make the tenticles twist. Give it some indirect flow and it should untwist. Every time I play with my powerheads it gets twisted and I readjust and life is then good.

 

[Mindflux]

It might be setting in a circular flow that will make the tenticles twist. Give it some indirect flow and it should untwist. Every time I play with my powerheads it gets twisted and I readjust and life is then good.

I'll try adjusting the flow but this was a sudden change and it's JUST around the tips of the tentacles.. it's not lower toward the mouth.

 

[chilly724]

Mine will usually twist about an inch from the end of the tinacles. You should see what one looks like when it goes into the overflow to a basement pump. It looked like death but perked up the following day. They are forgiving.

 

[BonsaiNut]

Twisted or pinched tentacles normally are a sign the anemone is starving - which sounds about right if your anemone is bleached and has no zooxanthellae. In the short term you will have to be a little more aggressive with supplemental feeding until it recovers.

 

[Mindflux]

Twisted or pinched tentacles normally are a sign the anemone is starving - which sounds about right if your anemone is bleached and has no zooxanthellae. In the short term you will have to be a little more aggressive with supplemental feeding until it recovers.

The anemone was bleached when they received it. Since then it had started to brown up (getting it's zooxanthallae).. and they had given it parts of diced raw shrimp twice in the past week.

Unfortunately by the time I got over to look at it it had fallen off of the rock it had stuck to and was 'face down' in the sand. It didn't even have the energy to hold on anymore.

 

[sjwitt]

Also, check the tank for hermit crabs. Red legged hermits are a predator of Condylactis ... I also found this along with severed tentacles when first placing my Condy. Removed all hermits and problem stopped.