Considering an LTA, can I do it?

[revaltion131]

I've been wanting to get an anemone for awhile and trying to decide what I want to get. I'm really looking at BTAs and LTAs (specifically M. doreensis) My system is a 125 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump that has been up and running for 2 years in its current rendition (moved a couple times). I have a Tunze 9010 skimmer and am running PhosGuard currently. I'll be picking up a BRS Dual Carbon and GFO reactor and changing over to that in the next week or so. The lighting is 3x250w MH with T5 actinic supplement, 6-8" over a 22" deep tank. Flow is 2 MP40's on opposing sides of the tank. Everything is stable but my phosphates are higher than I want at .08. Thanks to a sand-sleeping wrasse, the sand is super shallow (bare) in some places and 4"+ in others.

So, I'm interested in an LTA, specifically a purple one. I will probably buy from DD as they're both cheaper and appear to be healthier than what my LFS supplies for anemones. Will an LTA be alright in my system and does anyone have any negative experiences with Diver's Den's anemones?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Whip316]

I say go for it. All the requirements ( mostly tank age, lighting, parameters) are well in range for your tank to add a nem. Make sure you dig to the glass close to the rocks where the nem can either attach to the bottom glass or under the rock. What kind of clowns do you or are you gonna get to host in the nem? Lta's are nice cause they stay in the sand and tend not to move to much. I miss my purple one. I sold it cause it got to big for my tank.

 

[revaltion131]

Thanks. I was originally going to go with GSM's, but I chickened out, so it's going to be designer Ocellaris or Percs. My first fish was a normal Ocellaris, but I killed him with a tank move handled terribly, can't bring myself to get normal ones again yet.

 

[revaltion131]

I got the 'nem I wanted and got it into the tank Saturday morning. I can't get it to set its foot, surprise surprise. I've got it set at the base of a tall rock, and am doing my best to really bury the foot in ~3-4" of sand. It does fine for most of the day, but when I get up the next morning, it's sitting up on top of the sand again. I know part of it is just staying patient, but not being able to have my MP40's on anything other than lowest power is driving me nuts. Is there anything else I can do to encourage it to set its foot? Do I need to try turning off in-tank circulation altogether and just run off of the return for awhile? That's an Eheim 1262, pushing probably somewhere in the 750 gph range, given the head.

As far as health, the anemone looks healthy. Its color is great, tentacles aren't contracted, though I'm sure they'll be longer once it gets set and I turn the flow back up. And I've only seen its mouth gaping open once, and it wasn't for long. Nobody is bothering it whatsoever. There are no clowns in the tank, either.

Thanks so much.

 

[rssjsb]

I would try just turning your vortechs off for a few hours and see if that makes a difference. Sometimes it takes a good long while for them to "plant." If its foot is intact and its mouth is closed, it may just be adjusting.

 

[revaltion131]

Okay, I feel really panicked now. Everything that could go wrong has this weekend and into this week, it seems. Got home and my heater had malfunctioned, tank is at 84 F, so I turned off the metal halides and got fans going over the water asap. The 'nem looks awful, wilted and the foot looks wierd. Can I do anything for it besides getting the water right? The first pic is Saturday when it first got settled, the second and third are today. Thanks so much.

 

[Bolivian Ram]

Looks kinda stressed. Can't say what'll happen, it might plant its foot down and expand. You'll have to wait and see. My LTA was on the sand for a few days before it planted itself. Never looked like this though. Thing is LT anemones are prone to having there foot damage during collection, removal from a tank etc. The foot is VARY sensitive. If it starts to look worse after a day or so, smell it. If it's putrid type of smell that means take it out.

 

[revaltion131]

Thanks for your input.

I've had a dead 'nem before, that one I screwed up and I knew it, so I remember the bleaching and definitely the smell. It looks terrible but it hasn't lost any color yet. I thought I could see it trying to attach something last night but it's gone again this morning. I don't want to remove this thing too soon and kill a healthy anemone, but I really don't want it to die when I'm at work and can do nothing. According to my roomate, it went from alright to this in ~1.5 hours.

 

[revaltion131]

Sorry to kind of spam and bump this again, but I was able to get a much better picture of the foot tonight. Color's still good, but I have never seen this stuff on the bottom of it that sort of looks like guts to me.

Is this foot alright? I can't image that this is stuff it's just grabbed onto, especially given the little colored bit of foot right in front.

 

[baileyblue]

Those swirly things are mesenterial filaments (muscles) and are never a good sign. 'Nems with foot damage rarely make it... Sorry to say but I'm pretty sure your anemone is done. Take it out before it starts to rot.

 

[revaltion131]

Thanks. I posted it on another forum too, and got the confirmation from several people that it was torn and most likely toast. I'm leaving it in as long as possible with a large water change ready on hand and carbon running. I'm still well within the covered time for the live guarantee of this company, but I spoke in depth with a customer service rep for them and it was recommended that 1.) it spending some time dead in the tank wouldn't cause serious problems given my volume and precautions and 2.) because they couldn't see it to confirm that it was not recoverable (LA's inbox is on a 24-48 queue) I need to leave it in as long as I can to basically get a dead picture for the refund, and of course they didn't want me chucking a specimen that was just upset.

Edit: Was prepared to remove it and freeze it just in case LA wanted it. It finally attached its foot, or what remains of it, to something. T.T