Does this nem need treatment?

[Tango451]

Looks good as of this morning, just can't see the mouth to know for sure due to how it's positioned. Thank you everyone, I am hoping he is ok and will continue being so

Coraladdiction- it is firmly attached

Asudavew- I think so too and will do

D-Nak - couldn't agree more. I know that the best possible move for adding new anemones to a tank with an anemone is qt (best possible move with most if not all marine life we bring into our tanks). just worried about keeping it in a makeshift bare bottom qt for an extended period of time.

Minh- it seems to be much better today (going to try and take a picture soon). His worst so far was that pic with the t5 reflection and second worst was the picture before that with the hollow mouth. Color looks good, is not inflated, and is attached in the corner next to the egg crate

 

[Tango451]

Just took a pic

 

[cichlidconvert]

Just my 2 cents. Haddoni are tough customers and it's probably doing fine from the looks of it. I would still keep it in qt for awhile . Like others were saying. I made a costly mistake awhile back by not observing a new gig long enough thereby not treating it and lost my all of my beautiful gigs and haddoni. My tropical tanks have never been the same since. Had I kept it in for 9 days not 8 I would have seen that it was sick. And treated it. As long as you do daily water changes the nem should be fine.

 

[Tango451]

That's terrible, I can only imagine. I am definitely going to keep it in qt for hopefully right around 1.5 to 2 weeks. And just a thought- considering haddonis/ other anemones are very good at "hiding" being sick, to take the most precaution would treating a healthy anemone have the same effects as treating a healthy person - all the good bacteria is killed as well as a possible tolerance to the antibiotic if it were to get sick (let's say we never add an infected anemone so that tolerance wouldn't be that dangerous anymore?) I would be devastated as I'm sure cichlid was to put an anemone in after holding it for a while and only wohls have waited one or two more days to find out it was sick. I mean, it is possible that I have him in qt let's say 10-14 days and looks fine but in ft turns out to be sick, right?

Also, on another note, is it ok to feed him a little piece of shrimp soaked in selcon if I'm doing 100% water change nightly? Or should I wait? (I know not to feed a sick anemone, but since it appears to be doing well- just was wondering if it might be a good indicator of health... Ie if he eats, reacts well, and doesn't look bad after eating this would be physical proof of being healthy to add to the list to be sure before putting it in dt

 

[Tango451]

Dt* not ft

 

[D-Nak]

That's terrible, I can only imagine. I am definitely going to keep it in qt for hopefully right around 1.5 to 2 weeks. And just a thought- considering haddonis/ other anemones are very good at "hiding" being sick, to take the most precaution would treating a healthy anemone have the same effects as treating a healthy person - all the good bacteria is killed as well as a possible tolerance to the antibiotic if it were to get sick (let's say we never add an infected anemone so that tolerance wouldn't be that dangerous anymore?) I would be devastated as I'm sure cichlid was to put an anemone in after holding it for a while and only wohls have waited one or two more days to find out it was sick. I mean, it is possible that I have him in qt let's say 10-14 days and looks fine but in ft turns out to be sick, right?

Also, on another note, is it ok to feed him a little piece of shrimp soaked in selcon if I'm doing 100% water change nightly? Or should I wait? (I know not to feed a sick anemone, but since it appears to be doing well- just was wondering if it might be a good indicator of health... Ie if he eats, reacts well, and doesn't look bad after eating this would be physical proof of being healthy to add to the list to be sure before putting it in dt

I just went through the same experience as cichlidconvert where I added a new blue gig too soon and it infected my other nems. The blue one died and killed my haddoni. I even wonder if there is an equivalent of ich but for anemones, not to say that there is but the rate of infection is similar. For gigs, I now recommend 3 weeks in QT MINIMUM. And I agree that with water changes and decent lighting it should be fine indefinitely in a QT tank.

Regarding feeding, I would only feed nems if they are bleached but otherwise healthy. Since bleached nems don't have a healthy zooxanthellae population my feeling is that they need food for nutrition that would otherwise be provided by the zoox.

I think it's natural to think that if a nem eats then it must be healthy. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a good indicator. My blue gig ate multiple times, but still died. My new hypothesis is that some foods can even kill an anemone that is trying to recover from shipping stress (typically a bacterial infection). For example, there is STPP in most frozen shrimp (shrimp you buy from the fish counter is most likely thawed out shrimp) and I am starting to believe that it affects anemones negatively.

In short, keeping a new anemone isolated prevents the risk of it transmitting any ailments to established nems. It's better to keep one nem in QT and have it die, than adding it to the DT and having it die AND killing your entire anemone collection.

 

[Tango451]

Finally got a good picture for today

 

[Tango451]

Ah ok, I won't feed him. Just changed about a gallon of water for water from my dt for it to get used to it and tonight I'll do all 5 gallons and use the clean salt water from mix for my dt (figure it's better use for it).

I saw your thread about your hypothesis. I my red ate tilapia most of it's life (just recently did I switch to shrimp) so far both seem fine but I wouldn't be that surprised if in fact the STTP (looked at the bag after I saw your thread and saw it - never thought to read the ingredients before)

I am considering switching to scallops or salmon but will check the ingredients on the frozen packs before I buy.

Since I am using 60" t5 unit on my 5 gallon recycle bin qt- could I get away with a 65 watt 6000k cfl instead and if so would that lighting be sufficient for the carpet for a two week period? (The unit makes it very tricky to properly tend to the qt)

 

[Tango451]

Update: just did first water change (still used fresh salt water, didn't take from dr). Anemone is not sticky at all. Mouth is still open. Here is a pic right after the water change.

How would you gauge when to start treatment? What signs should I be looking for? The mouth is hollow again like in pic.

 

[cichlidconvert]

Salmon helps with color IMO. Well I really see it in my Coldwater anemones.

 

[OrionN]

If he does not look good and is not getting better I would treat him. That is how I judge when to treat.

 

[Tango451]

That's what my guy was telling me. Late last night, I started treatment 125 mg cipro for 5 gallons. Just did halfway water change with 125 mg cipro. Water is at 79 constant (sometimes hits 80)

Is this anemone a goner? (Was sticky this morning, and attached in corner - even has that Mucous around his foot like haddonis have for when they bury in sand) here are some pics they were taken within five minutes of each other when new water was being put in

 

[Tango451]

The one up there was the most recent picture taken (the third picture taken) ... This one here was he second picture tank

 

[Tango451]

Gut* not guy

And here was the first taken in the 5 minute period

 

[Tango451]

Update: On 3rd night of treatment. he is still extremely sticky (even more so then yesterday) tested it with my finger and now my finger is hurting (usually never does when I accidentally touch carpet, but I know it can have a painful sting) but I am hoping that is at least a good sign and he is still attached. Mouth has not closed. During the day the mouth is not crater like, like that second picture but you won't see emptiness, you can see his insides puffed up (almost like an inverted mouth except it is not passing the surface of its mouth) like that first picture of the three

He is looking more or less like that first picture of the 3 above, possibly slightly better.

Just was wondering if it is thought he will make it or not considering many, like D-nak, have mentioned that when their anemone does not close a gaping mouth after the first day they are a goner ... just as much, I will continue treatment until he is gone since there is always a chance. Also should I increase the dosage if it is thought that the anemone is a goner/ hasn't closed it's mouth? Or give it more time before doing that.

 

[D-Nak]

Update: On 3rd night of treatment. he is still extremely sticky (even more so then yesterday) tested it with my finger and now my finger is hurting (usually never does when I accidentally touch carpet, but I know it can have a painful sting) but I am hoping that is at least a good sign and he is still attached. Mouth has not closed. During the day the mouth is not crater like, like that second picture but you won't see emptiness, you can see his insides puffed up (almost like an inverted mouth except it is not passing the surface of its mouth) like that first picture of the three

He is looking more or less like that first picture of the 3 above, possibly slightly better.

Just was wondering if it is thought he will make it or not considering many, like D-nak, have mentioned that when their anemone does not close a gaping mouth after the first day they are a goner ... just as much, I will continue treatment until he is gone since there is always a chance. Also should I increase the dosage if it is thought that the anemone is a goner/ hasn't closed it's mouth? Or give it more time before doing that.

Stickiness typically is not indicative of the health of the nem. I've had a gig that was sticky even while I was in the process of removing it from the tank -- it's "guts" were hanging out but I knew it was a goner. All stickiness means is that it has the ability to fire its nematocysts. My understanding is that its a reaction to stimuli, so even a dead nem could feasibly appear sticky.

A gaping mouth is different from an open mouth. Gaping refers to a mouth that is loose, where the nem doesn't have the ability to clsoe it. The term "gaping" is used in the same way to describe sick or dying Tridacna clams. All of my nems open their mouths from time to time. And may newly acquired nems have their mouths open, even with their mesentherial filaments hanging out. As long as the nem has the ability to close its mouth, it should be fine.

It's really hard to tell what's going on in the photos. In post #22 it appears to be doing okay. I can't make out what's happening in the more recent photos though. I would keep up with treatment and go for 7 days, then you can assess the situation.

 

[D-Nak]

Here's a red haddoni I had with its mouth open:

And here's the same nem with its mouth gaping:

Notice how it appears loose around the edges as if it can't keep its innards intact? I hope that makes sense.

Unfortunately, that nem eventually died. :mad2:

 

[D-Nak]

And don't put it in a sandbed like I did. I learned the hard way that it's not a good idea.

 

[Tango451]

Ah ok, I believe I have been misuing the term "gaping." It's mouth has not gaped, just been open like the first pic of your red haddoni (and also sorry for your loss, it was a great size (i like to start out with them when the are small) and very nice color) and has not closed its mouth thus far. So far his worst state that I have seen is the picture in post #33.

I am keeping my fingers crossed it pulls through - it is a really interesting green where the disk is neon green and the tentacles are a dark green also for the animal itself (I hate to see them die).

 

[Tango451]

and I won't put in a sand bed (I read from the sticky from Minh from the haddoni link that they had used sand which is believed to have complicated treatment)