Flow preventing sebae anemone from attaching?

I got a sebae anemone on Friday. I'm hoping my two Black and White Ocellaris will take to it. I created a three sided "lagoon" with live rock for it to reside in.

When I put it in, it was getting blown around by my flow. I have two tunze 6105s, knee on each end of my mixed reef 180 g. It got blown to the corner of the tank

Next morning I turned off the tunzes and put it back. I gave it 4 hours without flow to attach. It looked good and open.

Then I turned on the far tunze and it stayed put and open. Then an hour later the other tunze and it stayed the same.

But at night it closed up and didn't look like it was attached.

By morning it was on it's side. I'll see what happens when the lights come on, but is this normal?
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Only time I've had an anemone not take hold basically straight away was when they had a hole or tear in it's foot. Pick it up and take a look.

The anemone also doesn't look too healthy, very bleached.
 
Well. Nice tank!
And let's hope the Nem makes it! They can be glass babies sometimes, so keep fighting for it, don't worry too much.
Okay, let's see if we can get obvious things out of the way.
You know already that the bleached nem will not get energy from light right now? If you see the bleached Nem pull completely in during the day time, it would be good to place something over it to dim the light for a few days and see if it comes out to "fish" for sun then. Do you already know about feeding schedule for bleached nems? And is your water generally something you got a check on, so we can assume you didn't overlook anything in water quality?

Okay, obvious things mentioned now, so we can go on to what I really wanted to say!

Nems kinda "sleep" at night and your Nem might just have forgotten to hang on.

Let me explain:

It have got no braincells, so it keeps all its memory of your tank inside it's fibers, as a physical imprint of how it was shaped yesterday instead.

It "felt" your tank on the first day, and pulls in its skirts according to what it "learned" about the light and flow conditions there.

So, the next day, what it then wants is to adjust its outer skirts with the pattern that it "memorised" yesterday...
(It has totally forgotten at this stage that it has been moved half way around the globe and now it is focused only on the direction of flow and light in your tank and how to place all of its tentacles optimally, in that light)

That makes it easy for the Nem to "forget" to actually grab on to stuff because it is literally focused on its skirts being perfectly shaped, and cares very little (in comparison), about its root or foot or what you call it. So it kinda forget that it is moving into a new place along the way and it lets go easier until the 2 - 3 days are over, where it essentially just want to place it's skirt out because otherwise everything is in disarray.

Nothing is more against the will of sea Anemones, than their skirts being out of order, apparently.

It's like a sun-fisherman.
It ain't got nothing to do but "put out" its net and "pull in" its net everyday, with the "memory" of where the skirt got Optimal amounts of sun yesterday.

So how it does it is like a machine, net out, net in, net out, net in, resulting in frustrated Anemone owners not getting their Nem to take a hold on anything and this makes the Nem give up by itself and die lying on its side in peoples' tanks.

I think you should just get your Nem physically trapped for some days and see if that is all it needs essentially. As long as it is still adjusting, I would say possible turn off one of your two powerheads, the one that cause most direct flow at its location and then try to physically trap it in the location you "wish" it to stay in.

Just move around anything in the display until you get it cornered and stuck and then move it back as you want it to be arranged after the Nem has had time (during it's sunfishing routines), to remember to attach it's foot more securely.


Good luck and enjoy your aquaria
 
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Well. Nice tank!
And let's hope the Nem makes it! They can be glass babies sometimes, so keep fighting for it, don't worry too much.
Okay, let's see if we can get obvious things out of the way.
You know already that the bleached nem will not get energy from light right now? If you see the bleached Nem pull completely in during the day time, it would be good to place something over it to dim the light for a few days and see if it comes out to "fish" for sun then. Do you already know about feeding schedule for bleached nems? And is your water generally something you got a check on, so we can assume you didn't overlook anything in water quality?

Okay, obvious things mentioned now, so we can go on to what I really wanted to say!

Nems kinda "sleep" at night and your Nem might just have forgotten to hang on.

Let me explain:

It have got no braincells, so it keeps all its memory of your tank inside it's fibers, as a physical imprint of how it was shaped yesterday instead.

It "felt" your tank on the first day, and pulls in its skirts according to what it "learned" about the light and flow conditions there.

So, the next day, what it then wants is to adjust its outer skirts with the pattern that it "memorised" yesterday...
(It has totally forgotten at this stage that it has been moved half way around the globe and now it is focused only on the direction of flow and light in your tank and how to place all of its tentacles optimally, in that light)

That makes it easy for the Nem to "forget" to actually grab on to stuff because it is literally focused on its skirts being perfectly shaped, and cares very little (in comparison), about its root or foot or what you call it. So it kinda forget that it is moving into a new place along the way and it lets go easier until the 2 - 3 days are over, where it essentially just want to place it's skirt out because otherwise everything is in disarray.

Nothing is more against the will of sea Anemones, than their skirts being out of order, apparently.

It's like a sun-fisherman.
It ain't got nothing to do but "put out" its net and "pull in" its net everyday, with the "memory" of where the skirt got Optimal amounts of sun yesterday.

So how it does it is like a machine, net out, net in, net out, net in, resulting in frustrated Anemone owners not getting their Nem to take a hold on anything and this makes the Nem give up by itself and die lying on its side in peoples' tanks.

I think you should just get your Nem physically trapped for some days and see if that is all it needs essentially. As long as it is still adjusting, I would say possible turn off one of your two powerheads, the one that cause most direct flow at its location and then try to physically trap it in the location you "wish" it to stay in.

Just move around anything in the display until you get it cornered and stuck and then move it back as you want it to be arranged after the Nem has had time (during it's sunfishing routines), to remember to attach it's foot more securely.


Good luck and enjoy your aquaria
Thanks for this info. I am a newbie to anemones and probably did act before researching. I didn't expect the flow to be the main obstacle.

So I did as you said..I built a 3 sided rock structure and dug a hole and put it in and covered it up. The foot looks good, no tears. I had both tunzes on and when I came home from work it was upside down next to the rock structure. It was expanded just upside down .

Some people say it's ok to leave it and let it float around the tank. I have a SPS tank with some good flow, so not sure how it would pick and choose, but I have been wrong about anemones before.

I decided to turn off both power heads tonight and put it back in it's rock home. It was still open when the lights went out. Tomorrow, if it's still in it's home, I'll then on the far power head. To see if it stays.

I need to get that oxygen exchange for my corals. So eventually I'll need both power heads and full flow. Can it handle that if attached?

If it gets blown away again, what kind of happy medium should I find between flow for the corals and peace for the anemone?

Thanks again

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Okay, let's see if we can get obvious things out of the way.
You know already that the bleached nem will not get energy from light right now? If you see the bleached Nem pull completely in during the day time, it would be good to place something over it to dim the light for a few days and see if it comes out to "fish" for sun then. Do you already know about feeding schedule for bleached nems? And is your water generally something you got a check on, so we can assume you didn't overlook anything in water quality?

For the obvious stuff, during the day the nem is open, unless it gets blown from it's spot. Yesterday when I came home from work, it was upside down but still open.

I don't know about the optional feeding schedule for bleached nems. Looking into it.

Its a mixed reef so I keep my water pretty consistent. I have higher phosphates for growth, but not sky high. Like .16 max. Alk 8.5, CA 420, mg 1260, nitrate 5




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Are sebae nems sand or rock dwelling nems?
I used the trick with a plastic tube to place a sand dweller in and it was just what it needed to have a safe spot for the first days, then it moved into a rock to get better gripping (although that kind was supposed to love sticking it's foot in sand and rock, this one wanted only that rock apparently).

I don't see the weaker Nems move as much as described online (although I have seen good videos on YouTube of Nems with strong colour move around with great determination), the Nem should be able to deal with your powerheads, if it gets a grip somewhere.

Try figuring out if the flow feels as if it is "passing by" the location.

If it is passing by, like a highway taking the potential food elsewhere, it will jump that flow.

If you can, make sure some flow is around that clearly brings "potential foods" directly to where the Anemone is placed.

I think you can either leave it moving or try to trap it but be mindful that it cannot "swim" and it will be able to get stuck in locations that are not good for it, if it is too weak to move with vigour now.

Best way to feed would be mincing meaty bits from fresh seafoods into a bit of water from the tank.

With a plastic baster you suck up the mix and blow it gently over the centre of the Nem, this way you can make sure it pulls in some food and it is easier for it to digest and pass waste from than bigger bits and zooplankton.

People say to feed it every two days if bleached and when at full strength, feed it every 1 or 2 weeks or something similar.

Some people also use no food at all, but then the Nem would need even more of the brownish algae inside for photosynthesis, making the nems a darker colour. So, that's all up to you and how your Nem likes it.

The phosphates doesn't sound as a problem, at least the LTA I keep needs traces of both that and nitrates.

All nems can go through a period of looking upset while making chemical changes to suit the environment, just make sure it does not get blown around against its own will and end up in a corner it didn't want to be in or something.
 
You can always drop a few drops of liquid carbon daily, to activate your anaerobic bacteria (those that live where air do not reach), to rinse the Nitrates and phosphates down to zero, but as I said, any Nem will need time to rebalance it's chemistry to suit the nutrients in a new place, just try to make sure it does not get into accidents while it is still moving in.
 
You can always drop a few drops of liquid carbon daily, to activate your anaerobic bacteria (those that live where air do not reach), to rinse the Nitrates and phosphates down to zero, but as I said, any Nem will need time to rebalance it's chemistry to suit the nutrients in a new place, just try to make sure it does not get into accidents while it is still moving in.
I left only the far power head on over night and it stayed in it's spot. This morning it was wide open and has it's skirt over the three rocks keeping it in place.

When I was ready to leave for work, still before they lights came on, the back sides of the skirt was curled into the body. Not sure if the clown fish pair was too close for now, but they were back there.

I'll leave it with one distant power head for the day and see if it stays. If it gets blown out again, should I just let it float around?

For feeding, will it take frozen mysis, frozen brine shrimp and frozen cyclopods? I target feed my lps that mix and broadcast feed it to the tank. I also mix in reef roids a couple times a week.

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I left only the far power head on over night and it stayed in it's spot. This morning it was wide open and has it's skirt over the three rocks keeping it in place.

When I was ready to leave for work, still before they lights came on, the back sides of the skirt was curled into the body. Not sure if the clown fish pair was too close for now, but they were back there.

I'll leave it with one distant power head for the day and see if it stays. If it gets blown out again, should I just let it float around?

For feeding, will it take frozen mysis, frozen brine shrimp and frozen cyclopods? I target feed my lps that mix and broadcast feed it to the tank. I also mix in reef roids a couple times a week.

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When I got home it was still in the same spot and open. The lights were almost out but it looked like it was trying to get sun. That is good news but not sure still if it is attached or not. Eventually I'll need to turn the other power head back on. I might give it another day and see if it looks better without the corals looking worse.

I'll try to feed it to but all I have right now that is meaty is frozen mysis and brine shrimp. I'll drop done by the mouth and see what happens. Can I buy pre frozen food for anemone?

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How do I know if the anemone is attached. It has been in the same place for two days, with just one of my power heads on. It has been open and seems like it's happy. Still not the long tentacles like it should.

Should I turn the other power head on our wait longer? They other corals don't seem to be suffering with the decreased flow yet., But I don't want to sacrifice my reef health.

Also how do I know if it's eating, if I doesn't some meaty chunks by it's mouth?

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Let the neem adjust to the conditions of your tanks water chemistry this takes time nothing good in this hobby happens fast. It's gonna take time for the neem to recover from transportation, lack of proper light, unsatisfactory water conditions whatever else may have happend in shipping. Give it some time just kick back and enjoy the tank and new neem.
 
If it makes little clumps of brown or reddish "poo" after feeding, so if you see those lying around in the tank, it is eating what you gives it.

Any food that has been frozen for human use, can have chemicals added that we can easily handle.

I just get fresh fish/shrimp and freeze it with some drops of water conditioner for tank water. The reason why getting plastic turkey baster for feedings works best, is because then you can gently blow food bits over the centre and have the Nem close up slightly.

If it gets food pieces onto its surface and you can get it to close up on it, you can help trigger feeding mechanisms (like tricking a cat to chance something is triggering it's natural instincts), so if you don't feel confident that it is getting any food inside, you can look into that.

Don't let anything suffer from the lack of flow, just don't let the Nem tip over or something that looks unnatural like that. All it needs is time where it can reconstitute itself.
 
It makes tiny clumps of brown or reddish "poo" after feeding, so if you see those lying around in the tank, it is eating what you gives it.

Any food that have been pre-frozen for human use, can have chemicals added that we can easily handle.

I just get fresh fish/shrimp and freeze it with some drops of water conditioner for tank water. The reason why getting plastic turkey baster for feedings works best, is because then you can gently blow food bits over the centre and have the Nem close up slightly.

If it gets food pieces onto its surface and you can get it to close up on it, you can help trigger feeding mechanisms (like tricking a cat to chase something is triggering it's natural instincts), so if you don't feel confident that it is getting any food inside, you can look into that.

Don't let anything suffer from the lack of flow, just don't let the Nem tip over or something that looks unnatural like that. All it needs is time where it can reconstitute itself.
 
I got some fresh shrimp from the grocery. Should I put it in blender then mix with rodi water and portion out for feeding and freeze or just feed chunks?

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Only feed if the anemone is securely attached. With fresh shrimp just cut into pea size pieces and start with trying one piece. If it eats it, you can feed it another pea size piece in a couple of days.
 
Hey BlueWorldJeff

Mince it to tiny pieces rather than big ones. If needed turn of flow for a few seconds while feeding the water mixture to the nem so it dosnt just pollute your water.

Hi jhowerton

Most people advice that bleached Nems should be feed a tiny meaty seafood (make sure it has nothing in it to preserve it for human consumption), every two days, until enough coloration returns for it to Photosynthesise it's own energy.

For Nems with healthy brownish colour, people suggest feeding once a week or once every two weeks.

Enjoy.
 
Does this look attached? It normally opens all on those three pieces of rocks, but is it moving?
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