Got an LTA Need some help.

[sjm817]

I'm not a nem person, but have wanted to get one for awhile. It may be futile, but I want to convince my Ocellaris Clowns to host in it instead of the Frogspawn. I have it sitting near the frogspawn, so the clowns can get used to it being there. My hope is I'll remove the frogspawn, and they will stay in the same area and go to the LTA.

It is sitting on the sandbed in a depression I made for it. I have just the return flow going. If I run the Tunze even @ low speed, the LTA will get blown over.

As far as I know, an LTA will stay in the sandbed and attach itself to the bottom of the tank. How long will this take? Is there anything else I need to do?

Thanks!

 

[RyanDragon]

I have a nem, and I suggest u put ur nem in a hole on the rock. Ur nem look stress out, if the nem get stress out, it will die and kill everything in ur tank..Your nem doesn't look so good, it should be fully open... and I have the exact same nem as u have. Put it in a hole on a rock somewhere and eventually the clownfish will find it...

 

[sjm817]

Ok, thanks.

I put it up against a large rock and put a small piece of rock against it to hold it there. Will that work?

 

[Toddrtrex]

For the short term, turn off your powerheads, dig a hole in the sand bed and place the LTA in the hole. The deeper the sandbed near the LTA the better.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

this anemone is Macrodactyla doreensis

place this anemone on sand and next to a large rock. Keep water motion to a minimum until it's foot plants. Ocellaris will adopt this anemone IME.

 

[sjm817]

Thanks guys!

Thats where it is now. On the sandbed up against a large rock with a piece of LRR up against it holding it there. Tunze is off. Just return pump flow.

 

[sjm817]

Just got back and checked. Hasn't moved, but the foot doesn't look like it has dug in either. It does look more upright like it is standing up instead of drooping. Sorry about the blurry pic. I have a good camera, but can never seem to get a good pic through the glass.

 

[sjm817]

That wasn't good. Not attached at all. I just redid it. I dug a better hole in front of the rock and put the foot in there and filled it in around it.

How does this look?

 

[elegance coral]

The anemone isn't getting squished between the rocks is it?

It doesn't look like the anemone is in much of a hole. He may not plant his foot as long as there is water movement on it. If I were you I would dig a DEEP hole all the way to the glass. Then set the anemone's foot on the glass. The polyp and the mound of sand around it will block most of the flow from reaching the foot. When the anemone plants his foot I would slowly fill in the hole.

I have two LTA's and I have moved them between systems several times. They will give me problems any time there is water movement on their foot.

 

[sjm817]

No, that rock doesn't even need to be there now. My sandbed is not deep. I dug all the way to the glass, but it sort of fills back in if you know what I mean. The whole foot is buried in the sand as best as I can. The only flow I have is the return pump and that doesn't hit the LTA. There is no movement there...but enough in the tank that I need to have the sand around the foot or the rock to hold it in place, or it will tumble.

 

[traveller7]

Scott,

It has been moved and pestered enough for the night, lets see what it is doing tomorrow. fwiw: The current placement looks fine for now.

In my experience, when M. doreensis frequently have issues with the coloumn and foot area. Symptoms would be small cuts, wounds, spots showing erosion. Keep an eye out for them in the red part and provide some updates.

Cheers.

 

[sjm817]

Thanks. I'll do that. Leave the poor thing alone. One last question: I would think the anemone would be able to kind of "figure it out on its own". If I have if placed where it can do so, shouldn't it be able to dig down in the sand, find its own footing?

Ok, another last question:
Leave the Tunze off for the night? With it turned all the way down (its on the opposite on of the 180 from the nem), it doesn't have much flow in that area of the tank.

 

[unbreakable]

if its in a spot it likes, it would have dug through the sand; usually when you place it by live rock they can attach to the live rock and walk down until they bury themselves under it and to the bottom glass

ime theyll detach when powerheads come on IF theyre in a bad location. theyre not really fond of flow. most of the time they will relocate to the back of the tank where there is not much flow

 

[sjm817]

Thanks. I'll leave the Tunze off for the night and see how things look in the AM.

 

[traveller7]

A healthy LTA can easily dig down through the sand, hit the bottom, and then move along until it hits hard rocky substrate to wiggle under.

Most new arrivals, are quite stressed and either do not or can not. fwiw: The only anemone I have lost to a Tunze stream was a doreensis that decided to let go...leave them off for the night.

Best of luck.

 

[sjm817]

It did this soon after the lights went out:

 

[Toddrtrex]

Scott, can't tell from the pictures... is the mouth gaping at all? And did you notice any damage to the foot? (( like a little hole ))

And leaving the Tunze off until it settles is a very good idea, I have had LTAs sucked into a SIEO before because it wasn't attached yet, it isn't a pretty site.

 

[sjm817]

Not that I noticed. I'm very new with nems, so I dont really know what to look for. I'm afraid it is going to dislodge overnight. It was down deep in the sand and seems to have moved itself up out of it.

 

[Toddrtrex]

How deep is the sand in that part of the tank?

As for what to look for, the month should be tightly closed, shouldn't be able to see into it at all.

 

[sjm817]

My sand is not deep. Not even 3" at most. Mouth is closed.