H Crispa Sebae Anemone losing tentacles

[rcharb]

I've had this anemone for about 6 weeks. I actually ordered something else but the company sent him on mistake and I chose to keep him. He came completely bleached as expected but seems healthy. He immediately attached between a rock and the sand bed and hasn't moved. I've been feeding daily to make sure he stays healthy and did a zooxanthellae transplant last week with a BTA tentacle in hopes of repopulating.

What gives me concern, though, is a slow loss of tentacles. They shrink and disappear. From what I've read this is caused by stress but I'm not sure what the stress would be. I'm hoping someone on here with more experience can chime in as the internet doesn't have much.

Thank you!

 

[Reefing102]

Welcome! The gaping mouth concerns me and is kind of leading me to think maybe a bacterial infection? Also, from what I’ve read, feeding in large amounts can do more harm than good as it causes the anemone to use more energy to digest the food than to healing itself. I’ve heard infrequent small feedings or smaller food seem to be better.

 

[rcharb]

Good to know, thank you. Everything I've read has said bleached anemones need food to survive as they don't have zooxanthellae and shrinking tentacles is a sign of starvation. It would also make sense, though, that he's not able to regain color with the energy being put towards digestion. FWIW he is growing in size.

 

[Reefing102]

Also What kind of lighting and what kind of parameters are you running? The tank looks pretty well established but how old is it? I would think you would see some sort of improvement after 6 weeks but I’ve been wrong before

 

[Reefing102]

@Anemone @OrionN any thoughts?

 

[rcharb]

The tank itself is about a year old but the live rock is from a downsize that was up for years. The sand was washed but the rock is old.

The anemone is almost directly under a Radion XR15 at 62%. I had the lights down the first couple days and slowly ramped up. The only odd thing about the lighting and the anemone is it opens fully at night, during the day it's open but not the large flowing anemone like in the photo. Originally I thought the lighting was too much but I haven't found anything suggesting these need low light.

 

[Reefing102]

It might be too much light for how bleached it is but not sure. That may depend on par. The tank based on set up seems established enough. I’m going back to my original thought of possible bacterial infection or it may already be too far gone to come back

 

[Anemone]

IME, loss of tentacles is often a sign of starvation. You said you feed daily. I agree that daily feeding may well be too much/too often. What are you feeding, and what size? Does the anemone's mouth expand outward and swallow the food? Do you see any waste products?

Kevin

 

[rcharb]

I am feeding LRS Reef Frenzy frozen food. I tried scallops but he wasn't a fan. The piece varies but usually a 3/8" x 1/4" piece. Smaller than a dime in width. He does open up to eat, I do see waste products but for the most part the only thing he really ejects is small green algae looking balls.

 

[rcharb]

Update - the anemone is being fed defrosted shrimp 3x a week instead of LRS which he seems to like. He has shrunk a couple inches in size but the tentacles are starting to grow in length and the purple tips are becoming darker. I did a second zoo transplant 3 days ago so we'll see if he colors up soon. Overall he seems healthier.

 

[Reefing102]

That’s good to hear he’s coloring up