Haddoni won't stay footed

[Octoberfest]

I picked up a blue haddoni a month ago and recently it won't stay still. The haddoni came out of a local tank and had been in that persons tank for well over a year. I did a slow acclimation in my tank and everything looked good, the previous owner has been to my house several times to check on it and said that it looked great.

The anemone is in the following system:

93 cube (30"X30"X24")
2 AI SOL's (slowly acclimating to light)
MP40 only up to the 3rd "dot" on nutrient export mode (was on 5th but figured too high of flow might have been the issue did this after the first detach).
Deep sand bed (4 to 5")
Plenty of rock
Only one fish right now (clownfish being hostedp)
2 hermit crabs (very small)
several nassarius snails

I do have a clownfish that is in the tank and is in the anemone.

So here is the problem:

The anemone has footed securely three times now over a month. Each time it has stayed footed for about a week. Each time it releases is at night and I wake up in the morning to find it released (and not footed again yet) then it spends that entire next day footing. It released last night and I found it this morning near the back of the tank with the edge next to the MP40 (So happy I put the foam cover on the powerhead).

I was talking with the previous owner and so far we can only come up with three possible issues:

1. In her tank it was under 400W metal halides (180 gallon tank) and in this tank it's under AI SOL LED's. (currently set low)
2. Possibly too much flow?
3. Maybe the clownfish is making it mad?

 

[Octoberfest]

Parameters are as follows:

Salinity (refractometer) 1.026
Nitrate 20 (API)
pH 8.2 (API)
Amm 0 (Salifert)
Nitrite 0

I know ideal nitrates would be lower but the tank it came out of had nitrates over 80. I would like to do a water change today to help with that but right now I'm not sure if that will cause more stress.

Right now the anemone is very sticky, mouth is slightly open but not gaping, when we moved it this morning it was footing to the rock. You can see where it's currently digging in the sand where we put it.

* The only reason we moved it this morning is because it was in the back of the tank behind a rock wall near the MP40. If it would have footed it would have been a bad/dangerous location.

 

[Octoberfest]

Another bit of information, it only un-foots at night. Yesterday it was footed deep in sand bed up against some rock. This morning...not footed at all.

I'm at my wits end with this thing. It can't be good for it to have to keep moving around.

 

[BigCountry74]

I have a super sticky bicolored condy that likes to move randomly at night also...driving me insane (caught him in the powerhead last night - second time, luckily no damage). I am reducing my flow in the meantime to figure out if that is what it is. I have a lot of flow in my tank...it moves fine until it tries to scale a flat rock or something....I have a normal condy that has not moved since I dropped it in the tank....maybe they are talking smack back and forth trying to compete with the best spot....lol

 

[Blitzburggirl]

I'm really worried about this one. It's not "normal" for it.

This anemone was introduced under the right brace of a 180, footed immediately and stayed there for 6 months. It then shifted (literally an inch a day or less, never releasing) about 10-12 inches left, and stayed there for the remainder of the time I had it. It was in my tank longer than a year.

It never "went under the sand" or did any of the other wierd things haddoni's can do.

 

[Winwood]

Could you post a picture or better yet a video.

 

[cali9dub]

Mine footed in a cave on the shady right hand side of my tank and has never moved. It doest get much flow and is pretty much shaded. Under AI SOL blue running 100% both blues and 90% white. Light is 6.5" off the water and the haddons is 15" under the surface of the water. He has shifted from right to left but never released his foot. It has always just been an ajustment to its orientation, maybe an inch or 2.

 

[Octoberfest]

Could you post a picture or better yet a video.

Before you see this video keep in mind that the original plan was that I had hoped it would go in the front right corner (as you look at the tank) where the frogspawn is..but instead it has moved and jammed itself in like a giant taco on the side.

Video
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g-zsM-TaogQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here are a few pictures

 

[Octoberfest]

Well this morning I woke to find it had released last night and is now at the top of my rock work. I can't figure out what is up with this thing so I may just end up trying to find it a new home unless someone can come up with a good idea.

 

[BigCountry74]

not going to lie, that's rather large for your tank so your gonna have to be patient with it

The base (foot) of that thing is huge...

 

[Octoberfest]

not going to lie, that's rather large for your tank so your gonna have to be patient with it

The base (foot) of that thing is huge...

I don't think it's too large for the tank but you never know. Originally the place I had put it in (which I know that they will do what they want) had more space than the tank it came out of. The tank it came out of had a footprint of 72X24 where this one has a footprint of 30X30. I know it's smaller but considering the amount of space I've given it it's not that bad. The foot is only about 8" across.

I'm not against the theory that it's too large for the tank but it just doesn't seem like it should be the issue, all things considered, but you never know.

 

[BigCountry74]

yeah not saying that's a bad thing, just might take a few for it to settle assuming it needs to find a place where it can fully open? very nice specimen by the way

 

[Octoberfest]

Update -

Well the anemone made a dash for the back of the tank again last week. I moved it to the front again and started to realize I needed to rehome it. By morning it moved from the left side of the tank to the right. It has now been in the same spot for about 7 days. I'm hoping it has now found it's happy place.

 

[Octoberfest]

Just to update this one more time (and to help future carpet owners who may be searching for information) the carpet anemone is still holding strong in the same spot.

This was a frustrating process but I'm pretty confident (I hope it can't read my mind) that it has found it's happy place now.

 

[sjwitt]

Glad to hear it's found it's place. It probably was just trying different locations to find the one it liked the best. It probably took a while to adjust to the different lighting too. It looks beautiful as does your whole tank.

 

[Octoberfest]

Thanks. Yeah I'm very happy. The only problem now is how much room this thing takes up...at least 1/3 of my real estate in this tank.

 

[sjwitt]

Well, I guess it's time for an upgrade then!! :thumbsup:

 

[Octoberfest]

hahah I just downsized from a 190 gallon to a 93 gallon.

 

[Haddonisreef]

It took mine a bit to adjust to LEDs! Also they have to be in THERE spot to be happy!! Hope he stays put for ya!

 

[Sytje1234]

Glad to hear it's found it's place. It probably was just trying different locations to find the one it liked the best. It probably took a while to adjust to the different lighting too. It looks beautiful as does your whole tank.

I also hope that the nem has finally found it's happy place. Beautiful tank!:thumbsup: