Help Anemone DYING?

[Meggie2409]

Hi I am very new to this site... So this might be in the wrong place but I have a medium size long tentacle anemone that looks like it might be dying... I have had it for almost 2 mths and bought it at petco.. It has a very happy maroon clown fish as its host but over the last couple of weeks doesnt seem to be fairing to well... it has wedged it self in between two rocks and refuses to eat and "nemo" seems uninterested in its little friend. I will include a pic of it... I have been reading up on them and what to look for but doesnt really seem to fit the same parameters that others have had issues with.. I really like my LTA and would LOVE to keep him... My water and tank is as follows:

55gal tank
70 pounds live rock
1 maroon clown
1 rusty angel
1 condy anemone
1 scooting blenny
some hermits and a turbo snail
small corals that are kept away from both anemones..

all water parameters are excellent and nothing else in tank seems affected... The condy is eating just fine, I have tried both hand feeding it and also allowing the clown to do his job but seems that nemo is putting food in then taking it out and eating it him self... I wanna save it please help!!!!

 

[dcombs44]

1) How old is your tank?
2) What type of lighting do you have?
3) The anemone is very bleached.
4) You bought an anemone at Petco?
5) By "perfect parameters", what do you mean? Please give actual numbers.
pH, Temp, Salinity, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, etc.
6) RO/DI or tap water?

 

[mthomp]

1)
3) The anemone is very bleached.
4) You bought an anemone at Petco?

 

[Meggie2409]

Yes I know I bought it at petco over a mth ago it actually used to be pure white... now as you can see some tanning happening... I now know not to buy them from petco lol but I would love to save it...

Water parameters:

1) 3 months old but was allowed to cycle with live rock and damsel sand filters and skimmers for 2 mths prior, so a total of 5 mths?
2)I have 3 VHO bulbs 2 daytime and 1 actic
3)Yes I know he is bleached but was pure white when I got him, even the foot( i didnt know better)
4)Yes I did actually 2 at petco, I have a condy in there as well but it is doing just fine
5)Ok water I just tested:

PH- 8.2 might be slightly lower it is sitting between the two colors
TEMP-81
NITRATES- >.5
NITRITES-0
AMMONIA- 0
SALINITY- 1.025 I know is slightly high.... but about to add new fresh water to tank(waiting until i know if I can save it)

 

[Toddrtrex]

[welcome]

Your salinity isn't slightly high, and I would leave it where it is at.

Are you running any carbon? I personally am not a fan of mixing different anemone species in the same tank.

 

[dcombs44]

+1

Salinity is fine. Natural seawater is 1.026 SG.

 

[Meggie2409]

Oh ok I have been doing research and said to keep it at 1.024 so I am happy to hear everything sounds ok... Its almost like we have miracle grow for everything else the polyps and corals all are flourishing... I am running carbon in my canister and also my off the back biowheel.. The two anemones are kept far from each other with the LTA on the sand bed and the Condy on the rocks high up... neither seem to have come into contact with each other and the condy has locked on to its spot lol.. You guys think its just that its a petco anemone and it just couldnt take it?

 

[dcombs44]

I'm not saying that you won't find a healthy specimen at a Petco somewhere, but at the one's I've been in, it'd be remote.

That's not to say you can't nurse one back to health.

In my opinion, your tank is a little young to keep an anemone. Even though your cycle is completed, your tank isn't well established.

I hope I don't get dinged for posting this, but this has always been one of my favorite responses regarding the establishment of a tank.

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic23945-9-1.aspx

 

[Meggie2409]

Oh ok so now that I have it in my tank now, can I save it? I understand the necessity of an established tank, I have many years in freshwater so I do understand that... I have slowly added the bioload and have not had any crashes... Should I take it out?

 

[gweston]

I'm no anemone expert, but I get nervous when I see any photosynthetic reliant creature with a white color. I'd love to hear if there is a 'true' white anemone out there.

Thankfully my local Petco is decent when it comes to their knowledge and care of their marine and freshwater critters (not perfect by any means!). I've been to a lot of others in my state to compare, and honesty, the others are horrid. Absolutely horrid. Emaciated fish, ich, other diseases, and dead animals in tanks. It is sickening.

I still go to my nearest local fish store first before Petco. But occasionally I hop in on the way home to see what they have, or if I need to resupply on something and don't have time for the LFS. My decent LFS is about 1+ hour drive one-way from the house. Not really local. The rather decent Petco mentioned is maybe 10-15mins away.

I have an RBTA in a relatively young, but established tank. Tank ~3+ months. Rock well cured for a few months prior. My anemone is super healthy, rock is coated with coraline and I have a very large pod population. Clowns are laying eggs, and my skunk shrimp just produced eggs, and my mix of corals are all prolific and have notable growth. The anemone has even grown. So I'd say tank age is certainly a factor for anemone health. It is about stability, and older tanks tend to be more stable. If you pay close attention to your parameters and baby your tank, then I don't see why one can't be successful with an anemone. I maintain/test/tinker a bit with my tank daily.

What I do.. I feed the RBTA 2x a week with just a little bit of mysis (dosed with vitamins.. I feed the rest to the fish). I dose ca/alk two part to keep params stable. I have a refugium w/chaeto and skim well. The fuge is on the same tank light cycle. I intend to run a reverse cycle, but have not switched yet. Namely because the light from the fuge glows up towards the display currently. I need to enclose the fuge better.

I guess with your nem.. just baby it. See if it'll take mysis/food. Feed very little every few days. If it appears to be 'hiding', you may need to cover that section of the tank with some screening to reduce the light glare. Maybe it was under inadequate lighting at Petco? It may be in light shock.

 

[dcombs44]

I guess it's really up to you. I'm not an expert with anemones by any stretch, but I do have some experience. I have kept bubble tips successfully, but they are one of the easier species to keep.

If you can return the anemone for a refund, you may try that, or you can try to nurse it back yourself. LTA's are moderate light lovers, so I'm not sure that your 3 tubes of VHO will be enough for it to thrive.

You can take a chance, or you can try and return it. I can' really give you an estimate on the chances of survival. If the mouth is tightly closed, it's regaining color (zooxanthellae), and it accepts food, you may be ok, but I'm not one to make that distinction for you.

 

[Meggie2409]

That is very good advice thank you.... I have been babying it I try to feed it daily either with the maroon clown for help or I hand feed it, I have tried mysis, formula one, and live brine shrimp and has rejected them all over the last week, it will not put its foot down anywhere and just tends to wedge itself under the same rocks, I do not move it bc I know it causes stress, I guess what I am trying to ask everyone is since my clown has kinda given up on it should I as well? My condy is eating like crazy, even tried to eat me while I was cleaning.. My tank has been running and cycling for 5 mths I am growing my own coraline as well as every rock is covered in it... all rocks were pre-cured out of very established tanks not just filtered water... I guess Im to the point if what I have said is pointing towards "removal"

 

[Meggie2409]

Dcombs44- thank you so much for all the advice, the mouth is open and has been since I bought it, I think I have done all I can for this little guy... Its sad cuz I loved him so much so pretty with the maroon clown... Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep the clown happy until I feel ready to replace the anemone?

 

[dcombs44]

Clowns can be perfectly happy without an anemone and will many times be hosted by other corals.

I've seen them in xenia, anthelia, clams, brains, etc. etc.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[westohooligan]

Dcombs44- thank you so much for all the advice, the mouth is open and has been since I bought it, I think I have done all I can for this little guy... Its sad cuz I loved him so much so pretty with the maroon clown... Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep the clown happy until I feel ready to replace the anemone?

If the mouth was open when you got it; it's probably a goner. It was already dieing in the store. A gaping mouth is a bad sign. Typically clownfish don't help a distressed anemone as their constant "buffeting" of the anemone can stress it further. I love 'nems and have rescued a few, but my fail rate is much higher, unfortunately.

 

[Meggie2409]

Well thank you all for your information, I decided to put the anemone out of its misery... I hate that it had to go through all of that. My Maroon clown is doing ok other than swimming around looking for it... I am going to do some educated research and when the time is right I will add a beautiful anemone back into my reef... I am going to let my tank and coral mature alittle more and let my clown grow some too. Thank you again