I have anemone issues

[THEUNION1]

Hi all,

I have 5 long tent nems. Two of them are giving me issues. They keep uprooting from the sand every night when the lights go off. All the others are fine. During the day I put them back where they were, they dig in and just like clockwork they uproot and float away not too long after the lights go out. At this point I'm losing sleep over it in fear they get stuck to a power head. I ramp the power head down now but I'm getting frustrated. Anything I can do to get them to stay? Maybe purchase a moonlight?

 

[Swayze27]

Anemone go where they want to go look up ideas on putting a screen or something around your powerheads. LTA require a deep sandbed

 

[Kinetic]

Protect the powerheads with mesh, otherwise for sure you're going to have anemone soup.

 

[OrionN]

....During the day I put them back where they were....

IMO, this is the problem. They did not want to be there so they will keep walking at night. They do need a deep sand bed, relatively low flow and light in compare to Magnifica and Gigantea.

Some time with anemone, they know best and will choose a place that is suitable to them. You can help by picking a place if they agree then they stay. If they don't and you want t happy anemone, you just need to leave them be. They may choose a place that is not optimal for viewing. If you want to change that then change the light and flow pattern.

 

[THEUNION1]

I get the basics. I know they go where they want. My sand bed is 4" deep.

Another problem is my flow pattern pushes them back into one corner. Then they are stuck there in the rocks so I'm forced to move them. My mp40 is only at 3 bars so flow isn't too high. It's a 92 gallon and the 40 is on one end on pulse mode.

The others are fine in the same location these two were in. What is confusing is they stay where the others are when the lights are on. They burry their foot which tell me they like it there... They are fine for the duration of the day, then Lights out, and bye bye...

I guess theres no solid answer for this. Just figured i was missing something. Water quality is fine btw.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Swayze27]

You keep moving them where you want them. Quit

 

[THEUNION1]

You keep moving them where you want them. Quit

I'll just let fate handle it. I give up.

 

[Swayze27]

Adding 1 anemone can be stressful much less adding 5 at one time. Really the best thing to do is to make sure your powerheads are covered and leave them be. When it comes to them attaching there's not a whole lot you can do if they pick up and move. When people add anemone and you hear them talk about them not moving or in your case 3 have settled and not moved, it is lucky. We can provide what we think is the prime place for them but they go where they are comfortable. Only intervene if you see devastation about to happen. As my LFS always says "keep your dang hands out of the tank".

 

[THEUNION1]

Adding 1 anemone can be stressful much less adding 5 at one time. Really the best thing to do is to make sure your powerheads are covered and leave them be. When it comes to them attaching there's not a whole lot you can do if they pick up and move. When people add anemone and you hear them talk about them not moving or in your case 3 have settled and not moved, it is lucky. We can provide what we think is the prime place for them but they go where they are comfortable. Only intervene if you see devastation about to happen. As my LFS always says "keep your dang hands out of the tank".

I do only move them when they are in danger. I use a large net to move them. No hands in the water.

Ps. I didn't move them last night and one met the power head. Usually i move them back before bed then again when lights come on. But figured since everyone said to leave them, i let it ride like i said i would.

 

[Lance M.]

Are you using the foam guards? I used them when I first introduced my btas. Saved a couple times.

One was sliced in half when I was not using the guard. Both pieces healed up and are growing back though.

I am currently running with out it with 5 btas, dialed up to 6-7 (~50%) on reefcrest, mp40 on a 40B.

Maybe you can change the position of the mp40?

Also, don't lta's like deeper than 4" sandbed?

I remember seeing one at a lfs in Maryland , maybe 15 years ago. The lights were weak so it was somewhat on the rocks, stretched up all the way to the middle of the tank and it was about 24" across.

 

[D-Nak]

BTAs are the only nems I've seen move during the day. All other nems moved at night -- I'd see them at lights out in one place and then when the lights go on they're somewhere else. In other words, they may appear to be happy during the day, only to be waiting until nightfall to make their escape.

Although nems don't have brains, they really do have a mind of their own.

 

[THEUNION1]

I decided to leave the blue lights on all night at the lowest setting on my Kessil 360's. Both nems are dug in and fine at the moment. The one that got caught in the power head has some lacerations on its side but is fully open now and mouth is still tight. But as stated above by D-Nak, only time will tell. I think i am going to add another power head so i can run both lower and not risk anymore getting sucked in.

 

[D-Nak]

I've had many types of powerheads (Jebao, MP40s, Korallia, etc.) but my favorite for tanks with nems are Gyres. They tend to push more water in a laminar pattern which is gentler on nems. They also have a harder time chewing up nems if one happens to get caught in it, mainly due to the wide, paddle-like blades and smaller, less torque-y motor.

I've gotten my gigantea caught in both an MP40 and Gyre. The MP40 pulled the nem in and tore a big chunk off, and I had to cut the plastic cage to get the rest of the nem out. In contrast, the motor on the Gyre simply stopped, holding a part of the nem's oral disk in it. Once I turned off the Gyre, I was able to pull the gig out with minimal damage. Since then, I only have a Gyre on my nem tank and save MP40s for SPS.

 

[THEUNION1]

I've had many types of powerheads (Jebao, MP40s, Korallia, etc.) but my favorite for tanks with nems are Gyres. They tend to push more water in a laminar pattern which is gentler on nems. They also have a harder time chewing up nems if one happens to get caught in it, mainly due to the wide, paddle-like blades and smaller, less torque-y motor.

I've gotten my gigantea caught in both an MP40 and Gyre. The MP40 pulled the nem in and tore a big chunk off, and I had to cut the plastic cage to get the rest of the nem out. In contrast, the motor on the Gyre simply stopped, holding a part of the nem's oral disk in it. Once I turned off the Gyre, I was able to pull the gig out with minimal damage. Since then, I only have a Gyre on my nem tank and save MP40s for SPS.

I was contemplating getting a Gyre or trading my MP40 for one. One thing i noticed, if you take the anemone and the wet side of the pump in which the anemone is stuck to and hold it out and above the water, the anemone will deflate and drop out of it. My last one that got stuck was in there really really good. I felt it above the water for maybe 3 minutes and it dropped out. It's doing fine still btw even with its wounds.

 

[THEUNION1]

UPDATE: The problem anemones are staying in place. Leaving the blue lights on over night really helped to get them comfortable i think. My lights went out last night and nobody moved.

 

[gonioporagirl]

I would let them do their thing. Anemones will go wherever has the best flow and lighting. If you are moving them around, they will continue to go back to where they want to. My anemone uprooted and then anchored to a rock closer to the light.

 

[THEUNION1]

I would let them do their thing. Anemones will go wherever has the best flow and lighting. If you are moving them around, they will continue to go back to where they want to. My anemone uprooted and then anchored to a rock closer to the light.

Yah.