Is my new anemone ok... won't attach

[maringoddess]

New to Reef Central. Thanks in advance for your help. I have a 30 gal nano. It has been established about 6 months. All water paramaters are great. Last week I addded my first anemone. It has been 6 days, and it simply won't attach. I have buried in sand bed, sandwiched between rocks, adjusted water flow, even turned off for 15 min to help it settle. It bobbs around in the front, and is extended. Appears to be happy. Brine shrimp stick to tentacles. It looks like it may be a little bleached? Thoughts? It's foot is clean, healthy, no tears.
Here are pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40409506@N07/

 

[Whys]

I would say stop touching it and give it more time. But I'm no expert on anems.

What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

It does look a little bleached. Was it that color when you bought it?

How much flow do you have in your tank?

 

[lmsmith]

I agree, the best thing you can do it stop bugging it and let it find somewhere it likes. You can turn off the flow for a few hours or overnight, let it settle, and then turn the powerheads on again. It will probably move around once there is flow in the tank so it can find where it likes. Do something now to cover your powerheads...

 

[abulgin]

A little bleached? WAY bleached. That looks like a bubble tip. It should be brown to maroon. Honestly, whoever sold that to you should be shot. It may be doomed--if it's healthy (which it's not, just by the color alone), it should attach somewhere, at least temporarily. The only good sign I see is that it appears to be pretty full-looking. I think you're fighting a losing battle here and would return it.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm

I'll also note for the record that your tank is way too small to house an anemone long-term. These can get 12-18" in diameter in a relatively short period of time.

 

[romsoccer12]

+1, that anemone is super bleached. get your money back when you can. I say you can definitely keep an anemone though. Its not like taking it out would be that difficult if it gets a little to big. I think a 16 inch anemone would look awesome in a 30gal

 

[maringoddess]

When I purchased it..... , I was told it was a Purple Lt Anem. It had faint neon greed tips, which it still does, and it had a very faint purple/blue tint to it, which it appears it might have lost a litle of that purple/blue tint, since I have had it. I had done a lot of research on this species prior, and thought my paraaters would be sufficient. When I originally set up the aquarium, I "reserved" the entire front in hopes that it would root there, and that would allow enough room.

I have adjusted the flow to make it more direct, and this has just caused it to move around even more, and the tentacles kind of curl up to resist the pressure, and then it jut bobbed up, down, up down. So I returned the curent to less direct. Once it pulls up out of the sand it just lays sideways on the sand, fully expanded.

 

[maringoddess]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15355534#post15355534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lmsmith
I agree, the best thing you can do it stop bugging it and let it find somewhere it likes. You can turn off the flow for a few hours or overnight, let it settle, and then turn the powerheads on again. It will probably move around once there is flow in the tank so it can find where it likes. Do something now to cover your powerheads...

Really? Turn them off that long? I have other fish, pollups. I thought this would be dangerous to them?

 

[maringoddess]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15355907#post15355907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abulgin
That looks like a bubble tip.

When I was selecting the anem, there were "bubble tips" in the aquarium, which were green, and tan/brown. This species was obviously different, when compared to the other two bubbles they had. Tentacles looked very different. These are longer, more pointed.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

I would take it back from where you bought it, get your money back, and never shop there again. That is a bleached, and unhealthy LTA (Macrodactyla doreensis ). Its mouth isn't tightly closed and the tentacles are shorter then they should be.
How deep is your sandbed? LTAs, prefer to have their foot buried in the sand, at least 3" deep -- the bigger the anemone the deeper the sand.

To give you an idea, this is what a purple LTA should look like, ---- that will come in a bit, having issues with my photobucket.

Edit, this is a healthy purple LTA,

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

What do you have for flow in your tank? You don't want to shut it completely down, but at least reduce the flow - for instance, if you have a sump and a bunch of powerheads, you could leave the sump running but turn all the powerheads off.

If it were a BTA it would likely be fine in a 30g - I've kept BTA for 15 years and never seen one bigger than 10 or 12 inches - they tend to split once they are that large. Long tentacle anemones (I'm guessing that's what you meant by "Lt Anem?") get much bigger and would definitely be a stretch in a tank that small. Though, looking at it, I'm not convinced it's an LTA - the tentacles look too short and fat, just like BTA tentacles.

And yeah, it's definitely bleached, though it's hard to know the degree since we don't really know the species or how accurate the photos are.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Purple LTA, since Todd is having difficulties:

edit - I see Todd got his photo up, too.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

But Todd is right --- mhurly

Seriously, he is right. With it floating around, you also run the risk of it ending up in a powerhead and having it shred to bits. Take the nem back. They sold you a dying anemone.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356835#post15356835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by der_wille_zur_macht
Though, looking at it, I'm not convinced it's an LTA - the tentacles look too short and fat, just like BTA tentacles.

I agree. This does not look at all like a Macrodactyla doreensis (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/macrodoreensis.htm). I think it's either a Heteractis crispa (Sebae anemone - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/heteraccrispa.htm) or a bubble tip. By any chance, do the tips have a purple dot on them?

Regardless, the thing is more than likely a goner and should have never been sold. I really doubt that you're going to be able to save this anemone given how bleached it is and given the fact that it won't hunker down so you can start feeding it. Also, as someone else posted, a floating anemone is a power head disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I agree that it is most likely a goner, and that the ID won't change that. But, I am still thinking it is an LTA, reason being I had one very similar to that -- bleached, short tentacles, etc. -- I was able to bring mine back to health.

It started off like this (( the white balance is a bit off, but still gives an idea ))

2 months later,

 

[lmsmith]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356774#post15356774 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maringoddess
Really? Turn them off that long? I have other fish, pollups. I thought this would be dangerous to them?

Well, don't turn them off if you aren't home, as long as you check that everything looks okay every hour or so, you'll be fine. Think of how little flow there is when corals and fish are being shipped for 24+ hours. They'll be fine for the 3-4 it should take the nem to attach.

I agree that it's a bubbletip - mine looks just like that (except not bleached, of course). They like to have their foot in a tight crevice; if you do decide to keep it, then turn off the flow, place it somewhere where a few rocks join and there is a crevice or cave. It will sometimes take a little while to find where it likes, but it should attach. If it doesn't attach with no flow, return it because it will die.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15358182#post15358182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I agree that it is most likely a goner, and that the ID won't change that. But, I am still thinking it is an LTA, reason being I had one very similar to that -- bleached, short tentacles, etc. -- I was able to bring mine back to health.

It started off like this (( the white balance is a bit off, but still gives an idea ))

2 months later,

Wow! That was a miracle rescue. Your LTA does look a lot like the OP's anemone in its current state.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15358683#post15358683 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abulgin
Wow! That was a miracle rescue. Your LTA does look a lot like the OP's anemone in its current state.

Thanks. What helped me is that my LTA was "only" bleached, it attached right away, had a tightly closed mouth and ate. I normally don't feed my anemones all that often, but in the case of a bleached one, kind of have too. And seeing mine in person, it what is making me think the OPs is an LTA --- but, in worse shape.

 

[maringoddess]

Went into a different store today... one that I have been very pleased with. (not the one where I got the anem). I bought a calcium test , phosphate test, and carbonate hardness test. All paramaters are perfect, as well as the usual marine tests.

The man at the fish store id pictures and confirmed it it a LT because of its foot. I have posted a few more pictures of what he looks like now, where you can actually see his foot. He pulled out of the sand bed last night, and is nor cornered. s http://www.flickr.com/photos/40409506@N07/

Toddrtrex -That is EXACTLY what mine looks like, except mine won't netle his foot into the sand. I have put it into a 4" bed, but he pulls out. I can't believe that is even the same anem. in those pictures.

I have been told, give it a few more days to adjust in hopes that if I stop touching it - it will anchor. How many more days should I give it before returning it? How long does a new LT anem take to anchor?

Thanks for all your help guys... I feel much more confident in my analysis that it is bleached, sick, and that I am not unfamiliar with this species.

 

[boogers]

I had one for about 3 or 4 months. It never attached to anything for more than a day or so. It got sucked up into the powerhead once and I was able to turn off the powerhead and it somehow freed itself. Suprisingly it came back looking the same it did before. Then about a month later it got sucked up in the powerhead again. Same thing it got loose. The last time it sucked up i turned the powerhead off and I have no idea hat happened to the anenome. I haven't seen it since.