Just Got My anemone Need Help

[JLAURIA751]

I just bought a small neon green bubble tipped anemone from my lfs and I have a few questions.

If The temp drops below 76 or goes above 82 it shrivels up but goes back to normal when in the right temp. Is That normal?

Also At Night It swells Up Around The Base and spreads out is That normal?

What Should I feed It? last night I gave It a few Small Pieces of a raw shrimp I got from wal mart, And how often should I feed it?

Also I turn the flow off for a few minutes to feed my fish and do a little cleaning and it shrivels up for a hour or so after, am I stressing it out with all of this? I have stabalized the temp in my tank but it still fluctuated in a given day between 76-82F I keep my water pristine but Is my 12G aquapod too small to keep an anemone?

I would very much appreciate any advice or opinions I can get. Thank you

 

[kar93]

Your temperature should remain stable all the time so that would be something I would try to fix. It is normal for it to close up at night and it is normal for it to shrivel up for around 1 hour a day, sometimes you will see some black stringy type stuff coming out of it, that is just poop. I recommend feeding every 3-4 days silversides but other people have success with krill, shrimp etc. A 12g aquapod is too small really to keep a BTA and it is only 1 month old? Anemones need a mature tank of at least 6 months.

 

[davocean]

Yep, agree w/ Kar

 

[JLopez]

that is a huge temp swing. you need to get a heater in there and keep temp constant and that will deffinitely take alot of stress off the nem.

while i disagree that a 12g tank is too small for a bta as long as its a small one, a one month old tank is not yet established and you shouldnt attempt having a nem until the tank has been established for a least 6 months as kar said.

anemone's do flush out old water and refill themselves with new tank water. That may be the shrivelling, however, this shouldnt happen more than once a day.

as for feeding, if you just added the nem, you should have given it at least a week before feeding to let it settle in. since you've already fed it, i wouldnt recommend feeding more than twice a week, although since the tank is small and you dont want it to out grow your tank too quick, once a week or maybe even a little less would be better. feeding a small piece of shrimp/silverside is ideal. make sure it is no bigger than the size of the anemone's mouth.

good luck

 

[JLAURIA751]

good advice thank you what should I do with the anemone, if my tank in not well established Iv had it almost 2 months. should I trade It back to the store, or keep it and hope it survives. it was around $40 not a huge loss if it dies,but I don't like 2 see anything die. it seems healthy, it found a nice little place at the top of my tank and has stayed there since I got it about a week ago, if it was in bad shpe woulden't it be moving around?

 

[E.J. Coral]

Below 76 is bad as most reef animals evolved in reqions where water temp is in the mid 80s. Temp swing is not a probem, IME...its just the lower temperature that cause stress.

 

[JLAURIA751]

good news thank you its easier for me too keep it above 76 than below 80 or 82F. I only had the temp drop that low once. it usually stays 78-81F

 

[jubjub]

get a second heater.....in my 75gal i run 2 heaters one designed for a 55gal and a 75gal one....keeps my temp right around 80.5......for the first week though just let it do its thing, i read alot of people dont feed it the first week or so, i didnt feed mine for a week....it will move around let it be..

 

[jubjub]

forgot to mention check out http://www.karensroseanemones.com/<--where i got so much info on anemone's very higly recommended

 

[davocean]

2 heaters in a 12g?
I hate to tell people their purchase was a mistake, but you know it's early, and clearly it seems stressed.
While a nem in a 12g CAN be done, it's not what I would do going by my exp w/ them.
Not only is it tough to have stability in that size tank, but when it's a new tank...
Plus that nem is a real short cruise from intakes.

 

[JLAURIA751]

thanks you davocean, and jubjubrsx for the advice, Right now I will monitor it closely and if it seems sick ill give it 2 my sister she has 6 well established aquariums. right now it seems ok it found a good spot where there is a nice hole in the rock at the top near the sunpaq light, it has been there for about 5 days and has not tried move or hide.

 

[Peter Eichler]

In addition to what others have said I'd suggest feeding it mysis shrimp rather than chunks of anything. It wasn't a good purchase, but keep up with the water changes and maybe you'll be fine for a while until you have a larger more appropriate tank.

 

[shroom101]

I also would recomend getting a small submersible heater with a internal thermostat if you are still having temp. problems,I have one in wy 29g cube and it works great my temp. stays at 79 all day and night good luck

 

[JLAURIA751]

i have a heater but and it has a temp rading not digital does that mean it has a therostat?