LTA dye?

[BioFish]

I went to the LFS 2 weeks ago and saw a nice, very green LTA. His mouth was shut tight, and his foot was buried in the sand. He was had been in the store for a week (i was told). Upon being in his new home his mouth always remains slightly open and he was expelling quite a bit of waste (brown color). He did bury his foot for the first 3 days but no longer. He still expells occassionally but less quantity/ frequency. I have a BTA that is healthy, happy so I started testing params to figure out why his mouth won't shut (won't accept food either. All params are spot on except slight phosphates/ algae. I'll list my params for your sake lol:

nitrate, ammonia, nitrite - undetectable
phosphate - 0.25
Ca - 440 ppm
Alk - 3 meq/ L
Mg - 1350
Temp: 78-80 F

I moved him out of direct light (even my acros prefer indirect) and no change.

and now onto my questions.... I began researching LTA some more and am starting to realize how often Anemone colors are altered. Is green unnatural for M. Doreensis (sp?) and if it is or isn't, what tips do you have for me? Also I have a 1.5 - 2 sand w/ some cc in the substrate.

 

[davocean]

Greenish tan is a natural color.
I wouldn't even try to spot feed for first week or 2, let it settle.
Open mouth on intro and for a week or so is common.
How old is tank, what light.
I'd be running carbon if you have more than one species, or really even if not.
Are they touching/near, or are other corals near/touching?
I noticed rics seemed to bother mine a lil if too close, in fact my maroon would push them away.
Another good reason for carbon.
This was mine, not best pic but shows color.

 

[BioFish]

Happy to hear your post Davocean. I'll remain patient.

Tank, rock, substrate is 3 yrs old, reef setup for 1.5 yrs. Phoenix 14k 250 watt on a 58 gallon (21"T I believe) w/ icecap ballast. The fixture is on legs but I went to Lowe's this weekend and will be making an adjustable suspension from the ceiling. The only thing I can put midway in my tank is digitatas and I'm sick of it. Acros shriek and tuck tail.

I always run carbon and the anemones are a couple feet away.

This picture is was taken within an hour of purchase.

 

[davocean]

Sounds like you're OK then, just be patient.
Don't even worry about spot feeding, I actually didn't spot feed my LTA or sebae the first year and a half, light is main source of energy.
Right now, best is leave it alone.

 

[BioFish]

It's been a month now and the LTA's mouth remains open (dime sized). It has never showed interest in food, relocated, or closed its mouth. It is much more sticky to touch than my BTA though. I really don't know what his problem is. I have a 250w halide on a 58 gallon, 4 yr old tank w/ spot on parameters. I have written him off as a grumpy gus.

 

[jwilliams860]

They are tricky creatures, when I bought my PLTA, I bethe wandered my tank for a solid month before pushing his foot all he way through he sandbed to the bottom of the tank, never had a mouth issue though, but if hes still doing ok, color looks good and its as sticky as you say it is, it should be fine.

 

[Lance M.]

Upon being in his new home his mouth always remains slightly open and he was expelling quite a bit of waste (brown color). He did bury his foot for the first 3 days but no longer. He still expells occassionally but less quantity/ frequency.

In my opinion, it sounds like you didn't acclimate the lta to your lighting and it was expelling it's zoanthell....(I can't spell, it's symbiotic algae).

How did you acclimate it to your tank?
Did you just put it straight under your MH when you first got it?

 

[BioFish]

Hmm good theory. I do tend to have problems with coral including sps shrieking from my lighting. I put him in the substrate centered on the first day. After 2 days of mouth open I placed him at the bottom front and almost in the far right corner where he has attached to the rocks. His colors have dulled out but nothing even close to a bleached anemone. I'll do some research on anemones expelling their zooxanthellae.

In my opinion, it sounds like you didn't acclimate the lta to your lighting and it was expelling it's zoanthell....(I can't spell, it's symbiotic algae).

How did you acclimate it to your tank?
Did you just put it straight under your MH when you first got it?

 

[Apercula]

My green LTA wandered the rockwork for 6months, then finally found a spot it liked, then 3months later moved to the sand/rock interface and has been in the same spot for a year since then. I recently added a red LTA that I got from a reefer who had had it for 2years plus and the red took close to a month to settle in.

A recent fts, Ive turned off my actinic supplement since this shot, the tank was too blue.