LTA questions/concerns

[N_T]

I've had an LTA in my tank since tuesday, and I'm already starting to worry about him. When I first put him in he attached to the glass, with his foot facing the display side of the tank. Since then he's moved down a bit to where half of his foot is still attached to the glass, and the other half is on the sand.

I have two concerns about it though-- first is that it showed up (from live aquaria) completely white. The only color is a bit of a fluorescent green sheen to it, other than that it's completely white around the oral disk and tentacles. Its pedestal and foot are a very light tan color. I've read that this usually means that the anemone has spent a prolonged time exposed to low or no light? How long would it take for a healthy anemone to bleach out, and is there anything I can do to encourage its color to return?

My BIG concern is that his mouth is open a bit. I wouldn't call it gaping, but it's open maybe 1/4-1/2".

I've tried feeding it small pieces of shrimp and squid. It swallowed the piece of shrimp, but spit it back out 20 minutes or so later.

Tank is a 29g that has been set up for about a year and a half in various forms. It has a 140w light fixture on it as well. I tested the water today, and the sg was 1.025, 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate, 8.1 pH, 400 calcium. Temperature is about 77 degrees. The tank is pretty sparse, with only maybe 10-15lbs of live rock, 2" of sand, and five fish, including a small maroon clown who hosts in the anemone.

I know anemones can be tough to care for, so is there anything you think I may be doing wrong?

 

[KSzegi]

I'm certainly not an expert and I'm sure somebody on this forum far more knowledgable will chime in to help you. From what information I've researched, however, your best bet right now is to just leave the anemone alone to settle in for a few days - don't feed it or move it etc.

I received an anemone from a different online vendor a couple of months back that was also pretty bleached - not totally white but close. Although the mouth was never open and it did bury it's foot in the sand almost immediately.... but the color did come back in about 3 weeks time and it has since doubled in size and is doing great.

If you have not already, I would take a picture and contact LA immediately. They have fantastic customer service and will go out of their way to make things right for you. Though you have two weeks on the guarantee it will go a long way if they know that it arrived in such a stressed condition.

 

[N_T]

ok, here's a pic.... opinions?

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

Let it settle in and feed small pieces of shrimp or mysis shrimp to help it get it's color back.It looks pretty good besides being bleached. Good luck.

 

[N_T]

It looks like it's still moving down to the sand, but making REALLY slow progress. I know anemones aren't exactly speedy animals, but it's moved maybe 1/2" in 24 hours

 

[jasonrp104]

If it is digging in, don't try to help it. If anything, try and get that clown away from it while it settles in. Then I'd wait a few days to make sure it is settled and start feeding it small chunks of food twice a week.

What sort of lighting is it?

 

[N_T]

If it is digging in, don't try to help it. If anything, try and get that clown away from it while it settles in. Then I'd wait a few days to make sure it is settled and start feeding it small chunks of food twice a week.

What sort of lighting is it?

it's a Corallife Lunar Aqualight PC system

 

[89Foxbody]

IT doesn't look too bad. It's obviously stressed from the shipping process, which is to be expected. Like was said already I'd try to get the clown away from it as it's probably just another source of stress until the nem is back to full health. Keep feeding it. As long as the foot is attached to something and the tentacles are sticky (and it eats), it will be fine.

 

[Toddrtrex]

it's a Corallife Lunar Aqualight PC system

What size tank?

How many bulbs, what wattage, what color temp?

LTAs (( M. doreensis )) are sand dwelling anemones, so I would let it do its thing, and not force it down -- it already is stressed enough.

What are your water parameters -- with numbers please.

 

[N_T]

What size tank?

How many bulbs, what wattage, what color temp?

LTAs (( M. doreensis )) are sand dwelling anemones, so I would let it do its thing, and not force it down -- it already is stressed enough.

What are your water parameters -- with numbers please.

Two bulbs, one is a 10,000K and one is Actinic, both 65W each. Tank is a 29L, with an approximate 17" water depth from the surface to the sand, lights are mounted about 3" above the water surface.

Water is about 77-78 degrees, 1.025SG, 8.1 PH, 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 450 calcium, 0 phosphate, no detectable ammonia.

The anemone took a small piece of shrimp about 15 min ago. If it doesn't spit it back up it will be the first food it has taken since being introduced to the tank

 

[Toddrtrex]

That isn't going to be enough light long term for that anemone.

 

[kkil4life]

from what I know, anemones are shipped partially bleached so that it doesnt expel its zoox in the shipping bag and foul the water.
it will regain its color in a few weeks, just leave it as it is and keep water quality top notch.
my LTA was the same, now its back to its full color and healthy

 

[Toddrtrex]

from what I know, anemones are shipped partially bleached so that it doesnt expel its zoox in the shipping bag and foul the water.
it will regain its color in a few weeks, just leave it as it is and keep water quality top notch.
my LTA was the same, now its back to its full color and healthy

Don't know who told you that, but that isn't the case --- some shippers might claim that, but to "bleach" an anemone you have to stress it, which is never a good thing, and even a worse thing to do before shipping -- which in and of itself is stressful.

 

[2Addicted]

from what I know, anemones are shipped partially bleached so that it doesnt expel its zoox in the shipping bag and foul the water.
it will regain its color in a few weeks, just leave it as it is and keep water quality top notch.
my LTA was the same, now its back to its full color and healthy

Where did you hear this? A bleaching anemone is slowly dying. You want them to be as healthy as possible before shipping.

 

[N_T]

It has kept the piece of shrimp down, so I'll give it a bit more shrimp daily. Are there any other foods or supplements I can use to encourage the color to come back?

 

[N_T]

The anemone looks much worse today. It is quite deflated, maybe 50% of the size it was when it arrived, and generally looks flaccid. The mouth is also open about 1/2". I'm starting to lose hope that it will survive. It is still attached to the glass though. At what point should I pull it out or risk having it die in the tank and polluting the water?

 

[garygb]

If the anemone appears to be dissolving, then it's time to remove it. It's still attached, which is a good sign. Often times while acclimating they will go through a series of deflation/inflation. Keep a close eye on it. More pics might be useful.

 

[N_T]

It's not dissolving and the mouth has closed a bit. It did shed a string of mucousy "skin" that had been around what I believe was a previous injury to the foot that looks mostly healed.

 

[N_T]

Ok, now it looks like the guts are coming out of it. There are curly strands of something coming out of the mouth. It is still attached to the glass though.

Here's a blurry pic.

 

[garygb]

That looks like it could be starting to disintegrate. I would watch it closely to see if the filaments are taken back in or if you begin to see even more deterioration. If you have a qt tank, you might want to remove it to that. Once disintegration starts it can occur rather quickly and degrade water quality significantly, i.e., ammonia spike potentially release toxins, etc.