LTA won't attach

[Neal Flomenberg]

Picked up a small, healthy appearing LTA from my local dealer today. It was in the sand of the tank there (ie not attached to a rock).

My tank has a lot more current than the tank it was in, and I'm having trouble getting it to attach or stay put. It's not that it is wandering. The problem is that it is so light and I have so much current that it floats. I've got it in a little sheltered area on my sand bed where it doesn't get carried off in the current, but it is still not making any sort of attempt to anchor itself to anything. I presume this is not a good sign.

Any information or advice on how to encourage it to attach/anchor itself would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Neal

 

[JamesJR]

What I would do is cut down on the current for a day or two. Then make an impression in the sand and then move some rocks beside it so that no current will be able to blow them away. If you don't disturb it for a few hours and if it is in good health than it should bury it's base all the way down through the sand bed and attach itself to the glass.

 

[FLricordia]

Re: LTA won't attach

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8389293#post8389293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neal Flomenberg
Picked up a small, healthy appearing LTA from my local dealer today. It was in the sand of the tank there (ie not attached to a rock).

My tank has a lot more current than the tank it was in, and I'm having trouble getting it to attach or stay put. It's not that it is wandering. The problem is that it is so light and I have so much current that it floats. I've got it in a little sheltered area on my sand bed where it doesn't get carried off in the current, but it is still not making any sort of attempt to anchor itself to anything. I presume this is not a good sign.

Any information or advice on how to encourage it to attach/anchor itself would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Neal

Might also help to place it into a 2"-3" piece of PVC cut at about 2" length. One of my GBTA came attatched to one and has not strayed and another unattatched GBTA I got right after that kept moving around the tank attatched to the other end and has stayed put. I have 2x1200Maxijets and AQ 700 in 20cube-lots of flow.

 

[Neal Flomenberg]

I combined your suggestions into something that worked. I took a 4" PVC fitting and placed it into the sand. It created a "bottomless flower pot". It protected it from the current, but not light and allowed me more control in getting the base covered. It seems to have dug itself in further than I had it. Tomorrow I'll start to lift the fitting up to let the sand even out slowly while still protecting from the current.

I think this will work. Thanks for the help.

Neal

 

[Neal Flomenberg]

Spoke too soon. My clowns found it and enjoyed playing in it so much they dislodged it.

Any other suggestions appreciated.

Would they like a small piece of rock under the sand to attach to?

Thanks again,
Neal

 

[FLricordia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8402410#post8402410 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neal Flomenberg
Spoke too soon. My clowns found it and enjoyed playing in it so much they dislodged it.

Any other suggestions appreciated.

Would they like a small piece of rock under the sand to attach to?

Thanks again,
Neal

Yes, that would help, but mine kept moving on its own even with that. I wedged it between the glass and the PVC and it finally attatched to the PVC and is still there and doing great. Try putting the PVC on its side close to the glass, a small rock jammed in the other side and the anemone in with just 1.5"-2" room between glass and PVC. Make sure flow is lower in that area. Place a rock as a blocker on both sides so the anemone can only go upward. Or you could wedge rock in bottom, set upright like you had it and put a strawberry basket or simular over it. Luck, they can be frustrating to work with, especially if they get in the rock work. I think that if it getts a good 12-24 hours left undisturbed it will attatch-if the area it is in is sutable.

 

[jrutler]

LTA's can be frustrating. Mine rolled around for weeks before settling in. After trying all kinds of stuff (burying it in the sand, moving it around, jamming it into crevases...) I finally gave up and just let it do its own thing. It would roll around on the sand, kind of drift, and generally looked unhappy and pathetic.
It didn't help that the clownfish was pushing it around!

Before it actually attached, it drifted into a rock cave that it floated in and out of. It seemed to kind of control itself in the location, but didn't attach for another week or two. Sometimes it was back in the rockwork for a few days.

It finally attached near the cave opening, and has been doing great in the same spot for almost a year now.

Good luck!