M. doreensis problems...again!

[bureau13]

I can't seem to get purple LTAs to live more than a couple weeks. Back when I had my 55, I got one and it never really seemed to attach anywhere, and ended up dying. I finally found another one for my 240, and the same thing happened. In both cases I provided a sand bed, scooped out a bit and gave it a place to bury its foot, not too much current, decent but not overpowering light, etc. I acclimated it over a fairly long period of time, my water parameters are all pretty good (1.025 s.g., ammonia/nitrites/nitrates 0/0/2.5, pH around 8, dKh around 9...all significantly better than the old 55) and it even fed a couple of times on silversides before it started burying its face in the sand, inverting its mouth and disintegrating.

Does anyone have a good well-lit picture of a healthy purple LTA of this species? I'm starting to wonder if these guys were simply not healthy from the start, and I didn't know what I was lookign at. The tentacles were a bright, neon translucent purple...really almost unreal looking. Now, one odd thing...I thought I remembered the base being orange on the older one, but this one was white. Unfortunately, I don't think I have any pictures...I will dig around for some, but I don't think I do.

Anyway, any ideas or pics of healthy specimens of that color would be appreciated.

Thanks,
jds

 

[Toddrtrex]

You mean like this??

FTS

 

[Toddrtrex]

Now to add some words. Mine has been tough as nails. When I got it (about 7 months ago) the water was very very cold and very cloudy. It looked awful. I temp acclimated it, but that was it, I wanted to get it out of that nasty water. It took about 3 weeks for it to settle in and to finally eat.

All was fine and good until about a month and a half ago -- it released and found my SEIO. When I got home from work, the whole townhouse stunk. I pulled the PH and the PLTA out of the tank, and put it into a bucket. Let it sit for about 5 hours, and then helped it release from the PH. Back into the tank it went. 2 weeks later, could never tell what happened.

I have good amount of flow in my tank - 3 620 SEIOs, 1 1100 SEIO.
(all on a wavemaker) my return pump is rated for 600 gph. Lighting is 2 175 MH + 2 96 PC. As of 5 days ago,
CAL. 400
ALK 8
Mag. 1300
Ph 8.2
Sal. 1.026
Temp - 80.

Oh, and I feed it about every 3 weeks or so, or when I remember I don't feed any of my anemones (PLTA, 4 RBTA ,2 GBTA, and Haddoni carpet) all that often. When I do get around to it, I use sliversides and a good amount too.

 

[bureau13]

Wow. Yours sounds pretty bullet-proof...at the very least SEIO proof!

It seems that yours has less of a translucent look. I'm wondering if mine had lost all its zooxenthelae or however you spell it....other than the purple there didn't seem to be any pigment at all, and that seems to not be a natural state.

Thanks for the pictures...nice tank, nice anemone!


jds

 

[Toddrtrex]

Thanks alot. Yea, mine has always had good color, even when I first got it (it was shipped). Right, if your was/is translucent, it would seem like it was bleached.

Here is how it was in the SEIO

and shortly after putting it back into the tank

And I wish I could say that I am doing something special, but I am not. Heck, I have a CC sand bed in that tank. For some reason I've just been lucky with anemones.

 

[bureau13]

Wow, I wouldn't have given it much of a chance judging by that last picture.

They're funny critters. M. doreensis isn't supposed to be THAT hard, yet I have an H. magnifica (impulse buy that I kind of regret) that appears to love my tank, and they're supposed to be tough to keep. The problem with him is he loves to be stuck the glass near the surface of the water...for a while he was actually wrapped around the return pipe...and its not really a very natural look!

jds

 

[davocean]

Bureau, it could be possible the nems you got were dyed, and not healthy from the start.
Your light and params seem fine.
Toddrtrex, nice recovery, I would have guessed that a gonner for sure.
That's the most chewed up nem I've seen recover, should post that to anyone stressing on their chewed nem for good hopes.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9572213#post9572213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by davocean
Bureau, it could be possible the nems you got were dyed, and not healthy from the start.
Your light and params seem fine.
Toddrtrex, nice recovery, I would have guessed that a gonner for sure.
That's the most chewed up nem I've seen recover, should post that to anyone stressing on their chewed nem for good hopes.

Just saw that thread and posted to it

But thanks. Trust me I thought for sure it was a goner.

 

[bureau13]

Davocean, I am starting to think that is the case. The thing is, this LFS has been really outstanding in terms of the quality of their livestock in general, but maybe with the LTAs that's not the case.

jds