My condy of 5 years- problem-looking for insight

[flyyyguy]

I have this condy. I am very attached to him and his clowns, have had them for 5 years and I honestly would never choose to add this thing to either of my coral dedicated systems due to the risk....but as I said its family and I dont want to evict him.

In that 5 years he has never moved once through everything from being ripped in half by a rockslide to several different system upgrades. Up until a few weeks ago he was still on the original rock I got him on. A perfect gentleman. I think maybe besides being very healthy and happy he knew that if he even thought of taking a stroll its over for him and I

Before going to bed a few weeks ago I noticed him puffing up and moving his foot. This being of course unacceptable for a multitude of reasons in a loaded tank with a very large cls and intake ports, I moved him to my 100 gallon sump of my other tank. Come to find there was a couple patches of fairly large hydroids encroaching on him which is why I assume he moved in the first place.

He instantly stuck himself to the floor of the sump. I found a appropriate rock that would work with my aquascaping and I nestled it up next to him just downstream in the low flow sump hoping he would climb up. He did in about two days. firmly attached. YAY. .......But Im stupid. I decided to change something on that side of the tank to prep for his return that required some effort and epoxy so I left him there instead of instantly returning him. He climbed back off onto the floor of the sump. Been there now for over 2 weeks. Wont climb up any of several things I have for him to do so.

I have been taking care of him as far as food and more or less the same strong lighting he came out from under so he is perfectly content. I a few days ago got rid of the halide and put this weakass old PC fixture over him hoping it would make him want to climb a little higher. He wont budge.



sorry for the novel. Just covering the situation and the circumstances and hoping for an idea or two to get him back home.

I suppose worst case scenario I could catch his clowns and put them in the sump with him, but with my pride and joy 240 sps tank above, I dont want to risk even having him in the system to be honest anything more than temporary. I want him back where he belongs.

I hope the clowns will take back to him. they have since taken up residence in a large favia. thats my other fear. I succeed at getting this thing back in the tank and I lose the somewhat uncommon relationship of the condy and the clowns I have had for so long

whadya think?? any help appreciated

 

[flyyyguy]

no tricks up anybodys sleeve??

A pint of super glue maybe??

I just took out the pc lights and tomorrow he will be getting a single 60 watt house bulb over him. maybe that will get him to climb. I can think of a number of things that i could get him irritated and on the move, but blowing up and moving does me no good. he must climb as I simply cannot put him in the tank unless he is well attached.............unless I build a cage out of acrylic or soemthing he cant fit through to keep him from floating until he sets foot. There is an idea actually that I just may try if all else fails in the next week or so.............

 

[OrionN]

I would take him out and put him in a small container with little flow and wedge him between two rock, lightly. He will attach to one of them in 15 minutes. (if he is healthy)

 

[flyyyguy]

Thanks for the reply Orion. That sounds easy enough.

What would be your first method attempt at dislodging him from the smooth floor of my sump??

Not a very difficult surface to coax him off of I dont think adn i can think of a number of ways that will succeed, but you guys are the clownfish/nempros and I will try your preferred method first. this is the only nem I have ever owned

thanks

 

[Freed]

Slow work with a credit card? Don't know, just offering an uneducated hand.

 

[elegance coral]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with the trio.

Condies typically don't like flow on their foot. If you can surround him with rocks and direct flow (safely) under the rocks and on his foot, he may move.

Otherwise, it just takes patience. If you apply gentle pressure to the edge of his foot with the tip of your finger, not your fingernail, it will slowly release that spot. Then you can slowly move your finger under the anemone. He will let go if you take your time. If you don't force it or pull him off, you won't heart him. Just wait for him to let go. As he lets go simply move you hand further under him. Eventually he will completely let go. I've moved alot of anemones and have never damaged one like this. I won't even buy an anemone from my LFS unless they let me remove it myself.

 

[LiveRound69]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14805008#post14805008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Freed
Slow work with a credit card? Don't know, just offering an uneducated hand.

dont ever screw around with an anemones foot. You can rip it easily,and most likely you wont even know you did it. Then later when he dies ...you will be like those people on RC who use their test kits to try to figure out why their anemone died and the whole time it was from a silly mishap weeks before with a credit card. If an anemone is attached to something..he's there and thats that. EIther wait it out or ive heard RO water ice cubes will make them wanna let go when touched to their foot...IMO ..alot safer than the credit card gig.

 

[OrionN]

Remove them from smooth surface like glass is easy. Just use something sharp to lilt an edge off then slowly pull up the rest. Sharp blade is easiest (IME but I am very careful) to start with but you got to be careful not to cut the anemone. Once an edge is up, use plastic card for the rest.

 

[flyyyguy]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I am going to remove him and isolate him somewhere surrounded by rocks on all sides and see what happens. Hoepfully get him to firmly attach to one of them,

Does anybody think that since its been weeks since the clowns have been with him and they have taken up residence in a favia that getting them back in could be a problem?? The original clown has been with him since I have had them. her mate I added a year and a half ago and the thing almost got eaten numerous times in the rpocess. the original kept pulling him out of the clutches of death and then once slimed up and safe finally, she owuldnt let him actually hang out it in the nem for months. lol It was certainly a pretty interesting little show to watch

 

[mnewby@hctc.com]

i think you need to learn to except some things and that with sea anenomes they are going to move from time to time and if you can handle that then you shouldnt keep such animals period you have to learn to except them for what they are

 

[flyyyguy]

thanks for those brilliant and condescending words of advice. thank you for clearing that up for me

in the future, it will make you look much more intelligent should you actually read somebodies post, instead of blabbing out the typical generic and useless replies and belittlement to what you think is the real topic at hand

I would never choose to add a anemone to either of my specific coral dominated systems. This guy has been with me for a long time and is family. I am confident if I can get him to attach to a rock that will work in my very specific aqauscapiong scheme, that he will stay put for another 5 years of happiness and health. If he even thinks of moving again after that fact it will instantly and very much regretfully be over between him and I

most likely this has been the beginning of the end just considering the clowns have taken to a favia and this anemone is more likely to eat them than host them in the first place, regardless if he moves again or not

And I am very sad for this. I still have a glimmer of hope to keep it and I am going to make the effort.

 

[traveller7]

Re: My condy of 5 years- problem-looking for insight

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14802639#post14802639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyyyguy
...In that 5 years he has never moved once through everything from being ripped in half by a rockslide to several different system upgrades.

If it is on glass, reach in there with an old credit card, once an edge is lifted the cody will come off quite easily and without long term issue. Healthy specimens in proper conditions are quite durable.

As Minh stated, saddle it up next to a few rocks and let it do its thing. There is never a guarantee an anemone wont move, but yours does appear to stay put historically.

Odds are, your clowns will head home if you move quickly.

Best of luck.

 

[flyyyguy]

well, that was certainly easier then I expected. having very little experience with anemones as this is the only one I have had and he has never moved, I had no idea I could simply scrape him up and place him where I wanted to.

if he wouldnt have kept holding on to my fingers so I couldnt get away without tossing him up into the water, it would have taken less than a few minutes to get him to attach where I wanted. As it was, it took about ten. Im going to give him a few hours or until he looks very comfy and move him over. thanks for the constructive replies so far. its been appreciated

 

[flyyyguy]

Ive blabbed enough in this thread.....might as well add some pics.

You can I did tear a couple of tentacles the first time I tried to place him. Thought I freed them all before moving but a couple were stuck under my hand. dont think it will bother him too much though.

Hopefully this thread will end with pics of a reunion

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Best of luck. I'm a bit surprised at what I'm perceiving as the size for a 5 year old Condy. How large is he? It's probably the way the pictures were taken, but he appears to be much smaller than what I would have expected.

 

[flyyyguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807260#post14807260 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InsaneClownFish
Best of luck. I'm a bit surprised at what I'm perceiving as the size for a 5 year old Condy. .

Thank you

You are certainly not the first person to say that, as well as not necessarily misperceiving his size. You can see his size better in the first pics I posted. He surely isnt huge. You also made me think about it and being a fisherman I automatically do exaggerate, Ive had him and the original clown since october of 04

He simply doesnt grow in my systems, although to be honest I like it that way as he takes up way more acreage than I would like as it is. I run very nutrient controlled systems and up until recently when I built a barebottom polyp dominated tank, for the last several years he has been in sps dominated systems. The only food he gets is the first hunk of Rods the momma clown takes to him every day. The only time he has reproduced since I had him was when the rockslide ripped him in half. Well.....not really in half, more like 70/30. Both parts lived and I simply gave the smaller one away. Let me dig around and I will try to find some older pics. He was biggest before the tear a couple of years ago for sure, and hasnt really increased in size since. To continue to drone on about him .....he and the original clown also happen to be the survivors of a overheating while on vacation accident that killed 80% of the fish and 90% of the corals in a packed 225.





here is a pic of the 90g polyp dominated tank I will be returning him to soon after start up last fall for true size reference, and the oldest pic I can find of him so far from 3 years ago or so. Unfortunately the picture doesnt have any time relevant exif info saved but I know I got rid of the 80 gallon tank he is in early in 06. I clearly remember taking that pic as I have no idea how I did it. It was the single best picture I ever took with this old POS c3000 zoom. :lol: Ill keep digging to find some older ones as its kind of fun to look..........I know somewhere I have some from at least a year before that.

 

[flyyyguy]

Condy is in where I want him, and the clowns are in it

thanks for listening and advice offered. was appreciated. I realized through this that even though I have had it for so long, I really dont know nearly as much as I should of even the basics. I will work on changing that.

I have a really big tank planned and who knows just what I may put in it. I need to hang out in this forum more often

 

[flyyyguy]

just an update for anyone who is interested.

its been almost a month now and all is well......actually all is better than well. The clowns have been mated now for a couple of years since I added the second clown. But they have never done this until just now. I think they were more than a little bit happy to get their nem back.

 

[tufacody]

Its nice to see such dedication fly. As much as I love my (and YOUR!) corals, nems always seem dearest to me. I dunno, maybe I just feel like they are more personable. I recently added a gigantea to a cube tank and had to keep my hand in the water for 15 minutes until he let go. I was happy to do it