need some specifics on putting lta in pvc please

[koj11]

My tank is a 29 gallon with mainly soft corals (leathers, mushrooms, star polyps, xenia). It's been up and running for about 4 years now, and I've recently decided to add an anemone. The fish in this tank are a lemonpeel angel and a pair of black percs. Water temp is 80, salinity 1.025, and all water parameters are stable and good. I found a beautiful lta at my lfs about 2 weeks ago. I brought him home, plunked him down where I though he would like it, and he immediately started digging. He went down to the glass bottom through about 3-4 inches of sand and attached. Three days later in the morning, he was up on top of the sand on his side. He has repositioned himself all around since then, but generally stayed in the same area. He is usually on his side, but sometimes faces front, sometimes back, sometimes he is upright. I tried digging him in a couple times, but he always digs himself back out now. Throughout this whole process, he has looked and acted extremely healthy. He is fully extended and beautiful looking, his tentacles are very sticky, and his feeding response is very fast. He eats silversides, shrimp, whatever I give him. He seems very healthy, he just won't attach. I've read some about trying a piece of pvc pipe, but in looking through every thread I could find here, there are some specific questions that I was unable to find answers to. I know to get a piece just slightly larger in diameter than his foot. Here are the questions;

1. Should the top of the pipe be higher than the sand, and if so, how much?

2. Should the end stuck in the sand be open on the bottom or capped off?

3. If the bottom is open, should the pipe go all the way to the glass bottom of the tank or be left above it (and along with that, has anyone tried securing a piece of liverock to the bottom end of the pvc?)?

4. Should the pvc be emptied of sand after being put in the tank and before the anemone goes in, or should the sand stay in it (I guess it doesn't make sense to me to leave sand in, since the anemone could just crawl back up out of it again maybe)?

I know this is long winded, but thanks for sticking with it. If you've successfully done the pvc deal and had it work long term for you, any other tips or suggestions are most welcome. Thanks in advance!

 

[dantodd]

It's best if he can wedge his foot against or under a piece of LR. My LTA floated around like that for 2 months before deciding on a place to stay. Almost exactly like your story except my female clarkii dug him up from his original place. Keep feeding it and keep it protected from the powerheads and he'll likely find a spot to stay.

I never resorted to the PVC but:

1) not sure
2) open, he'll want to try and grab hold of the edge and the glass.
3) all the way to the bottom
4) definately fill it up with sand, that's the only way he'll attach.

 

[koj11]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've read that the pvc can keep the anemone from moving. I'm a little confused about how it actually does that. If your pvc piece is filled up with sand, isn't that just like it being buried in the sandbed so that it could just dig back up and out of it?

 

[dantodd]

I don't think it will help if he is digging out. I believe the suggestion is for one that wanders without detaching.

 

[koj11]

Sorry, I don't understand. Wanders without detaching?

 

[dantodd]

sometimes aneomnes will walk around without detaching their foot from the glass/rock. If that is the case tehy can't go anywhere if the PVC is around their foot.

 

[koj11]

Thanks again for the help. Is there anyone who has done this with pvc successfully that can walk me through it or add anything to what's been suggested already?

 

[koj11]

Well, I decided not to try the whole pvc mess. I think it would have been more trouble than it was worth. The lta was still very healthy, so back to the lfs he went, and home with me came a gorgeous green bta w/pink tips. He was still wandering across the sand last night when I put the tank to bed. This morning, however, he had settled into a nice spot in the rocks. He is right in the front and is looking great. I fed him a small piece of shrimp, and he ate it right up. The most exciting part, though, is he also had himself a little clown friend sleeping amidst his tentacles as the tank was waking up! I'll see if I can get a decent pic in the next couple of days to post.

 

[dantodd]

Sounds like clarkii.

 

[koj11]

Alrighty it's been a while since I've added pics to a post, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.