New Bubble Tip Anemone, lookin' healthy?

[Nikky.Werr]

Hello, I purchased this anemone last week. It was sold to me as a bubble tip anemone and I think it's doing well establishing in my system. I'd appreciate everyone's input on it's health or anything I can keep in mind to keep it happy. Oh and it hasn't accepted food since I got it last Thursday, I don't want to stress it out by "force feeding" it, but again any input is appreciated. Another oh, when I purchased last week it wouldn't attach so I placed it inside a piece of live rock that had a sort of nook in it so it wouldn't be blown away. It hasn't moved from there. Do you think it's content? Does it look healthy? This is my first bubble tip, but my second anemone. I found a warty anemone in some live rock, actually I have a thread on that one from June, but that's unrelated.

 

[Nikky.Werr]

weird update....

weird update....

So I JUST took those pictures I uploaded, go to my kitchen for some water, come back, and she's like this now. Is this normal? What the hell happened to her in those brief 5 minutes that I was gone? She's all shrunken and shriveled...
I tried using my DSLR but the damn lens wouldn't focus, so I used my phone instead.

Okay so this is another edit, ive added more pictures. Its moonlights time and she's come out again but her tentacle are noticeably thinner. What gives?

 

[Irishdolphin]

From you mention of 'moonlights time' for the second batch of photos I assume your lights switched to moonlight mode while you were getting some water? If so it is just the BTA reacting to that

 

[geckoejon]

it looks alright for a new recruit. i'm assuming it was wild caught. bta's will shrink and expand sometime. i wouldn't worry unless it stays contracted. i would offer it very small pieces of food maybe once or twice a week. i rotate between mysis and chopped krill.

 

[Nikky.Werr]

(Irishdolphin) you'd be right about switching to moonlights, so I'm glad to hear you say she's just reacting to that.
(geckoejon) Very relieved that "it looks alright for a new recruit". Im upset to think it may be wild caught, though it may be a possibility... My LFS has probably been lying about everything being "tank raised". They just always say what you wanna hear. I'll offer it food again on Friday or Saturday and see how it goes.
Should I be worried if it becomes more than a week without accepting food?
Thanks for your quick replies!

 

[Irishdolphin]

just looking at the photos again on big screen (laptop vs. phone) and noticed that it is sitting on the sand rather than attached to a rock. Is this still the case?

 

[Nikky.Werr]

(Irishdolphin) Actually its sitting inside the live rock with a nook in it that I first put it in. At first it would kind of bob around in there but as of Sunday I could tell it was attached inside the nook. Its more a shell than a rock, kind of like a shell turned live rock if that makes sense.

 

[Irishdolphin]

BTAs don't need to be target fed. In fact feeding too early in the acclimation process will probably do more harm than good.

 

[asudavew]

Keep your powerheads covered.
In case it decides to relocate.

 

[Nikky.Werr]

(Irishdolphin) so it'll just grab any frozen/thawed remnants that the fish didn't eat or it will sustain itself soley on food zooxanthellae produces thru photosynthesis? And also what is considered "too early"?
(asudavew) Thank you, I placed a foam insert on the intake area, will that be enough?

I'm adding two new pictures from this morning, does the mouth look a bit puffier than normal to you guys?

(Irishdolphin) Check out the sideshot, thats the live rock/shell its attached to.

 

[Irishdolphin]

(Irishdolphin) so it'll just grab any frozen/thawed remnants that the fish didn't eat or it will sustain itself soley on food zooxanthellae produces thru photosynthesis? And also what is considered "too early"?

(Irishdolphin) Check out the sideshot, thats the live rock/shell its attached to.

Hi Nikky, it will sustain itself via photosynthesis mainly plus any fish food leftovers.

I would just monitor it for a week or two and then feel free to target feed it if you want - I do even though I know it's not necessary

Re the mouth - looks ok to me. The mouth won't always be tightly closed depending on whether it is eating etc so nothing to worry about

 

[Nikky.Werr]

Irishdolphin, thank you so much. I've got to admit I get really anxious when I'm not sure about something and this bubble tip anemone is a new experience for me. She acts nothing like the warty anemone I've got so I have no reference other than forum information for her behavior. Thank you again. I feel pretty confident that she's doing great and that I can give her what she needs.

 

[Irishdolphin]

Hi, we've all been there - get very maternal / paternal towards our little 'babies'

 

[Nikky.Werr]

So after a week of looking lovely like the above pictures, my bta is like this now. I've read that gaping mouths are basically death sentences. My paramenters are the same: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <1, phosphate 0, ph 8.1, salinity 1.024-1.026. I havent introduced any new livestock, I havent added any chemicals. My last water change was 4 days ago, 15%. I do however have another separate tank (20 gallon) where I recently lost a black clownfish that was from the same shipment that my LFS got the BTA in. Is this the end for her? :sad1:

 

[Nikky.Werr]

Okay... and this is her right now, 8:30pm. The only thing not completely stable is my temperature which varies from 78-80 throughout the day...

 

[maddmaxx]

if you see it deflate again. i would consider treatment for it...

 

[mcfa2403]

Deflation is normal in BTA just not frequently. I find that mine often deflate more frequently if I feed them. Just make sure that there is decent flow over the oral disk as often when they deflate it is to expel waste and flow over the oral disk helps push the junk off.

 

[Ztrain]

Just watch it very carefully. I just went through the same thing and mine started to break apart yesterday. Your last shriveled picture is what mine looked like almost all the time. The difference is yesterday it shriveled up during the middle of the day with the both mouths looking like that and the brown stuff streaming out. While it was shriveled it became detached and I could see the side of it breaking up. If it starts to break apart get it out or it can foul the tank.

Alot of people say wait 6-12 months yet none of them can really tell you why. "It's more stable." But when you ask them what is stable specifically all you get is silence so I'm thinking it's just superstition. I'd love to be proven wrong but nobody seems to have any science to back it up that they can reference.

I failed with mine so I can't really give any advice on keeping it but just watch it closely to make sure it doesn't die and foul your tank.

 

[Nikky.Werr]

if you see it deflate again. i would consider treatment for it...

What kind of treatment? Antibiotics

Deflation is normal in BTA just not frequently. I find that mine often deflate more frequently if I feed them. Just make sure that there is decent flow over the oral disk as often when they deflate it is to expel waste and flow over the oral disk helps push the junk off.

I have been feeding her frequently, I'll cut it to once a week.

 

[Nikky.Werr]

Just watch it very carefully. I just went through the same thing and mine started to break apart yesterday. Your last shriveled picture is what mine looked like almost all the time. The difference is yesterday it shriveled up during the middle of the day with the both mouths looking like that and the brown stuff streaming out. While it was shriveled it became detached and I could see the side of it breaking up. If it starts to break apart get it out or it can foul the tank.

Alot of people say wait 6-12 months yet none of them can really tell you why. "It's more stable." But when you ask them what is stable specifically all you get is silence so I'm thinking it's just superstition. I'd love to be proven wrong but nobody seems to have any science to back it up that they can reference.

I failed with mine so I can't really give any advice on keeping it but just watch it closely to make sure it doesn't die and foul your tank.

After I took her pictures I was googling and searching different threads and I did find yours. I'm sorry for your loss. I hope that mine doesn't go that way. I will pay extra attention to her.