Nursing a sick RBTA back to health, advice please!

[erinangele]

I need some advice on nursing a unhealthy anemone back to health. This anemone was given to me by a friend who has multiple anemones in his tank. When I saw it in his tank I noticed it's mouth was gaping open (about the diameter of a nickel) and it was spitting out brown stuff. My friend thought it was just pooping, although I was suspicious.

I acclimated it to my tank, and placed it into a little basket in my fuge so I could keep a close eye on it before releasing it into my tank.

The second day I noticed it's mouth still a little open, I turned the light on and it closed its mouth. Later I noticed it open a bit again. Not nearly as bad as it was in his tank. It attached itself to the rock I put in, and opens up for the light so those are good signs. But here is the other bad thing, I gave it some mysis and its tentacles are not sticky at all.

Today, It's mouth is still a little open. I squirted some Oyster Feast over it and It opened its mouth very wide. A little later I placed one mysis shrimp inside of its mouth and it tried to close around it placing a tentacle over its mouth so it would not come out. I'm pretty sure it ate it successfully. At least I'm hoping.

I don't want to stress it out by feeding it too much. Does anyone have any advice on a feeding schedule to nurse a sick nem back to health. Anything else I can do to help it?





Yesterday. This was taken after I turned on the light and it puckered it's mouth closed.




Today. Still open a little.




Today. Another shot showing where I have it.




Here is how it looked after i squirted some Oyster Feast over it.

 

[justinky]

Rule #1: If you suspect a anemone is sick, don't feed. This only stresses the anemone more by making it have to digest food.

All things considered you have a BTA, if you have good water parameters, lighting and flow it should bounce back on it's own.

 

[Magantea]

I agree, just put him in the DT and see how he does for the next 24-48 hrs.

If he continues to have the gaping mouth, I would treat him with bactrim.

 

[addictedreefer]

Looks fine to me for a newly acclimated nem. Get him in the DT and just provide good water, light and flow.

 

[erinangele]

Thank you for your replies!

I thought I had read somewhere that if a anemone does not have sticky tentacles to put food in it's mouth. I hope I did not cause too much more stress! I won't feed it again until it's settled and healthy.

I can move the whole "babysitter" (as I call it, haha) to the DT but I'm hesitant to let it loose until it looks better. I have a clown who will start pestering it right away.

Going to google Bactrim, thanks!

 

[erinangele]

I moved the anemone to the DT this morning. It's moved a couple inches, but not too far. Hoping it deciders to stay in this area. It's mouth looks better this morning, but still a little puckered looking. Here it is in the DT.



You can see it's mouth looks pretty good.




My clown was happy to see it.