Randy's Red Haddoni

[traveller7]

I am not here to discourage, but to encourage in the proper context. If you have information or theories, post them, but do so where they can be found among the greater community.

At this point we are hidden under "Randy's Red Haddoni", while a nice specimen, not a thread the community will be exposed to on the scale fitting the current topic.

A few thoughts for the new thread:

fwiw: Ammonia toxicity is a major threat to most of our specimens at this pH.
fwiw2: Bacteria is suspect in a few events, but while easy to postulate, nobody seems to have nailed it down conclusively with exception to increased successes in H. magnifica with treatment.
fwiw3: Since most anemones die in our care the first year, most data is anecdotal at best.
fwiw4: Nothing wrong with posting reference data, quite a few folks lurk these forums and would love to read up on current information.

Cheers folks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Day 15

I'm afraid something very bad is happening.

As seen in the picture below, the foot seems to be detaching from the bottom this afternoon. The foot and bottom portion of the column is very expanded.

It seems to have been working up to this over a few days, but is way worse today.

Anyone know what is happening or why?

Anything I can or should do?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ah crap. It is completely detached and loose.

On the slim chance it found the sand not deep enough, I'm trying to see what I can do about getting it a deeper setup.

 

[Flighty]

Try a tupperware with several inches of sand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I returned the light blocking strips in case excessive light was the issue.

 

[Flighty]

how deep was the sand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It was probably 2-3 inches.

I reinstalled my blockade rock that will keep it from accidently rolling into the the H. crispa.

I've leaned it into the rockwork behind it, which has some big openings, and it seems to be sticking a bit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK, it has definitely grabbed much of the rockwork with its foot and is holding itself in place, even moving its foot along the rock. The body is expanded as it has typically been recently, and the mouth is still fairly small.

 

[Toddrtrex]

One thing that I have noticed about mine is that they like their foot in the sand, but under a rock at the same time.

Sort of like this, you can see the foot starting to go under the rock. The top part of the foot is attached to the underside of the rock.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, I'd seen that in some photo's here, and that's about the setting it was in with the side of its foot pressed against the rock and possibly creeping under it a bit.

Some of the openings in the rockwork it is attaching to go down to sand below, so maybe it will settle into one of these caves.

 

[traveller7]

Do you know if the anemone made it all the way to the glass? Most of mine will attach to the glass and then plow their way through it until they hit a firm barrier. Then they will move their foot underneath.

My Tupperware specimens would occasionally wander around in circles until I placed a large rock in one corner and on top of the sand.

I would not panic yet, depending on flow, lighting, and suitable rocks, I might relocate it a bit. Just one of the reasons I really like a large deep Tupperware container.

One of the lingering questions, is the anemone grabbing and foodstuffs added for specifically for the fish? I would expect a Haddoni to grab a bit by now.

 

[puter]

It's amazing how much angst these brainless bags of water can cause us, isn't it?

While I share your concern and wish I could be more reassuring about the overall health of the anemone, as I indicated before, it is common for them to move like this within a few days after their first feeding.

On the slim chance it found the sand not deep enough, I'm trying to see what I can do about getting it a deeper setup.

FWIW, I would do the opposite. While, almost without fail, S. haddoni anemones eventually settle in our tanks at the interface between rocks and the sand, during this acclimation period I have found that rockwork is much more important than sand.

Housing recently imported anemones in dedicated tanks has enabled me to vary flow, lighting, substrate, etc. In general S. haddoni anemones seem to prefer to attach to large, smooth rocks that form a ledge under which they can retract. Key points seem to be that the rock doesn't move at all, that their body column is completely shielded from light, and that as much of their body column as possible is in contact with the underside of the rock in their normally expanded state. They seem to prefer less flow than more and more light than less.

If my experience holds true for your anemone, it will almost certainly reattach and look normal again... at least temporarily. It will also continue to expand and contract, perhaps more overtly than before, and it is very likely to move again.

I would be inclined to limit further feedings and not limit light at this point.

Mark

 

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13522475#post13522475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by puter
Key points seem to be that the rock doesn't move at all, ....

This point bears repeating, if the rock or substate they attach to moves, they will keep moving until they find something that does not.

The yellow and blue specimen (actually the same anemone) in my gallery would easily move rocks larger then a football.

 

[Haddonisreef]

My red started out between sand and rock and after a few days it move to a cave in the rock work where it berried it foot in the rocks apposed to the sand! Try to surround it w/ a few pieces of lr and see what happens!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks everyone!

it is still stuck to the rock. The foot moved an inch or two after it first attached, and has not moved since. It is largely on a vertical wall right now, about 2" above the sand at it closest. The anemone is still completely expanded at lights out.

I assume it was previously attached to the glass, but I cannot be sure as I cannot see through the bottom of my stand.

The rockwork it is on is quite large. It does not move when I pull on it, but I cannot really know how much pressure the anemone applies or in what direction. I'd guess several large Tonga branches are fused with encrusting organisms to a piece weighing 50 pounds or more and it is up against the back wall.

Anyway, I figure less meddling with it the better, so I won't do anything about it today.

 

[Canarygirl]

really interesting thread and some beautiful anemones too. Royal blue, pure bright red, Wow-ee.

I hope he thrives for you Randy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, it is definitely stabilized. It is still attached to the same rock in the same horizontal position. It looks about like it has for the past week, except turned sideways.

The foot has moved perhaps a couple of inches higher on the rockwork in the past 18 h. All of that time it has been at least in part directly sucked down onto green star polyps.

I left it in full light today, since it is turned sideways the light hitting it is naturally less anyway.

Well, I guess it is just a watch and wait game for now. No feeding plans for the next couple of days at least.

 

[Flighty]

The big question is can you see it better now or earlier?

 

[1fishkeeper]

Sounds like it just might have found its self a place to call home.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Day 16. It has not moved in the past 24 h. it still contracts at night and at lights on this morning it is expanding again as usual. It still expels some waste at night wen it contracts. The mouth is still a concern.

The big question is can you see it better now or earlier?

From an aesthetic standpoint, it is fine where it is and I can more easily see it from across the room. At night when it contracts, it looks odd and uncomfortable as it is hanging from the rock, but if it stays there i guess it is "comfortable" enough.