Randy's Red Haddoni

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Anyone think there is any chance it doesn't care for fine oolitic aragonite sand? The sand in the tank is Southdown, and I thought I'd add more around the column tonight when it is contracted, but if it might not like that sand I could use a large grain type of substrate which I already have.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I am not sure of the exact size/type of my sand, but mine isn't bothered by it.

It is this stuff,

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10741+7326&pcatid=7326

And in the past I have kept a Haddoni in crushed coral, and that didn't seem to bother it at all.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Day 19.

Not sure what to think or do.

The anemone settled into the overhang and attached there. I added some crushed coral around it to make it feel as if it were in "deeper' sand in case that was an issue. I though all was going well.

The first day after relocating it, it contracted mid afternoon. Yesterday is expanded again at night and didn't contract again until night. Today it was expanded all day, but now seems to be releasing the front of its foot again, just like it did before.

It just does not seem to like that spot.

I'm going to prepare another spot nearby and see if it likes that any better.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK, I moved it about 5 inches to the right. The shape of the rock/sand interface is quite different there, so hopefully it will be better. There was virtually no attachment when I moved it, and what there was was well up on the rock, not the glass or under the overhang. It is also now hemmed in by rocks on 2 sides.

 

[Haddonisreef]

I'm starting to think Chemical war fare!:fun2:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks. I guess that is a possibility. Despite using a fair amount of fresh GAC (fresh last week), skimming, and ozone, I do have a reasonable number of organisms that might send up warning flags, including a ton of Caulerpa racemosa in my refugia, a variety of soft corals, a large H. crispa and probably more than a dozen E. quad anemones spread through the system with a total water volume of about 300-350 gallons.

 

[Patrick12]

My haddoni will move around quite frequently too. The foot only attaches to the bottom of the aquarium and of course the sand. The few times it has raised it's foot onto nearby rocks, it never attaches to them. I think the larger grain sand is worth a try. When I come across them here in the lagoons, they are in 3-4 mm grain sand....mostly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks. How long have you had yours?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Day 22. Not looking good. I'm afraid we may be getting close to the end.

It attached in the new location, but has not expanded very well. The foot only attached to the rock, not to the glass. It stayed attached to the rock for a couple of days, but this afternoon it was very contracted and let go completely just now.

I tried again just now to put into a decent position at the rock/sand interface with an overhang, but I am not very hopeful.

 

[Freed]

You been feeding it?

 

[Canarygirl]

How is it looking in general?

When my RBTA got shredded in a powerhead it looked gawd-awful. Anthony Calfo recommended feeding it a slurry of small particle food enriched with Selcon or Vitachem. Something like cyclopeeze or bits of mysis shrimp for example.

I've never had a Haddoni but my RBTA came back from the dead when I fed it this way every day for a while, then every other day. It's easier for them to digest the particle food, per AC.

I hope your beautiful haddoni recovers.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've only fed it the one time mentioned in this thread. It is still contracted, and I'd expect it to stay that way until tonight, if it acts like it has on other days.

I have some fresh Selcon ready to go to make it a meal, but have been waiting for it to stabilize in a location it likes.

 

[Freed]

I'd be feeding it. That's a while to go without giving it some food fwITIk

 

[Canarygirl]

I'd be feeding it. That's a while to go without giving it some food fwITIk

+1

 

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13566731#post13566731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
I have some fresh Selcon ready to go to make it a meal, but have been waiting for it to stabilize in a location it likes.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[puter]

Sorry to hear that Randy.

Your anemone is following a rather classic pattern often exhibited by newly imported S. haddoni anemones. While there's still hope, unless that anemone firmly attaches and settles somewhere within the next week or so, the outlook, IMO, is rather bleak.

Contrary to some of the other suggestions you've received, I would not feed the anemone again until it settles. The decision to feed the anemone is predicated upon the beliefs that:

1. the decline of the anemone is either due to, or is being exacerbated by a lack of nutrition,
2. that the anemone is incapable of obtaining sufficient nutrition from DOMs or from its sybiont zooxanthellae,
3. that the food you select contains the required nutrients,
4. that the digestive system of the anemone is functioning sufficiently to allow it digest and absorb the nutrients,
5. that the anemone's expansions and contractions will not expel the food before it can be digested,
6. that the anemone is capable of expelling any harmful waste byproducts of digestion[/list=1] I've tried feeding anemones at this stage a number of times despite not believing all those conditions to be true, and I'm now convinced it just exacerbates the problems.
   
   I'm not sure if you're looking for detailed suggestions? If so, though I recognize some of these things might not be practical for you, here's what I would do: My biggest concern would be getting the anemone to settle. So, I'd position some rocks and sand in such a way that it makes it difficult for the anemone to go anywhere else. It doesn't matter if you do this in your tank, in another tank, or in a tupperware container. The key points are:
   • find a flat rock that can be positioned to form an under-sand inclined "ledge" from the bottom of the tank/container to the surface of the sand. I typically make the sand about 3" deep. This "ledge" rock must be securely wedged so that it will not move at all when the anemone exerts force against it.
   • Next, form a high oval ring of rocks, at least twice as high as the radius of the anemone's oral disc, around the flat "ledge" rock and sand such that the base of the ring is equal to about 3/4 of the diameter of the anemone's oral disc when expanded. In other words, when the anemone is fully expanded, sitting at the base of this cone shaped stack of rocks, it can "feel" rocks on all sides.
   • Splitting the oval bottom of this cone shaped structure is the top of the "ledge" rock on one side, and sand on the other.
   • Place the anemone's pedal disc on the top of the ledge rock making sure it doesn't "grab" onto the upper portion of the surrounding rocks.
   • Finally, blast it with as much light as you can.
   With any luck, the anemone will burrow under the rock and attach. I typically clear a little bit of sand from under the ledge so there's a small gap between the sand and the underside of the ledge.
   
   If necessary I would move the anemone to another tank so that I could immediately introduce a hosting clownfish. While I typically use oscellaris clowns, I wouldn't risk the waiting period in this case... I'd find a small Saddleback clown and get it in the tank as soon as possible.
   
   Good luck!
   
   Mark

 

[traveller7]

fwiw: If the anemone is not showing a feeding response to the food the fish are eating in that system, food is not the issue. They can go without feeding for months, shrinking by consuming themselves, but surviving none the less in our systems.

A haddoni by this stage should be grabbing brine, mysis, and just about anything else blowing by in the flow. If it is not grabbing and showing a feeding response, we have an issue.

While I am not a fan of adding clowns to a stressed anemone, I am a fan of "when nothing seems right, move it to a new tank" philosophy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks very much for the suggestions everyone. I appreciate and need them.

This morning it is somewhat expanded, and has moved into almost the exact position it was in a couple of days ago, despite yesterday being put with its foot on the glass. It pulls up onto the rock, holding onto a projection, and has half of its foot unattached. It just does not seem to like being on the glass or sand.

Here are a couple of early AM photos:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

find a flat rock that can be positioned to form an under-sand inclined "ledge" from the bottom of the tank/container to the surface of the sand. I typically make the sand about 3" deep. This "ledge" rock must be securely wedged so that it will not move at all when the anemone exerts force against it.

Just to be sure I understand the suggestion, the anemone is hoped to attach to the ledge rock and then travel down the underside of it to the bottom?

 

[puter]

Exactly, the anemone firmly attaches to the rock and works its way down into the sand at its leisure. Sand really is incidental to progress at this point.

Also, Scott's point is a good one. I should have included the caveat that the "add a clown" recommendation is specific to S. haddoni anemones in this specific situation. In addition to other potential benefits, the clownfish seems to give the anemone something to "take cover" from, and IME encourages the anemone to settle more quickly.

Mark