Ritteri Anemone Help!

[bradam]

Okay I have smelled newborn poo, 8 foot boa constrictor poo, dead rotting animal carcesses, that smell from the lasic laser buring my cornea's etc etc etc..

I have NEVER EVER EVER smelled something so foul and rank and gag reflex trigging as that anemone..

Gawd I'm going to have to do a 200 gallon water change after I wash my hands 80 or 90 more times...


Thing that baffles me the most is my 2 clowns removed about half my arm hair trying to prevent me from getting the anemone out.. maybe they can't smell? lol

 

[Toddrtrex]

Okay I have smelled newborn poo, 8 foot boa constrictor poo, dead rotting animal carcesses, that smell from the lasic laser buring my cornea's etc etc etc..

I have NEVER EVER EVER smelled something so foul and rank and gag reflex trigging as that anemone..

Gawd I'm going to have to do a 200 gallon water change after I wash my hands 80 or 90 more times...


Thing that baffles me the most is my 2 clowns removed about half my arm hair trying to prevent me from getting the anemone out.. maybe they can't smell? lol

Sorry that you lost it.

But, that was still a funny post. The first time I smelled a dead/dying anemone was about 16 years ago, and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[garygb]

Sorry about the loss. You've waited so long, but unfortunately something wasn't right with that anemone. Your tank specs sound on target (though I have no idea what "salt 48.5" refers to).

The key is finding a healthy one to begin with. I think sometimes they look healthy, but have already begun to deteriorate internally. Once they settle in and get established, they're quite hardy. They can tolerate less than ideal conditions for a while. However, more than BTAs or perhaps any other animals I've kept, if the water isn't in good shape they don't look just right and/or they start moving around on their piece of liverock. When water quality is good, they sit tight on their liverock perch and don't really shift around much if any. They are like canaries in a coal mine (except they just look bad, they don't drop dead from their perch; ).

 

[BonsaiNut]

I have NEVER EVER EVER smelled something so foul and rank and gag reflex trigging as that anemone..

I think rotting anemone is about the nastiest smell on the planet. That's one easy way to tell if it is dead - take a careful whiff. I have no idea what it is about dead anemones that make them smell so horrid...

 

[Silfer]

From that pic it doesn't look like it had much colour to begin with? Also did you acclimitise it to your lights? If it moved down to a hole it could be light shock.

Sorry for the loss tho.

 

[bradam]

From that pic it doesn't look like it had much colour to begin with? Also did you acclimitise it to your lights? If it moved down to a hole it could be light shock.

Sorry for the loss tho.

I shut off the 250w hq that shines on his side of the tank for the first 2 days. Ironicly in the store tank I got him from he had climbed up the side of the wall and was near the top fairly close to very large hq light and I remeber thinking he's going to get less light in my tank then he is here heh Color wise he looked nice in the store tank, most the time when I do manage to find a Ritteri they are all shriveled up and bleached looking.

Woke up this morning and my yellow tang I've had for a couple years was dead All my corals and my bubble tip look pretty stressed, my pair of 6 line wrasses are also mia.

 

[bradleym]

Oh, not good. Sounds like you left it in too long. I'd say big water change and change out your carbon. Good luck.

 

[garygb]

Yes, major water change, fresh carbon and keep the skimmer going full tilt.

 

[bradam]

Add poor mister foxface to the casulty list.. found one of the six line corpses while doing a water change.. other one is still mia but presumed dead =/

Corals are looking better, my green bta is still looking off but thinking he's gona pull through.

Here's a shot of the tank, i've been pondering building a top with a box fan in the far left side

here's with the sump

 

[bradam]

Everybody seems almost back to normal today.. Guessing do another water change tommorrow and then if all looks good wait about a month or so and start shopping for another Ritteri?

 

[robertcedgar]

I don't know if you've found one yet but keep on looking. They can be successfully kept. I've had one for about nine years now.....came mated with a Tomato Clown. I found mine at a lfs that had really primitive equipment. Both have done great under pc, 150 HQI and now 250 HQI. I feed once per week, usually a silverside or a cube of prime reef. He has grown from about 4 inches to about 14 when fully extended. On occasion, he will shrink for a few hours and then pump back up to full size. Good luck!