Stressed H. magnifica

[luamada]

Hi all, I hae an anemony that got stuck in the power head and I just got it last week and the LFS said it should be allright. It is looking weird, but I am not sure what is wrong with it. It has two mouth and one is closed and the other is kind of open with some white things that looks like teeth on it. Earlier it had some black things coming out of it's mouth. Should I feed it? What should I do. The store told me to just keep a very strong floow on it. It looks worth ater I put the power head direct to it. I tried to put the flow to it's side, but it looked like it could not hand on to the glass on the side. Any ideas pleaseeeeeeee????

 

[traveller7]

Re: about sick anemonies

Re: about sick anemonies

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13290528#post13290528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luamada
Hi all, I hae an anemony that got stuck in the power head and I just got it last week and the LFS said it should be allright. It is looking weird, but I am not sure what is wrong with it. It has two mouth and one is closed and the other is kind of open with some white things that looks like teeth on it. Earlier it had some black things coming out of it's mouth. Should I feed it? What should I do. The store told me to just keep a very strong floow on it. It looks worth ater I put the power head direct to it. I tried to put the flow to it's side, but it looked like it could not hand on to the glass on the side. Any ideas pleaseeeeeeee????

luamada,

Saw a picture of your anemone on another thread, it appears to be a distressed H. magnifica. They wander around looking for proper lighting and flow. They frequently find powerheads, overflows, heaters, filter intakes etc.

It sounds as if yours has sustained an injury as well. fwiw: anemones do not have teeth, but when they open their mouth, the oral cavity will show ridges. Black things from the oral cavity would either be waste or the anemone expelling symbiotic algae.

At this stage, new to anemones, with a distressed and injured H. magnifica; the odds are quite poor for survival.

Alternating flow, near the anemone would be beneficial. Direct powerhead flow on a weakened/injured anemone would not be beneficial, and could cause more damage.

If the anemone is not under the light, it may be avoiding it because of bleaching. Possible shade a portion of the tank and or shift the light to the side to give the anemone the option of intense or indirect lighting.

Best of luck.

 

[luamada]

How do I know if it is dying? Should I feed it? Right now still in the spot that it got stuck, I had to move the power head to the other side, but I am worried because I have all the flow going into one direction. I also called the LFS and they told me to put a power head facing it, so I did it. Then some black things started to come out of it's mouth. It has two mouth and one is closed and one is open. The one that is closed has some white things with some black thing stuck on it. The open mouth has just start to close now, but in it's side has kind of a shrunk side and the tentacles are shrinking. I just turned off the power head that was direct to it and the anemony looks weird. It closed his mouth now, but it looks like it is shriking on one side. Is it dying? What should I do? thanks

 

[luamada]

Is this sick???

Is this sick???

How do I know if my anemony is dying? How long does it take for a sick anemony to dye? What does it do? She got stuck and it is looking like this.

 

[luamada]

 

[luamada]

she does not look good. is there anything I can do?

she does not look good. is there anything I can do?

 

[traveller7]

luamada,

Stable water quality, alternating flow, making sure the anemone can move to intense lighting or mild lighting, and protecting it from injury are about all you can do at this stage.

Expect it to move around quite a bit.
Expect it to deflate, inflate quite a bit.

If it has been in the tank for few days, week, you might consider trying to feed it some mysis shrimp or some silversides(must be cut into small pieces.) Amount of food to try 1cmx1cm cube total. Don't be surprised if it does not eat.

Unfortunately, the LFS should never have sold that anemone without conditioning it first. And the LFS should have only sold it to hobbyist experienced with anemones.

IMHO, you would be best served by returning that specimen as soon as possible. If they will not accept a return, find a new LFS and start new thread and we'll try to help you as best as possible.

Good luck.

 

[luamada]

Thank you so much Scott, the water quality is almost perfect, still have a little nitrate (between 5 - 10) tested again today. Everything also is fine all 0 or whetever it should be(CA,MG,KH,Phos).
It has not moved since yesterday after it got stuck in the power head. I went back to the store and they said that it got stuck and that is why, but I think that the one left there actually looks worth than mine and they were from the same group from last Wednesday. I got it on Thursday (one week today). When I turned off the light it opened up her mouth (the two of them) and started to inflate. I turned the power head back on her and it looks better again: It opened up it's tentacles, closed the mouths, and looks almost the same as when I got it). I know it is bleached, but I think that will take time to get back to it's natural.
Should I leave the power head's flow on Sue (my anemony)? Thank you
PS. I will change LFS. The last thing I want is to have this beautiful creature be captured from its habitat to dye. My heart is sunken). Thank you for everything.

 

[luamada]

I meant turned off the power head.

 

[traveller7]

Luamada,

Having the magnifica stay put is a good thing. Don't move lights or change them at this point.

I would gamble on the magnifica staying at the top of the tank, they rarely move down the glass unless the light is too intense for them. Place the powerhead at the bottom of the tank with the flow pointed toward the surface of the tank. The tentacles should continue to move if it is placed properly, but the base/column of the anemone will not deform(collapse) from too much flow.

It would be helpful if you can snap a picture of a the mouth(s). I am guessing one is an injury.

 

[luamada]

last up date of today: 10:20PM

last up date of today: 10:20PM

Hi Scott, and all, it is looking really bad. The botton that attaches to the glass is thin and looks like it is shrinking. The tentacles looks good still and are moving around (probably because of the flow). One mouth is opened about half an inch and is showing the white thing again. The other mouth is closed, but still have that while filament coming out of it. Its' body looks like an old lady's skin.:rolleye1:
I am worried that it may not make it through tomorrow. :sad1:
I can only pray...

 

[traveller7]

Yes, it sounds bad. H. magnifica have proven they can last far longer then we believe...don't count them out until they are really gone. When they turn inside out, smell bad, break into pieces, shed tentacles, or release from the substrate(glass, rock, etc.) then and only then are they done.

Don't give up, but understand the odds were against you and the anemone before you purchased it.

 

[luamada]

Thank Scott, I really appreciate all your inputs. I woke up 3 times during the night to check on it and it still hanging in there. One of the mouth is now closed, the other is closed but still have the filament hanging from it, the part that holds on the glass one side of it looks thin and the other has inflated a little more than yesterday. I bough the frozen food that you mencioned and have been feeding her every day. She ate (looks like she did) about 2 shrimps. Today I will cut ito smaller pieces to make it easier for her. I moved the power had last night so it is not right on top of her, but did not put it in the botton because I am affraid she will go to it. I put it in the front of the and had to use a string to tie it and put another power head that is very week on the botton of it just to hold it in place. It looks bad, but I do not mind. Her tentacles still moving around (again I do not know if it is because of the flow). I will work from home today and will be home most of the time to watch her. Should I buy another type of food just so she enjoys different types?

 

[traveller7]

When an anemone eats, the food will "stick" to the tentacles and the tentacles will be brought to the mouth. The mouth will actually open, even slightly turn inside out a bit at this stage.

I would not add too much food at this stage unless you are 100% sure it is actually eating. Stressed anemones rarely eat well. Stick with mysis shrimp at this stage.

Hopefully you have some clean up critters and fish that will eat the left overs the anemone does not grab. Or you'll need to siphon out the left over food the anemone does not eat.

 

[luamada]

I do have 2 damsels that eat like crazy. I have schedule for someone to come and remove them for me next week, but I guess I will postpone until I get a quarentine tank going and get another fish. Do you know if I can quarentine two fishes at the same time? (small ones and 10 gallons tank)

 

[traveller7]

With planning and preparation you can quarantine 2 compatible fish at the same time.

I would not add anything new to the tank until the anemone settles in or dies. The tank will need to stabilize in either case.

Unless you need to remove the damsels, I would leave them in there to pick up the scraps the anemone does not eat.