Think anemone might be dead. HELP!!

[wfournier]

that still seems like a small tank as BTAs can get to be over 2' across.

 

[Glaucus]

There's no point in moving an anemone. It won't stay were you want it to stay. And if you move it you stress it which causes it to hide and then move some more. It will move for the sake of moving even if it has a good spot.

 

[LeonPhelps]

Mine kept doing this same thing. I was convinced it was playing mind games with me. One day it would be wicked cool looking, the next day, it would look dead. Id yank that stupid thing out and put it some place else. It would just get blown off the rocks and lay in the sand. Finally I decided I was the bigger man, and I wouldn't let it mess with my head. I just left it. It layed under some rocks for about 4 days, and shriveled up to about the size of a quarter. I stuck with the plan, and left it. The next morning it was up in the rocks in full bloom. Its been there for about 2 months now looking healthy and happy. Im more of a nature vs nurture kind of guy. Id say leave it alone, if it wants to die let it, if not it needs to move itself someplace else. The key here is not to let it mess with your head.

 

[rssjsb]

The key here is not to let it mess with your head.

I try never to put myself in a situation where I might get outsmarted by a bag of water. :lol:

Seriously, I've had these guys disappear into rocks for up to two weeks before coming out again.

 

[bues0022]

that still seems like a small tank as BTAs can get to be over 2' across.

Though BTA's can get that large, they don't seem to regularly hit that large of a size in our tanks before they split. I've only seen two that large, and both were in very large, established systems whose owners were a bit OCD with keeping parameters exactly even at all times. Most BTA's seem to split before they reach that size. Additionally, a 28ga. tank IMO is not too small for a BTA. I know of someone who keeps a haddoni in a tank about the same size. The key is to be responsible, and if/when the nem gets too large for your tank - get rid of it for something smaller. It's going to be harder keeping water parameters in check with that size tank, but it's not too small.

It will move for the sake of moving even if it has a good spot.

I would respectfully disagree with this statement (assuming we're talking about bubble-tip anemones). It takes energy (and is risky to its health) to frequently move around. If your BTA is moving around it is for a reason. Is there adequate lighting, what are the age of bulbs, what is the flow like, is there an adequate hole or crevice to secure its foot into? What are the water parameters? are they stable or has there been a swing lately? Assuming all of these questions can be answered beneficially, the BTA is very unlikely to just move "for the sake of moving". If there is mechanical damage, or splits, or the questions above are answered in a detrimental fashion, then there is a likelihood that the BTA will, in fact, move. The problem is that sometimes we may not know what changed, or what is wrong and attribute the moving to "it wanting to" rather than something we may have overlooked.

jesterman22 - Every time anything is added/subtracted from the tank (rock, sand, even new fish) the tank will undergo a small mini-cycle. So when setting up a new tank - even when using old rocks - you will encounter a cycle. With using old rocks the cycle will usually be less than your original, but definitely don't discount the possibility of a high ammonia spike that could kill delicate livestock if added too soon.

 

[Glaucus]

I am talking about when you first add it to the tank. Not when it has been in the same spot for months. It will move. No matter how good the water quality, adequate the lighting or good the spot you picked for it.

If you move it, it will move as well. You shouldn't selectively quote me like that because your post now reads like you support trying to keep it in the spot you want it to be.

One can set up an experiment to see who is right. Have a tank with a BTA. Wait months and see where it will settle. Then take it out and put a new BTA in the exact same place. Let's see if it will move or not. I bet that it will. You bet it won't?

Then if it moves we move it back in that spot. You again bet it won't move?