Tips on Helping a New Anemone Find Its Location

[Darth_Tater]

Ok, so like the title says, how do you help a new anemoney settle?

Specifically sand anemones, but others as well since I'd like to add a rock nem too.


I'm trying my second LTA (Macrodactyla Doreensis). I put it in a spot I'd expect it to like from the reading I've done, but it's just a neutrally bouyant ball when adding it to the tank and floats around like crazy. I try digging a hole for it, but it won't stay. So finally I turn the powerheads off and let it settle.

After a couple hours the nem digs in and seems quite happy, so I turn the powerhead back on. All seems good for a day or two and then I see the pink ball moving around again. Sometimes it gets caught on something and will dig in for a couple days.

The problem is that it won't move around in the sand bed. When it wants to move it just forms a ball and gets blown around by the current.

So... any tips? Is my flow too high maybe? I'm out of ideas. Thanks in advance!

 

[OrionN]

They like deep sand and not a lit of current IME

 

[Darth_Tater]

Ok. The sand in this tank is about 4 inches. I'll try to reduce the flow tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[Dean Ladd]

As stated LTA's like deeper sand beds. But they will stay in a shallow sand beds if you take into account they do not like direct water flow and like to burier their foot in the sand in between some rock structures. Let's say they like their back up against the wall/rock structure.

When I upgraded my old 135 to a 215 gal I built the rock structure like a cove to house the nem. The nem is in only 2" of sand but wedged its foot in the sand between 2 rocks. There is plenty of water flow in this tank but the cove protects it from any direct flow. I placed the nem in the tank in the exact place I wanted it knowing it liked to wedge between the rocks. It has not move one inch since placing it there. Maybe I am lucky but I also have a RBTA its location was also specifically built around what it prefers. Foot wedged into a rock structure out of direct water flow. From my personal experience they do prefer more water flow across them then the LTA. Mine also like to be directly under one of my 165 w LED fixtures. It to was placed in the new system and has not move 1 inch. It has been almost a month since they were placed into the new system. That said I have keep both of these nems for years and have had a chance to see and know what they like.

 

[davocean]

Best spot for LTA is DSB, up against rockwork between a couple rocks or in a cove type area where they are kinda sheltered from flow, and best would be a ledgey area where they can pull in or out of light as needed.

Yours could have some issues we can't see w/out pics, possibly torn foot, substrate, params, hard to guess

 

[Dean Ladd]

I caught my LTA doing this tonight. Snap a quick picture because it gives you a good view on how these nems like to settle in between rocks with their foot in the sand.

 

[Darth_Tater]

I changed the powerhead in the and greatly reduced the flow in the tank and the nem has stayed in the same spot for over a day now. Doesn't seem to be that great a place to me, but it looks more happy than it has since I put it in the tank so whatever. With the lower flow hopefully it will have an easier time moving around if it wants to.

 

[oldhead]

As stated LTA's like deeper sand beds. But they will stay in a shallow sand beds if you take into account they do not like direct water flow and like to burier their foot in the sand in between some rock structures. Let's say they like their back up against the wall/rock structure.

When I upgraded my old 135 to a 215 gal I built the rock structure like a cove to house the nem. The nem is in only 2" of sand but wedged its foot in the sand between 2 rocks. There is plenty of water flow in this tank but the cove protects it from any direct flow. I placed the nem in the tank in the exact place I wanted it knowing it liked to wedge between the rocks. It has not move one inch since placing it there. Maybe I am lucky but I also have a RBTA its location was also specifically built around what it prefers. Foot wedged into a rock structure out of direct water flow. From my personal experience they do prefer more water flow across them then the LTA. Mine also like to be directly under one of my 165 w LED fixtures. It to was placed in the new system and has not move 1 inch. It has been almost a month since they were placed into the new system. That said I have keep both of these nems for years and have had a chance to see and know what they like.

I caught my LTA doing this tonight. Snap a quick picture because it gives you a good view on how these nems like to settle in between rocks with their foot in the sand.

Not sure what you are using to host the pictures but they are not showing

 

[davocean]

This is one of my past tanks when I was keeping an LTA/doreensis, and it shows how they like to be tucked into a cove type area, and I had a ledge, so it would pull in and out as needed.

I actually had probably 40x turnover in that tank, wasn't an issue, and it could kind of snug rockwork.

That LTA stayed right there in that spot for 5 and half years.

It's the one on the left side w/ tang swimming by it.

 

[Dean Ladd]

Not sure what you are using to host the pictures but they are not showing

Thank.i got that fixed

 

[davocean]

Now we can see, and yes, very similar cove area, perfect placement and scape for it.