What happened to my anenome?!?!?

sEaLiFe4LiFe

New member
The guy i bought this anenome from said it was a Haitian anenome. I'm trying to figure out what has has happened to it.. Is this called bleaching or is it the lighting? I have the standard 4 bulb 2 white 2 blue lights. Why doesn't it open up as big as it once did? It never moved locations until I moved the rock it was on which was once. Any help would be appreciated thanx guys :)

Before
22FB25C6-C390-457C-9DE9-058BE9FEFE19-3073-00000213A07628C0.jpg



After (Now)
5A3168C7-55EC-410F-B00C-CED31548C539-3073-00000213A37BADDE.jpg
 
That's badly bleached. What are you parameters? Also, how long have you had it and do you feed it at all? Usually anemones bleached like that have a hard time recovering. But if parameters are good and stable, and lighting is sufficient, then they may recover with light feeding 2-3 times a week. Try to see if it will take some mysis shrimp or a small piece of chopped shrimp or fish.
 
As stated it is very bleached. What size tank and what type of bulbs? (T5, no,, pc, ect) . How long has the tank been running? Also what are your parameters? And that is a bubble anemone i believe
 
That is a bubble tip anemone (E. quadricolor) It is completely bleached. You will have to feed it every few days because it cannot make any food from the light.
 
Hey guys! The tank is been up and running for 10 months now and have had it for about 5 months in the tank. I have t5 bulbs 2 white 2 blue. It eats mysis but just recently bought clam piece to feed it. Parameters are always good checked weekly with monthly 25-30% water changes. How should I feed it let clam defrost in r/o or saltwater and feed?
 
It's a bubble tip (entacmaea quadricolor). It is bleached and I agree with everyone else, it needs to be fed. I would use something soft like bay scallops, thawed in tank water and mashed up to a paste-like consistency. Use a turkey baster and squirt right onto the oral disk (you might want to suspend any circulation pumps you have running). Feed it small portions every other day. Watch to make sure it digests what you feed it.

If I understand correctly you've had it 5 months. If your bulbs are old, you should change them. Other than the bleaching it looks good, bubbled and inflated. I'd say keep the water clean and stable, make sure it has some circulation around it (not directly on), and feed it every couple or 3 days and get it's color back. It will take time but be patient.
 
I appreciate all the info guys! I'll try everything that I have learned and I know patience is key :) ill try to post update thanx again for everything!!
 
Four T5s should be fine; I second the replace your bulbs idea. If the anemone looks that bad they must be either very old or very poor quality (or maybe both). I would recommend getting four ATI bulbs to replace them. If you can't get them locally for a reasonable price, Bulk Reef Supply is a good online place to get them (and is a sponsor here). They don't charge you extra for shipping bulbs like many other places do. Good luck with the recovery.
 
T5 bulbs should be changed at least once a year, preferably every 8-10 months IMO. How far away from the lights are your rockwork? do you have detectable phosphates, nitrates? Did it bleach before or after you moved it? Some times anemones will bleach if not acclimated to strong lights properly, or from prolonged stress and not enough light. With 4 bulbs over a 75 it should be fine if its a bubble tip, but if its low stacked rocks, it may not be enough.
I thaw out food with tank water, and would recommend rinsing it again with tank water so you don't add all that nutrient soup into the tank. Any meaty food is fine, but make sure it's hasn't gone bad (thawed and refrozen in shipping sometimes), best to go with fresh seafood from the grocers, chop it up and lay it thin in a ziplock bag, then freeze it.
Make sure you feed it small meals, that way it gets a chance to digest it before it starts to go bad in its gut. Like if your nem is 3-5 inches across open, maybe a pea sized portion at a time.
I've soaked food in selcon for all my critters, and I've heard that helps nems too. I've also heard from someone that soaking the food in a live algae product that contains zooxanthellea (the symbiotic algae for corals and nems) will speed up the recovery, but I'm not sure if nems can take in the algae that way if it has to come from the parent.
 
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Location looks fine. if you need to chamhe bulbs, I'd just change two of your bulbs at a time, prob about two weeks apart. I highly recomend using two blue plus, an aquablue special, and a purple/coral bulb from ATI. I have that combo with the purple and I love it.
Also, if you don't already have them in your tank, get an army of cerith snails to clean that film on the glass under the sand. Great sand stirrers and and algae eater.
 
Sqwat please us pm's if you need answers. Don't repost in this thread.
 
Cerinth snails are different from nassarius snails? In addition I fed the anenome a piece of clam and ate it!! Recovery already in process thanx again!!
 
Yep, cerith eat algae, nassarius don't. I recommend about 30-50 of them for your size tank. I don't have a tank without them and trouchus snails.
 
what brand t5 fixture and what wattage bulbs? I am just wondering if these are just T5's or T5ho's? from the looks of it you don't have enough light, the brown polyps on top look to be long due to not getting enough light.
 
All of you are correct about the lights! I had the tank years back as fresh and went salt. Not thinking about the lights... Like an idiot! I took one out and it was a t8!! I really feel like smacking myself! I'm goin to the lfs tomorrow to buy a new setup! Any thoughts of brands? Best bang for buck? I know wrong area to ask but most likely will buy something ASAP to help in the recovery cause I can't go any longer with the wrong lights!!
 
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