Upsidedown Anenome

[carribear]

Can somebody please explain this to me and let me know if this is normal. This anenome moves all of the time and rarely even stays in one place for a day, but I have never seen it do this. Any help would be great. Should I flip it over?

[Eddiecorrea]

We need more info. Like flow, lighting, ALL water parameters.

It seems like it is unhappy. Or dying. They usually do that when they are dying. Im not sure what kind it is by those pics. Im not a species expert by any means. But it kinda looks like a LTA judging by the Purple Tips. Not sure though. It also looks like it was dyed as I have never seen one that color. How long have you had it?

[cullyisgully]

try to put it on a rock so it can stick on it.... and yea flip it over

[Eddiecorrea]

try to put it on a rock so it can stick on it.... and yea flip it over

If thats a long tentacle like I think they prefer a deep sand bed. So what you could do is dig a little hole in the sand and stick the foot in it. Then push the sand back in around it to hold it in place.

With my carpet anemone I just got I just set him on the sand and within 5 hrs he was buried 3 inches in the sand. But my tank is about 7 months old too which makes a big difference. Not as established as most would recommend but I couldnt pass up this anemone. Easily the most amazing carpet I have ever seen.

[carribear]

It is a Sabae. OK, I turned him over and we made an observation. In our tank we have very established live rock, and some that had been sun bleached and has been in the tank for about 4 months. The anenome doesn't seem to want to attach to the newer rock and is hooked to a small piece I had sitting on the rock shown that is covered in feather dusters. Is this maybe part of the problem? I will try the sand thing, but can I kill it by messing with it too much.

By the way my params:
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
0 ammonia
ph 8.1 ( a little low but working on it)
79 degree water temp
2 96 watt coralife bulbs 1 white 1 blue

And then the one possible problem..... salt content 1.025. I guess the water I got fom my lfs was high, but he told me that with only a 10% water change it should be fine. Well, it rose, but it has been this way since Saturday. I am trying to lower it daily. Everything else seems fine......what sally didn't eat!!

Anything else that might help?????

[Eddiecorrea]

Your salinity is fine. Its actually right where it should be at 1.025. Your PH is on the bottom level of what it should be but not a big deal.

So it is a sabea. I dont know a ton about them but I do know they are one of the harder anemones to care for. Very picky and they require HIGH light. With your lighting you will not be able to care for this creature. I'm assuming those are PC lights. You need atleast T5s with individual reflectors for this anemone.

I also know that they do not like rocks at all. Well like 90% anyway. They need a deep sand bed. They are also very fragile so avoid handling them as much as possible. That goes for any anemone.

Good luck with it.

[carribear]

Thanks for telling me! I will try to take it back to my lfs! I don't want to torture it! I wish these things came with a manual. Thank you! ( I feel so bad for this anenome now. I have had it for three weeks and have been torturing it........)

[Eddiecorrea]

Thanks for telling me! I will try to take it back to my lfs! I don't want to torture it! I wish these things came with a manual. Thank you! ( I feel so bad for this anenome now. I have had it for three weeks and have been torturing it........)

Not your fault. Its the LFS's fault. They should have asked you about your setup and told you about the anemone instead of just taking your money. Get some shrooms or zoanthid polyps. They will thrive under your lighting. Really fun to watch grow.

[BadRoma1]

not all shrooms do well under pc. i would upgrade the light.

[carribear]

I replaced the lights today, but I think it's too late. The anenome is getting smaller and more shriveled by the hour. This sucks. I feel like I am torturing it. Anyway, thanks for all of your help on here. I will definitely ask more questions before I make another anenome purchase. At least my bubble tip is still looking amazing.

[Ace25]

Replaced the lights? As in just replaced the bulbs? What size tank is it again? Either way, it is hard for me to imagine a sebae living under any type of PC lighting. I would have to say that is one of your problems. The other one is the anemone definately appears dyed yellow to me, which if true, usually is a kiss of death for any anemone. The colors are just too good on it for being in the condition it is in.. but there are always exceptions so I could be wrong.

I don't know of any mushroom or zoa that won't survive under PCs though. Sorry BadRoma, but without examples, I can't think of any. My ricordeas did good under PCs, although much better under T5s. Everything just grows slower under PCs when it comes to softies, but from my experience, they all seem to live and grow as long as all other parameters are in check.

[carribear]

Actually, we decided to drop $200 and switch to T5 light system. So we did that and I moved the little guy to the best lit area with a big hole and mound of sand. This is what he looks like an hour later. So I think there is hope! He looks better already. I am trying not to get my hopes up, but I took advice from all of you and so far so good! Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! Any more tips would be great!!

[Eddiecorrea]

I will say he does look alot better than before. But he still doesnt look great. Some of his tentacles are deflated. Could mean he is hungry. Do you have any silversides to feed him? If so cut a small piece and stick it in his tentacles and see if he pulls it in. Not too big. About the size of a penny or so.

He also looks dyed. Which is really bad in anemones. Its when the breeder injects them with color to make them sell faster. But they do make it through that some times. Hopefully he makes it. Its a good sign he has burrowed in though.

[Catpicklesdog]

Is this anemone in your 55 gal tank? If so, I wouldn't recommend keeping 2 anemones in there, especially if one keeps moving around.

[carribear]

I do have a pink bubble tip also, who has been happy since day one. When I woke up this morning, the anenome dug itself out of it's hole I put it in and was upsidedown again. He perked right up when the light came on, but I am just so frustrated. I think I am just going to have to take him to LFS.

[Eddiecorrea]

I do have a pink bubble tip also, who has been happy since day one. When I woke up this morning, the anenome dug itself out of it's hole I put it in and was upsidedown again. He perked right up when the light came on, but I am just so frustrated. I think I am just going to have to take him to LFS.


Thats what I would do. Your overstocked on anemones to begin with in a 55. And that anemone looks like it was dyed yellow like I said before and thats usually a death ticket. They very rarely do good after dyed. If you have a good LFS they will take it back and give you credit.