HELP! Is My Anemone Dying?

zotospss

New Member
Apologies if this is in the wrong location, I've never used this forum before! Tried asking reef2reef for help but got no response :(

So I just got an anemone at ReefStock three days ago. My tank is 9 and 1/2 months old, so I figured the nem would do well in this relatively new but cycled tank. When we put him in, he seemed very happy for a day or so; very puffed up, active in the aquarium, moving around, looking generally healthy. But yesterday, he started looking worse for the wear; he had attached himself in halfway up the wall in the right corner of the aquarium, but his foot began peeling off and his tentacles had deflated.

(pic #1)

He eventually fell of his perch and moved to a new spot in the aquarium, looking very deflated, some stringy white things coming from his body. He did not look happy.

(pic #2)

When I came home from work last night, he had moved, and left some of his flesh where he used to be situated. I tried circling the flesh to make it more visible, but it's hard to see. I'm not sure where he moved to.

(pic #3)

I still can't see him in the tank. not sure if he's dead or not, but the rest of the tank is okay so I assume he hasn't nuked it yet.

Some relevant info: I run 2 Red Sea LED 90s at 70% blues and 35% whites throughout the day. I have a Red Sea Reefer 425 XL tank. My params are as follows:

Salinity: 1.025
Nitrates: 0 ppm
Phosphates: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Calcium: 390 ppm
Magnesium: 1220 ppm
Alkalinity: 7.6 dkh

Every parameter has been stable throughout the anemone's stay in my tank for the last three days (although, I have just started dosing the tank for all, calcium, and magnesium about a week before the nem came in - levels are staying steady, though)

This is my first anemone ever, so I don't know what's happening? Could this possibly be normal? Is there anything I can do to help him? What do I do?!

Thanks :)
 

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Pancho75

Well-Known Member
Welcome to RS !

I am sorry to hear about your nem struggles perhaps @DaveK can give you some advise.

For nem, good light and flow are the key.
 

MMFLA

New Member
Hello, I am not a pro but have had marine tanks for 20 years or more, a long tentacle anomie I had did great under 10k 14k and 20k at different times of course, looking at ur photos the deep blue is Very blue, it shows as it would look at over 100 feet deep in ocean. Being scuba diver I can tell u most anomie's don't live that deep. Not ones sold to reef tank owners. I would try not more than 20k light, maybe less at least for awhile to see if it helps your anomie. Mine lived for years under metal halide light, grew from 2-3 inch to about 10-12 inches for 5+ yrs
until I brought a Coral beauty that had ick , I cought to late. Hope this helps
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
At this point, it's difficult to tell if you have an issue or not. Anemones are very sensitive to changes in water conditions, and just moving it to a new home, even if everything else is good, can make them really unhappy for a week or two.

I systect the SG of your tank was a bit different from the LFS and/or the acclimation process was too fast. For now I'd leave it alone, and just look for signs that it's got a problem.

A new anemone moving about is not necessarily bad, as they go about looking for the best spot for them. The stringy things are usually either slime from it's body or anemone poop.

The flesh coming off is not a good thing. Keep an eye on this. Also test your water looking for an ammonia spike, If you see one the anemone is most likely on the way our and must be removed. Another thing to look for is the skimmer producing a lot of waste. This is often a sign that something died. Few things will foul a tank faster then a dead anemone.

If the anemone is detached you can give it the smell test. A good anemone will have some smell, but a dead one will smell really foul and decayed.
 

zotospss

New Member
At this point, it's difficult to tell if you have an issue or not. Anemones are very sensitive to changes in water conditions, and just moving it to a new home, even if everything else is good, can make them really unhappy for a week or two.

I systect the SG of your tank was a bit different from the LFS and/or the acclimation process was too fast. For now I'd leave it alone, and just look for signs that it's got a problem.

A new anemone moving about is not necessarily bad, as they go about looking for the best spot for them. The stringy things are usually either slime from it's body or anemone poop.

The flesh coming off is not a good thing. Keep an eye on this. Also test your water looking for an ammonia spike, If you see one the anemone is most likely on the way our and must be removed. Another thing to look for is the skimmer producing a lot of waste. This is often a sign that something died. Few things will foul a tank faster then a dead anemone.

If the anemone is detached you can give it the smell test. A good anemone will have some smell, but a dead one will smell really foul and decayed.

I appreciate your response, Dave!

Over the past couple days I've been keeping a close eye on it, and it looks a lot better! It hasn't lost any more flesh, it's expanded out a bit, it's tentacles are more inflated, and it's mouth isn't gaping anymore. I think it's going to make it! Thank you for the advice :)
 

zotospss

New Member
Hello, I am not a pro but have had marine tanks for 20 years or more, a long tentacle anomie I had did great under 10k 14k and 20k at different times of course, looking at ur photos the deep blue is Very blue, it shows as it would look at over 100 feet deep in ocean. Being scuba diver I can tell u most anomie's don't live that deep. Not ones sold to reef tank owners. I would try not more than 20k light, maybe less at least for awhile to see if it helps your anomie. Mine lived for years under metal halide light, grew from 2-3 inch to about 10-12 inches for 5+ yrs
until I brought a Coral beauty that had ick , I cought to late. Hope this helps

Thanks for your response! I'm easing up on the blue a little bit and it seems to be helping. Thanks for the help!
 

MMFLA

New Member
Thanks for your response! I'm easing up on the blue a little bit and it seems to be helping. Thanks for the help![/QUOTE
I am glad it seem a little better. It's not easy watching them shrivel up and not knowing what's wrong. Hope it keeps getting better.
 

Uncle99

Well-Known Member
You have no nitrate in your water.
Nem/corals use nitrate/phosphate stable in the 2-10ppm range for nitrate and phosphate 0.03-0.15 range.

Hard to see with the blues on.

just leave him alone.
 
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