New here.. HELP! Anemone acting weird :(

[taemujin]

Hi everybody,

I recently set up a 26 gallon bow front tank (now about a month old). Tank has cycled completely and all the critters are doing fine.

I have the 24" coralife all in one light with 50/50 actinic/10k and the night leds.

I recently put an purple tip sebae in my tank and he doesn't seem to be acclimating well. Sometimes his mouth seems slightly ajar and other times it's closed. I've fed it some mysis shrimp which it seems to eat. However, it floats around aimlessly getting stuck face inward on rocks or wedged in between rocks.

When I first moved it, the tentacles seemed very sticky (hopefully a good thing?) and it responded to my touch by deflating itself. Since then I've seen it deflate and reinflate periodically; its mouth sometimes is ajar and other times is closed.

When i took my hand out, it smelled very bad.. like rotten fish though. Is this bad?

Please help!

Much appreciated.

[mempho reefer]

your tank is too young to support an anenome. it needs to be at least six months old, preferrably a year. also, you do not have sufficient lighting to support an anenome. they need metal halide or at least t-5 or VHO lighting. PC's do not provide nearly enough light and spectrum. so, it may not be dead yet but it will be soon. sorry.

[lcstorc]

If it is not stickey and smells horrible then get it out of the tank. A dying anemone can quickly crash a tank.
Go slow and research a lot before adding any more livestock. The fish store is there to sell things to you. Places like RS are here to help you and your livestock. Your tank was not ready and your lights are not strong enough to support any anemone and seabaes are ampng the more picky anemones as well.

[taemujin]

Thanks. I definitely didn't research enough. Anemones seem like a real pita... I woke up this morning and it wedged itself in the most awkward place. I don't even know how it got in between two rocks wedged into a crevice...

[taemujin]

Thanks. I definitely didn't research enough. Anemones seem like a real pita... I woke up this morning and it wedged itself in the most awkward place. I don't even know how it got in between two rocks wedged into a crevice...

[BEELZEBOB]

life is a learning experience!!!!!

you're okay.


you've come to the best possible place. any time any question, we're hear to help!!!!

[cbrownfish]

Originally Posted by mempho reefer

your tank is too young to support an anenome. it needs to be at least six months old, preferrably a year. also, you do not have sufficient lighting to support an anenome. they need metal halide or at least t-5 or VHO lighting. PC's do not provide nearly enough light and spectrum. so, it may not be dead yet but it will be soon. sorry.

^ agreed!

Time to take this specimen back to the LFS or give it to someone with a mature tank ASAP.

[taemujin]

I'm going to watch it for another day or two and take in back on Monday if it doesn't get any better for sure. I was under the impression that my lighting is adequate with my tank only being about 18" deep... The anemone seems to be doing fine.. at least it looks fine. All the tentacly things have reinflated and the mouth has closed again.

What are the signs of it dying? After i touch the anemone i get a pretty bad smell on my fingers (but i think its because it's trying to sting me?)

The entire thing looks like the day i got it, but it still seems to drift randomly from time to time.

Is there really no way to keep him in the tank? I'd rather not take him back

[taemujin]

here is a picture of where i currently put it. there is a brown stringy thing stuck to it (i think I must've fed it too much mysis because it expelled a small ball of mysis shrimp earlier)

it seems to look fine? no damage or signs of wear on the base... tentacle things look fine.. the only thing is the strange odor but the fish store guy said it's probably just the stinging substance. also he's definitely still sticky which is good right?

[CATALYST]

I agree that it's probably too early to have but...
What are your water params? Are you willing to buy a new halide?

My lfs sold me a bta WAY too early too and I have had it for a year and a half. You will have to get a new light and keep your water utterly stable. It was murder but it can be done. If you aren't willing to test your water daily and you can't keep it stable, get it a new home or take it back.

[taemujin]

Originally Posted by CATALYST

I agree that it's probably too early to have but...
What are your water params? Are you willing to buy a new halide?

My lfs sold me a bta WAY too early too and I have had it for a year and a half. You will have to get a new light and keep your water utterly stable. It was murder but it can be done. If you aren't willing to test your water daily and you can't keep it stable, get it a new home or take it back.

My water parameters have been stable for the past two weeks or so. No ammonia, no nitrites, very little nitrate (using a saltwater test kit). I put him in a bag and brought him back to the store today asking for partial store credit since I didn't have the receipt. The guy told me the anemone looked healthy and told me to try to put it under a little shade... When i put it back in the tank the anemone has been staying in its place, not turning upside down trying to suffocate itself.

I'm trying to figure out my lighting situation too right now. I was under the impression that my purple tip sebae did not need any VHO or metal halide lighting? Everyone in the store told me that my compact HO lighting would be adequate considering my tank is only 18" deep; I thought i just needed an actinic and the 10k to be fine?

Any more input would be great. thanks.

[yungreefer2410]

of corse they would say that. they want to keep ur money. i have a good lfs and i bought a blue tang six months ago took it back yesterday and they give you half of wat they would sell it for. i got 22 bucks for her. i have now my fav fish so its all good

[nikkipigtails]

You need better lighting. The LFS should have taken back the nem whether or not it looked fine. Unfortunately, it sounds like they're just out to make a sale. Take this as a lesson learned. I'm sure you can find someone to buy it from you from a local reef club.

[BEELZEBOB]

Originally Posted by nikkipigtails

You need better lighting. The LFS should have taken back the nem whether or not it looked fine. Unfortunately, it sounds like they're just out to make a sale. Take this as a lesson learned. I'm sure you can find someone to buy it from you from a local reef club.

take this into account, because currently keeping your nem, will kill it.

you do not have the approiate lighting and water quality to keep an anemone.

even if you get the right lights, your tank is no where near mature.

it needs to go back. and id raise total hell to get a refund.

[sambrinar]

You know even if you don't get a refund, I would still take it back or find someone to take it, because it isn't fair for the nem.. On the other hand if you take it back to the store, you know darn well they are gonna do the same thing again to that poor defenseless creature... but hopefully the next person has the correct lighting to give it a chance

Find a new LFS for sure