Why does my anemone look like this?

jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
Hey reefsanctuary! My anemone seems to have closed 95% of the way. Any clue of why it did this? Here is a pic. I was working in my tank when this happened. Do they close up when you put a shadow over them like a clam does? Here is the picture. All of my paramaters are fine.

Temp-77
PH----8.3
Salinity-1.024
Nitrate-0
ammonia-0
nitrite-0

I have no clue what could have happened. I was clipping hair algae when It closed up. I was also trying to avoid a verrrrry nippy clown when it happened. Any solutions to the nippy clown? Its really annoying!!! My lights are a Current USA Nova Extreme Pro. My tank has been set-up for 3 months. The anemone was a purchase from my mother. She did not know that anemones need a well established tank(6-9 months+). Now we sit down to discuss the future purchases for my tank. Thanks for any help!

Here is what it looked like yesterday


DSC00377.jpg



Here is what it looks like now


DSC00439.jpg




Is this what the anemone looks like when its doing a waterchange? I know waterchange is the improper name for it. What is the correct term? Thanks!
 
blue_eyes53813

blue_eyes53813

Well-Known Member
How long did you acclimate the anemone and how long has it been in your tank.. Anemones have a very hard time changing from tank to tank... Very sensitive...
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
chrome91 said:
could just be digesting something but thats a young tank
Click to expand...

I know it is a young tank. Mama heard that I wanted one but unknowingly bought a BTA and a mated pair of Maroon Clowns. Im not worried about the clowns...its the anemone im worried about. It has not looked bad today, until now. I acclimated it for about an hour. Here is my proceedure for fish and in this case an anemone and fish.

1. Float bags of life for 20 minutes.
2. Pour 1 cup of tank water in bag and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Repeat step 2 until tank the bag is twice as full as it was from the start.

This proceedure usually takes me about an hour. Does this sound like a good way to acclimate fish and inverts?
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
The anemone has been in my tank Since Monday. It has looked pretty good every since I put it in the tank. I am aware that they do have a slow metabolism though. I hope its just excreting wastes and thats all there is to it. How long does it excrete its wastes?
 
chrome91

chrome91

Member
jjohnson3 said:
1. Float bags of life for 20 minutes.
2. Pour 1 cup of tank water in bag and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Repeat step 2 until tank the bag is twice as full as it was from the start.
Click to expand...


unfortunately thats the freshwater way. in saltwater, you need to place the creature in a container with its current water. have a separate container with tank water, and you need to drip your tanks water at a rate of about 1 drip per second until the volume in the container with the creatures doubles. this process takes usually a hour or 3

you can sit there and manually drip acclimate (what i do, i have no life so i watch TV and drip. lol) or theres plenty of DIY ways on google
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
So are you saying that I have a low chance for survival of this creature? The fish seem to be fine but then again they are like very hardy! My anemone must have just been excreting wastes. It has opened up 1/2 of the way now. My clowns are back in the BTA now so im guessing alll will be good!
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
Anemones will often close up to eat or excrete waste. They will also deflate and look horrid on occasion.'
As far as the acclimation, yes drip acclimation is best but but I wouldn't say not doing so necessarily killed the animal.
Keep an eye on it long term.
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
Ok. I will start acclimating the way that you have shown. Here is an updated pic.


DSC00440.jpg




I hope this is a good sign...
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
So you are telling me that even though I washed my hands, the anemone could have reacted to something on my hands? Like something that is untestable? I have read somewhere that anemones react and shut-up real quickly if something is added to the tank that was not presently there. The anemone is looking better and better. Now it has opened up some more. Its attached to my rock securely(I did not touch it don't worry!) so that is good. It has been where it is presently since last night around 11 so maybe it has finally found that "sweetspot" in my tank. I am still a little scared to go near my anemone. I probably will never go within 6 inches of it unless I absolutely have to and there is no other option. My clownfishes are the nippiest fish I have ever owned. They have bit me probably 10 times and I have only had them 5 days! Any suggestions to tech them a lesson?
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
Also, When I observe my tank(several hours a day) I notice that 1/2 the time only one clown is in the anemone. The other is close, within inches. Why is this so? Is this just the behavior of a maroon pair? Ive heard that clowns share a different kind of love called "Tough Love". Is this one of its traits? Also, Why does the clown that stays in the anemone most of the time pick at the mouth of the anemone and around the tentacles? Is it cleaning its surface? I have also read that they do that. It seems that the male does all the work in a clownfish/anemone household.
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
UPDATE:

Anemone is fully expanded now and is looking great. I think my clowns are getting ready for bed. TURN YOUR HEADS FISHKEEPERS!!! Lol. I hope that I will be able to get my clowns breeding soon.
 
XBwlr

XBwlr

Well-Known Member
jjohnson3 said:
So you are telling me that even though I washed my hands, the anemone could have reacted to something on my hands? Like something that is untestable? I have read somewhere that anemones react and shut-up real quickly if something is added to the tank that was not presently there. The anemone is looking better and better. Now it has opened up some more. Its attached to my rock securely(I did not touch it don't worry!) so that is good. It has been where it is presently since last night around 11 so maybe it has finally found that "sweetspot" in my tank. I am still a little scared to go near my anemone. I probably will never go within 6 inches of it unless I absolutely have to and there is no other option. My clownfishes are the nippiest fish I have ever owned. They have bit me probably 10 times and I have only had them 5 days! Any suggestions to tech them a lesson?
Click to expand...


Yea. It could have been soap residue.
When I mess with the tank, I wash with soap and water, then rinse. Let them dry, and rinse again. I usually rinse them 2 or 3 times. It may sound redundant, but, it seems to work for me.
If I can still smell the soap on my hands, I rinse them.

As far as the nipping... If you figure out how to get them to quit, let me know. Mine nip too.
 
XBwlr

XBwlr

Well-Known Member
jjohnson3 said:
Also, When I observe my tank(several hours a day) I notice that 1/2 the time only one clown is in the anemone. The other is close, within inches. Why is this so? Is this just the behavior of a maroon pair? Ive heard that clowns share a different kind of love called "Tough Love". Is this one of its traits? Also, Why does the clown that stays in the anemone most of the time pick at the mouth of the anemone and around the tentacles? Is it cleaning its surface? I have also read that they do that. It seems that the male does all the work in a clownfish/anemone household.
Click to expand...

Mine host in a Euphyllia. The male is usually the one hanging around it. He's also the one who cleans the glass before the female will lay the eggs. She'll be out exploring around the tank, and there he is hanging around that coral.
 
yungreefer2410

yungreefer2410

Well-Known Member
reddog had a bad experience with washing his hands before going in tank. think about it. anitbacterial soap and you want bacteria in your tank
 
jjohnson3

jjohnson3

Active Member
Ok. Thanks! Have you bred your clowns? Id like to venture there next! I am certain that mine are mated now. The anemone seems to have made them relly comfortable. I have read that its better to add both at the same time for 2 reasons.
1. Better chances of the clowns hosting the anemone.
2. Both seem to acclimate better to the tank with the addition of each other.

Oh, BTW, my anemone has expanded and is 4 inches across now. One of the clowns seems to be searching all around the anemone. Maybe its looking for a nice place to lay some eggs!!!
 
B

BLAKEJOHN

Active Member
I have a Tomato clown. This was my first fish. He was always ok when I put my hands in to clean the tank since day one. Once I got him the anenome he became the most aggresive fish I have. I would just get my finger tips near the surface and he was in kill mode. I dont suggest this, but what I did is this, I would clean my tank as normal and when he would come over and bite me I would chase him back to his anenome with my finger. I did this every week two or three times during cleaning. And now a few months later I can put my hand in the tank and he will stay in the anenome untill I'm done. Even when I feed the anenome (I put the food into his tenecals by hand) he will not bite me.

As far as the anenome health here are a few things to look for to signify an unhealthy specimen:

Tenecales are very thin and stingy
Tenecales are not sticky (will not hold food or will not stick to your hand)
Stringy noodles are coming out of it
It appears to be melting
Anenome is fading and turning white
 
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