That's one dead anemone...

Brandon1023 · 05-02-2006, 01:45 PM

Ever since I accidentally ripped my anemone's foot, it has gone simply downhill. I left it completely alone, to let it heal and do its thing. The past week has proved to be the poor things last. It is shriveled up daily, and is puffed up maybe a little, but not really. I have seen it move, and the only reason I have not taken it out yet is because it's not melting. I thought maybe it was splitting, because the mouth was a really big oval, and looked like it was completing the rip. But the past 2 days or so it has been shriveled up all day. Today it has shown no signs of life, and one half of its ripped foot isn't even attached to a rock anymore. Its "face" is in the sand....

My water quality is pristine, and I have 3 96w PCs over the 46gal tank. All my other corals are flourishing under my light. Is PC lighting just not enough for anemones? Do they simply require better lighting, like MH? Everyone that responded to my thread about the ripped foot felt like it would bounce back, so maybe something else is at work? I add one capful weekly of KENT Marine Coral-Vite. I'm going to give it until I get off work tomorrow, and decide then if it's time to remove it from the tank....your thoughts?

Brandon1023 · 05-02-2006, 06:11 PM

Well I used my better judgment and decided to go ahead and remove the anemone just now, instead of tomorrow. I'm glad I did, it was definitely dead. I thought it might still have some spark of life in it, but when I removed it I found it had probably been dead all day. I'm really glad I used a glove to scoop it up, that thing would have made my hand STINK! I managed to get it out without it falling apart in the tank by using a plastic betta cup to put it in. Well I doubt I'll be getting another one (never say never, though), it was too worrying to see it moving around the tank headed straight for my corals, always having to have my hand in there to move them or something. Does anyone have any thoughts on the light though? Is PC insufficient for anemones? I really think that when I tore its foot, that was pretty much its death sentence. Unless you guys think otherwise about the light? Because my water is pristine, I tested it today just to be sure, and its the same as always.

powdertang05 · 05-02-2006, 07:09 PM

well lights i would recommend VHOs and MH and the placement also but they move err. In my time as reefing with anemones i just don't think its worth the time lets your clowns host in some LPS or softies but they are sensitive to nitrate and need feedings weekly or some time bi weekly feeding will allow you to not need as much light for the food source but light is usually the main source also the type of anemone does change the requirements, BTA are usually the easiest to keep but i would say none is better

CodyW · 05-02-2006, 08:29 PM

Brandon,
Your reliving my nightmare. I had a HUGE bubble tip and its foot was spread out between two rocks, when I was trying to get rid of my damsals the rocks fell and the anemone was torn and just floated around, I left it and it had grabbed hold by the next morning. It took about two weeks to split at which time it went through some crazy changes, at one point it was streteched over 1 foot and a half and was less than an 1/2 an inch wide, it looked like a worm more than an anemone. I didn't feed it but kept the iodine high, I couldn't find the mouth.. About two days after it split one looked healthy and the other looked like death, turns out it was. It smelt my room up for days and the skimmer was on the fritz. It was so bad that when I think about it I can still smell the smell of melted anemone in my hand.

Anyways, I'm only running 2X36 pc watts over a 30 gallon hex and the anemone seems to be doing fine. He takes food readily but looses his color now and again, he also has checked every corner of the tank including mowing over a few mushroom and polyp colonys, which I don't think he stung. All in all, the experience sucked but I'm glad that I still have an anemone.

Brandon1023 · 05-02-2006, 09:06 PM

Ah HAH! THAT would explain why I have to have my skimmer's return valve knob completely off to prevent it from filling the collection cup in a matter of minutes. It didn't even dawn on me that the dead anemone might have caused that! I had the skimmer off for some reason, I forget why, but it was off for like a day I think. Then when I started it back up, it was acting all crazy. I remembered your post about your hand stinking because of the anemone, and that is exactly why I wore a glove and used a plastic cup to remove mine. But yours split, and one half made it....mine never did. Sounds like maybe its a dice roll when that happens. Oye. Well like I said, never say never but I doubt I'll get another anemone. Even with the proper setup, I STILL have experienced bad luck with them. My clown is totally lost now. I saw him eying my plate coral, getting really close and starting to rub in it a little. As long as the plate doesn't mind, but I don't think that relationship is meant to be.....

SAW39 · 05-03-2006, 08:19 PM

Brandon,
I had exactly the same problem this past week -- accidently ripping the anemone's foot. Mine died within 3 days. Like you, I looked for signs of life. but she wasn't able to split like Cody's. I got a new (smaller) one, but I'm not sure now if it is the same species. I miss my anemone, and so does the clownfish, who hasn't taken to the new anemone.

To answer the question about lighting: No, I don't think so. While each species of anemone is different, my anemone was flourishing under a 96W T5-HO system, and my tank is the same size as yours.

Brandon1023 · 05-03-2006, 08:24 PM

That sucks man, I'm sorry. Like I said after a foot tear like that, maybe it's just a 50/50 on if it will split or die. My clown simply can't bear the loss of its anemone. Within hours of removing it, he was over my plate coral. I saw him today actually inside it. Not bashing it though, like the anemone, but I bet that's soon to come. Surprisingly, the plate didn't retract its polyps in protest, so maybe it will be alright.....

fishloverperth · 05-26-2006, 07:40 PM

Doesn't sound like too much fun. I have four anemones (3 in my big tank, 1in the little tank) and I have to say they seem really easy to keep.

I have a krispa (not sure if that is spelt right) that has been in there for about 9 months and it has gone from being about 6 inchs diameter to about 18 inchs! I am sure it grows everyday and I rarely feed it, but the female clown does an awesome job of looking after it. On the big tank we have fluros and 2x150w 14K halides, plus a skylight. So perhaps the lighting really does help.

powdertang05 · 05-26-2006, 07:47 PM

o yes it does when they get older light can be their major source of food so lighting is very important

coral reefer · 05-26-2006, 08:41 PM

I have along tentacle anemone in my 35gallon hex and three times it got sucked up in one of my powerheads. Not good, however, would you believe it is still alive and regenerating. Anemone's are notorious for moving around. Mine just kept finding the powerhead. I guess I caught it in time and shut the powerhead off and just let it work its way out of the strainer part of the powerhead. He worked its way out of the powerhead and has since returned for another battle with its nemesis-THE POWERHEAD!