LTA with mouth wide open!?!?!?

I know this isn't good. I got it just over a week ago and was hoping that my clowns would host it. They haven't yet, but that's not important now.

I had cleared a space in my sand so that it could attach to the bottom of the tank. It stayed there for a couple days and then detached and nearly got sucked into a powerhead. So I cleared out another place in the sand, but this time it was right beside some LR. It is now attached to the LR and the nem looks great other than the mouth. I will get a pic or two up tomorrow to show you exactly how it looks. The LTA is about 6" in diameter when fully bloomed, and its mouth seems to be open about 3/4 of an inch.

It wasn't like this at the LFS and I have been checking params like crazy and they all look good. I have a 216W T5 lighting system in a 55gal 48" long tank.

I tried feeding him fine pieces of chopped shrimp and he simply releases it after a few minutes.

Any suggestions?

 

try putting it closer to the top might not be receiving enough light

 

It sounds like he's adjusting to the tank. The problem may be as subtle as water flow that he doesn't like, or a more basic problem such as salinity or pH. Check your water parameters. If the water chemistry is good, he should start looking normal in a day or two.

 

Feed it at night - that seems to be the only time mine will actually eat shrimp/squid ect.