Dying Long Tentacle Anemone?

[davidkonicek]

I'm not sure if my Long Tentacle Anemone is dying or not.
3 Days ago he was happy like the first picture - then a day later he looked like the second pic. There are two other happy anemones in the tank - yes, i know that's a lot, but they have stayed away from each other. After the first pic, he went behind the rocks and closed up, I moved him out the next day because he looked like the 2nd pic.
Temp = 76
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 30 (tryin to get em down)
SG = 1.022
Is he just deflated (getting some new water) or dying?

 

[thereefkeeper]

Most Likely just deflated. They must expel waste and they do so by deflating. Just keep a close eye on it. Some of mine deflate three times a week then go three weeks and never deflate. :thinking:

 

[thereefkeeper]

P.S. You need to consider raising SG to about 1.024 or 1.025. This is most common in natural warmwater reefs.

 

[davidkonicek]

hmm...how long do they usually stay like that? i think i'm going to be a bit concerned if he isn't back to normal by tomorrow, cause it's already been a day and a half

 

[michaeltx]

doesnt look to good IMO
I would diffenatly raise the SG up 1.022 is way to low for inverts.
I would also raise the temp up slowly about 2 degrees I have found that mine looks better and all when the temp is 78-79 degress.
I would get the anemone out of the crevise and see if its disetigrating if it is get rid of it . If not I would give it some time to see if regains. Even in the first pic the anemone looks stressed though it mouth is gapping and it looks bleached out atleast in the picture.
Mike

 

[davidkonicek]

OK, temp is going up.I think he was a little darker in person - I will check on him tomorrow for deterioration. The first picture is the day I got him.
My second anemone is a long tentacle, but I bought it white - check the 2nd pic - is he sick?
Also, should I be concerned about my clownfish not eating anything today? I feed him frozen brine shrimp every day, but he hasn't seemed so hungry the past few days. Should I try a few flakes?
Last thing - I dislike my gravel...it's just too big. Has anyone ever replaced gravel with sand, or something of the sort? Is it even possible?

 

[michaeltx]

the second pic is deffinatly sick but is able to be brought back with good lighting and feeding.
clowns can go a day or 2 and not eat anything added to the tank. I only feed my tank when I remember because they feed off stuff in the tank. so I would worry unless he starts to loose weight. You can try the flakes though I try to feed a variety of foods when I do feed though from chopped shrimp, clam, squid, flake, mysis, brine on occasion, and other foods.
you will have to plan carefully to do a change over from the CC to sand. It is doable though. If you dont plan right then it can be a major deal.
I would also wait until the anemones are healthy so you dont stress them out.
In fact if I was to do a change over with anemones i would set up a smaller tank and let it cycle out to hold the anemones for while the switch was being done.
mike

 

[michaeltx]

what size tank and lighting do you have?
Mike

 

[jrthomas40]

i have given up on keeping LTA...i have had 2 they do good for about a week then float out of the spot where my clowns are then go behind some rocks, no matter where i move it it goes right back then a few days later it stops expanding turns inside out and dies

 

[zanoshanox]

It is bleached really badly, it has lost majority of its zooxanthele, and the only shot it has at getting healthy again is with lots of meaty feedings.

 

[davidkonicek]

It's a 29 Gallon Biocube - so I'm not sure what kind of lighting it is, but I know it's good.
I'm about to check on the anemone - whether it's deteriorating or not.

 

[davidkonicek]

Well, he is quite dead. It only took a week. I wonder if he was already in bad condition when I bought him, like the white one I have. Maybe I can get some money back for these guys. If I don't return the white one, what and how do I feed it to give him some color back? I know it's meaty foods but I just have frozen brine shrimp - and I don't want to overfeed my fish by trying to fix the anemone.

 

[davidkonicek]

i took the big one out of the tank - now to save the white one - i bought phytoplex and micro-vert, made by "kent marine." i was advised by my lfs to drop this liquid in 3 times a week to keep invert's healthy.
i also bought 18 gallons of distilled water to lower the nitrates, and adjust the SG to 1.024-25.
we'll see how everything goes in the next couple weeks

 

[petjunkie]

Well honestly you don't have enough light to keep an anemone alive for very long, they need metal halides or t5 to keep properly and they will do chemical warfare with each other, three would way too many. Also if you look into some statistics, most die in captivity due to imperfect water quality and lighting, they are an extremely demanding animal. If you really think you need an anemone I would consider a curlycue or rock as they stay smaller and need less light. I would also raise specific gravity to 1.025 and bring back all anemones and that starfish, it is too small of a tank for him to survive in.

 

[michaeltx]

sorry to hear that the foods that you bought wont help the anemones though they are for filter feeding corals. The best thing to feed anemones and most LPS corals is chopped up squid and shrimp and other meaty foods.
Do you have access to RO/ or RO/DI water its alot better than distilled water. even though distilled water is better than tap and most filtration methods it can still have polutants and heavy metals in it.
Mike

 

[michaeltx]

Originally Posted by davidkonicek
It's a 29 Gallon Biocube - so I'm not sure what kind of lighting it is, but I know it's good.
I'm about to check on the anemone - whether it's deteriorating or not.
I do have to agree that your lighting isnt good for anemones especially if its the stock lighting that is on them. the stock lighting is power compact lights which just isnt powerful enough to penetrate the water deep enough for anemones long term.
Mike

 

[davidkonicek]

alright thanks guys - i dont know why my local fish stores keep lying to me then. they must just be trying to make a sale. the store i bought the tank from said it's great for all coral and anemones, then another store sold me two anemones that were dying or bleached. and today he told me to use that phytoplex and micro-vert stuff, which apparently doesn't work. They haven't given me any good advice so far. Just detremental to my tank and wallet. I'm going to try to get my $40 back for the one anemone, and his "medication."Is it best to return the two remaining anemones, or get new lighting?
I don't know how to find RO/DI water or even what it is. Where do you get yours?
Will the cleaner shrimp, clownfish, and heniochus butterfly that I have stay alive in there? The butterfly is about the same length as the clownfish (1.5-2 inches)
Anybody got any suggestions for safe/easy future coral/inverts/fish? How about the yellowtail damsel?

 

[michaeltx]

OK well WOW now we are getting to the heart of your troubles here.
DO NOT trust the LFS advice or suggestions if there is something that your looking at please come back here and ask questions before buying!!
second Ro/DI is usually sold at good quailty LFS' the problem is sounds like you dont have one even close to that calibure around you. There are many places on-line including here that sell RO units and you will eventually come out cheaper anyway if you buy the unit yourself and make it.ro units from here 5 section from the bottom
next the butterfly it really needs a minium tank size of 55 gallons and gets about 10 inches long itself. different sources say reef safe other not reef safe so I am not sure on that part.
i would take the anemones back since an LFS is selling you all this stuff and your not to sure I fairly confident to say that you are not ready to attempt an anemone they are super delicate corals that do not do very well in a newer tank.
not to sound harsh so please do not take that way. there are alot of things LFS' do that are unspeakable and you got 2 good ones there that dont know what they are talking about.
Mike

 

[davidkonicek]

k, also there is very long, hairy green algae growth in my tank. In a few places, it comes 1/2 inch off the rock. How can I reduce the algae growth?

 

[michaeltx]

unfortuneatly useing tap or other water that is purified adds nutrients that this algae feeds off of eleminateing its food source by going to RO/DI water will go along way in ridding it. Its not a nice algae though and can be very invasive if its hair algae tere are also alot of macros that sorta fit your description can you get a picture of it to post?
Mike