Anemone acclimation and movement

[errattiq]

Hey everyone, I just bought a bubble tip anemone for my clowns and i wasn't sure how long it takes for an anemone to find a good spot and reinflate itself. I tried placing it where i wanted it but it wouldnt set its foot down, also it would just kind of flip over onto its mouth area. Is this normal movement? can they flip themselves back over? I wasnt too sure so I flipped it back over and it seems i picked a good spot on my live rock now but a portion of its foot still isnt attached. Should I be concerned? I also realize it may take a while for it to acclimate (my hippo tang took a day and a half to come out of her rock) so I know how that goes. I'm just new to anemone keeping and wanted some guidance, thanks.
-josh

 

[jesshika]

Sometimes it does take a while for them to find a suitable spot and even then they will keep moving around sometimes. But how long has the tank been setup for and what kind of lighting do you have on it? They will move around too if the lighting isn't sufficient.

 

[errattiq]

i have a 12000k daylight and a 65W true actinic (Odyssea brand) I only have a 30 gallon tank so I figured this would be ok. It moved a little last night over to the side of the rock where it actually opened a good amount, now today it just seems "blah" in the same spot. I think it likes the spot its in because it looks like its foot is stuck on the rock, but I have no clue. Oh another thing is it isn't sitting straight up, its mounted literally sideways so the mouth is facing the side of the tank. The tank itself has been set up for a little over a month now but the tank HAS cycled, I have an abundance of corraline algae, and the water parameters have pretty much settled in the way they should in an established tank.

 

[nsajd]

I'm running into basically the same prob. I have a 12k light with a 30 g tank that has been up and cycled for almost 3 months, and my anenome (got it almost a week ago) just kind of refuses to mount anywhere. I don't know if my current is too strong, it seems to take him like a breeze, have two powerheads working the current, but they don't have adjustable flows.

 

[jesshika]

Well anemones don't tend to do well in tanks less than a year old, the water just doesn't stay stable enough for them and they are very sensitive.

But with that said, when I was more of a noob, I bought anemones soon after my tank cycled and they took a long time to find somewhere to place their foot. They opened up and looked very nice but they just couldn't find a suitable spot

 

[perfectdark]

BTA's will roam till they find a suitable place where saftey, flow and lighting suit them best. Typically they will foot deep in a rock crevis and retract till the lights come on. Once they feel safe and secure they will stretch way out to get to the light source. I would give it some time but if it doesnt settle down in a week or so I would question as to why. My BTA hasnt moved for almost 6 months now. But in the beginning it has move a couple of times to find its place.

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by errattiq
Hey everyone, I just bought a bubble tip anemone for my clowns and i wasn't sure how long it takes for an anemone to find a good spot and reinflate itself. I tried placing it where i wanted it but it wouldnt set its foot down, also it would just kind of flip over onto its mouth area. Is this normal movement? can they flip themselves back over? I wasnt too sure so I flipped it back over and it seems i picked a good spot on my live rock now but a portion of its foot still isnt attached. Should I be concerned? I also realize it may take a while for it to acclimate (my hippo tang took a day and a half to come out of her rock) so I know how that goes. I'm just new to anemone keeping and wanted some guidance, thanks.
-josh
well, since you already have the anemone what kind of anemone is it? is it a bubble tip anemone? BTAs like to be on the rockwork. usually strong direct flow is something they dont like. if they blow onto their mouths try to help by placing them back on their foot somewhere they can attach to, not the sand. make sure they dont* get sucked up into a powerhead or intake because they will get destroyed unless you catch them in time
what are your paramters like in your tank like:
alkalinity
ammonia
nitrites
nitrates?

 

[errattiq]

Well , I think its found its happy place sort of on the side of the rock/ on the sand, I apologize, it is a bubble tip anemone, i forgot to mention that. During the day it seems to deflate itself ( only about 3 iches across) but when I turn the actinic bulbs on to simulate dusk and the lunar led's to simulate night, it inflates itself magnificently almost to about 5+ inches or so with its bubbles inflated for the most part and mouth wide out in the open. the mouth itself opened very large for a good period of time, i figured it was feeding on the passing detritus or something? anyone experience this or am i just crazy? lol

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by errattiq
Well , I think its found its happy place sort of on the side of the rock/ on the sand, I apologize, it is a bubble tip anemone, i forgot to mention that. During the day it seems to deflate itself ( only about 3 iches across) but when I turn the actinic bulbs on to simulate dusk and the lunar led's to simulate night, it inflates itself magnificently almost to about 5+ inches or so with its bubbles inflated for the most part and mouth wide out in the open. the mouth itself opened very large for a good period of time, i figured it was feeding on the passing detritus or something? anyone experience this or am i just crazy? lol
if it deflates during the day it may be a reaction to the lighting. may take it a while to adjust to it. youll notice it deflate and inflate a lot to adjust the water chemistry within itself to your tank
keep an eye on the mouth. the mouth should be tucked and closed and shouldnt be really wide open

 

[perfectdark]

+1 your anemones mouth should only be open when it eats and even at that it should never be gaping open. Its more of a sphinter muscle so it contours to the food it is ingesting. An open mouth is not a good sign...

 

[errattiq]

well its always closed shut dirung the day, it opens its mouth when it opens itself at night, i know a droopy mouth is no good, but it never stays like that. it opens and closes it a few times and thats pretty much it.