Anemone crash

[rickc]

This is not how I envisioned starting my first thread but here we go. I have a 46g bow front running for over 2 years. It has over 50 lbs of live rock and a 3" sand bed. It HAD two clowns, lawnmower blenny, pygmy angel, long nose butterfly and 10+ crabs and snails. I ordered from SWF 10 crabs, various mushrooms, some shrimps and two pink tipped anemones. Followed all the acclimation procedures and the when they arrived the anemones looked like a quarter with one side red. I had one a couple years ago and when it arrived it looked like a red bulb but I thought these would work. Everything looked fine until the next day when there was floating tentacles all over the tank and white debris floating everywhere. The only thing left from the anemones were the red base. Oh yeah and every fish and crab was dead. Pulled all the fish out and tried to skim the debris with a net. Took a Nitrate test and it was perfect. Did the anemone introduce toxins when it died? I hate starting over did a water change just because all the corals look fine but didn't know what else to do. Help please....

 

[btldreef]

Welcome to the site! Although, I wish it were under better circumstances. :-/
Yes, anemones can release toxins and essentially "nuke" a tank when they die.
Test your ammonia to rule that out.
Did the anemones smell when they arrived? They may have already been dead/dying.
Is it possible that it got sucked through a powerhead?
I would do a large water change (or a few over the next few days if you can) and run carbon.

 

[bang guy]

the floating tentacles make me think they got sucked into an impeller. If so then nematocysts whould have been spread all throughout the water column. That could easily kill anything with gills.

 

[rickc]

Thanks so much for your help. When I dumped the anenomes in the water, one landed on a rock and the other one in the sand. They were in this exact spot missing tentacles with just the red bottom showing missing everything else. So that dismises the impellar theory. I think they were just very sick or even dead upon arrival.Thanks again for the relpies I have followed everyone for years......

 

[tirtza]

yikes....I would LOVE to get an anemone one day (in the far future of course), but after reading stories like yours I'm becoming more and more afraid. Sorry for your loss
When an anemone dies, does it always release toxins into the water? What are the other dangers of having an anemone? Is one species hardier or safer than others?

 

[oceandude]

Sorry to hear of your anemone nuking the tank. I agree with both Mods that gave the advice. P/H...
You do not need to 'start over', and did good by collecting all you could and a water change. I hope you did a 50 percent water change though.
Again, sorry of your loses of anemone and fishes.

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tirtza http:///t/389389/anemone-crash#post_3441387
yikes....I would LOVE to get an anemone one day (in the far future of course), but after reading stories like yours I'm becoming more and more afraid. Sorry for your loss
When an anemone dies, does it always release toxins into the water? What are the other dangers of having an anemone? Is one species hardier or safer than others?
The "toxins" related to Anemone death is ammonia just like any decaying matter. There are two things that make Anemone death a bit more dangerous - 1) they decompose very rapidly causing ammonia to spike more than a dead fish would for example and 2) the nematocysts can be active for quite a while after they have been seperated from the Anemone.

 

[rickc]

Yes I did do a 10 gallon water change and two days later did another 10 gallon change, 46 gallon tank. Seems my remaining clown is at least happier but lonely. Was hoping SWF.com would at least offer me free shipping on my next order as the toxic anemone cost me over $300.00 in livestock but no such luck. I understand their position but come on I was just asking for free shipping. Life goes on........

 

[oceandude]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rickc http:///t/389389/anemone-crash#post_3441753
Yes I did do a 10 gallon water change and two days later did another 10 gallon change, 46 gallon tank. Seems my remaining clown is at least happier but lonely. Was hoping SWF.com would at least offer me free shipping on my next order as the toxic anemone cost me over $300.00 in livestock but no such luck. I understand their position but come on I was just asking for free shipping. Life goes on........
Hope the tank is doing better now. Are your parameters back within normal limits yet? Thanks and hoping all goes well.

 

[tirtza]

Quote:
The "toxins" related to Anemone death is ammonia just like any decaying matter.
So the toxins mentioned are basically ammonia and nitrites, am I correct? How quickly does an anemone decompose? It sounded like the anemones that Rickc had were alive one day - dead the next and decomposition was already so far along that it nuked his tank. Is it ever safe to have an anemone if they can nearly destroy your entire tank in less then 24 hours! I would really love to have one some day and it seems like quite a few people on this site have them, how is possible to safely own one?
Quote:
nematocysts can be active for quite a while after they have been separated from the Anemone
Do nematocysts always separate from a dead Anemone or does this only happen when something (such as a power head) rips them apart?

 

[bang guy]

I haven't seen it in person so all I have is third party information. My understanding is that an Anemone can decompose in a matter of hours and once it starts it's very difficult to remove it without siphoning it out. Depending on the size of the Anemone and the size of the tank a decomposing Anemone could easily spike ammonia high enough to kill the more delicate animals. This could cause a snowball effect and wipe out a tank.
I have only heard of nematocysts spreading around the tank when stuck in an overflow or powerhead. The results have been catastrophic.

 

[tirtza]

Okay, that settles it I am definitely not getting a nem. As much as I would love one I think I'm just to scared of killing everything in my tank and then having to start from the beginning. My tank is pretty small (only 29 gallons) so it seems like much more of a risk. I really love my fish, and the thought of adding something that could so easily kill them just doesn't seem like a good idea. Thanks for the advice....I'm sure my fish would thank you as well!