Anemone Trobles

[gyges]

My anemone is acting sick... I have it in a good place for an anemone, it chose it itsself when it was healthy, but now, whenever the light is on, it is expanded, but the tentacles are deflated with noticeable wrinkles. When the light is off, it contracts into a tiny ball, about 1/3 it's normal size, and throws-up a strange brown mucus-like substance.
Is my anemone dying or is this aa normal way for it to get rid of wastes?

 

[beth]

I'd say that it was on its way out

You didn't say what type of tank set up you have or light you are giving the anemone; or, for that matter, what type of anemone you have? These creatures are very particular about environmental conditions, especially light.

 

[gyges]

The Anemone came back in just a couple hours.
I got both a powerglo and a blue light... Not sure what kind blue light. It's getting enough light, no doubt about that.
But I still don't know what the brown stuff could have been...
The guy at the pet store said it was a hatian anemone, but I don't know. The pictures of hatians Iv'e seen on the internet don't look like mine.
It has long tentacles with pink or purple tips, red base.
I have a 17 gallon aquarium, about two weeks old. It's got the same base dimension as a 10-gallon, but it's tall.
I have a few lace rocks, an arrow crab, a Clark's clownfish, and the anemone.

 

[y2j]

If any-thing you need to think about a larger tank. Every thing will thrive alot better in a larger tank.

 

[beth]

By saying that your tank is 2 weeks old, do you mean that you have just set up 2 weeks ago? If so, that is likely your problem. Your tank has not cycled and your anemone is feeling the stress. Anemones are difficult creatures to keep in captivity even when things are optimum. You have a very small tank [that I'm assuming, is not cycled].

 

[the rock]

the rock says...
you are getting bad info, that tank is way too small and it is doubtful that you will be able to keep an anemone alive for more than a month or so, even the haitians which are very hardy out of all the anemones. you definately need the proper lighting as well, i would take a few minutes and read through the anemone info on this site to give you a better head start if you think you will be keeping anemones which can be difficult to keep successfully for long periods of time, especially in a tank that isn't established, sorry to say all this, JMHO

 

[laneki]

I have also owned two anemones (one a pink tip, the other a carpet) and the same brown mucus came up from the middle of their base. My initial guess was waste. Does your anemone have a gel-like substance over the brown spot? My 55 gallon tank is well developed (15 months) and I still don't seem to have luck with anemones. Good luck!

 

[tan]

I asked my fish advisors how I would know if my anemone was dead or not and they said, "Oh, you will know, because it spews out brown stuff."
Tan