Anemone won't attach

[cora]

I bought a long tenticaled anemone a week ago and it has never attached to anything. Unfortunately, after the fact, I read that it prefers a sandbed and I have crushed coral. So I tried putting on a a deep dish of sand submerged in the cc, but wouldn't attach to that either. It appears to be healthy, it opens up and eats. What should I do?

 

[granny]

Was it attached to anything when you purchased it?
Is it floating around or just sitting there or what?
Usually it isnt a good sign when one wont attach and all the 'experts' in the books say dont buy one that isnt sticky to the touch and attached firmly to something when you buy it.
I would ask your dealer where you purchased it if he will take it back and trade for something else -concern it isnt healthy-some will continue to eat even though on the way out.
I am assuming all the parameters in your tank are in the safe range-low nitrates which LT are sensitive to.
If you want to keep it and feel it is healthy, you will need several inches of sand-4-6 most likely for a good sand bed which you could put in a part of your tank and push the coral base aside-

 

[cora]

When I bought it I think it was just sort of wedged between some rocks, out of the current with another one just like it. The tentacles are sticky and the bottom portion feels just like a condy usually does. I think you are right though, and will take it back, I'm sure they will trade since it still looks just like it did when I got it. It would probably be happier with a deep sand bed.
Thanks for your help!
Forgot to add, it opens up and just lays on its side, I try to keep it out of the current but it eventually ends up drifing around. I've got foam covers on my filter intakes so it hasn't got caught in anything.

 

[granny]

Good decision.
It is always better to find animals that like our tank set up than trying to get them to adapt!!

 

[cora]

I agree, and anemones are so finicky and stubborn anyway. I'm usually on the losing end of any arguments with them. Thanks again for your help.

 

[thomas712]

What kind of anemone are we talking about? Sebae? LTA?

 

[corally]

My lta won't attach to anything, he just keeps his foot in the sand and at night completely buries himself in the sand.

 

[thomas712]

Originally Posted by corally
My lta won't attach to anything, he just keeps his foot in the sand and at night completely buries himself in the sand.
Check your nightime pH and see if it swings way down.

 

[cora]

Just to see what the LTA would do, I put a small but deep dish of sand down in the crushed coral. It ignored the sand, but attached itself to the top edge of the dish. My maroon clown has now decided it loves the anemone and has taken up residence. I guess I'll wait and see what happens instead of taking it back. The LFS said it may take it a couple of weeks to decide what it wants to do.
Thomas, if you read this, I have another question— what kind of clown fish would like my carpet anemones and get along with the maroon clown? The maroon doesn't seem to be aggresive toward anyone else unless they get near her new LTA. It's the only anemone she has shown any interest in.

 

[thomas712]

Cora~ Its been my experience as well as many others that if you put another clown fish in with that maroon there will be a war, the maroon will get more agressive as it gets older, very, very agressive. In my case my Maroon clown killed any other clown I put in. That was a long time ago and I only have a mated pair of Ocellaris clowns now.
How many anemones do you have in this tank?

 

[unleashed]

cora only another maroon but chances are they would end up in either anenome,if you decide to get another maroon make sure its slightly larger than the one you have now.it will normally attack a smaller clown.I have had up to 3 maroons in one anenome

 

[cora]

Just those three, the new LTA and two about 5-inch carpet anemones. The maroon clown is small right now. So you think it would never adjust with age to the presence of another one? It would just become agressive?

 

[cora]

Unleashed — I'm hoping to get maybe a clarkii or false skunk back for the carpet anemones, as I've read they like carpets. So you think if I got one that's larger than the maroon, they would be alright?
Thanks for your help.

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by Cora
Just those three, the new LTA and two about 5-inch carpet anemones. The maroon clown is small right now. So you think it would never adjust with age to the presence of another one? It would just become agressive?
they can live with another moroon thats it when it comes to clownfish .but if you add a smaller moroon the origanal will attack it.they can be very tempermental

 

[unleashed]

what size tank do you have ?thats gonna play a big part on how this can work.i recently go the stock from another fellow reefer when he took down his tank he had a seabae clown ans a gsm they didnt seam to mine each other at all but they shared a 125 6 ft tank and no anenome

 

[cora]

It's a 75 gallon with only 5 fish and a Kenya tree coral, 2 skunk-back shrimp, a sally light foot and a black sea urchin. Since the LTA is attached to the dish, I could move in to other end of tank from the carpets, they're fairly close together toward one end.

 

[cora]

It's a 75 gallon with only 5 fish and a Kenya tree coral, 2 skunk-back shrimp, a sally light foot and a black sea urchin. Since the LTA is attached to the dish, I could move in to other end of tank from the carpets, they're fairly close together toward one end.

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by Cora
It's a 75 gallon with only 5 fish and a Kenya tree coral, 2 skunk-back shrimp, a sally light foot and a black sea urchin. Since the LTA is attached to the dish, I could move in to other end of tank from the carpets, they're fairly close together toward one end.
to be honest i dont think your maroon will accept any other type in that size tank.mojor reasoning he was there first and 75 isnt going to put much space between the 2 anenomes. i think reasonably your better if you feel you have to have another glown to go with another moroon or a gs moroon.they will pick and chose which anenome to host ive had clowns go back and forth from anenomes.but your anenomes dont have to have a host to be healthy.its just something clowns seam to do.its your choice but i wouldnt attempt it and i do alot of things that most wouldnt do like put 3 clowns in one tank lol and force feed anenomes and put sharks and lions in my reef lol.just my oppinoin ps i would move the lta anyways away from the carpet they will sting each other

 

[cora]

What is a gs maroon? The only reason I wanted to get another clown was in hopes of finding something that would host the carpet anemones, the maroon wouldn't have anything to do with them. So unless a gs? maroon would be interested, I'm probably better off with just the one maroon clown, huh?

 

[unleashed]

GS stands for golden striped maroon.carpet anenomes have been known to eat their host along with other tank mates.my LFS told me this when i almost purchased one from them.that alone convinced me to chose another type of anenome.the best way to find out if the newcommer will host it is to get one place it in the closest to the carpet when you release him he will either host the carpet or end up pairing off with your moroon you have now.either one will take time to tell what he will do.