Condylactis anemone question

[craig110768]

Hi
I bought my first anemone over the weekend and have a few questions.
He keeps moving to the bottom of the tank, within the rocks. I moved him with the lights off mid way up the tank. He sat there for a while, but as soon as I switched the lights on, he moved to the bottom between the rocks. He has done this several times.
I don't think I have too much light - 420 VHO, 2 blue, 1 white.
Could some please tell me why he keeps doing this.
Thanks
Craig

 

[grayne]

When I first got my condi (which died unexpectedly after 9 mos.) it took a few days finding a place it liked. One possible answer to why it does not want to be close is that your light is stronger than what it was acclimated to before. I have read that many corals and the such have to be slowly introduced to stronger lighting - not just given a super dose of it all at once. Give it a few days and see what happens.
As a side note that type of anenome, in my opinion, likes to wander sometimes, so watch out if you have other corals. Also, make sure you feed it a couple times a week. Also, as with any anemone they are not always the easiest things to keep happy and alive. I thought I was doing great and after 9 mos. my anemone just up and died. Good luck with yours!

 

[clown jr]

these anemones as with most of them, move around. these guys move a lot. especially in the first few days, they will move around until they find a place they like, not necessarily a place you like... Try reducing your lighting period for the first few days and gradually get it back to normal.
As for feeding, I agree feeding is good, but dont overfeed!!!! If anything underfeed. They have photsynthetic xooanthellae which provide essential foods, sugars, etc. Only give a little bit of food rougly once, max twice a week.
And as said, anemones are hard... Good Luck!!!

 

[craig110768]

Hi
I ended up moving the anemone to another rock last night, and he looked great - I though I'd solved it. He stayed there all night.
When I checked him this morning he was still in the same place all puffed up - however, within 30 minutes this morning he scrunk down real small (I didn't switch the lights on this morning), but also these brown string-like things where coming off him. Not sure if that is excretion or what. I was frightened that he may decompose while I was at work, which would spike the tank and risk the other fish in there.
I have moved the anemone to my QT tank for the time being - not too much light there though - just NO bulbs.
Did I over react in moving it to my QT.
Could comeone please explain to me what is happening here.
Thanks
Craig

 

[clarkiiboi]

the brown stuff (slime) is excretion. Not a problem, natural. It will extract and contract. I have that same one and it is now attached to my glass. it's been in the tank for 6 months and moved alot. It's just looking for the "perfect" place, thats all. Where mine is at now, on the glass, is where the PH hits it (quit hard I think, but likes it, been there for weeks) HTH

 

[plum70rt]

my purple condi drove me nuts was all over, then was up front of tank like saying SO LONG, then went in rocks and I never saw it again that was 3 weeks ago, Good luck with yours

 

[craig110768]

Hi
Thanks for the comments.
I moved the anemone back to my display tank. He was completely back to normal in my QT when I got home from work, so I moved him back to my display tank.
It appears from my limited knowledge that it deflats at least once a day - complelely, and then blows back up over several hours. I was thinking it was doing this because of poor light, or bad water, or just decomposing.
I read that they do this to exchange water and get rid of waste, but I didn't think that it would deflat so much.
Has anybody got any comments regarding this statement
Craig

 

[plum70rt]

mine used to inflate to the size of a baseball and deflate to the size of a ping pong ball, thats what they do,

 

[craig110768]

thanks again

 

[jonthefb]

yeah when they do deflate they do get tiny. you are correct thta the brown stuff is excretion, mostly dead zooxanthellae the they have to expell, but also partially undigestable food (poo) anemones only have one orifice, therefore they must intake and excrete through the same place. corals also do this so if you ever see a brown string coming from the oral cavity in any of your corals dont panic, just give them a magazine and a few minutes and flush! (j/k on the flush part by the way, but the mag is very imp )
good luck
jon

 

[clarkiiboi]

its fine, mine is about 3-4 inch across when extracted and down to an inch when contracted, then thats when I see the brown slime (excretion). Actually, when I turn the lights on now I see all 3 of my anenomes start to open, its quit cool. Let it move on its own--I had times it went to the back of the tank and was disappointing, but it was happy there.

 

[rsd]

I've had a condi for 18 months, very happy. When acclimating it helps to put them in something, like 1/2 a clam shell or a big snail shell, something they can retract into... then place the shell where you'd like to see it. The condi will move to the worst possible spot from there, gauranteed.... maybe I should put the shell in the worst spot and out think him.... hmmmm. As for contracting mine will look like a puddle of goo before it feels it has finished its #2. Feed 1-2 times a week and it quit moving... forget to feed it and it starts to wander.

 

[craig110768]

Craig
What do you use to feed it. I haven't yet. I thought they would just filter out food too small for the fish to see.
Could some one suggest some food.
Craig

 

[jonthefb]

i use freeze dried krill or salad shrimp, both soaked in vitamins to feed mine!
good luck
jon