HELP with anemone.. I don't know what happened

[branden]

On January 19th we bought a long tentacle anemone. It filled with water the instant we put it in the tank. It moved a few inches the first day, then dug right into the sand and was looking great. After about a week it started to uproot from the sand and move around on its side. Since then, it has been on its side. The store recommended we dig a hole in the sand to set it in. We tried, but it moved out of the hole and back to its side. The last few days it has been looking worse and worse. Only a couple of the tentacles are filled with water the rest are flat, and a few tentacles look brown instead of light pink. Saturday it started to look like it was turning inside out. We tried to feed it a small piece of krill, and its insides slowly started to creep out through its “mouth”. It looked like a bunch of pink curly strings inside a ball of goo. Every water test comes back fine. Everything that should be at 0 is at 0, the ph was a bit low at 8, but we brought it up. We did a water change on Thursday just to be safe. The temp has not been 100% stable. When we first put the anemone in the tank we were keeping the temp at 80-81, but this week we started keeping it at 78 because we thought 80 was too hot for the anemone. We also have a xenia that used to be huge, but this week shriveled up and no longer pulses. I can’t figure it out.. The shrimp and other inverts seem fine, the fish are fine.. What is going on? Is there anything I can do to save my anemone?

 

[teresaq]

What lights do you have?

 

[branden]

Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/2456400
What lights do you have?
I don't know the lighting details- I didn't buy the light, it's a shared hobby. I'm pretty sure the lights are strong enough for the anemone since it was purchased with the idea that we would be getting corals and an anemone. It’s an outer orbit light of some sort. Two compact florescent, two metal halide and 6 LEDs.

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by Branden
http:///forum/post/2456405
I don't know the lighting details- I didn't buy the light, it's a shared hobby. I'm pretty sure the lights are strong enough for the anemone since it was purchased with the idea that we would be getting corals and an anemone. It’s an outer orbit light of some sort. Two compact florescent, two metal halide and 6 LEDs.

Hmmm might be some type of chemical warfare... IMO your lighting should be ok. But to be sure you need to post wattage and tank size.. Do you run carbon?

 

[bonita69]

lights are fine dought it is that how long this tank been set up?
Sound as the fellow is in bad shape, the color loss is very conserning. If it where me I would pull him out and set up QT ASAP, because when these things die the release toxins that will kill everything in your tank. Put a surgical glove on when you pick he up, to protect him and you.

 

[branden]

Thanks for the responses so far. The tank has been running since before Thanksgiving.
Here are some pictures.. Maybe this will help. It doesn't look like it is melting, and the slime is not coming off of the outside.. It's like the foot is pushing itself out through his mouth.. if that makes any sense.
The anemone 3 weeks ago when we put him in

And now.. looking like his insides are coming out

I don't know if the QT is an option. The water has not been changed in the QT in 2 months, and the light on the QT is weak, it's just the light that came with the setup. I can always get some water tomorrow and then move it to QT, but I wonder if that won't make it worse. It looks dead anyway, I'm just frustrated... I wonder if I Should just take it out?

 

[bonita69]

wow he does look bad. I would pull it if was mine. How big is your QT, I have a 20 high and fill it with my main tank 92 g, water when I need it. Any time you have to pull an animal from MAIN tank and put it in QT I think it is always good to do a water change anyway. then you can do a 10% water change on the QT if need be. I never leave my QT running after use. I clean with bleach, rinse very well it and put it away. I also use bare bottom and back ground on sides and back.But that is what I do.

 

[perfectdark]

I agree at this point picking it up isnt going to stress it out anymore than it already is. As soon as it breaks the surface of the water you will be able to tell if its dead. IMO if its not dead yet it will be soon. Good Luck.

 

[ncognitothe3rd]

I believe that anemone is gone. It looks like it is falling apart and inverting its insides. I would pull him out before he fouls your water chemisty. If you have a small zip lock, place your hand in the zip lock, grab it and turn the ziplock inside outso that you close the bage with the anemone in the bag before it hits the air. If it does hit the air, cover your nose and open a window. Good Luck!!!

 

[bonita69]

Also if it was my tank after I pulled it I would do a 25%-30% water change and run some fresh high quality carbon. Sorry this fellow did not work out for you.

 

[addicted2]

how sad...I agree with the others...doesn't look good at all.. I would also pull it from your DT. Can't hurt it any worse than it is now..but you could hurt your main tank by leaving it in there. Like they said before..you'll be able to tell as soon as it breaks the water surface. sorry.

 

[branden]

Thanks everyone.. We took it out Monday night. I didn't want to give up on it, but it was looking bad, and I didn't think it had a chance of surviving.
I wonder if whatever killed it was the same reason the xenia closed up and turned brown. I just don't get it, there is not a thing wrong with the water, but I'm going to take some to the store today and see what they say. The only other coral I have is a piece of green ricordea that looks about the same as when I bought it. We got that on the same day as the anemone.