sick anemone

[1st tank]

Our apartment got fumigated preventative for bed bugs. After that my anemone started tonshrink and lost its tenticles. Its now stuck on the plastic plant but its been a few weeks but no sign of the little tenticles coming back. Will they? And its not proofing up either just staying flat. Is it going to make it?

 

[lmforbis]

Highly unlikely it will come back. It is completely bleached. This may have nothing to do with the fumigating (although can't rule it out). Is everything else OK? I suspect it doesn't get enough light. What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[bang guy]

How long have you had the Anemone?

 

[1st tank]

Our light is grow lux and natural ambuient. Sunlight from the window. We've had the anemone for 5-6 months. Everything else in the tank is doing perfectly fine. We have 2 clown fish, 1 yellow tang, 1 lawnmower supposed to be salt water algie eater and a dorey fish. The rest of the fish are doing just fine. No problems, just the anemone.

 

[lmforbis]

You don't have enough light for an anemone. Because anemones have symbiotic algae in their cells they need very strong light in specific wavelengths. These alga produce food for the anemone. When they don't have enough light the algae die and the anemone starves. They turn whitish then just get smaller and smaller until they just aren't there anymore. It can take months for this to happen.

 

[1st tank]

How do I set up the light then? Just to let you know the anemone was doing perfectly fine until then. It happened like overnight. It went from perfect to shriveled up to the state it is now. Do I need to get a stronger light is that what you are saying?I would like to be able to save the anemone if possible. Still feeding it and it eats, but if I change the lighting soon is there any hope?

 

[bang guy]

That Anemone is not going to make it. It can no longer feed and that's going to eliminate the possibility that it can grow back.

I can assure you, based on the current color of your Anemone, that it has been in decline for quite some time. The fumigation likely further damaged the weakened Anemone but it's not the only issue.

What have you been feeding the Anemone?

 

[lmforbis]

You need a very strong light meant for reefs. The anemone is doomed. Don't get another one until you have done research on their care. They are a bit demanding.

 

[1st tank]

But what kind of light do I need to get then? It went from this, picture taken in september to it's state right now. i feed it shrimp pellets

 

[lmforbis]

In the first pic it was already dying. An anemone should never be white. They should be brown, red, green, purple, etc. the fact that it was white means it is bleached. It lost all of its symbiotic algae and is starving. It got worse over time I'm sure but the fumigation put the nail in its coffin.
You have a grow lux light which is good for plants but doesn't have the wavelengths that coral need.
There are a lot of lights that work, most are pretty spendy. It depends on the size of your tank and the amount you are willing to spend.

 

[1st tank]

Ok. So that means that it was not %100 when purchased. Ok. At least I don't feel quite as guilty now. I have a 40 gallon tank.

 

[1st tank]

So should I remove the anemone from the tank now? I can't be positive, but I think I read somewhere keeping a dying anemone in a tank with other fish is harmful to the other fish. If so should I remove it today? And thank you for being so helpful. I thought I did enough research, but obviously I didn't do enough and the pet store didn't either.

 

[bang guy]

I hate suggesting uthenizing an animal but you are correct. When it dies it releases nematocysts (stinging cells). If fish respirate enough of these it can damage their gills or even kill.

If it were me I would remove it now.

 

[1st tank]

Ok. Thank you very much.

 

[lmforbis]

As for the future. If you are inclined to get another anemone you will need a lot more light and it needs to be the correct kind of light. Don't buy an anemone until you have the correct light. When you and your tank are ready to add one, stick with a good fish store, make sure the anemone has color, don't let them tell you it is a new variety of white anemone, there is no such thing.
I have a 40 gallon tank and one anemone. I use a Kessil A360we LED light fixture and two 39 watt T5 flourescent bulbs (one purple plus and one actinic). I use these lights specifically so I can have an anemone. Like I said before good lighting is expensive. This set up cost me just under $500. It may be a better choice to skip the anemone. I'm sure my husband would think so.
This is what my healthy anemone looks like. You can see it is not white. It is, in normal light, a dark red color.

 

[1st tank]

but don't I need an anemone for the clown fish? We bought the anemone from *****.

 

[lmforbis]

The clown doesn't need an anemone.
Don't buy livestock at *****.

 

[Kristin1234]

You said you have a yellow tang and a dorey fish??

40 gallon tank is no were near big enough for 2 tangs.

 

[lmforbis]

Didn't see that. They may not be an issue now but they will be once they get a bit bigger.

 

[bang guy]

They are an issue now. Once they do the metamorphosis they require swimming space for normal development.