Sudden Anemone Issue

[DianaTX]

I am sorry if this has been asked. I have searched for a week and I am not seeing anemone issues with established anemones. We bought what we thought was a lta a couple of months ago. Our 29 gal tank is 4 months along. Don't know the exact details of the lighting (can ask my husband if needed), but it's the light recommended for our size of reef tank (bright). We had the water tested Sunday at a lfs that deals only saltwater and all the parameters are great. The anemone has been doing fine for weeks, staying basically where it first attached, eating small pieces of raw shrimp about once a week. Hosted by a skunk clown. Then all of a sudden, 8 days ago, it quit eating and then detached and floats along the sand. The couple of times we've put it back in the general area where it was, it will attach for an hour or so and then it's floating again. As we've researched, we are questioning whether it's actually a lta or bta. Sometimes, it changes the tips so it looks just like bubble tip. So now not sure whether it wants deep sand or is looking for a spot on our live rock. My concern is that maybe as the clown as grown fairly quickly, it's now too big and aggressive for this anemone. And, if that's the case, what do we do? The first two pictures are from May. The third one is 3 days ago. Thanks for tolerating my lack of reef tank terms. I am learning as I go.

 

[bang guy]

It has determined that it cannot thrive in it's current location. I doubt it has to do with the Clownfish it is hosting. It could be water current, lighting, food, etc. If it were me I would let it wander and find a new spot.

It looks good in the picture.

 

[DianaTX]

Thank you!

 

[bang guy]

It might help if you posted the actual water parameters and the specific lighting you have. What waterflow rate are you going with?

If I were to guess... I would guess insufficient light.

 

[DianaTX]

Okay:

29 gal tank -- Reef Aquarium
filter: Fluval C4; Ideal for use in 150 to 265 L (40 to 70 US Gal) fresh or marine aquariums
powerhead: 2000 L/h; 530 G/h
light: Finnex Sting Ray 30 inch, 16 watt, 32 x 7000k, 8 x 660nm True Red, 8 x Actinic Blue (on 12 hrs/day)
evening light: trulumin aquatic 10" blue led light (moon light - on 6 hours/night)
Weekly 5 gallon water change using saltwater from AquaticDesign (AD) Fish store.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: under 40, but have done 5 gallon change
Temp: 78 degrees
Salinity/Specific gravity: .023
calcium hardness (don't know numbers, just tested good)

We take a water sample to AD weekly and it's always tested good (latest test 3 days ago)

Residents:
2 skunk clowns
1 cardinalfish
3 green chromis
1 porcelain crab
1 peppermint shrimp
8 hermit crabs
8 snails
1 long tentacle anemone (assuming one in photo is lta)
1 bulb anemone (opposite corner of lta)
colt coral
a macro algae plant
3 small corals
a few hitch hikers (bristle worm, micro star or two, etc)

 

[Stop_drop_adam]

All that is happening is that it decided it didn't like that spot. It looks very healthy. My lta does this all the time. Sometimes it wanders around, other times it will float along. It will eventually find the spot it likes most. The only this you can do is deal with where it goes. This is completely natural.

 

[DianaTX]

Thanks, Stop_drop_adam. We will let it roam. It did "sting" the colt coral the other night and seems to keep ending up in that area either by choice or water flow. So we've put a barrier around the coral to protect it until the lta settles.