wandering and shrinking purple tip

[vince-1961]

Many months ago I got a purple tip anemone. It found a place it liked and settled in quite nicely. Several months go by and it decided it wanted to move to a wee bit higher ground. NBD. Several weeks go by and one morning I found it had wandered over to the opposite side of the 6' long 225g tank and was actually under my other anemone, all shrunk up, of course. I picked him up and moved him back over to "his side." That was about a month ago.
Ever since then, he has not attached himself to anything, continues to wander and rarely stretches out his tentacles. Seems to like being in the shade of rocks. When spot feeding, he does not close up on food like he used to, so I figure he's got to be getting hungry.
This morning he was back under the other anemone, which was stretched wide open, and the purple tip was still shrunk up very small, but had extended his tenacles just enough for me to notice that they still have purple tips. Tube is still an orangish red.
The other anemone is still fat and happy, so I don't see how environment (water quality, lighting, etc.) could be much of a factor. And, before you ask, I must admit that I forgot what type of anemone the healthy one is. He's big and kind of a greenish, off-white color and stays put on the sand. The two clowns have bonded with it. They never paid any attention to the purple tip. When I get home I'll take pics.
Any ideas?

 

[jar_lou]

I am new to anemones, I just got one. But read ALOT before I purchased one just to make sure I knew what i was getting myself into. The one thing that comes to my mind is that while you moved it, could you have possibly torn the anemones base? I have read that once that happens they will sometimes start to not attach and start the downward spiral to death (which I was surprised could take up to 9 months). Like I said, only what I have read there, no real experience with them. Good luck!!

 

[vince-1961]

These are horrible pictures, but the best I could get at the moment.
Attachment 230655
Attachment 230656
here's the healthy one. Guess my description of it's color was way off.
Attachment 230657
Yes, I know about the cyano. I'm working on that. This is with flash.
Attachment 230658

 

[marchingbandjs]

OOO FLAME ANGEL.. i loves him... is your tank reef or do you just have the nems.. if so how does the flame do with the coral...
From what i have heard... he is just not happy.. theres nothing you can do but wait for him to find a happy spot.. you interfering wont do anything...
did you recently change lights ... or anything with lights.. take hood off anything..

 

[vince-1961]

I want to say "reef", but let's face it. Most of my stuff died. Have some mushrooms, frogspawn and ricordea left alive.
No change on lights.

 

[marchingbandjs]

Ok... normally they tend to float when they have to strong light or to little.. so i thought if he wants shade must be to strong... Other than that i dunno

 

[jar_lou]

I would check your water params, nitrates etc. temperature could be a factor as well??

 

[marchingbandjs]

Ya... could be but i dont think it would be that big of a deal if the other one looks normal...

 

[vince-1961]

Here's the latest pics...ignore the cyano. sucked it out in water change. I am working on it, but that's another thread........
B4 water change, water parameters are:
Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates = 0
pH = 7.9 - 8.0
Alk = 2.0
salinity = 1.025 or 35 ppt
did not test for magnesium or calcium.
24 hours after 10% water change, same parametrs, but pH up to 8.2.
Just to make sure we're all on the same page, the wandering anemone is the tiny little red/orange thing, not the big healthy green one.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Do you ever feed your nems?? The healthy one is probably fed by clowns. This one may be starving.

 

[vince-1961]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/3122730
,,,,,,,,,,,When spot feeding, he does not close up on food like he used to, so I figure he's got to be getting hungry.
Any ideas?
Yes, he probably is getting hungry by now, since he won't close up on food. You're right about the clowns not feeding him.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Sorry, I missed that you were feeding him!
What about phosphates??
Other than that, IDK. My lta is the first nem I've been able to keep. I always had a similar problem when trying to keep condys. Strange, they are supposed to be the easiest to keep.

Will stay tuned in the hopes that someone else will give a better answer.

 

[vince-1961]

It's gone from this when I got it ...
Attachment 231443
Attachment 231444
to hiding under the other anemone (just yesterday)....
Attachment 231445
I try to feed him chum or mysis and he what little bit he does grab, he won't hold on to it when the shrimp and other fish take it away from him.

 

[marchingbandjs]

feed ur other fish ... then try to squirt it down in his throat.. or take him out put him in a bown of SW and fill it will food

 

[vince-1961]

Well, I've tried feeding fish first, but I never thought to remove him from tank for feeding. Such an elegantly, simple solution!
I'll try it.

 

[racingtiger03]

hmm? What's this about a clwon feeding a nem? My perculas, one in particular, has taken very closely to my rose anemone, and it won't leave it it seems like. Since then, though, the nem hasn't taken to any food I offer it. Is it just full from the clown feeding it then?

 

[vince-1961]

I tried putting the purple tip in one of those clear plastic boxes for small fry (plenty of holes for water circulation) to feed him where fish couldn't harass him for the food. The orange base of the anemone starting turning white. He obviously didn't like that. Did not eat anything either as far as I could tell.
Tried putting him in a cup of water with mysis shrimp and chum. As far as I could tell, he didn't take any of the food there before I put him back in the tank about 15 minutes later (yes, I changed the water in the cup several times during that 15 minutes.)
It's shrinking and hiding even more. Don't know how much longer it will survive.
Any other suggestions?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/3122730
Many months ago I got a purple tip anemone. It found a place it liked and settled in quite nicely. Several months go by and it decided it wanted to move to a wee bit higher ground. NBD. Several weeks go by and one morning I found it had wandered over to the opposite side of the 6' long 225g tank and was actually under my other anemone, all shrunk up, of course. I picked him up and moved him back over to "his side." That was about a month ago.
Ever since then, he has not attached himself to anything, continues to wander and rarely stretches out his tentacles. Seems to like being in the shade of rocks. When spot feeding, he does not close up on food like he used to, so I figure he's got to be getting hungry.
This morning he was back under the other anemone, which was stretched wide open, and the purple tip was still shrunk up very small, but had extended his tenacles just enough for me to notice that they still have purple tips. Tube is still an orangish red.
The other anemone is still fat and happy, so I don't see how environment (water quality, lighting, etc.) could be much of a factor. And, before you ask, I must admit that I forgot what type of anemone the healthy one is. He's big and kind of a greenish, off-white color and stays put on the sand. The two clowns have bonded with it. They never paid any attention to the purple tip. When I get home I'll take pics.
Any ideas?

Your anemone was stung by the other one it moved under. The best thing to do is nothing. They go where they want, you can't "place" them. One anemone per tank is the best thing because of problems like this. In a very large tank it can be done. Run carbon to stop any chemical warfare. Let the anemone find its own place and hope for the best.