What is up with my anemone? Please help.

acrid

acrid

Member
Hey,
My tank has been done cycling for about 2 weeks. I've had this green bubble tip anemone for about a week & a half. It has been doing great up to this point, puffing up & eating well. I have a maroon clown that hosts it. 2 days ago we moved its position in the tank, but it seemed to be doing alright after that. Today we did our first water change (about 20%).
I just went to look at the tank & it's mouth looks wide open. I stared in horror for a few minutes. Then I tried feeding it mysis shrimp with a baster, and it seemed to eat it. It's mouth seemed to close up for a few minutes, but now it looks kind of open again. Its tentacles are the most deflated I have ever seen.
My nitrates & nitrites are zero. Ammonia is zero. Salinity is 1.0225.
Any suggestions? Is it beyond recovery? Please help, any advice is appreciated.
Also, my devil's hand leather looks terrible too. It was bought about a week ago, and seemed to have shed a slime layer a few days ago. It was looking pretty good until now. Now it looks blueish-green, like it did the day after we put it in the tank before it shed that slime layer.
Pictures to follow momentarily.
 
acrid

acrid

Member
Here is my sickly, sad green bubble tip anemone.



And here is my now green Devil's Hand Leather. This was a nice looking pink about 3 hours ago.
 
maddog0118

maddog0118

Member
the green anemonies dont always bubble...i have 3 of them...they bubble now and then....i also have a rose...he bubbles the most..my green one rarely ever do...
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
If I am reading correctly your tank has been done cycling for 2 weeks you have stocked your tank already with that much stuff, and your bta has been in there for a week and a half which means you added it while your tank was cycling, right?
Even if not your tank is very very unstable at this point. And adding anything much less an anemone is very dangerous. Your anem does not look good looking at the pictures, the mouth is open and that is not a good sign. Over all there isnt much to advise you on to help normalize your tank other than recomending to take out the anem, and go from there. Also to get a better idea if your tank can handle what is in it, a list of all inhabitants would help. Also your water perameters, specific numbers pH, alk, and temp. Also your lighting what kind and how many watts, also what size tank is this. You salinity is low too, how are you measuring it? 1.024 to 1.026 would be a better range. Your issues seem to be the result of going about all of this a bit too quickly, especially with the anemone.
 
lexluethar

lexluethar

Active Member
My suggestion would be return the corals and anemone. Stabalize your tank and ensure you have good lighting and are done cycling, then think about adding a few corals, then down the road an anemone.
Anemones need very stable water conditions and relatively high specific gravity, 1.022 is way too low for an anemone IMO, and i would slowly (over two weeks time) raise it up to where dark said, around 1.026.
 
acrid

acrid

Member
The only fish is my tank is the maroon clown. Other than that, there is just crabs & snails.
My tank was done cycling before I got the fish & anemone. MY LFS tested my water & said it was fine for both. I see now that wasn't the best advice.
Not to come across as ungrateful, but I am obviously new to this and I feel that instead of making suggestions I am getting ragged on for having an anemone. You should remember that not everyone finds this site before they start their tank, alot probably don't search for something like this until they have a problem. I didn't know I was moving too quickly. All I knew was that I had to wait until nitrate & nitrates dropped for my cycle to be over. That happened, and I added one fish.
You both said to raise the salinity, but neither of you said how. I am assuming through water changes.
As far as parameters:
Tank: 65 gallons
Temp: 79*
Lighting: 96 watt CFL
I have read recently that maybe the anemone would be happier with a metal hallide? I was going to purchase one anyways this Friday on payday. But then I have also read that metal hallides can burn/irritate them...
I will go run the other tests now & post them.
 
nuz

nuz

Member
Acrid - I understand. I'm very new to this forum as well as new to the whole saltwater thing. Please don't take anyone's advice as "ragging" although it may seem that way sometimes. But again, I understand what you're saying - it's very easy to feel like you're getting beat up with all the information.
To make your salinity higher, add more salt with your next water change. Someone with more experience will be able to tell you in detail how to do this.
My boyfriend and I started adding fish and anemones just as soon as our tank was ready (all water test readings were ideal). We made sure we had a filter of course, powerheads, and the correct lighting. We haven't had any problem with the stability of our tank since.
It's very possible you could have just picked up an unhealthy anemone to begin with, just remember this.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I know PD and Lex from being on here a while. It is hard to show either good or bad emotion in the written word. I know they were not ragging on you only to try to give you the best information possible for your situation.
You can raise Sg slowly by preparing a water change with a slightly elevated Sg from where you are now. You are at 1.0225 so make a water change that is 1.026. Do the change wait a few hours and do another test. If it is still low prepare another water change for the next day with the slightly elevated Sg. This way you do not stess your inhabitants by raising it too much too quickly.
Your fish store is in the business to make sales and will steer you towards that end. Come here and ask some questions about what you plan to do before you do it and you will get some valuable information to be armed with when going to the store. People here are good people, and they just want to help you to succeed.
Keep posting and we love pictures. Oh yeah and Welcome to SWF.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by Acrid
http:///forum/post/2545077
The only fish is my tank is the maroon clown. Other than that, there is just crabs & snails.
My tank was done cycling before I got the fish & anemone. MY LFS tested my water & said it was fine for both. I see now that wasn't the best advice.
Not to come across as ungrateful, but I am obviously new to this and I feel that instead of making suggestions I am getting ragged on for having an anemone. You should remember that not everyone finds this site before they start their tank, alot probably don't search for something like this until they have a problem. I didn't know I was moving too quickly. All I knew was that I had to wait until nitrate & nitrates dropped for my cycle to be over. That happened, and I added one fish.
You both said to raise the salinity, but neither of you said how. I am assuming through water changes.
As far as parameters:
Tank: 65 gallons
Temp: 79*
Lighting: 96 watt CFL
I have read recently that maybe the anemone would be happier with a metal hallide? I was going to purchase one anyways this Friday on payday. But then I have also read that metal hallides can burn/irritate them...
I will go run the other tests now & post them.

Sorry if I came off that way, it was in no way supposed to sound like I was flamming you. We have all been bitten at least once by LFS advice which 90% is either off from lack of knowledge or because they feel a sale at that moment is worth more than repeat buisness and a good reputation.
Yes raise your salinity through water changes, or instead of topping off with fresh RO water top off with salt water, it will rise over the course of a few days.
Unfortunalty your lighting is insufficient for the anemone, although I do not think this is the prob, it will be later on. Acclimation shock, and new tank syndrome IMO is what is making your anemone react the way it is. I dont want to be a pesimist (sp) but IMO its not going to recover because your tank isnt ready for one. If it does die take it out quickly as they decomp very rapidly and can spike your amonia level. All of your tank inhabitants including anemones will benifit from MH or HOT5 lighting, just when you introduce the new light to them you need to acclimate them to the new light. Reduce the time they are on for, for the first week. Say 3 hours a day, for the first 3 days, then 4 hours a day for the remainder of the week. The next week bump it up to 6 hours for the entire week, watch how every thing responds. If colors start to fade out, reduce the schedule.
 
nuz

nuz

Member
I agree with that - don't ever take anything your fish store says for gospel. They are interested in your wallet. Good places will answer your questions but still, don't take it for gospel. Everyone has their own ways of doing things so it's best to get a lot of information and then find out what works best and easiest for you (and your aquarium of course!).
I know a LFS who quarantines all her animals before selling them. She will straight up refuse to sell you something if she knows you are not prepared for it, or if she knows the animal is not quite ready. That my friends is a good fish store.
 
lexluethar

lexluethar

Active Member
Sorry, didn't mean to come off and sound coarse, i've just found that it is easier to give the solution at the time, and if the poster needs details they will ask. I've written pages of information before to just have the original poster to say "i know that already, i just needed to know if it was a problem." So i've gotten into the habbit of just giving a breif, to the point post about what should be done, and if you need specifics just ask, no worries. I don't know what you know... know that i mean :)?
 
acrid

acrid

Member
Okay, so I ran pretty much every test.
Amonia: 0 (last night)
Ph: 8.2
Nitrate: below 10
Nitrite: below 2
Alk: 3.75
Phos: .3
Also, here are updated pictures.


So his mouth is closed, and his arms are not nearly as deflated as they were last night. His foot is nice & secure on the rock. So I guess that is an improvement? Is it possible it was just pooping last night and I over-reacted, or is the consensus that it is sick? Also, is this GBTA bleached? It was lighter than the others at the store...

The Devil's Hand is still kinda blue, but it looked like this after we brought it home, too. So I wonder if it is just shedding another layer of slime? The little one next to it looks great, as does the Elephant Ear next to it.
As far as the salinity, would it be okay if I pick up a few gallons of salt water from the fist store instead of mixing my own? I generally have to top off around a gallon a day. So instead of the RO could I just add a gallon of the salt water & test it again tomorrow? I have a hydrometer, and have since read that I should invest in a refractometer. So I'll search for a deal on that.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Yup the saltwater plan is a good one. As noted by your test results it can be seen that your cycle is not complete yet. In a cycled tank there are not readings of any nitrite.
I am afraid that all of your inhabitants are at risk at this point. If this were my tank I would take the anemones and the fish and the corals back to the store for credit and wait out the cycle. What these critters are in now amounts to a toxic water condition and they are in jeopardy of not making it through. I am not saying that everything in your tank is going to die but the chances are better that they will than they will make it through.
I am sorry that you are having this experience. You have been steered wrong by your LFS and your tank will pay the price for it.
Not to fret though you can recover from this, it is up to you now to do what you need to in helping the livestock and long term health of your system.
Just my opinions for what they are worth. I am sure others will chime in and you will make your decisions based on weighing all of the information.
 
acrid

acrid

Member
My testing kits are OceanMaster, I have the Ocean set & the Reef set. None of them have "Zero" levels on the plastic tabs you compare the water to. So I simply listed the lowest option for both Nitrite & Nitrate. Both tests, the water was almost completely clear.
Everything else in the tank is flourishing. The Elephant Ear has grown a lot, there is a purple thing that is reminiscent of Xenia that has doubled in size in a few days...
I just fed the fish his pellet food. And afterwards the anemone's mouth looked puffy.

 
maddog0118

maddog0118

Member
but wondered if we misunderstood her....i took it as if she cycled the tank for the required time,and then 2 weeks later added the fish maybe im wrong
{My tank has been done cycling }for about 2 weeks. I've had this green bubble tip anemone for about a week & a half. It has been doing great up to this point, puffing up & eating ....if thats true wouldnt all be ok...
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by maddog0118
http:///forum/post/2545200
but wondered if we misunderstood her....i took it as if she cycled the tank for the required time,and then 2 weeks later added the fish maybe im wrong
{My tank has been done cycling }for about 2 weeks. I've had this green bubble tip anemone for about a week & a half. It has been doing great up to this point, puffing up & eating ....if thats true wouldnt all be ok...
Fish tanks are like fingerprints no 2 are the same. Which is why its best to err on the side of caution and take the recomended route to a new tank. While your tank right now is doing well and seems stable this can change in a week. Not saying it will but can, which is why delicate species are cautioned against. Also as far as the aquarist is concerned too, anemones among other delicate animals, inverts and corals require a more specialized regime, or knowledge. New hobbiest are still trying to get aquainted to their tanks, maintenance schedules, issues if any, test results all the things that seasoned aquariests already are familiar with. Now add a delciate specimine of any type and disaster is only a small step away.
Yes your anem looks ok for the moment, your maroon clown is also not helping. They are the most aggressive hosts, coupled with the stress of what ever else is bothering it in your tank. Its recomended that if you get an anemone for a clown to host in that it be much larger than the fish. In a maroon clowns case it is highly recomended that you get an anemone many many times larger than the fish as they often "love" the anemone to death.
 
acrid

acrid

Member
I see your point about the maroon clown. It most certainly does love that anemone a lot. I just ordered a new sump/refugium setup that should come by the end of the week. Once that is set up, would it maybe be a good idea to put either the anemone or the clown in the refugium? If so, which one and for how long? Sad though, that would break that poor fishy's heart.
Also, I have been feeding the anemone mysis shrimp about every other day or every 2 days. Should I continue this, or increase feedings? Should I switch to something "meatier?"
In defense of my LFS, they don't seem to just want to sell me anything. I've asked about clams, sand-sifting starfishes, & mandarins, and the responses were all to wait at least 6 months. So it is odd to me that they wouldn't have cautioned me about the anemone & the maroon clown to go with it.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by Acrid
http:///forum/post/2545268
I see your point about the maroon clown. It most certainly does love that anemone a lot. I just ordered a new sump/refugium setup that should come by the end of the week. Once that is set up, would it maybe be a good idea to put either the anemone or the clown in the refugium? If so, which one and for how long? Sad though, that would break that poor fishy's heart.
Also, I have been feeding the anemone mysis shrimp about every other day or every 2 days. Should I continue this, or increase feedings? Should I switch to something "meatier?"
In defense of my LFS, they don't seem to just want to sell me anything. I've asked about clams, sand-sifting starfishes, & mandarins, and the responses were all to wait at least 6 months. So it is odd to me that they wouldn't have cautioned me about the anemone & the maroon clown to go with it.
Sometimes even LFS arent as knowledgable as they lead us on to be. I would take the anemone out all together IMO. Leave the clownfish, they are hardy and any harm to it is already done. I believe the fate of the stability of your tank will reside in your anemone, and if it will survive, (my guess is no) Adding it to your refugium will be a certain quick death sentence as 90% of an anemones food and energy comes from ample lighting, and stable water perameters. If an anemone is something you really want research the specific one your interested in, make the appropriate accomodations to your tank, and then buy a specimine large enough for your clown to be happy in. Dont worry your fish isnt going anywhere and will certainly host again when you are ready for one.

And dont be afraid to ask anyone here anything...
 
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