Anemone help

Dieboldly

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 24, 2015
574
63
36
Buena Park, CA
im assuming this is the right area to talk about this.

Anyways, I have no idea what is going on here! Not why I can’t keep any anemone alive! This is my second attempt. My tank has been up and running for at least 6 months now.

Salinity is low. 1.20. I’ve been trying to get it to 1.25 over time but won’t change.

What’s up? I feed him mysis shrimp at least 1 x a week. I found him yesterday off rock and kinda floating on sand basically.

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driftdiver

Jack Dempsey
Mar 20, 2006
4
2
33
Delray Beach, Florida
Few things to remember:

(1) Anenomes will move around your tank until they find a location they like. Depending on the species you are trying to keep, some are highly photosynthetic while others are not photosynthetic at all. As a result the anenome will move higher and lower in the tank to either increase its light exposure or decrease it. Similarly the anenome will move itself to get to its preferred water movement. I have had LTAs move behind my rock work, had large carpets move under overhangs etc.

(2) Anenomes are extremely sensitive to water parameters. Your salinity should be 1.025(+/-1)....tested via a refractometer. With proper Nitrate 0, Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0 and pH 7.8. No medications or copper unless you want to kill your system.

(3) Anenomes need to be fed at least once a week. Large prawns, cleaned squid, clams, or pieces of fish placed in tentacles. Watch that the food is eaten to make sure your water parameters don’t get out of whack. Also be careful that aggressive fish aren’t stealing the food.

(4) unhappy anenomes will shrink down but unless it’s melting it’s not necessarily a goner.

I would raise your salinity (slowly), do a 20% water change to help your parameters, and then try to position its base between a few pieces of rock in an area of low flow, low light. Hope this helps.
 
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Dieboldly

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 24, 2015
574
63
36
Buena Park, CA
Few things to remember:

(1) Anenomes will move around your tank until they find a location they like. Depending on the species you are trying to keep, some are highly photosynthetic while others are not photosynthetic at all. As a result the anenome will move higher and lower in the tank to either increase its light exposure or decrease it. Similarly the anenome will move itself to get to its preferred water movement. I have had LTAs move behind my rock work, had large carpets move under overhangs etc.

(2) Anenomes are extremely sensitive to water parameters. Your salinity should be 1.025(+/-1)....tested via a refractometer. With proper Nitrate 0, Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0 and pH 7.8. No medications or copper unless you want to kill your system.

(3) Anenomes need to be fed at least once a week. Large prawns, cleaned squid, clams, or pieces of fish placed in tentacles. Watch that the food is eaten to make sure your water parameters don’t get out of whack. Also be careful that aggressive fish aren’t stealing the food.

(4) unhappy anenomes will shrink down but unless it’s melting it’s not necessarily a goner.

I would raise your salinity (slowly), do a 20% water change to help your parameters, and then try to position its base between a few pieces of rock in an area of low flow, low light. Hope this helps.

Wow you rock!! Thank you so much for all that info!
 

phreeflow

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Nov 19, 2007
1,511
1,937
179
SoCal
Is that a condylactis anemone? Can’t tell from the pics. Condys are cheap but I’ve always had issues with them. Plus most clownfish won’t host them. The only fish that did, interestingly, was a domino damsel that lived in my QT tank. Try a bubble tip...they cost a bit more but I’ve never had issues with them and my clowns took to them easily.

I agree with D driftdiver on most points except for the parameters on nitrates. It’s almost impossible to get nitrates to zero in any tank...fresh, salt, or reef. Unless you had a Sulfur nitrate reactor on your saltwater tanks but even those don’t work that well. On freshwater, you can use a ton of plants, both immersed and emmersed, but even then it would be darn near impossible. Don’t chase zero nitrates but focus on getting ammonia and nitrite down. Then do water changes to keep nitrates in check. Also, he suggested a pH value of 7.8 on your saltwater tank and that could work, especially with fish only tanks, but I’d personally shoot for a value over 8.0 pH on any tanks with inverts
 
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Dieboldly

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 24, 2015
574
63
36
Buena Park, CA
If I’m not mistaking, I believe that it is. I don’t remember tho. I didn’t spend a lot for him. I was told he was hardy. I had a green bubble tip before and he died on me :/ my tank was pretty fresh then tho and it was in a nano I had set up.

I’ll be buying a master test kit soon or can my fresh water one work? Salinity needs to be raised up and I’m having issues with that unfortunately:/ I’m going to try the 20% change and go from there.
 
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phreeflow

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Nov 19, 2007
1,511
1,937
179
SoCal
If it was cheap then it was likely a condylactis. Part of it may also be that you are not picking healthy specimens from the get go. Be sure the LFS is gentle when peeling the anemone off its perch when bagging it up. They sometimes have high schoolers working there or are inexperienced and literally yank it off the live rock. If you see any tears, don’t buy it. Also make sure the mouth isn’t open or showing it’s innards. Observe and buy one whose tentacles are full and plump and that the base or foot is swollen....no part of a healthy anemone should be flaccid or shriveled. If you can find one being hosted by a clown, they might be healthier as the fish will clean and feed it.

Also, is there adequate flow in your tank? All anemones and LPS need and appreciate chaotic but gentle flow...not directional as that can stress them out. Read up on them..they are fairly easy to keep once you have everything dialed in
 
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twentyleagues

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2017
6,674
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Flint town!
What do you mean you are having trouble getting over 1.20? Add more salt. What are you measuring with? Fish only can be 1.20 to 1.23 without to much issue. Corals need to be 1.23 to 1.28 in fact 1.23 is on the low low end. Agreed with tlindsey tlindsey you need a saltwater master kit.
When I first started with saltwater I ran 1.23 and had some issue with corals. I quickly learned that 1.27 was where it seemed I had no issues with my corals at the end of my salt addiction I had it all dialed in to 1.26 and that worked great. What kind of lighting do you run? Alot of nems are photosynthetic and need good light. Also agree the correct flow, random, lite and indirect is best for lps and nems. While ive never kept the larger nems I have had great luck with rock flower, tube and mini carpets. Oh and apstasia I did grand with those too! Lol
 
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