My First LTA and Q's?

[balakoth]

Well I purchased my first Anenome today. He is a white and lavendar Long Tentical Anenome. I was just looking for some tips and suggestions on getting him into a suitable place that he will like.

LFS said that tehse have a tendancy to not move as much as the BTAs or Rose Bulbs. Is this true? He said to place it on the sand which I did, and was just curious as to if the LTA will settle itself into the sand and find its own place it enjoys or do i need to set it in a general vicinity?

Of course it wont lookas pretty as it did in the LFS for a day or so I suppose as he adjusts himself. Just my first attempt with these creatures and I want to do it right!

Any advice would be great! Thanks.


Ill post a pic later.


Joe

[amateureefer]

well i'm a pretty big amateur when it comes to reefs (hence the name) but i've had my LTA for around 6-7 months now and he is **** healthy. basically, if u just put him in the tank, he will probably move to wherever he feels most comfortable, regardless of where he is placed originally. also, i have read that the biggest cause of death of anemones is overfeeding, so i wouldn't go overboard. i usually just let mine eat whats floating around and specifically feed him every few days (brine, marine cuisine, etc). also, my anemone basically wedged his base in between two rocks about half way up my LR, so if it moves off the sand, this probably isn't unusual. other than that, my LTA seems very durable, he has lived through a move already, just took on two false perculas a couple of days ago (they were only in the tank for 2 weeks too!), and has thrived even with the current nitrate level in my tank. hope this helped a little and i would definitely say get some more opinions and read what u can find. this link is pretty informative http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/in...a/anemones.htm
and i also was on a forum devoted strictly to anemones, although i can't find the link right now (i'll paste it if i can find it). good luck to u. dan

[balakoth]

Thanks for the info. How exactly do they move themselves? The curent seems to be pushing mine on his side constantly. Should I just leave him be on his side and he will find his own way around?

Just wasnt sure if him not being upright was a problem. Ill check out that link and do some reading.


Joe

[balakoth]

Heh Another quesiton. When he was at the LFS, the LTA had his tenticales extended up in the water. In my tank they seem to be laying to hte side. Do Anenomes actually extend them with a muscular function or is it water movement and the like that keeps them full looking in their place?

Its pretty now, but it would be so beautiful if it would extend itself. I suppose i have to wait till he's happy?


Been doing nothing but reading, but none of these little questions are answered heh.

joe

[amateureefer]

well, since i've had my LTA , i do not think i have ever seen it on its side. im not exactly sure what u mean by its side (theres kinda a bottom and a top), but u should probably aim the powerjet in a different direction if it is blowing him over (or perhaps take it out for now if it's not necessary). i wouldnt really recommend repositioning him urself, since they are extremely delicate. as far as how full it is, mine is generally fully open during the day, when all my lights are on, and closes up a bit at night. im honestly not sure how anemones move and usually i will just wake up in the morning and see him positioned somewhere. i would recommend waiting till the morning if there is nothing else u can do and asking some other advice from either ur LFS or someone else on the forums. hope this helped. dan

[hesaias]

The way I got my H. crispa to sit still is cut a section of 3-4 inch pvc pipe and sand the edges smooth, and push it down in the sand. Place the anemones foot in the pipe and backfill with sand. or you can place it between 3 small rocks, kinda in the same fashion. Im not sure about LTAs, but anemones are not normaly white. Its prolly bleached, so some chunks of fish, maybe 1 or 2 a week for a couple of weeks, then just feed once and a while, like every 2 weeks directly. My website has some pics of the Anemone I nursed back to health and still have.

My H. crispa floated around for a while, but just make sure its not getting blown around by current, it might irritate it and keep it upset.

[balakoth]

Well i woke up this morning to found he had moved to the back of my tank and started digging his foot in. Of course this is not where I wanted him to be, but theres nto to much i can do about it now :P You can see him just not a nice full frontal shot.

He definatly looks full and happy now. As for them not being white, should be probably then be ther est of the color his tenticales are? The lavender and Green?

Thanks for the info. Id like to try that PVC thing, but I dont think im going to be able to move him from where he is now :P Besides his foot is a little larger than 3 inch Diam piece of PVC.


Joe

[hesaias]

If he's digging in, let him be. You can aquascape around him if need be, just do it a little at a time so he stays happy. As far color, look the latin name up on the net and see some pics of others. My H crispa is tan and purple tipped my BTA has a tan foot, green tentcles and purple tips

[balakoth]

Can one refer to me a good site to ID my Anemome at? Looks like his Tips are bright green and his tentecales are suppose to be lavender when fully colored.

As for aquascaping around him, I guess that is an option, but should I wait a bit to see if he decides to move again? Or when they dig in are they doing so for a long haul?

Thanks Hes for all your input and information.


Joe

[beach bum]

Hey Joe, I would definitely let him settle in for awhile before trying to rearrange anything, if he is not getting his needs met where he is at, he will move. FYI, the easiest way to 'encourage' one to move is to point a powerhead at it.

Mine moved in two ways - one it would roll like a tumbleweed with the current, and two it would actually 'crawl' over rocks so to speak. I saw this second behavior thrice, so I'm convinced that it was intentional, it would adhere it's tentacle's to the rock and 'roll' over it to get to the other side, must be seen to be believed.

DSB of at least 3" is necessary for it to bury it's foot properly, it will then attach this buried foot to a hard surface, either a buried piece of the rock, the tank bottom, or the side glass. Amaturereefer - I would suspect that if your's is adhered to rock you do not have an LTA (Macrodactyla doreensis), a fine grain sandbed is required for them.

Feeding amounts will dictate his size, once health is established, feed no more than is necessary to maintain current size or it will get huge, think in terms of a foot across (or more). If it begins to get too large simply cut back it's feedings. Mine liked silversides the best.

Check out this thread for a pic of what mine looked like. Makes me wispy just thinking about the good times....(sniff, sniff ) ...I miss my skunks!

hth, Chris

[balakoth]

Well he is all the way Dug in in a different location now. A nice viewable location I will post a picture in a few and maybe you guys can tell me if he's bleached and needs some recovery or what. Fed him yesterday and iwll probably do so on Wensday again.

When I have picked him up when he was happy.. that puppy was friggen alot bigger than I had thought it was when I picked it up. With its folds all the way flat and extended in the water (Not in the sand just in my hand) He had to have reached at least 10 inches. When in the sand against the glass and rock hes a little less large So hopefully I can manage his size a bit. I will post a pic in a little bit when the lights come on.


Thanks again for all your advice guys. Did yours die off Chris? If so do you know the causes or are they just an un explained long and short lived life in captivity that reefers havent figured out yet?


Thanks, Joe

[beach bum]

No. My short-lived reef was in a 40g tank. The centerpiece was the LTA and pink skunk pair. After some maintenance one day I didn't plug the heater back in, tank dropped to 70f or something close, clowns got sick and died. Anemone got TOO BIG and one day when it moved it roll over three or four corals and parked itself RIGHT on top off my open brain, that's when I realized my tank was too small for it, and it was the only critter that needed MH lighting. So I traded the light for a better skimmer and sold my LTA. So now all I keep is fish, but one day....

looking forward to the pic.

[balakoth]

Picture one, From the side

[balakoth]

and another

[balakoth]

Unforuntately now I think my tank is crashing to bottom.

Nitrates are sky high, I have .5 Ammonia from god knows where and looks like I have a weee wee tiny bit of Nitrites.

Torch coral is not looking so happy. My last water change didnt even tough my nitrates but now I have ammonia. Can this hobby get anymore stressfull.

Sigh