Is my LTA now dying?

[Michigan kelly]

I previously posted about failure of my return pump and subsequent outbreak of ich. Got the pump replaced today and treated fish with garlic and zoecon soaked food. Been so worried about the fishies when it appears I should have been more worried about the LTA.

Before the pump failed, I had the return flow dump above the LTA. It had been very happy with that stream of flow and when the pump died, it began deflating little by little. My powerheads were angled to the surface while pump was down but still enough flow to gently sway the tentacles.

Last night the LTA (which I just got last Saturday) pulled up its foot and by morning had rolled itself up next to my torch! Both appeared to be retracted from the contact that most assuredly occurred over night. I relocated the anemone to its original spot. The torch opened fully today.

Got the pump running and I angled the flow back to the way it had been before. But the anemone just laid on its side all afternoon and has never re-buried its foot. It has now completely retracted to the size of about a golf ball and I see bits of tentacles laying around it!!! I see something like puffs of smoke emanating from the anemone and it just drifts away in the flow.

Don't know for sure the pump failure is what has caused this downfall but the anemone was fine until then. I have tested my parameters. Ammonia is zero as is the nitrites. Nitrates are at 25. Now that flow is circulating through the macro algae in the refugium, I thing the nitrates will go down.

Is this anemone a goner? Should I pull it out? He is my first anemone and I so loved him. Any advice and guidance will be much appreciated.

Kelly

[JennM]

Hmmm bits of tentacles coming off is NOT good.....

Sounds like it pulled up stakes and moved when the flow it loved was "turned off". It went walkabout and had a run-in with Euphyllia, who can pack quite a sting.

Keep an eye over the next few hours. Hard to say without seeing it...however if it looks like it's decomposing GET it OUT of there, and the best way to do that is to scoop it up with a solid container (not your hand and not a net). If you don't use a solid container, it might just splat all over your tank, and can foul the water. Scoop it and the bit of sand around it, and water around it and try to vacuum it all away, OR siphon it all out at once if you can. Otherwise you'll have anemone puree all over your tank.

OH and plug your nose.....NUTTIN' says PEEEWWWWW like a dead anemone. GAK!

Hopefully, it isn't dead, and will inflate again in its "happy place" but if not, I'm sorry for your loss.

Jenn

[beach bum]

It would ne nice to see apic - but like Jen says, if it starts to go south you HAVE to remove it asap. The smell will tell you before your eyes will. Falling apart is not good though, neither are "puffs of smoke" - waste is generally fairly solid, keep a close eye on it (tough I'm sure you already are.)

IMO, unless it is physically touching something dangerous (to either party), you should not move it. Just let it be.

[Michigan kelly]

Thanks Jenn and Beach Bum for your replies. When I went to bed last night the anemone was fully retracted into the size of a golf ball with just a few deflated tentacles hanging out. I followed Beach's advice and just left him alone. This morning I got up and thought I would probably find him dead. He does not appear to be dead but not good yet. At least not retracted into a ball anymore. Here is photo of him that I took just a few minutes ago. Any ideas? TIA.

Kelly

[JennM]

OK it doesn't look as bad as I was picturing it....

Wait and see...again all the advice given above applies. It might just need to resettle again before it opens up.

Vigilance is in order now.

Jenn

[nickg]

You would be amazed at the endurence of reef life. I had a frogspawn, I thought was completely gone, a month later it was one of the most healthy looking corals in the tank. My fingers are crossed!

[cath]

Nick- Tell me more about your frogspawn. Do you have a post about it? Mine was acting offended yesterday.

[Michigan kelly]

Well, the LTA is gone. I got home from the office and found it pretty much in same spot as this morning. I rolled it over to take a look at it and the poor animal basically half-ways disintegrated. I did as Jenn advised and removed it by container. It smelled rotten.

I feel so utterly terrible that this animal did not survive the pump failure. Or at least that is what I think is what caused it to die. It had been doing so beautifully up until then. Its demise happened so quickly, I neve really had a chance to help it. This being my first anemone (and maybe my only), I had no idea things could go so wrong so terribly fast.

I will so miss that anemone even though he lived with me for only about 10 days. Strange how fast one can become attached to a tank inhabitant.

Kelly