Newbie Seeks Advice on Malu

[The Old Fool]

Hi guys,

I'm a newb. I am running a three month old FOWLR in a 37 gallon wall mounted. The cycle is done and the DIY wet dry filter is active. My DIY counter current protein skimmer is collecting stuff and the pH is stable. I have two reef type fluorescents (one corallite and one actinic) over top with a crushed coral bed. The filter draws from the surface and I have a spray bar stirring it all up. The tank contains 3 damsel, a clown, a clown trigger, a coral angel about 40 lbs of live rock and a Malu anemone with his companion Porcelian crab.

The Malu and crab are about ten days old in my tank and I can not confirm that the malu is eating. I have read the other advice and he seems happy enough with his location. He fell to the bottom and nested into a crevice on my aquacultured staghorn stone and has not moved since.

I have tried live fish hand fed, I have tried brine shrimp blown carefully at him, I have tried raw haddock and nothing seems to be working. He seems healthy enough but seems to shrink a bit each night and I am concerned that he is starving.

What else can I do?

The Old fool

[tims]

Hi and welcome to TRT!


here is some reading for ya, ( about 1/3 down).
he needs a bit heavy or more in tense lighting. most anenomes need a well established tank to survive( at least a yr). and you need to keep your nitrites down always
is it this type?
also H. malu is one of the harder ones to keep.

[VWD]

Welcome!

[The Old Fool]

I checked out the photo and it is a close proximity to the one I have. The guy at the LFS said it was a Malu but it is not brown or green. It is white with pink tips, about 4 inches across when fully extended. Its interesting that you should mention the lighting. I have noticed that this little fella shrinks away from the light. When the light is off, he expands. I tried to feed him with the lights off but it still didn't work. I will read the short section you sent me to. Perhaps I can get a clue there. I don't want to loose him.

[The Old Fool]

What do all these acronyms mean?

""
TOFool

[skeety]

Originally Posted by The Old Fool

What do all these acronyms mean?

A list of acronyms and their meanings:

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/fa...m#faq_acronyms

As for the color of the anemone, chances are, it's bleached from the stress of capture/travel/getting used a new tank.

My Sabae anemone did the same thing. Nursed it back to health (quite a bit of work), and now he's back in tip top shape. Here's my story on that:

http://mysite.verizon.net/s0da/sabae.html

[skeety]

Originally Posted by The Old Fool

Its interesting that you should mention the lighting. I have noticed that this little fella shrinks away from the light. When the light is off, he expands. I tried to feed him with the lights off but it still didn't work. I will read the short section you sent me to. Perhaps I can get a clue there. I don't want to loose him.

Can't be 100% sure, but chances are good, the reason for this behavior is, he has no zooxanthella (see my previous post/story). Therefor, his ONLY source of food is from physically ingested food. W/out the zooxanthella, he can get no energy from photosynthesis. So the light's not helping him right now. (Although he WILL need it while he's trying to get back to full health).

He's probably not adjusted to your tank yet, and not comfortable/secure. So he's shrivled up during the day for protection. At night, he opens, cause that's when any food (pods) come out.

My suggestion to nurse him back...soak some frozen mysis shrimp in tank water and garlic (smash a clove, soak for about 10-15 min, then remove the garlic clove)...then try spot feeding him with a turkey baster (during the day).

First time, he probably won't do anything...as he'll be closed up.

next time, he'll associate the scent with food and maybe eat a little.

repeat, I'd say about 2-3 times a week, until he gets back some of his color. Then reduce feedings. Once he's back to full color, stop feeding him completely (or you will have one VERY large anemone hogging your tank).

Keep us posted.

...with his companion Porcelian crab

btw...This will help his odds GREATLY!

[The Old Fool]

Now that is something i can work with.
Great stuff.

TOFool

[pnkpanther]

are you planning on getting a bigger tank?


clown triggers will need more then a 37

[tims]

can you get a shot of him.. he could be a flower anenome.
they do look like the mula a lot i think.
one last link for ya


there ya go vince 3 links. to make you say hmmmmmmmmm

okay 4 links

[The Old Fool]

Actually,Soda, he looks a lot like your Sabae. Pink tips, white body.
I plan in the future to have a larger system but at the moment, I am confined buy spacial constraints. If Trigger gets too big then I will need to trade him back.

Once the kids move out, I will have more room for this hobby. I guess I could have put it into my 50 gal tank but that ones is currently full of african cichlids.

Will this garlic trick with brine shrimp too?
And do I just blow the shrimp at him and hope he latches onto it?

[pnkpanther]

i just got rid of my africans, fun fish. Favorite FW. Mbuna,haps,tangs?


but a clown trigger will eventually need a 90gallon...to my knowledge.

[The Old Fool]

I started using garlic doped Mysis last night. He ignored the first shot but reacted to the second. I'm still not sure he is getting enough but at least it is a start. I tried getting a snap of him last night. I have one but the resolution of my webcam is so poor that it is usless for you all. I will see if I can borrow a cam with more pixels..

TOFool

[skeety]

take it slow! overfeeding will cause problems all it's own.

As long as he took something, that's a good sign!

Glad to hear he got something.

keep us posted!

[The Old Fool]

Who's my Buddy?

I hope this works...