Unhappy Anemone

[Soulofamind]

Hello again everyone =) Before I start... I love the information you guys have for everyone. Love this board so much. haha Ok to the topic. My purple LTA (looks like a Sebea but im not quite sure) has been acting weird for the past week. It isn't as puffy and big as it originally was. Oh and it moved to the corner of the tank by itself. I'll attach a picture. He used to cover up the entire archway (from the front) but not anymore.

• My anemone is about a 1½ months old and the tank is about to 3-4 months old (Pretty young I know... but my family are beginner aquarists and we are learning everything the hard way. haha!).
• The lighting we have is a 175w Odyssea MH with two blue spectrum lights.
• The tank (50g) is 16" deep and the anemone is located 14" on the far bottom left hand of the tank right below the powerhead (So there is no/little flow in its location really.)
• I feed it regularly about once or twice a week of frozen krill.
• I have also conducted a 15-20% water change yesterday.
• And the latest addition of animal we just added was a metal green plate/disk coral with pink tentacles.

Would the coral by any chance be making my poor anemone unhappy? He is far from the coral but the flow of the water ends near the anemone. Do anemones normally scrunch up for odd periods of their life? I've been reading the old archives about anemones and some posts still leave me unanswered. The water parameters for the tank are just right too. I really don't want it to die. It is my favorite creature in the tank. IMHO I think its one of the most interesting creatures on the face of this planet. =D So what do you guys think might be going on? Thanks for any of the advice guys. It is truly and deeply appreciated. =)

[Dani]

Hmmm...I have an anemone that doesn't like to be in direct flow of my powerheads, maybe yours is similar, or he (she?) might be trying to dig deeper into the sandbed.

Other than that I don't have any ideas. good luck

[JennM]

Not sure I can offer anything except PLEASE make sure you have foam prefilters on your powerheads if you don't already. Anemone puree is no fun

Could just be water changing to match its environment post-water change, or it could be trying to defecate.

Just keep an eye - sounds like other than being a bit hasty, you are doing things right.

HTH

Jenn

[chlskt]

I think your anenome looks fine. He's not shriveled up or anything right? He looks good to me, as long as all his tentacles are out, sometimes they just like to cruise for the heck of it. I have a condy that likes to move quite a bit. Sometimes he stays in one place for weeks at a time. I have had him for approx. 5 mnths. and he still moves.

[VWD]

I agree with Jenn on that You may be worried about it to soon, They will from time to time move around the tank, when they want. Being that they move it sometimes make it hard to keep them in the tank. They go places You don't want to. I have over the years just put things in the tank and let them go where they want to, even if it is there and I can't see it because it goes behind the rock. your anemone seems to be ok there in the picture. It is hard to tell his health in the picture. Just give it some time.

[Soulofamind]

Actually the anemone has been stationed in that spot for about good month. It was originally underneath the lamp and the moved to the corner in the picture about a week the day of it's purchase (and into my tank, hehe). Hasn't moved since. =P I actually don't mind. I like where it is ^_^ Hmm. Well the LTA is attached to the live rock. The maximum span i've seen was about 6-7inches (Not the inner oral disk). Now it is currently 3-4 inches. It was shriveled up here and there. Hehe. You guys are probably right about worrying too much. It's just probably the fact that it isn't as big and lively the way it was about a week ago. =) The tentacles still look healthy and it has been going going potty for 2 days. Hehe. Thanks again for the advice everyone. I appreciate it so much! I'm trying to convert some of my friends to become salt water aquarists!

[skeety]

I'd give it a few more days. if he's still shrivled up, let us know.

Also...are you seeing this at different times during the day? My Sabae EVERY day from about 3-5 is shriveled up. If that was the only time I looked in the tank every day...I'd think something was wrong with him.

[TheReefer12]

Usually with the darker colored anemones, they will stay out of direct light. The LTA usually is in a sand bed and does not required as much light as most anemones. I think you anemone is just moving to get in a position it likes.

Also, if the anemone is shriveling up, I would watch the temp. of the water. If you have a daily change in the temp, the anemone may shrivel during the warmest part of the day. If this is happening, try to find a way to cool the tank or cut back on the lighting time.

Brian

[Soulofamind]

Hmm... Yah it has been hot for the past two days. The temp was 82 degrees F. hot hot hot!. I lowered the temp by putting a fan near the sump. Dropped to 77. And now its back to 79 ... such a crazy jump. =[ THe mouth of the anemone is all puffed up now. Does that mean he might die? Ahhhh!

[tims]

leave the fan on the sump, you can make RO water ice cubes too that will help or a plastic soda jug frozen .
you can try to entice him with some small ,small pieces of shrimp or what not. it hads been a while since i had one, mine usally took a crap shortly after doing that. Talk about yuck!

[TheReefer12]

I would watch the anemone closely with the mouth being puffed up. When it settles, look to see if the mouth is closed. If the mouth is open, your anemone is in for it. Not sure if you can turn him around at that point. If the mouth is closed try feeding as stated below. A good way to start feeding is using mysis shrimp. The shrimp holds no nutritional value but gets the anemone used to eating, then you can give small chunks of silversides or krill. I have heard some anemone feed on squid but I have never tried that.

Keep us updated and good luck with the water temp.

Brian