anemone emergency

[sogreene]

We got the Biocube from *gasp* petco, set it up, cycled it for 2 weeks with live sand/rock, biozyme, 2 damsels, and various freshwater techniques that I was too arrogant to research to see if they would work in a SW reef tank or not... <--- this is how I feel, devil incarnate...here's why: after a MUCH TOO SHORT cycling period, I thoughtlessly bought two-count them 2-condy anemone (did I research these beautiful creatures first? of course not), qt them for TWO WHOLE DAYS, as if that was anything, and plopped the healthier looking specimen into my biocube...long story short, it has worked its way (i.e. been sucked) into the intake grate at the bottom of the cube, which I can not figure out how to access...and is probably perishing as I babble away...Here is my intro...I made a HUGE mistake, and would like to cry. Do any of you nano-reefers know how to access this part of the cube?...I did some stupid things that I know better than to do with a freshwater tank, let alone a sw tank with animals I know nothing about, and I look foward to showing that I have learned from my mistakes thus far...~sarah

[newbc14]

Breathe! in order to get to the bottom grate u need to take the filter out, the one in the first compartment. after that u can stick ur hand in that compartment and once you get to the bottom you'll feel the anemone. (Remember wash ur hand before putting ur hand in the tank.) write if u need more help.
-newbc14
(Turn the pump off first)

[sogreene]

when I remove the filter, there is a solid bottom above where the grate is---I tried that last night when he first started to go in there, and couldn't feel a current, didn't see any sand-flow going in, so I figured he was trying to hide and didn't think much of it...when I got up this morning and saw that he was "gone", I checked the manual. When looking at the diagrams in the owner's manual, it looks like there should be a secondary grate above the intake, below the filter, I can't get it out, is it ok for me to use a, uhh, fork? ...I don't SEE the anemone anywhere, my readings are all still great (ammonia/nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm, ph 8.4, sg 1.024) I was expecting a pretty immediate ammonia spike from what I read about how quickly they decompose, so I am pretty sure he's still kickin', just don't know where...but I don't see any other escape hatches...

[newbc14]

Try using the fork. I believe the piece ur talking about has slits in it.

[sogreene]

two bloody fingernails, and a broken plastic grate later...the anemone is out and back in the qt tank...God knows I'll never do that again. I had a sponge filter in my qt tank, I placed it in the bottom of that chamber, and "squeezed" the two halves of grate above that, and replaced the filter cartridge. Hopefully nothing else will venture in there in the future with the sponge in the way-we'll just have to remember to remove it to rinse with water changes. Thanks for the help ; ) This was definately one hard lesson learned.
I doubt the anemone will bounce back, but he has a better chance in the qt tank with the other one than in that little chamber, eh?

[newbc14]

The good thing is that u got it out! u didnt want it to mess up ur parameters. sorry i couldn't be of more help!