Advice on new bubble tipped anenome

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Liz

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Messages
71
Location
Birmingham UK
Hi all,

I'm wondering if I could get some advice on my bubble tipped anenome. I bought him last weekend after nearly 6 months of deliberating with the idea.

Though I had done my research on their needs, I have found it very difficullt to find information on their behaviour to find out if his behaviour is normal.

My undersatnding is that my bubble tipped anenomes need strong lighting and moderate water flow and will wander around the tank until they find a suitable crevice to burry their foot into. Then they will stay put.

I understood from personal experiences people had posted on the net that BT anenomes may go into hiding in caves or overhangs for the first few days. I had also read they they could get stuck in caves! I therefore chose a brightly lit area of the tank which had a rock which formed a tunnel so the anenome could hide should he wish to without getting stuck.

My anenome went into my tank last saturday, he moved about 2 inches to the left and slightly under the rock tunnel. His tentacles were always visible and formed a blanket over the end of the tunnel. He stayed here for almost 4 days always moving a little but as I couldn't see his foot (and he is about 7 inches in diameter) it was quite hard to tell if he was just fanning out or actually moving. (IMO he was fanning out). The last 2-3 days however he has been moving around the back and sides of this rock checking out the right and the left sides of the tunnel. Though it is quite hard to tell his foot probably only moves 2 inches in any given direction. Twice all his tentacles have completely disappeared into his foot (for no obvious reason) for no more than an hour and then he reappears again.

As I have never kept anenomes so I have had difficulty trying to understand his behaviour. He looks really healthy, there is no damage to him or his foot, he has taken food from me. My two clown fish moved into him from their leather coral 22 hrs after his arrival in the tank. I know this may be additional stress but as he came from a tank which had two clowns using him as a home when I bought, I would have thought this would be OK.

I was told by the helpful man in the shop that he would wander around my tank until he settled, if he hadn't settled within a week bring him back as he was unlikely to settle and he might die. Though clearly I don't want to bring him back (he's lovely) I wanted to check with you knowledgeable people whether the behaviour my anenome is exhibiting is normal or whether I should actually take him back. I'm very much against moving him as I don't want to damage him.

Thanks and sorry for the long post thought you needed to know all the info.
Liz

100 gallon tank, live rock, sump with lava rock and skimmer filtration, wave machine with 4 maxijet 1200 powerheads, skimmer, series III pendant lighting 2x metal halide lights 150w and 2x flourescent tubes 30w
 
My undersatnding is that my bubble tipped anenomes need strong lighting and moderate water flow
Actually, I believe they are considered a moderate ligh species. Mnay shy away from strong MH lighting at first. This could be the case with yours. What type of lighting was it under at the LFS? It may just require a photoacclimation period.
Give it some more time. What are your current water parameters...ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, SG, Ph, temp?
 
Thanks Lando,
To be honest I can't remember what lighting it was under. The shop was tiny filled wall to wall with tanks and I have to say it's the best shop I have ever been to. It was extremely bright (and very warm). I'll give the owner a call tomorrow and ask.
It probably is this. No coral seems to like it directly under my metal halides so you could be right about the photoacclimatisation. Why I thought an anenome would be any different is beyond me.

My tank stats are all great (I don't test the parameters regularly as the tank is very mature and so I wouldn't expect there to be a problem there). My Euyphillia usually lets me know if the salinity is up though.
I run the tank at 1.0235 SG and temp 76-78 (usually 77)

Thanks Lando. I think I'll wait it out a little longer. He seems to the untrianed eye to be healthy and I fed him some chopped muscle again today which he seemed very happy with.

Are there any good books or articles on Anenomes and their behaviour? I can't find any books and so far owners personal experiences on the topic have been more helpful than any article I've found.
Liz
 
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