Anemone help!

[Clownfish25]

Ok so we have let our tank mature its 8 months plus. Our nitrates hang out around 4-5 , calcium at420 alk 9 ph 8.1 mg 1320.

So we purchased a green bubbletip NEM and as soon as we put him in he attached to a rock and our maroon clown began to host.

After the initial entry he moved himself behind and under our rock work. He shriveled up and stayed out of the light. It's been two weeks and we added another pump for more flow and he is on the way out from under the rocks. But his tentacles our still looking like something's wrong. So I took a few pics its the best I could do given his position.

Do you guys think he will start filling up since he is coming out, should I feed him or could my maroon have been to rough and is smothering him to death???

The day lights had just turned on in the photos.
Also the lighting is a 4 bulb t5 fixture 216watts

These are weird animals

 

[Sniperhank]

Personally, I just don't believe a 4 bulb is enough to keep an anemone under. I tried it and failed on my 36 gallon tank, a lesson learned.
Is it possible to move the rock he is attached to? I had a stubborn BTA at one point, he would do similar things to what yours is doing. I would flip the rock over for him to start getting some light. In the end, I traded him for about 2000 pods for my mandarin since he just wouldn't do well.
This being said, with more diligence yours will do just fine. I have a red bta doing great, I had just got over the green one. Since anemone don't have a brain, it might just not realize what it is doing. Try to move the rock he is on and see what happens.

 

[Clownfish25]

Thanks for the advice. I don't believe I can move the rock without effecting some things but he is more on the side of the rock and can actually get some light.

I know the pictures may not be to clear but in your experience do anemones tentacles get super small and almost non visible and once he gets light they start to inflate?

I've never had one before so I don't know everything to look out for. He does not appear to be deteriorating and he is still attached just not inflated or reaching out.

His foot was not torn or anything when purchased its not as pink looking like I see in most pictures but could that be do to the light?

He was a healthy looking good size anemone.
I've heard bta's are hardy.

 

[Sniperhank]

They are quite hardy, they just sometimes make poor decisions due to not having a brain.

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

When I first got mine it did the same thing, but eventually it came out looking for light. I think if it gets stressed enough under there it will come out looking for what it needs. Even if you could turn the rock over he may go back into hiding. The problem with these critters is that they go where they want. Period. All you can do is make sure your parameters are in check and wait.
That's what I got from From the AA community in a nut shell when I posted on this very issue.

 

[Clownfish25]

Here's some more pics. The best shots I could get with what I got. But I'm starting to see some pink on the foot. He may be fine?

 

[Clownfish25]

When I first got mine it did the same thing, but eventually it came out looking for light. I think if it gets stressed enough under there it will come out looking for what it needs. Even if you could turn the rock over he may go back into hiding. The problem with these critters is that they go where they want. Period. All you can do is make sure your parameters are in check and wait.
That's what I got from From the AA community in a nut shell when I posted on this very issue.

How many weeks did it take ure NEM to get adjusted and did he look like any of my pics?

 

[JLH-l3ioCub3]

How many weeks did it take ure NEM to get adjusted and did he look like any of my pics?

It took about 3 days, then it went back into hiding for a couple days and then came out. They like to find a good place for their foot to attach. They don't like it to be exposed to light. Water flow, and light intensity have a lot to do with where they go. It may move around for a little while to find the right place. Even then they may still move again. If its reaching out into the light, then I'd say you're fine. From the pics, it looks good. Sometimes they retain their bubbles and sometimes they loose them. Each nem is different. Mine retained its bubbles even while it was hiding under the rocks, however it did shrivel up like yours. Maybe not as much, but again, every nem is different. Its kinda hard to tell in the first set of pics how much it's shriveled up.
Sometimes they do that when they release waste or "poop". Light does make them open up more and extend their tentacles.
If your water parameters are good, I see no reason to be worried. Just give it time.
Mine nem is just weird. At the moment, it's perched on a power head! When my lights go out it likes to move around and sting all my corals...
That being said, there's a lot of risk involved with owning a nem no matter what you do or how good your water and lights are, so consider yourself warned.

 

[Clownfish25]

I've never had one before but it seems like he doesn't want to move from under the rock it's been over a week I have added more flow and tank parameters are at good levels. Has any one ever had a NEM hide for weeks and finally come out and be ok?

 

[Clownfish25]

Okay so he moved more under the rock so I flipped the rock over and this is what I saw. Does it look like he may still have a chance or is he on the way out?

 

[Rutrag]

He still has color, and is still holding in, so those are good signs.

 

[bavass]

what are the PO4 levels? I also think you need more light

 

[Clownfish25]

what are the PO4 levels? I also think you need more light

Phosphates are at undetectable levels(I'm running GFO) , nitrates are hanging out around 5 , ph is 8.0

I have a 4 bulb t5 fixture two white two actinic
54w each . 216w in total

 

[bavass]

I think you need more light. My nem was thriving in my 55g with 6x54w bulbs 4 blue+, 1 coral +, 1 purple +. I would try cutting the GFO off and see how the nem does and see how the PO4 does. I just tore my tank down and started over trying to stay away from having to run GFO this time. I think between that and vinegar dosing i stripped my tank of nutrients. When i cut my GFO off towards the end my nem bubbled up more and became a deeper color. I am convinced that zero PO4 is not a good thing and should be kept around .03-.05 along with NO3 at 3-5ppm. If they are at zero it should be from nature not chemical

 

[Clownfish25]

I think you need more light. My nem was thriving in my 55g with 6x54w bulbs 4 blue+, 1 coral +, 1 purple +. I would try cutting the GFO off and see how the nem does and see how the PO4 does. I just tore my tank down and started over trying to stay away from having to run GFO this time. I think between that and vinegar dosing i stripped my tank of nutrients. When i cut my GFO off towards the end my nem bubbled up more and became a deeper color. I am convinced that zero PO4 is not a good thing and should be kept around .03-.05 along with NO3 at 3-5ppm. If they are at zero it should be from nature not chemical

I will give it a try , I turned off my gfo reactor today. I just feel like my bta is dieing. He is always deflated like this, however I don't see any thing deteriorating , should I not change my water for two weeks ? I change 10gallons every week.

 

[Clownfish25]

But wouldn't turning of the gfo effect the water quality ?

 

[bavass]

Yep could replenish nutrients that the gfo stripped out. Have to watch PO4 levels. If they get over say .08ppm could try and run half the recommended amount

 

[Clownfish25]

Yep could replenish nutrients that the gfo stripped out. Have to watch PO4 levels. If they get over say .08ppm could try and run half the recommended amount

Now I read online that he could be sick/ starved. Because he was under my rock work for a week. Also if he is still moving is this a good sign? And when I say moving I mean he moved like an inch or so up on the rock he is on in the photos.

 

[bavass]

it will move till it finds its happy spot.

 

[Clownfish25]

it will move till it finds its happy spot.

Based of the pictures you think it's still going to recover? Or can. Day one it looked like this