Need help with Condylactus anemone.

[Toomanyfish]

I know I shouldn't have done this, but I bought a very small condy (about the size of a quarter) at the LFS the other day. I also know that I shouldn't have bought this out of pity, especially since right from the start, I think it's not in the best of shape.
This condy shows excellent color, but at the LFS it was rolling around....mainly (I believe) because it was in a tank filled with other larger anemones and had maybe been stung. Heck, they sold it to me for a buck. Now it's in a nano of mine, again, the color is great, but it hasn't attached. I am trying to figure out if they prefer being on the rocks, or on the sand with their foot buried in rock or what......
I've been doing water changes every day to keep quality up (the damsel and macro algae love it!) but this tank is a lagoon type tank with a lower water flow. Now, I can position the anemone where the flow would be the strongest but will it stay there?
I can't put this in my other nano as there is already a flower anemone in there, and the big tank doesn't have the lighting needed for an anemone.
Any help would be appreciated......

This topic was split from it's original thread, to provide opportunity for more responses.

 

[brat213]

I've only had my Condy's a week, but they do like to move around, slowly but they move. In the photo gallery. I posted some pictures and they kind of show how he moved from one day to the next. I have fed it frozen(but thawed to tank temp)krill a couple times and it gobbled it up it is neat to watch them it reached for it, and it took it right away. I had placed both of mine on top of rocks where I thought they would get good light and some current, and they have both moved down the rock on opposite sides.
What color is yours? Post picture if possible. My big one is cream to tan, and now getting purple dots on the tip of it tenticales. The other one is more like a pale lilac in color.
I'm new to this so don't know how to advise you, other than to tell you my experience so far, but I'll keep a eye on this post to learn from the replies it receives.

Best of luck!!

 

[Toomanyfish]

The base is a bright bright orange, and the tentacles are a vivid purple most of the time. If it inflates itself up alot, the purple will get more washed out of course but it doesn't do that a whole lot. It won't accept any food at this point although I must admit I haven't tried today yet. Most of the time I've been offering small pieces of shrimp and I did try some live brine too, but it won't take it. I do have some silver sides I could try.....
Thanks for the support Brat213! I do appreciate the info that they tend to move around alot....(makes me feel not so bad). What's weird is that I raised my flower anemone from one smaller than this, and aside from a small move the flower hasn't moved from it's spot......

 

[reefrunner69]

I know I shouldn't have done this, but I bought a very small condy (about the size of a quarter) at the LFS the other day. I also know that I shouldn't have bought this out of pity, especially since right from the start, I think it's not in the best of shape.

What size tank is it in? What is the lighting?

This condy shows excellent color, but at the LFS it was rolling around....mainly (I believe) because it was in a tank filled with other larger anemones and had maybe been stung. Heck, they sold it to me for a buck.

I have never heard of a condylactus stinging another condylactus. Since they would have the same nematacysts, I don't think it is possible.

Now it's in a nano of mine, again, the color is great, but it hasn't attached. I am trying to figure out if they prefer being on the rocks, or on the sand with their foot buried in rock or what......

IME, condys prefer a rocky substrate.

I've been doing water changes every day to keep quality up (the damsel and macro algae love it!) but this tank is a lagoon type tank with a lower water flow. Now, I can position the anemone where the flow would be the strongest but will it stay there?

Only if it is happy there If the lighting, flow and substrate are to it's liking it will stay, if one or more of the factors are off, it will go in search of the "ideal" spot.

I can't put this in my other nano as there is already a flower anemone in there, and the big tank doesn't have the lighting needed for an anemone.
Any help would be appreciated......

I think the biggest problem is that it hasn't attatched. The anemone is not moving of it's own free will, it is being moved by the flow in the tank. When the anemone move on it's own locomotion, it is still attatched to the substrate, it just lets go with an edge of it's foot, stretches that part , puts it back down a little further than it was, and the the rest of the foot catches up, in the same manner. They do not just let go. It has been my experience that many anemones suffer damage to the foot during collection, sometimes irreparable, these anemones will never attatch to a substrate and in most cases die rather quickly (within a month or so). Sorry I didn't reply when I moved the thread, I was trying to let some others answer, before I shot off my big mouth

 

[Toomanyfish]

I'm glad for any help I can get!
It was my understanding that anemones that are not "clones" or "sisters" or whatever you want to call it, will sting each other regardless of species....at least that's what I've read.
The anemone is in a 5g with 20watts of NO lighting (50/50). Since the tank is so small I really feel that the light is penetrating all the way to the substrate. You should also know that there is a 3" sandbed in there so the total distance from the bottom of the light to the top of the sand is 8". No snails, or crabs in there to bother the anemone either. Aside from a orange tail damsel and 2lbs of rock the only other things in there are some shaving brush algae. Temp is 78º, salinity is 1.025, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are 0, pH is 8.2. Filtration is only a small corner air filter so I can run a small amount of carbon in there. I don't use an airstone in the filter, it's just the airline itself with a regulator attached further up the line.....this way the current being produced is more of a gentle pulsating current rather than a constant stream. (Hope I've explained that well enough) I figured that this would reproduce the conditions the macros are used to, which is why this tank was set up in the first place.
As far as a rocky substrate, well I don't have any salt tank that has one, but in this nano there is a part where there are a bunch of shells imbedded in the sand to help support the macros.....and I am quite willing to add some coarse material to this tank if you think that would help. Today, the anemone is in the corner near a piece of rock, I could easily add something coarse in that corner...does it have to be crushed coral, or can it be any kind of safe substrate (ie: I have some gravel left over from a freshwater tank I could use)?
Sorry for the long winded reply and thanks again for any help!

Oops...almost forgot. As far as I can tell, the foot of the anemone looks to be fine, no tears, splits or abrasions.

 

[reefrunner69]

It was my understanding that anemones that are not "clones" or "sisters" or whatever you want to call it, will sting each other regardless of species....at least that's what I've read.

This has not been my experience, as you noted LFS and wholesalers will place all the anemones of the same species in one cubicle. I have not noticed anemone aggression from this practice, and I believe LFS and Wholesalers, being in it for the money, would develop a different housing strategy if it were a problem.

The anemone is in a 5g with 20watts of NO lighting (50/50). Since the tank is so small I really feel that the light is penetrating all the way to the substrate. You should also know that there is a 3" sandbed in there so the total distance from the bottom of the light to the top of the sand is 8".

This should be plenty of light for this anemone Although for this tank, you might consider a 13W PC smart light.

No snails, or crabs in there to bother the anemone either. Aside from a orange tail damsel and 2lbs of rock the only other things in there are some shaving brush algae. Temp is 78º, salinity is 1.025, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are 0, pH is 8.2. Filtration is only a small corner air filter so I can run a small amount of carbon in there. I don't use an airstone in the filter, it's just the airline itself with a regulator attached further up the line.....this way the current being produced is more of a gentle pulsating current rather than a constant stream. (Hope I've explained that well enough) I figured that this would reproduce the conditions the macros are used to, which is why this tank was set up in the first place.

That sounds fine, although the anemone may appreciate som more flow.

As far as a rocky substrate, well I don't have any salt tank that has one, but in this nano there is a part where there are a bunch of shells imbedded in the sand to help support the macros.....and I am quite willing to add some coarse material to this tank if you think that would help. Today, the anemone is in the corner near a piece of rock, I could easily add something coarse in that corner...does it have to be crushed coral, or can it be any kind of safe substrate (ie: I have some gravel left over from a freshwater tank I could use)?

What I meant by rocky substrate, was the aneomes substrate, not the tanks. The anemone, IME, are found with their foot attatched to rocks. Rather than in the sand or a cc bed.

Oops...almost forgot. As far as I can tell, the foot of the anemone looks to be fine, no tears, splits or abrasions.

That is good to hear, the problem is, the anemone may heve repaired any obvious damage before you ever got it, but the foot could still be damaged enough that it cannot attatch anymore.