Dead anemone?

[Justin0329]

I have a condy anemone that I've had for about a month. He has been doing great! Just today however, he seemed to have died (I think). He let go of the rock he latched onto and seems to be just drifting around. His tentacles aren't as full as usual. I feed him a silver feeder (minnow) about once every other week so I know he's not starved. I also have three other fish so he gets food from the water column during regular feedings as well. I don't know what to think. There isn't any signs of slime or anything being extruded from its mouth and the tank isn't cloudy. I'm just concerned because I don't want health issues for my fish by not getting it out soon enough. Any advice or thoughts in general?

 

[Bige]

Well anemones are an animal that move around when unhappy. I would wait and see what happens. Also I would only feed a pea size piece of food. They don't like big amounts.

 

[Justin0329]

Sounds good. Ill give it a day it two to see if it livens up a bit. However, what would be a sign that it's actually dead? Its not latching on to anything.

 

[joy13]

What kind of light do you have and also what are your parameters? It could be something as simple as a flow issue and it decided it needed to get away from that. How old is your tank?

 

[Justin0329]

My tank is only about 6 months old. My lighting is a 48" fixture that contains four 56 watt bulbs. 2 actinic, and 2 10,000k as well as led's for moon light effect. I have a 750 gph powerhead that doesn't seem to provide too much water movement. In fact I was thinking of getting another. I have the light on for 10 hours a day. Ammonia reads 0, nitrites 0 and nitrAte 10. I would like to get nitrates lower but I doubt that is the problem. It a 55 gal and I do 10 gal pwc once a week. From what I've learned, I can't see anything that I am doing wrong that would permit a dead anemone. Everything else is thriving. I have two ocellaris (sp?) clowns and a coral beauty angel along with 3 blue leg hermits, a decorator crab and a green emerald crab.

 

[Justin0329]

Any thoughts?

 

[ocean]

Have you noticed the angel nipping at it? Coral beauty angels are known to nip at coals.

 

[joy13]

I am wondering if it isn't the coral beauty I have a lemon peel the seemed to get a taste for anemones. I have never seen him go after coral however I have seen him nipping at a maxi mini to the point I had to move the anemone then I started to realize I didn't have any pest anemones in that tank. I move it to another tank with several pest anemones and they are all gone now too. I have talked to people and only one other person said their lemon peel did the same thing. I know it does because the other night I put a rock with a couple on it in its tank and it actually went after them while I watched.

I do see your nitrates are a little high that might be causing the issue. Your lights should be fine as long as your bulbs are fairly new. I don't know if your nitrates could be caused by the food or your water source. Instead of one 10 gallon water change try a couple of smaller ones. I actually change out a couple of gallons in my 55 a couple of times a week then a 5 gallon on the weekend to keep my nitrates down. Mine is caused by the begging fish.

 

[mr_X]

It doesn't sound like the anemone is dead to me. It just sounds like it wants to move, for one reason or another. That's why it won't attach to anything. How about temperature swings at night? Flow could also be something.

 

[Justin0329]

X, when you said flow may be an issue, do you mean too much or too little? Also, I figured my nitrates were too high as well. Therefore I have reduced the frequency of feeding. However, there weren't any recent spikes in conditions so I don't know why its sudden change of activity.

 

[mr_X]

Either or. I'm not sure nitrates have anything to do with this. It's not a bad idea to get them down, but I have a feeling it's something else. How often do you do water changes?

 

[Justin0329]

Once a week and 10 gallons. I am also thinking it may be fluctuating temperatures. I've noticed at night after the lights go off, when it starts to drop the heater doesn't stay "on". Instead it does like 10 minute cycles and acts like it can't keep up with the dropping temps. Thus I have decided to get a different heater.

 

[Justin0329]

Its a 55 gallon display with roughly a 25 gallon sump. I have a no name eBay Skimmer but its working great. I also use a hob marineland penguin 350. The heater is a 300 watt.

 

[Tilo1121]

Penguin probably causing nitrates unless you clean weekly. Hope the heaters in the sump; on a side note make sure you buy the right size or wattage for your tank or maybe even a little bigger. Have done the cheap way and it wasn't good. Anyway have you tried to help it stick anywhere? Have you tried to move it after it was stuck? Could have hurt its foot.

 

[joy13]

You might just want to add another heater and use both of them. I have 2 on my 55 both are under watt for that size tank but I have heard to many stories where a heater will stick on and cook the tank.

Strange it hasn't landed somewhere and settled in.