HELP Sick Heteractis Magnifica Anenome

[thomasnathan]

Hey, I just got a new anenome, an expensive, difficult one to say the least. I've only had my aquarium for about 8 months but my levels of nitrogen have all been stable now for a long time. I had a couple bubble tips before this but my clowns wouldn't host it. So I got rid of them several months ago. I just got this Ritteri, which I love, and the female black clown instantly made itself a home in. The only problem is that it looks like one part of it is melting away. Around the circumfrence of its circular shape it has its tenatcles coming out, but on one small portion they appear to be disintegrating. The clown of course is rubbing all over it. I'm not sure what to do. The tentacles appear slightly less inflated then they did at the fish store. But it's only been 24 hours since I put the thing in there. It hasn't moved at all either. The flow looks good, theres quite a bit in the spot where it is. The light I have is a 150 watt MH with 4 15 watt actinic blue night lights, but they stay on all day too. Check my profile to see what I have in it. I know its a lot. PLEASE HELP! Thanks

Temp: 78
PH: 8.4
SG: 1.022
Iodine: .05 mg/L
No Ammonia, Traces of Nitrate, Nitrite, very low
Calcium 400ppm
I feed 2 pellets of frozen brine each day, 1 in the morning, 1 afternoon

 

[thomasnathan]

check out my pics

by the way I posted some pictures under my profile to try to show you what I am describing in my tank. Thanks again, Thomas

 

[Zer0]

I'm not expert on anemones, but melting away kindof sounds like there's too much light. Also, you shouln't have any traces of ammonia or nitrites. At all.

 

[ccCapt]

Welcome to AA!
Is there anyway you can take it back? A Ritteri is a very difficult anemone to keep and should only be kept in a well established system, plus it will probably get way to big for your 28g tank. Your tank at 8 months is not ready for something this delicate.

Also, any reason in particluar for keeping your salinity so low? You may want to bump that up to a more natural level of 1.026. What are you using to test your salinity?

 

[thomasnathan]

I live roughly an hour away from where I bought it. I really want to keep it too lol. I've wanted this anenome ever since I first saw one. I would rather completely change my aquarium to host it than take it back honestly. Especially since the clowns finally took an interest in an anenome.

The salinity is low because the rose anenome closes up when it gets above about 1.024. I'm not sure why. I used to keep it up that high. Maybe my hydrometer is off. Its a needle swinging one. Anyway, thanks for the post. Let me know if you have any advice on how to make the anenome more confortable.

 

[ccCapt]

Maybe my hydrometer is off.

I would be pretty confident in saying it is definitely off. The reefs where the majority of the corals and inverts we keep in our tank have an average salinity of 1.026. Invest in a refractometer. You can get a nice unit pretty cheap on Ebay.

So how many anemones do you have? A ritteri and rose bta? They need stable systems and that's something you can't make happen fast. There is no substitute for age.

 

[thincat]

Like ccCapt stated, this is a sensitive anemone and using a swingarm is not an accurate instrument to measure salinity. You may be way off. Your tank is to small for one anemone and you seem to have two...

 

[thomasnathan]

Yep, just those two. Yeah I realize that what you said about the age is true. I'm a general science major and have a background in all the chemistry involved. All I can do is do my best to maintain a stable environment in there and keep a close eye on it. I guess I just don't understand, and havn't been able to find, what is it about the age that is so important? What takes so long? hahaha

 

[thomasnathan]

Yeah, the Ritteri is very difficult from what i understand. I want to get a refractometer too, and I will, as soon as I can afford to go buy one. I know the Ritteri can get very large. I think this one is about the smallest you can possibly find out there. It's only about a circle measuring 4-5' accross. The rose is also golf ball sized, tiny. Check out the pictures. I figured I would just keep the ritteri until it was absoluted oversized. Maybe a year or so. After that I guess I would be forced to take it back. Ugh, such a bummer. I love the look of it.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with Larry. They are for established set ups only. I also agree with jumping that salinity up.

 

[thincat]

Yep, just those two. Yeah I realize that what you said about the age is true. I'm a general science major and have a background in all the chemistry involved. All I can do is do my best to maintain a stable environment in there and keep a close eye on it. I guess I just don't understand, and havn't been able to find, what is it about the age that is so important? What takes so long? hahaha

I guess with your General science major they don't teach patience. It takes time for the flora and fauna to develope in a SW tank and then stablize. It is more then just good water readings and such.

 

[thomasnathan]

No definitely not, that's part of being me too. Unfortunately I just re-did my tests too. I'm sick to my stomach now.

I have .15 ppm Ammonia, .3ppm Nitrite, and 100ppm high range 20ppm low range Nitrate. FML, i must be overfeeding?? What is wrong? Now what? What should I do? My tank is 8 months old. Shouldn't this problem be gone by now? Where are all the Nitrogen Fixers? HELP!!!

 

[cmor1701d]

"Nothing GOOD ever happens FAST in a salt water aquarium"
That says it all.
Yes, you are probably overfeeding. Cut back to once every other or every 3 days and no more than what is eaten in a few (3) minutes.
START DOING PWC;s NOW of 20% -30% with new SW that hase been aerated overnight or longer. Continue doing pwcs till the levels come down.

 

[cmor1701d]

Take the anemones back to teh lfs and tell them to stop selling that creature. In the wild it will live far longer than you will have your tank. In your tank it might live a year or two with proper water conditons, lighting and occasinal supplemental feeding. You don't have those cinditons so please remove the anemones.