LTA question/experiement

[Lance M.]

I bought a bleached lta a couple weeks ago. It is white but I can start to see a yellowish green tint to it. The base is completely white also (I thought it was suppose to be red?) . The tentacles are extremely sticky and the mouth is tightly closed, some of the tentacles are also in their corkscrew shape. However the base will NOT attach to anything I have it in. I have it next to a rock on the sand bed with some shells around it to keep it in place.

I came across someone on Reef Central that uses tupperware for his carpets because his tanks are bb.

I was wondering if I could put it in a small plastic container filled with sand and possibly a rock to hold it in there and set it on my rocks closer to the light to get it back up to health.

Any ideas?

[Lance M.]

Nvm. I don't think it's a lta (M. doreensis) anymore. It is probably Heteractis crispa, but once it colors up it will be easier to tell.

[Devilishturtles]

Your plan sounds good to me. I tried that method with a bleached H. crispa (bought it for the same reasons you did). It didn't work and I lost the anemone, but it kept the anemone from being jostled around in the water flow. Don't use a container that is too tall. Try to keep the top of the anemone in the water and the base in the tupperware container for now.

[ccCapt]

Couple weeks and it hasn't attached to anything is not a good sign. I got my sebae a few yrs ago from Petco and it was about the size of a half dollar and pure white. I put it in my tank and it was attached the next day.
Here's what it looks like now.

[melosu58]

Nice sebae cccapt. Nice color

[Lance M.]

It does barely attach to the sand/shells I have around it were it's verrucae are but the base doesn't attach to anything.

When I bought it it was completely white but now it is starting to get color so it is getting better. It got dislodged today (water flow, not on it's own accord) and I replaced it and moved a rock to a different angle to keep it in place. I looked at it about an hour after I replaced it and it looks like it has moved in and settled in between the two rocks I had it and has opened up to it's max. So now I'm guessing it has finally attached.

The one thing I am kinda worried about is it is not eating. The food sticks to the tentacles but it doesn't take it in. I'm shot it with mysis, given it squid soaked in vitamins, and shrimp. It ate the shrimp once but nothing after that. The color is coming back so I'm not so worried yet. My lfs is going to get some silversides in next week so I hope that works.

The gbta (I've had for over a year) takes in any food I give it and swallows it in under 20 seconds easy. And the new bta I have is taking in food pretty fast also, but it is still bleached. It has gone from total white to white tentacles but the brown/tan has come back in the two weeks I've had it and it's moved about 1'' from were I first put it in so I'm happy that one is doing good.

I found some good info on quarantine procedures for anemones- doxycycline dips that have been very useful in successfully keeping newly introduced and sick carpets and H. magnifica that is worth a shot if a last resort.

[MT79]

Originally Posted by Lance M.

does barely attach to the sand/shells I have around it were it's verrucae are but the base doesn't attach to anything.

Maybe it's foot was injured during collection or at the LFS? Was it attached at the LFS? Do you see any visible damage?

worried about is it is not eating. The food sticks to the tentacles but it doesn't take it in....It ate the shrimp once but nothing after that.

IME Sebae anemones, if that's what it indeed is, don't like target feedings nearly as much as as some other anemones such as BTA's. FWIW I had much success bringing back all my anemones after they bleached from a lighting upgrade using pieces of krill. For whatever reason my anemones seemed to respond best to it, especially the BTA's.

hold it in there and set it on my rocks closer to the light to get it back up to health.

Be very careful. You may end up just stressing it more by blasting it w/ light. Bleached anemones should be slowly reintroduced to intense lighting to avoid photo-shock. Target feeding more frequently during this period will help provide the energy lacking from not be able to process light properly. Overfeeding though, IME, will also stress it further so keep a close eye on it. HTH

[Lance M.]

I've left it alone and it has moved about 4 inches away from were it was yesterday. It was just sitting on the sand next to the front glass when I came home today. It looked like it was going to just blow away in the current. I decided to just let it be and whatever happens happens. I came back about 2 hours later and it had buried it's base into the sand alongside the front glass. So I guess it is doing better.

It's about 13 inches from where the anemone is to the surface of the water and then another 4 inches to the lights. 130 watt pc so it definitely is not intense lighting.

It should be there for a couple months. I'm thinking about setting up a 15gallon with 96watt T-5's or a 15H with a 150watt MH when I go back to college in the spring and I'll move it to that tank after a couple months. I don't think I could ever not have an aquarium.

[MT79]

130 watt pc so it definitely is not intense lighting.

Think of it this way. It is intense relative to a dark holding container, pitch black shipping conditions, and a LFS that probably has two or three year old lamps in all it's fixtures. Sometimes it doesn't take much to push a bleached animal over the edge. You may be surprised.

I'm thinking about setting up a 15gallon with 96watt T-5's or a 15H with a 150watt MH when I go back to college in the spring and I'll move it to that tank after a couple months

Once again be careful. Going from VHO to MH lighting is what caused all my anemones to get very stressed and bleach.

about 2 hours later and it had buried it's base into the sand alongside the front glass

Sounds like a good start. Best of luck

[Lance M.]

I wouldn't think being shipped in a box would be affect the anemone that much when it comes to light. What about when there's a storm in the ocean and it's overcast all day?

The soonest that lighting upgrade would be possible would be 6-7 months away.

I got up today and it was in the same spot but not in the sand anymore and not attached to anything the tips of some of the tentacles where looking bad. It was touching some mushrooms so apparently the mushrooms have a more powerful sting at the moment. So I have done the plastic container thing. It is about 5 inches higher and I'm going to reduce the lighting schedule to help it out.

I put it in a smal plastic container with a cherry tomato plastic container cut in half and turned upsidedown as a top to keep it from blowing away. The anemone has buried it's base completely on the side of the container (it's clear plastic so I can see it) and it has opened up and fully inflated. Looks better.

[MT79]

Originally Posted by Lance M.

I wouldn't think being shipped in a box would be affect the anemone that much when it comes to light.What about when there's a storm in the ocean and it's overcast all day?

Yes, but it's already stressed from collection, handling, packaging, changing water chemistry, adjusting to artificial seawater, etc. It all adds up, so it doesn't really compare to a couple cloudy days out on the reef. The zooxanthellae may be expelled due to these stresses alone, not just lighting changes. Zooxanthellae provides a natural sunscreen for corals. Imagine yourself laying on the beach for just an hour w/ no sunscreen.

So I have done the plastic container thing. It is about 5 inches higher and I'm going to reduce the lighting schedule to help it out.

Who knows, it may help. I would monitor it very closely though. Best of luck w/ it.

[Lance M.]

Ah Yes I get your point with the stress. I go easily all day outside in the summer w/o sunscreen. I tan- no burn. I turn red the first day I'm out then after that I just get dark and dark. I wore sunscreen once I think this entire summer. I was a lifeguard btw

Yes I've been watching it all day today. I has looked much better, especially after I shot it with some mysis shrimp that was soaked with Vita-Chem. It fully inflated like it was going to pop and it decided to detach to try and find a new spot but because of the lip on the plastic container it was just drifting around like a balloon lol. It finally did start coming out of the container but I made a plastic top that is pretty much just a frame to keep it in but let the water easily flow through. It settled back on the to sand in the container and burried it's base a little and is stretched out a little and fully inflated. Looks MUCH better.

It seems this has worked.

[MT79]

I wore sunscreen once I think this entire summer. I was a lifeguard btw

Darn! I'm half Italian and I couldn't pull that off.

Looks MUCH better

Glad to hear that.

[Lance M.]

Well I haven't updated this in a couple days. I took the top off the container as it seemed it had found a spot in there it liked. Well overnight it decided to go out and the next morning I found it upside down attached to a flat rock right next to the container. I decided just to leave it be and several hours later I found in wedging it self into a hole where some rocks meet and it has stayed there for the past couple days. It looks like it's doing a lot better. I shot it with some mysis and it ate some. I think it's too small for any direct feeding except for the mysis.

I read somewhere that young lta's prefer the rocks and as they mature they go to the sand. And I saw some pictures of some green lta's so I am thinking that's what it is.

Heh yea. I'm half Japanese and I get very tanned.