Vanishing Anemone!

[Brad]

I'm in shock! I just completed a routine water change and I looked at the tank and realized that my green carpet anemone was absent! Gone!

You have to realize that this anemone is the size of one's outstretched hand..and my tank is not that big.

Clearly, there was something about this water change that he didn't like. Everyone else in the tank seems normal...coral polyps are opened, feather dusters are out...anemone is...gone.

There's about 1 inch of sand under where he used to be. In an hour or so I'm going to panic and start digging.

I know they shrink...but how small could an 8" anemone get? Smaller than a dime? Even if he was the size of a dime, I would see him. 8O His foot was a good 3"....

 

[electrikat]

Did he only dissappear during the water change or did it just take that to make you notice? Carpets are very bad about dying and rotting where they sit but I'm sure you would have noticed it and a very big ammonia spike too. He's probably just gone behind a rock. I don't think he could get tiny but he could probably get very flat. They are just basically a sac of water. If he chooses to expel all of the water he could get to be a puddle of slime I would think. Turn off the lights and see if he comes out.

 

[IworkatPSP]

if you have any caves, check up inside your rocks, mine hid in there for a while.

 

[Brad]

There is a big dirty spot on the glass in the shape of him since I had to work around him while cleaning the glass. Then I did a little vacuuming...I deathly afraid that I somehow vacuumed him

No...I couldn't have. Impossible....

He vanished sometime between glass cleaning and new water going in. Aaaarrggh..

He's not hiding, the tank just doesn't have any hiding places. He must be buried.

 

[Brad]

That's it...I'm going digging!

 

[Brad]

First I gently used the turkey baster to push away a little sand. Nothing.

So I started with my finger. At least 1" deep I found him. I've uncovered a tiny corner of him so that I can sleep knowing he is still there.

If he was annoyed with me for the water change, he's gotta' be really miffed now!

 

[Brad]

Next morning now...he's back to normal. Strange creatures.

 

[Phyl]

Wow. Now that's some strange behavior!