Is my anemone sick?

[vanwassup]

A couple of times a day it looses the healthy look that you see in pictures, the arms deflate and the foot (I think that is what it is called) inflates and wraps around the arms so all you can see is a little hole with a few deflated arms sticking out. I hope this makes sense. The rest of the day it looks healthy and happy. I've checked the water quality and everything is good, or seemingly so. Any ideas if this is something I should be worried about? This behavior doesn't seem to happen after I feed the fish in the tank...if it is the anemone eating, what would he be eating? Stuff from the live rock? I have lots of critters that came with the live rock.

Thanks!
Vanessa

[hogben]

As long as it isn't like that for extended periods of time it's fine. If it's a BTA they deflate to expel waste naturally.

[demonsp]

For future use please add more info in your profile so people dont have to aske these questions every time. Things like all equipment used , size , age , amount of LR and LS , lighting and stock.

With that said it sounds like its deflating to remove waste and is normal 1 or 2 times a week. Daily or everyother day shows he isnt happy. Could be water quality or flow or lighting or tank age.
Says your new and a BTA should be added after tanks been running a few months atleast. You want a CUC and some stock with stable water conditions for a happy BTA.

[hogben]

They can do it more often then one or two times a week and not be in trouble.

If it's a new BTA it may still be acclimating to the tank and water.

Here is some more info that gets passed around a lot:
http://www.karensroseanemones.com/deflating.htm

[bearpeidog]

Thanks hogben - I have tried to describe what an anemone looks like deflated in several threads. That link is worth a thousand words.

[demonsp]

I agree if you feed him well. But a couple times a day isnt. I fee mine 1 time weekly and he will eject waste weekly. Helps control his growth.
Also knowing his setup would help with many other future problems.

I would guess if hes not moveing around then he likes lighting and flow just not the water quality.

[hogben]

Yeah it's great for pics, even though they don't have the exact pic of the deflating she is describing but I know what she means.

Some of mine have deflated very open like in Karen's site, but sometimes the foot just puffs up into a small ball with the tentacles drawn inside.

Karen describes as "closing up" http://www.karensroseanemones.com/closingup.htm

Like I said watch them and if it is not overly frequent and deflated for long periods of time it shouldn't be a problem.

[vanwassup]

That picture looks very similar to what my BTA looks like when it is 'doing it's thing'. I may know what he ate....I am missing a green chromis. No sign of him anywhere. Wouldn't the fish be smart enough not to swim next to the anemone?

As for water quality - it is really good. I have LOW nitrates...2.5ppm, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. pH is 8.0, salinity is always at 1.022 - I have an ATO- alkalinity is 2.2, temp hovers around 78 or 79. I placed the anemone at the front of the tank and he moved himself right under one of my powerheads on the BACK of the tank :lol: and I let him have his way.

One of the times he looked 'sick' he spit out a bunch of dust. Maybe he is expelling waste and nothing more??

Thanks (I added more details to my sig so you guys could see what tank I'm running). I've had my tank running with stable test results for over a month (post lr cure) before I got the anemone.

Vanessa

[demonsp]

I find it hard that he eat the chromis. You need to feed him raw shrimp atleast 1 time a week.The more you feed the faster he grows. Salinity also a little low i would raise to 1.024.

[vanwassup]

I'll add a little bit of saltwater tonight to the sump and a little more tomorrow morning and see if I get the salinity up. I thought 1.022 was good....thanks for the feedback.

Vanessa

[demonsp]

I think a SW aquarium book for help. Just adding salt to the system thats not been premixed and circulated is bad.You could burn fish gills , kill fish and kill coral or just stress them out.Its best to premix in a seperate container with a powerhead overnight with instant ocean and bring it up slowly like make the batch 1.028 and then adjust from there.

Also 1 K1 maybe low.I owuld add 1 more MB even a K2.

[vanwassup]

I am a newbie, but not that new...I know not to put salt directly into the tank. I have pre-mixed water (1.022 salinity for my water changes over the weekends) that I bumped up the salinity to and poured into the filter system so it would dilute before it got pushed into the tank.

Vanessa

[vanwassup]

demonsp - I added 1 Hydor Koralia 1 but the Red Sea Max comes with two powerheads already, so I have THREE powerheads running all the time. Wouldn't adding another be overkill?

Vanessa

Here are the specs on my tank:

Total system volume 130 liters (34 gallons)
Aquarium volume 110 liters (29 gallons)
Filter volume 20 liters (5 gallons)
Aquarium length 610 mm (24")
Aquarium width 500 mm (19.7")
Aquarium height 500 mm (19.7")
Total height 612 mm (24.1")
Glass thickness 8 mm (5/16")
5 outlet power center
Course mechanical media
Fine mechanical media
Skimmer volume 3.8 liters (1 gallon)
Skimmer pump 1,200 lph (320 gph)
Collection cup volume 1.5 liters (0.4 gallon)
Circulation pumps 2 x 550 lph (2 x 145 gph)
Ceramic bio-media 2 liters (0.5 gallon)
Activated carbon 200 g (7 oz)
Fan cooled hood
Lighting - 10,000K 55W
Lighting – Actinic 55W
Electronic ballast
LED moonlights
24 hour programmable timer
Thermostat heater 150W