My 1st Long Tentacle Anemone

[collettk]

I bought an LTA this weekend but have very little experience with them.  It looks very healthy...foot in tact, stretched tenticles, vibrant color, mouth closed.  When i added it to the tank I also added a skunk clown with it.  What I'm a little concerned about is that it won't attach.  I tried putting it in a sandy part of the tank and also tried using a small rock base with sand around it.  It will stay there for a while (probably because I have the powerheads turned off) but eventually it ends up moving (probably because the clown is rubbing around in it).  I've even found it upside down.  Its only been in the tank for 36 hours.  Is this normal?  How long should I keep my powerheads off?  I don't want the rest of my tank to suffer.  I'm also not sure how responsive it is suppose to be.  I can't really tell if it moves it's tenticles on its own or if it's the current moving them.  I tried to feed it.  The 1st time its mouth opened and it seemed to respond.  The second time it wasn't quite as responsive and one of my wrasse went in and took the food right out the center of it (I thought these things were posionous).  is there a guide out there about anemone body language?

 

 

I'm just basically looking for some experienced input so I don't kill the thing.  I had read somewhere to leave it be for a week and just let it roll around, dont try to feed it or anything.  Again that seems like a long time to have my powerheads turned off and if i find it upside down in the corner somewhere I can't help but feel a little alarmed and maybe I need to intervene.  one more note...the clownfish isn't always climbing over the anemone so it is getting a lot of time by itself.

 

The anenome looks like this:  http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productdetailcc.asp?did=11&cid=360&pid=9456

Edited November 26, 2013 by Origami

[SaltLife]

Seems like you already know the answers to your question although for me personally I would turn the powerhead on. Because if it was to find a comfy place for it to plant itself it may not be so comfy once you turn that powerhead on.

 

When you say won't attach do you mean that it just floats around or do you mean that it moves around? Moving around is normal. Eventully it will find its happy spot. Anemones don't need to eat every day either. Some people spot feed a few times a week. With the flow I have in my anemone tank I allow the flow to take the food to them.

[jaddc]

LTAs need a deep sand bed, right? You can try a PVC pipes or make a rock fort with deep (3-5") sand. 

[monkiboy]

sounds like you are on the right tracking with your logic. prior to these kind of purchases though you definitely want to have all this research and questions asked and answered and understood very well. take a look through calfo's threads if you haven't already. i've learned a lot of information from his incredible contributions over the decades. http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic24714-13-1.aspx

 

a healthy anemone will attach its foot within an hour or two. yes, you are correct in having the powerhead(s) off during after acclimation and when the nem first gets put in the tank. i would ensure there is some type of oxygenation of the water if your powerheads are off, though since you say you've had them off for quite some time.

 

typically, you want to introduce a nem and allow it to get comfortable prior to introducing clownfish. if there is no way around that, then making sure the nem is a large enough specimen to support the violent clown behavior is paramount and you will want to separate or quarantine an over enthusiastic clown before adding the nem. the nem doesn't sound like it has a chance to settle.

 

you are correct in limiting feeding until it is settled. it likely won't accept food until it is "happy" and settled and it can't eat at the moment in the condition you describe it is in.

 

i would quarantine the clown and separate it with some eggcrate in the tank to prevent it from pestering the nem. make sure you have water oxygenation or agitation of the surface of the water. keep flow low and leave the nem alone and allow it to find a spot where it needs to be. best of luck.

[collettk]

Seems like you already know the answers to your question although for me personally I would turn the powerhead on. Because if it was to find a comfy place for it to plant itself it may not be so comfy once you turn that powerhead on.

 

When you say won't attach do you mean that it just floats around or do you mean that it moves around? Moving around is normal. Eventully it will find its happy spot. Anemones don't need to eat every day either. Some people spot feed a few times a week. With the flow I have in my anemone tank I allow the flow to take the food to them.

Its either free floating or resting on the sandbed but not attached to anything. I can pick it up no problem. 

 

one other question I have...should I be able to feel any reactions from this animal when I touch it or pick it up?  I don't feel any voluntary movement.

[monkiboy]

...should I be able to feel any reactions from this animal when I touch it or pick it up?  I don't feel any voluntary movement.

typically you might see it close up or shrink when being handled. you don't really feel much of anything when it does this. i would encourage you to stop touching it, moving it, feeling it, and/or pestering it. leave it be and if healthy and well-adjusted it will quickly attach. be sure to have foam covers for your powerheads in the tank and watch your overflow for a disappearing cloning nem act.

Edited November 26, 2013 by monkiboy

[davelin315]

Is the foot sticky?  If not, then it's not very healthy.  To be honest with you, the picture from blue zoo doesn't present a very healthy anemone in my eyes.  The coloration is very light and looks bleached to me.

[collettk]

Is the foot sticky? If not, then it's not very healthy. To be honest with you, the picture from blue zoo doesn't present a very healthy anemone in my eyes. The coloration is very light and looks bleached to me.

The foot is not sticky...only the tenticles. Is there anything I can do?

 

Also, how long should I go with the powerheads off...I don't think my clam likes it.

Edited November 26, 2013 by collettk

[YHSublime]

How long has your tank been running? What are you water params? What kind of lights are running on the tank? How long have you had the clam, and how is it doing?

[collettk]

Tank has been up 6 months...nitrites. Ammonia at 0...nitrates are low...I'm running led...multi spectrum, multi timer/phases... I have had the clam about 3 weeks and it has been doing fine