BTA deflating, inflating

dumpsta · 06/11/2016, 12:38 PM

http://imgur.com/a/lyVBr

I have an anemone that's about a week old. A few days ago, I tried feeding it and small piece of raw supermarket shriimp. It didn't take it, the tentacles deflated, spit out brown goo, and went from the bottom picture to the top picture in about 2 hours.

In about 7-8 hours it'll open back up and bubble its tips and return back to looking like the bottom picture. I've decided to stop feeding it directly.

This morning, I turned the lights on. Anemone was looking nice, tips were starting to bubble. I dropped in maybe 1/4 of a block of frozen mysis shrimp (recently purchased), 10 minutes later, I see the anemone going through the whole deflating thing. I usually feed my fish pellets and flakes and supermarket shrimp.

specs: 40 gallon breeder - 20 gallon sump
Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites - 0
Alk - 7 (im slowly increasing)
Calcuim - 450

I was excited because the anemone actually looked healthier in my tank than at the LFS. I seem to be doing certain things to trigger this behavior. I can notice the anemone starting to bleach as well.

I have DIY LED lighting. There's about (5)- 3w leds in a 1 sqft area over the anemone. Light is 8" above surface, BTA is about 6" below water surface

Suggestions on what might be causing this? Thanks

Dkuhlmann · 06/12/2016, 04:06 PM

Nothing is causing it per se, it's just how the thing lives.

jacojs · 06/13/2016, 10:25 AM

Mine also deflates and inflates regularly, I can however not MAKE it do it, like you said it happens when you feed?

I am really no expert but the brown goo could have been zooxanthellae that it expelled and thats why its looking bleached? Maybe it just needs to adjust to your lights.

Hope its okay.

bshow24 · 06/13/2016, 10:54 AM

From what I've seen, this is normal behavior.

Remember, the anemone uses it's mouth to eat and expel waste. Most likely this is the brown goo.

Also, anemones typically inflate and deflate throughout the day, but I have found whenever my anemone is deflating, it is also releasing waste. As long as the mouth is closed, and it doesn't remain deflated, it should be ok. The only thing I would be worried about is if it was sick or not when purchased, since the biggest issue with anemones is they aren't healthy when purchased by LFS. I cannot fully tell from the pictures, but the mouth may be open. Leave it be for a while and let it grab some light, see what happens from there.

dumpsta · 06/13/2016, 10:02 PM

ok thanks. im just going to leave it alone

Tgionet · 06/15/2016, 08:44 AM

It's expelling waste, nothing to worry about. As long as it's not spitting out chunks of undigested food you're fine. If it is, feed it less.

Dapg8gt · 06/15/2016, 09:03 AM

You should stop feeding it imo. No need to feed a nem that much, especially a new to the system one..

06/11/2016, 12:38 PM	#1
dumpsta Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 13	BTA deflating, inflating http://imgur.com/a/lyVBr I have an anemone that's about a week old. A few days ago, I tried feeding it and small piece of raw supermarket shriimp. It didn't take it, the tentacles deflated, spit out brown goo, and went from the bottom picture to the top picture in about 2 hours. In about 7-8 hours it'll open back up and bubble its tips and return back to looking like the bottom picture. I've decided to stop feeding it directly. This morning, I turned the lights on. Anemone was looking nice, tips were starting to bubble. I dropped in maybe 1/4 of a block of frozen mysis shrimp (recently purchased), 10 minutes later, I see the anemone going through the whole deflating thing. I usually feed my fish pellets and flakes and supermarket shrimp. specs: 40 gallon breeder - 20 gallon sump Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites - 0 Alk - 7 (im slowly increasing) Calcuim - 450 I was excited because the anemone actually looked healthier in my tank than at the LFS. I seem to be doing certain things to trigger this behavior. I can notice the anemone starting to bleach as well. I have DIY LED lighting. There's about (5)- 3w leds in a 1 sqft area over the anemone. Light is 8" above surface, BTA is about 6" below water surface Suggestions on what might be causing this? Thanks

06/12/2016, 04:06 PM	#2
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	Nothing is causing it per se, it's just how the thing lives. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

06/13/2016, 10:54 AM	#4
bshow24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 584	From what I've seen, this is normal behavior. Remember, the anemone uses it's mouth to eat and expel waste. Most likely this is the brown goo. Also, anemones typically inflate and deflate throughout the day, but I have found whenever my anemone is deflating, it is also releasing waste. As long as the mouth is closed, and it doesn't remain deflated, it should be ok. The only thing I would be worried about is if it was sick or not when purchased, since the biggest issue with anemones is they aren't healthy when purchased by LFS. I cannot fully tell from the pictures, but the mouth may be open. Leave it be for a while and let it grab some light, see what happens from there. __________________ Tank: Reefer XL 525 Reef Tank Equipment: 2x Radion XR15 Pro, Radion XR30 Pro, Vectra M1 Return, 2x MP40 Powerhead

06/15/2016, 09:03 AM	#7
Dapg8gt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pacifica Posts: 3,741	You should stop feeding it imo. No need to feed a nem that much, especially a new to the system one.. __________________ 15 years in the hobby yet still learning every day. 280g radium lit sps flat living in my garage rent free. Current Tank Info: 105g SPS dominant euro braced powered by 4 ecotech pumps and lit by an ATI powermodule controlled by a reef angel =).

06/13/2016, 10:25 AM	#3
jacojs Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 10	Mine also deflates and inflates regularly, I can however not MAKE it do it, like you said it happens when you feed? I am really no expert but the brown goo could have been zooxanthellae that it expelled and thats why its looking bleached? Maybe it just needs to adjust to your lights. Hope its okay.

06/13/2016, 10:02 PM	#5
dumpsta Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 13	ok thanks. im just going to leave it alone

06/15/2016, 08:44 AM	#6
Tgionet Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Prospect, CT Posts: 82	It's expelling waste, nothing to worry about. As long as it's not spitting out chunks of undigested food you're fine. If it is, feed it less.