new LTA...can't tell if sick or not...

vickreyreef · 08/06/2009, 02:21 PM

about 7 days ago we purchased a LTA from the LFS. It attached shortly after putting it in to the tank with a small portion of its foot to a piece of live rock but in a cave part of the tank instead of the brighter, sandy area with a little flow where I expected him to go....long story short I have been obsessing about him all week. He has spent the last 6 days completely unattached and on its side. It still has it's full purple color. I tried to feed it today and I think it ate some...it grabbed it and it stuck to its tentacles but didn't fully close up to eat like my BTA does (do LTA close up like that??) its now in the front of the tank in the deep sand bed (about 5") under MH lights with a very gentle flow...but still not digging its foot into the sand...and now it is expelling this black junk...I am thinking this is the beginning of the end and I want to take him out ASAP if it is...I already called the LFS to give them a heads up that we may be coming in to do a swap tomorrow....can you look at the below pictures and let me know if this is normal or he is sick? i should add that we noticed the day after we got him home (stupid stupid stupid not to look at the LFS) that the foot has a weird looking portion....it looks like the color of cement and is mishapen...he may not be able to completely latch on to anything...I don't know...but I always heard once their foot it hurt they never make it? Oddly enough he looks better in the pictures then he does in person.....doesn't look as full in person or as pretty LOL

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seapug · 08/06/2009, 02:26 PM

It's probably not too happy with the frogspawn its sitting next to, but I'd still give it more time. The photos show that it's gaping a little but that's not unusual. Apart from that it looks fine.

I would move away all the corals from the front part of the tank where it is now and let it find a spot it likes then rearrange everything around it.

vickreyreef · 08/06/2009, 02:30 PM

thanks for the response....it was actually just put there this morning ...up until now it has been on the other side of the tank not near anything at all

vickreyreef · 08/06/2009, 02:31 PM

and the mouth has been open like that all week...not gaping and loose...just open....

Toddrtrex · 08/06/2009, 02:49 PM

The month should be tightly closed, an open mouth like that for a week isn't a good sign.

Did you acclimate it to your lights? I would try to keep the maroon away from it. From the pictures it looks like the LTA isn't all that much bigger then the clown --- will add to the LTAs stress. A healthy LTA will bury its foot fairly quickly.

vickreyreef · 08/06/2009, 03:30 PM

in reality it is much bigger then the clown, unfortunately it isn't completely open...part of the problem.. It took the clown over 2 days to "find" it so it had some time by itself....yep did a slow acclimation and it was under the rock work for quite a few days in the "shade"
I think I will play it safe and return it...if the foot didn't have that strange spot I would prob try to rehab it but I am nervous it is going to sink my entire tank....it is still sticky though and responsive...but just isn't happy...i would rather give it back to the LFS so someone else with more experience or patience can take good care of it...I need to end this obsession LOL I look at it every 2 seconds....it has never buried its foot or even tried...

Toddrtrex · 08/06/2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vickreyreef
in reality it is much bigger then the clown, unfortunately it isn't completely open...part of the problem.. It took the clown over 2 days to "find" it so it had some time by itself....yep did a slow acclimation and it was under the rock work for quite a few days in the "shade"
I think I will play it safe and return it...if the foot didn't have that strange spot I would prob try to rehab it but I am nervous it is going to sink my entire tank....it is still sticky though and responsive...but just isn't happy...i would rather give it back to the LFS so someone else with more experience or patience can take good care of it...I need to end this obsession LOL I look at it every 2 seconds....it has never buried its foot or even tried...

2 days for a clown to find it isn't long at all, and most likely not enough time for the anemone to settle in, especially when the clown is a maroon, which can be very hard on anemones.

A few days in the shade isn't long enough for light acclimation. Ideally should use window screening b/t the tank and the lights. Since you only have 150s, two layers would work, with removing a layer each week.

Does that strange spot look anything like the following picture? If so, it chances are slim to none. I have been keeping LTAs for 10+ years, and have never been able to save one that had a spot on its foot (( like the picture )). If you see any damage to the foot, avoid that anemone.

vickreyreef · 08/06/2009, 03:40 PM

i will try to get a picture of it....its the same color pretty much but it is on the outside and bottom of the foot...its pretty large really...it looks like the foot is a weird shape because of it....like it was ripped and sorta healed or something...yeah I wish I wasn't so distract by my kids when i was at the LFS and was more thorough as I usually am...I was a big idiot to not look...my husband picked it out and I thought he got a good look at it but he didn't either...he just figured I would of course...LOL

vickreyreef · 08/08/2009, 06:28 AM

UPDATE...took the nem back yesterday...turns out it was a tear in it's foot. Thankfully I have a great relationship with the owner and he took it back for full credit even though I could tell he doesn't believe me that it didn't happen in my tank...which it didn't....so swapped it out for a gorgeous orange acan colony instead LOL...decided that I should have just my rose BTA in the tank for now....

08/06/2009, 02:21 PM	#1
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	new LTA...can't tell if sick or not... about 7 days ago we purchased a LTA from the LFS. It attached shortly after putting it in to the tank with a small portion of its foot to a piece of live rock but in a cave part of the tank instead of the brighter, sandy area with a little flow where I expected him to go....long story short I have been obsessing about him all week. He has spent the last 6 days completely unattached and on its side. It still has it's full purple color. I tried to feed it today and I think it ate some...it grabbed it and it stuck to its tentacles but didn't fully close up to eat like my BTA does (do LTA close up like that??) its now in the front of the tank in the deep sand bed (about 5") under MH lights with a very gentle flow...but still not digging its foot into the sand...and now it is expelling this black junk...I am thinking this is the beginning of the end and I want to take him out ASAP if it is...I already called the LFS to give them a heads up that we may be coming in to do a swap tomorrow....can you look at the below pictures and let me know if this is normal or he is sick? i should add that we noticed the day after we got him home (stupid stupid stupid not to look at the LFS) that the foot has a weird looking portion....it looks like the color of cement and is mishapen...he may not be able to completely latch on to anything...I don't know...but I always heard once their foot it hurt they never make it? Oddly enough he looks better in the pictures then he does in person.....doesn't look as full in person or as pretty LOL [IMG][/IMG]

08/06/2009, 02:26 PM	#2
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	It's probably not too happy with the frogspawn its sitting next to, but I'd still give it more time. The photos show that it's gaping a little but that's not unusual. Apart from that it looks fine. I would move away all the corals from the front part of the tank where it is now and let it find a spot it likes then rearrange everything around it. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

08/06/2009, 02:49 PM	#5
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	The month should be tightly closed, an open mouth like that for a week isn't a good sign. Did you acclimate it to your lights? I would try to keep the maroon away from it. From the pictures it looks like the LTA isn't all that much bigger then the clown --- will add to the LTAs stress. A healthy LTA will bury its foot fairly quickly. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

08/06/2009, 02:30 PM	#3
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	thanks for the response....it was actually just put there this morning ...up until now it has been on the other side of the tank not near anything at all

08/06/2009, 02:31 PM	#4
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	and the mouth has been open like that all week...not gaping and loose...just open....

08/06/2009, 03:30 PM	#6
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	in reality it is much bigger then the clown, unfortunately it isn't completely open...part of the problem.. It took the clown over 2 days to "find" it so it had some time by itself....yep did a slow acclimation and it was under the rock work for quite a few days in the "shade" I think I will play it safe and return it...if the foot didn't have that strange spot I would prob try to rehab it but I am nervous it is going to sink my entire tank....it is still sticky though and responsive...but just isn't happy...i would rather give it back to the LFS so someone else with more experience or patience can take good care of it...I need to end this obsession LOL I look at it every 2 seconds....it has never buried its foot or even tried...

08/06/2009, 03:40 PM	#8
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	i will try to get a picture of it....its the same color pretty much but it is on the outside and bottom of the foot...its pretty large really...it looks like the foot is a weird shape because of it....like it was ripped and sorta healed or something...yeah I wish I wasn't so distract by my kids when i was at the LFS and was more thorough as I usually am...I was a big idiot to not look...my husband picked it out and I thought he got a good look at it but he didn't either...he just figured I would of course...LOL

08/08/2009, 06:28 AM	#9
vickreyreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Nova Posts: 331	UPDATE...took the nem back yesterday...turns out it was a tear in it's foot. Thankfully I have a great relationship with the owner and he took it back for full credit even though I could tell he doesn't believe me that it didn't happen in my tank...which it didn't....so swapped it out for a gorgeous orange acan colony instead LOL...decided that I should have just my rose BTA in the tank for now....