Colourful Long Tentacle Anemone Shrivelling and Limp?

[stephaniekaye]

I have a ~20 gal tank with the following specs
sg: 1.025
NH3: 0.00ppm
NO3: 0.00ppm
N02: 0.00ppm
dKH: 225ppm
pH: 8.2
2-4in soft sand everywhere, I piled ~4.5 where the anemone was placed.

It's been established for about 7 months now. Premixed saltwater with healthy live rock and specs so I put coral and a clown in around 2 months, perfectly healthy and happy.
Added new and improved lighting (50/50 65 watt dual) 4 days ago, previous lighting was from a window with direct sun at all hours of the day (I moved the tank across the room)

My clown had housed in a palm tree coral but my father decided to surprise me
with a long tentacle anemone 3 days ago (the local LFS is very trustworthy, I get all of my animals from them, and they advised him on this for a clown). Since then I have done as much research as possible but still am not any sort of expert on LTAs.

I know the tank is small, but it is very stable. The LTA is a beautiful purple but recently shrivelled and went limp. Its mouth is a light pink and seemed to turn inside-out for a bit, but is now retracted again. Colour is still bright and lively but the tentacles are empty and aren't moving much. I think he might be expelling waste but am not sure because its been 4+ hours now. I fed him a small amount of krill yesterday but read that I shouldn't give the nem much its first week settling. Attached are pictures, one form yesterday and one from today. I do have a fan on the tank in the second because the temp started to hover above 26*C (~79*F), it's not down just below 26*C (~75*F).

Any advice would be great, I'd really love for him to flourish!

[Kaman8]

Is that a 20 gallon? Looks smaller, what is you tank dimension ?

[stephaniekaye]

73 x 28 x 37

It's not very long but it's got width, which is hard to see in the picture.

[stephaniekaye]

Also, the tank can hold more (I think it's a 25?) but I keep the water level at 20gal

[Makena95GT]

Why do you keep the water level so low?
Leaky tank up high?

I highly reccomend even though your LFS is trustworthy to never let anyone surprise you with livestock. as you said you dont know much about LTA.. maybe you just erent ready for it. Very bad habit to get into. A good gift is a gift card lol

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by stephaniekaye

Also, the tank can hold more (I think it's a 25?) but I keep the water level at 20gal

Is there a sump and any wave in the tank?

[87ford]

I can say this I lost my lta after 3 weeks of trying to get him to dig his foot into the sand what a constant battle anemones are very very sensitive to everything that goes on some more and or less I've had good luck with bubble tips they seem to be pretty hardy but also what makes a difference is when you go to a lfs store never buy out of spontaneous reaction learned the hard way now I weekly check there live stock and wait 2 weeks to see if there's are healthy before I buy it and I also watch how it's taken out because I seen people rip them off rocks and sell them to you I always say I'll just buy it with the rock side tracked as far as the nem goes

Keep an eye on it there are times where they look really bad and next day really good one reason is for expelling waste another is dieing hope for the first one second thing is the nem will take time adjusting to your lighting because they get most there energy through photosynthesis so just give it time the down side is it can go south and when it does it's not pretty it can nuke a tank so keep an eye on it for signs of it starting to turn inside out and or eating it's own tentacles but best of luck and hope everything turns out for the best

Tom

[stephaniekaye]

I keep it low because the light sits right on top. Until I can raise it, I'd rather not have anything too close to electricity.

It's hard to not let someone surprise you with something, that's how a surprise works. I have a bubble tip in my other tank, so I know about anemones, but the LTAs are new. I've never had someone give me livestock for a present before, but I can't take him back now.

No sump as far as I'm aware, I take samples from possible places and I haven't found any yet, and definitely none around the nem. He perked up a little when I moved around the Mag-Float. Plenty of water circulation, but maybe he wants more?

[stephaniekaye]

UPDATE: I dropped some shrimp on the edge of his body, and he became full immediately. He's now moving around a lot, allowing me to see that his foot is not buried. He stretched all the way out and seems to be stretching the inside of his mouth outwards toward the shrimp?

[Makena95GT]

I mean to let him know not to do that anymore. "I know you love me and want to surprise me.. But for the safety of my tank and livesrock please do not surprise me with any new livestock." I only accept gift cards/vouchers as aquatics related gifts.

Correct me if im wrong but arens nems supposed to use their tentacles to carry the food to their mouth.. not try to pucker their mouth to get the food? Are his tentacles sticky at all?

[Jemhidiah]

Plenty of circulation from what all I see is a in tank canister style filter.

[stephaniekaye]

I have done that (: He now knows, and is still in awe of how huge the anemone (but unaware that the tank is way too tiny)

I thought they used their tentacles as well, but he doesn't want to do so. He has not eaten his shrimp. His tentacles are sticky. I tried to get him to bury his foot yesterday and he kept grabbing me when I dug in the sand.

The canister filter is placed so that it creates really nice undertow and it hits the rock below its waterfall and disperses another current along the top. There is a lot that can be done with a little canister-style filter when one uses aquatic physics ;D

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by stephaniekaye

The canister filter is placed so that it creates really nice undertow and it hits the rock below its waterfall and disperses another current along the top

dude, the problem is the filtration system. the rocks are covered with algae and it's quite impossible to sustain anemone with a in-tank canister filter

for me it's more like a tetra tank system my little cousin is runnin but you've put a lta in

[Reefahholic]

Originally Posted by M Woodhill

dude, the problem is the filtration system. the rocks are covered with algae and it's quite impossible to sustain anemone with a in-tank canister filter

for me it's more like a tetra tank system my little cousin is runnin but you've put a lta in

I agree that's it's likely your filtration. You said it's been up and running for 7 months, but it looks like 7 years.

Look all you need to do is this:

Put a sump on the system with a mag drive 5.

Run some carbon and GFO via reactors "independently."

If you did just that, You will be amazed at the difference in your tank.

Good luck!

[Jemhidiah]

A skimmer is a must, powerheads are a must reactors are not but make things easier.

[Jemhidiah]

Personally I just run a fuge and occasional carbon with a skimmer. Plus a wp-25 to keep detritus from settling.

[M Woodhill]

Originally Posted by Jemhidiah

A skimmer is a must, powerheads are a must reactors are not but make things easier.

given the size of the tank, i guess it's ok with a hang-up skimmer. tunze is quite strong

[Reefahholic]

Originally Posted by stephaniekaye

I have done that (: He now knows, and is still in awe of how huge the anemone (but unaware that the tank is way too tiny)

I thought they used their tentacles as well, but he doesn't want to do so. He has not eaten his shrimp. His tentacles are sticky. I tried to get him to bury his foot yesterday and he kept grabbing me when I dug in the sand.

The canister filter is placed so that it creates really nice undertow and it hits the rock below its waterfall and disperses another current along the top. There is a lot that can be done with a little canister-style filter when one uses aquatic physics ;D

You need to pull him out and treat him with some Septra DS.

If you don't treat him, and get the tank up to par, you might loose him.

Can you post another pic? A recent pic...