A concern about suicidal anemone

[Fable42]

I've got a suicidal anemone on my hands. He's literally stuck himself to my submarine UV sterilizer twice already, and I've had to rip him off both times - it's like he's trying to torture himself. He's also managed to attach himself to the filter intake, and I'm seriously worried he won't survive this. If by some miracle he does, I'd love some advice on how to keep him away from these things. He just won't stay in one place, and it's driving me crazy.

[otterly]

I've got a suicidal anemone on my hands. He's literally stuck himself to my submarine UV sterilizer twice already, and I've had to rip him off both times - it's like he's trying to torture himself. He's also managed to attach himself to the filter intake, and I'm seriously worried he won't survive this. If by some miracle he does, I'd love some advice on how to keep him away from these things. He just won't stay in one place, and it's driving me crazy.

My heart goes out to your poor anemone, I truly hope it pulls through.

To prevent any further accidents, I'd recommend creating a safety barrier around the intake of your filtration system. You can easily make one using plastic sheet netting from a craft store like C+H fabrics and some nylon twine.

Could you tell me what type of anemone you have? If it's a BTA, I think you might find some helpful information on this website: karensroseanemones.net. Specifically, the sections on 'The Dying Rose' and 'What Death Looks Like' might be useful.

Fingers crossed for your anemone, and I wish you the best of luck in nursing it back to health.

[Fable42]

Yesterday was a bit better, I caught him on the UV and shut it off, the tear wasn't too bad, just a small one. But last night he did it again and really hurt himself this time. This morning, I found him stuck to the filter intake on my Magnum 350, and I saw the pieces of him stuck to the UV sterilizer, and the big tear in his body.

[otterly]

I feel for you, Fable42 - it's heartbreaking to see our anemones struggle. The website I mentioned earlier has some really valuable information, so please take a look. I've actually made some powerhead covers using the plastic mesh for my own tank, and they've worked a treat - I just wish I could share the photos with you, but unfortunately, this thread won't allow it.

[Flyntex]

I've got a suicidal anemone on my hands. He's literally stuck himself to my submarine UV sterilizer twice already, and I've had to rip him off both times - it's like he's trying to torture himself. He's also managed to attach himself to the filter intake, and I'm seriously worried he won't survive this. If by some miracle he does, I'd love some advice on how to keep him away from these things. He just won't stay in one place, and it's driving me crazy.

Filter intakes and anemones just don't get along.

It's moving around because it's not happy and is searching for a suitable spot in your tank - the only way to stop this is to give it the right conditions.

What's your lighting setup like? What kind of filtration method are you using? And what are your water parameters?

[Fable42]

I'm running a 90-gallon tank with a 20-gallon sump, using bioballs for filtration. My lighting setup consists of a 4-foot T5 fixture with 8 bulbs - 4 blue and 4 white. Temperature is holding steady at 80-81 degrees Fahrenheit. For circulation, I have the submariner submersible UV sterilizer, return pump from the sump, magnum return, and 2 powerheads. I'll check my water parameters and post them shortly.

[Fable42]

Also forgot to mention I've got 80 pounds of live rock and a 2-inch sand bed in the tank. 2 clown fish and a manderin goby are my inhabitants.

Water parameters are as follows:
PH is at 7.8.
No ammonia or nitrite to speak of.
Nitrates are sitting at 15.
Calcium is at 400mg/l (20 drops).
DKH is 9 and KH is 161.1.
Phosphates are at 0.5.
Salinity is 1.026/35, checked with a refractometer.

[coral8]

Levels aren't ideal... I'd definitely double check that density with a refract, just to be sure. pH should be at least 8.0, and ideally you'd want zero phosphates. Are you using RO? If not, it's worth considering - or if you are, I'd test that water to make sure it's not the source of the issue.

[Fable42]

Hi coral8, I double checked my density with the refractometer and it's still reading 1.026/35.

I do use RO water for my changes, and I've always had small amounts of phosphates, usually around 0.5. I'm limited to small water changes, only about 3 gallons at a time. I was wondering if the phosphates could be coming from the salt I use, as I've never been able to get rid of them completely.

[felinxo]

Hi Fable42,

I think you might've broken one of the golden rules - putting a nem in your tank before it's mature. Your tank's only about six months old, right?

I'm guessing you meant to say your specific gravity is 1.026 - are you including the fluxx figure?

You could be getting nitrates from the water you're adding to your tank, test it and see.

Nems usually roam when they're in a new tank unless they're in ideal conditions. So, powerheads need to be covered - I'll find a link for you in a bit.

Next, prepare an area for your Nem. They like their foot deep in the rockwork and a little cave to hide in. I've found a cave with a lip of rock at the front and rock behind for their foot works well. If you have a suitable cave, place the nem inside and cover the entrance with a collender.

They don't like strong flow right on them, they prefer diffused flow. So, make sure powerheads aren't directed straight at them.

Hope that helps.

Seffie x

ps here you go: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/312 ... -resource/