Bleached or Just Cool? Help!

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Hey All,

I went down to the LFS for the third time in the last week and a half and this super rad, neon looking bubble tip anemone was Still There! I was nudged heavily by the boyfriend and shop to just do itttt, so I did! I was REALLY excited about it until I had someone comment on a picture of it on FB that it was actually just bleached and good luck with the rehab...

I paid Double the money for this "rose bubble tip anemone" for being so neon. There were 2 other nems just like this one in a tank with the one that's now mine next to a tank with 3 "typical" looking rose bubble tip anemones. So the shop definitely had them separate and at largely different prices.... So now I'm freaking out! Did I just overpay for a sick anemone???

I've googled and stayed up all night worrying about it... I've found some cases with nems just look like mine without a specific name and have lasted 5 years and going strong and even split and the babies all look the same too, but this is a rare google search find... So please help!

In case the pics aren't as good as I think they are, the top parts of the tentacles are fluorescent red with the bottom part being fluorescent green with the whole tentacle being nearly see through (read that's a bad sign being transparent? ). The mouth plate area is a translucent white with more solid white streaks. The foot is still the opaque maroon color. There are white splatter like speckles on the tentacles too (which the bf said indicates that it's not just a typical RBTA?). The mouth is very small/mostly closed and puckered looking. The whole nem was and is super sticky. The foot and tentacles kept sticking to the bag trying to get it out to acclimate even.

I'm kind of extra worried about bleaching now too as I set it in my tank halfway down on some rock, and it's now settled on nearly the highest point in my rock... so I don't know how to keep it from bleaching further if that's what's happening being so dang close to the light by it's own choice... (should I turn my red sea 50w light on acclimation mode for a few days to help??)

So here's the pics I have - acclimating and first set in the tank (it is on rocks there, not just the sand bed):

 

[Webslinger]

bleached anemone's recover pretty quickly. When mine split they sometimes turn the color of yours. Let it be and find his happy place and it should be fine if your tank is stable.

 

[D-Nak]

Yes, it's bleached, but don't worry about how much you paid for it, aside from being upset with your LFS. As long as you like it, that's good enough!

If water parameters are good and it likes the flow its getting, the nem may choose to stay in a lower light area, and it may remain its current color for a long time. If it moves into higher light, expect it to darken and become less transparent.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Very much bleached and you got ripped off!

Sorry. I hope your tank has been up for a loony time and has stable parameters that are currently supporting corals. Otherwise without knowledgeable care, it may not make it.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I wish you luck buddy. I hope it pulls through. Check the parameters and do water changes if needed.

 

[Tamberav]

It is bleached, it is clearish/white because it has lost its zooxanthellae.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Some corals and anemones do look their best when their bleached, but unfortunately the animal is quite stressed. I would let it be where it wants to be. Don't try to change anything to drastically like lighting or parameters (unless they will adversely affect the health) and maybe try spot feeding it with some mysis or other food once or twice a week.

It looks like its opening up some, so definitely not looking like its on its way out, so that could be promising.

Also, never take anything a LFS as reliable info, especially if they try to talk you into anything until you know them well enough to trust them. In their eyes, they either made money selling something that could have been a loss in their tank, or they're too dumb to know that it was a bleached nem. Either way, not a good sign!

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Thanks all for your input! My tank is in my office, so I'm watching it like a hawk for the better part of the day. I "think" it's looking pretty decent right now, but of course it picked a spot where it's near impossible to see its mouth. It is still sticky and mostly bubbly, though not as big of bubbles in my initial pics. I'll take more pics for an update once I do my water change shortly here.

For overall monitoring, is it fair to say that the key aspects to making sure the nem is healthy or at least stable are that it is sticky and that the mouth isn't gaping open? Or with bleaching is that not even relevant?

 

[sfin52]

Hey All,

I went down to the LFS for the third time in the last week and a half and this super rad, neon looking bubble tip anemone was Still There! I was nudged heavily by the boyfriend and shop to just do itttt, so I did! I was REALLY excited about it until I had someone comment on a picture of it on FB that it was actually just bleached and good luck with the rehab...

I paid Double the money for this "rose bubble tip anemone" for being so neon. There were 2 other nems just like this one in a tank with the one that's now mine next to a tank with 3 "typical" looking rose bubble tip anemones. So the shop definitely had them separate and at largely different prices.... So now I'm freaking out! Did I just overpay for a sick anemone???

I've googled and stayed up all night worrying about it... I've found some cases with nems just look like mine without a specific name and have lasted 5 years and going strong and even split and the babies all look the same too, but this is a rare google search find... So please help!

In case the pics aren't as good as I think they are, the top parts of the tentacles are fluorescent red with the bottom part being fluorescent green with the whole tentacle being nearly see through (read that's a bad sign being transparent? ). The mouth plate area is a translucent white with more solid white streaks. The foot is still the opaque maroon color. There are white splatter like speckles on the tentacles too (which the bf said indicates that it's not just a typical RBTA?). The mouth is very small/mostly closed and puckered looking. The whole nem was and is super sticky. The foot and tentacles kept sticking to the bag trying to get it out to acclimate even.

I'm kind of extra worried about bleaching now too as I set it in my tank halfway down on some rock, and it's now settled on nearly the highest point in my rock... so I don't know how to keep it from bleaching further if that's what's happening being so dang close to the light by it's own choice... (should I turn my red sea 50w light on acclimation mode for a few days to help??)

So here's the pics I have - acclimating and first set in the tank (it is on rocks there, not just the sand bed):

Thats gorgous I hope it makes it

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Thanks all for your input! My tank is in my office, so I'm watching it like a hawk for the better part of the day. I "think" it's looking pretty decent right now, but of course it picked a spot where it's near impossible to see its mouth. It is still sticky and mostly bubbly, though not as big of bubbles in my initial pics. I'll take more pics for an update once I do my water change shortly here.

For overall monitoring, is it fair to say that the key aspects to making sure the nem is healthy or at least stable are that it is sticky and that the mouth isn't gaping open? Or with bleaching is that not even relevant?

I think those are two good signs. If its still accepting and eating food, then thats an even better sign. (just don't over feed)

 

[Cell]

I'd just relax and enjoy it, no need to stress, it looks good for now. Typically, if the mouth is gaping, it will also be pretty deflated, so don't worry too much about not being able to see it's mouth directly at all times. No need to constantly check for stickiness either, that will just annoy it. Loss of stickiness will likely come with other more obvious symptoms.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Yep just leave it alone. Realistically there is nothing you can do but provide a stable environment.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Thats gorgous I hope it makes it

A bleached/sick nem is beautiful?? Uhhh ok.

 

[MightyMO]

Leave it alone, keep your water parameters stable. I've had a bubble tip die before. And that isn't dead yet... Just feed frozen mysis, thawed of course and let it find it's own spot... It will most likely recover... (being optimistic for you)

 

[Webslinger]

Thats gorgous I hope it makes it

?? another sucker

 

[tehmadreefer]

?? another sucker

Prolly just trying to be “friendly”, however telling new reefers a dying coral, nem, fish or whatever is gorgeous only promotes them to keep it that way.

terrible advice though the intention may have been good.

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Yeah, have only touched it twice now.. Once to put it in the tank, and once this morning to see if it was still sticky.

To be fair I thought it was gorgeous too when I saw it at the LFS.. Of course now knowing it's sick just makes me feel bad for it and can't wait to hopefully see what she turns out to look like if/when I can reverse the bleaching. I'm definitely sensitive when it comes to the lives in my tank.

Here's some updated pics of where she decided to settle, views from top, side, and front views (see what I mean about not being able to see the mouth ):

 

[Melanie Fish]

I've had one like this that was bleached when I got it. Put it in stable parameters and it'll color up. I'd suggest not messing with it. Just let it chill wherever it wants and give it time.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Is it hiding in the rock from the light?

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Is it hiding in the rock from the light?

No clue. About a quarter of it is covered by the rock structure/tunnels up there. That's why I was wondering about maybe setting my lights on acclimation mode for a few days since it went up so close to the light yet kind of hidden? ...but it moved Up to that spot and stayed there. On its trek to the current spot it crossed over much more shaded areas, so that baffles me in that sense haha