Large Carpet Nem help, possibly dieing?

[Outatime]

Hi All

About three weeks ago I bought a large red carpet nem, really nice one, but I am not sure it's doing all that well and was hoping to catch this before it possibly dies. About a week or so ago I noticed pea sized lumps of something decomposed food or something near it's mouth, I removed it but every day or so I would notice the same thing, I was thinking maybe it might have been from a elegance coral that died and it maybe ate a piece that blew off it. It doesn't look good right now but it's still open, no signs of it shrinking, foot still attached and think is sticky but I have not had it eating. It's pretty much directly under a AI16 light, I have a few other nems in the tank...a lot smaller that seem to be doing really well. I did take a video which I will try post. It reacts to light as I was using a flash light to try take a video.

Anyone help me out here please as I am worried. Thank you

Tank tests:

5/13
Ph: 7.5
Alk. 7.3
Phos: 0.06
Nitrate; 7.2
Nitrite: 30
Cal: 475

 

[fishguy242]

@Eagle_Steve @F i s h y @Lost in the Sauce

 

[D-Nak]

It's hard to tell what's going on in the photos. Based on your description, it could just be poop or partially digested food. Oftentimes carpet anemones (gigantea and haddoni) will expel partially eaten food as white clumps or pellets. Have you been feeding it and has it been eating?

 

[Outatime]

Hi , thanks again, not seen it eat yet. Here is a video I just took.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Are you sure about that nitrite reading?

Parameters look okay. My Nems hate alk south of 8 and stop looking as good below 15 nitrates but those aren't at all, likely contributors to the mouth gape.

Given that it is a newly acquired nem, starting to gape at the mouth, I would guess that it will likely expelled waste in the bag upon transit, possibly reabsorbed trying to filter that through which can lead to a bacterial infection.

It doesn't look at a critical stage now, but I would have a plan to treat it with antibiotics if the gape worsens, It begins odd inflation and deflation cycles, releases its foot ect.

 

[D-Nak]

It looks okay in the video. And I'm also realizing that the video was shot with the lights off. When you have a chance, take some photos/videos with the lights on and the anemone inflated to its typical size. We'll be better able to assess its condition at that point.

 

[Outatime]

Thank you guys, yes for some reason my nitrite is high but I was told not to worry about it???

Will definitely get picture and video again with the lights on.

Appreciate all the help.

 

[Outatime]

Hi All, lights are on, I am still not sure what to make of it, mouth seems to have closed , I gave all the nems a small piece of shrimp but the carpet nem just ignored it and it's rolled off into the sand bed.

 

[MartinM]

Don’t worry about it and give it time, while you address your nitrite issue also (maybe just increase your water changes). Carpet Anemones do all kinds of weird things and you’re doesn’t look thar bad. If you’re not running carbon, give that a try also.

 

[D-Nak]

I would typically say that it looks fine. However, it almost appears to have been cut or injured--from the mouth across the oral disc--but it's possibly just the angle of the photos and how the anemone has folded itself. That said, was it ever injured?

 

[Outatime]

Thank you again, so I reached out to the seller and he said it was involved in a injury but he wasn't sure if the extent.... would have been nice to have known, he thought it was.

Not sure where that leaves my poor nem :-( , glad you figured it out as it's mouth does look like it's got a issue.

It looks a little better today, as mentioned it doesn't eat and not seen it deflate or do much since adding it.

 

[MartinM]

I have a red one like yours, it also had a bit injury, it took ~6 months but it's healed, healthy, and huge! Give it time, and FWIW mine really like Red Sea AB+. And of course, some food sometimes, but be careful it's human grade and been frozen for 24 hours and thawed again (and no oysters).

 

[Outatime]

Thank you for that , the mouth is open again this morning....seems at night its wide and closes during the light...normal maybe? Although its not eating I did notice the pea sized decomposed food or whatever it is around its mouth again today.

I am more worried about it not eating but as mentioned its still a great size and attached well. So the general consensus is just let it be?

 

[D-Nak]

Yes, let it be.

To be completely honest with you, unless I'm seeing something that isn't there, it looks like it's been cut in half. If that is the case, it's slowly trying to mend itself and literally become whole. There isn't much you can do, in terms of the injury, at this point. It's not looking like it's getting worse, and if all goes well, the anemone will heal on its own.

 

[MartinM]

Also IME, carpets expel waste at night, it's normal for them to open their mouths at night to do this.

 

[Outatime]

Hi Guys, me again, just a little update, my two clowns have finally hosted with the carpet which seems to be doing well it's moving about a little at the moment it's placed itself in the corner of the tank which gives me a great view but I am still worried as it's been a couple of months now and it's still not eaten, I gave it shrimp tonight and it just lets it go and it floats off, mouth still open most of the time. Anyone concerned or anything else I could try? Thank you

 

[OrionN]

That anemone is not happy, mouth open and does not really look well.
He really needs bright light, especially if you want for him to keep that red coloration. I would concentrate on keep tip top water condition and give him thick sand bed. Haddoni sometime withdraw entirely into the sand. It needs at least 3 inches of sand to be happy, even deeper would be fine.

 

[MartinM]

What PAR is it getting right now?

IME, Haddoni are the most difficult anemone species to get acclimated. I just lost a purple one after months of him wandering around, and it was a local collecting one also, disease free. They just don't acclimate well, sadly. On the flip side, after acclimating they do well, I have a half dozen that haven't moved in years and are getting monstrous. Like Orion said, plenty of sand, sand/rock interfaces, and light. Every Haddoni I have is under minimum of ~250 PAR, some 400+.

 

[Outatime]

Hello, thank you for the messages, he has moved a couple of times, I am yet to see him deflate or look sick its just the mouth that doesn't ever look right to me but as you mentioned it could have been cut or damaged around the mouth. I have AI Primes x 3 in the 130.4 waterbox its currently in....I thought that might be enough but do you think more? Right now he is directly under the prime at the end of the tank.

Water conditions are not bad, I did have a phosphate issue a few weeks ago that killed my elligance but I took care of that issue.

I could do with more rock in the tank to be honest but sand I think is ok, he was dug down into it a while ago but now sat in the corner of the tank. Sorry to keep bringing this subject up I just worry as I have not had a carpet before...my other small BTA are about 7 months and doing ok so far which gives me hope.

 

[MartinM]

Glad he's not deflating, but that probably just means he's disease-free, not necessarily happy. You still haven't listed your PAR numbers where he is? This is important. As long as your tank has a deep sand bed the amount of rock shouldn't matter too much.

BTA =/= Haddoni. BTA's, IME, are bulletproof.