New BTA help, dying?

[JFinlay]

So I decided to purchase a rose bubble tip anemone 2 days ago, LFS kinda convinced me I thought my tank was too new (3 months) but I did cycle quickly with live rock and bottled bacteria, I’ve had corals alive and healthy for over a month now, and stable param but the BTA is worrying me.

Started off putting it where I’d wish for it to stay but knew it would move, the first day in the spot I put it, it looked great, was more full looking than at the LFS, all tentacles were bubbled and it was 3-4 inches in diameter, I woke up the next morning (yesterday) to find it floating around my tank where it eventually settled at the back right corner of my tank where theres a little bit of a dead spot.
When I got it I knew to look for signs it was healthy, foot was very attached at LFS, it attached quickly to my hand, and didn’t look damaged. I didn’t realize how small of a nem it was until it was out of the water though

Nitrates: 20~ (using API only on this test)

Alk: 8.2

Calcium: 420

Mag: 1350

Salinity: 1.026

PH: 8.0

using AFR to dose and keep parameters up

 

[j.falk]

Leave. It. Alone.

The more you mess with it, the more you will stress it out and the longer it will take for it to settle in. It will go where it wants to.

 

[JFinlay]

Leave. It. Alone.

The more you mess with it, the more you will stress it out and the longer it will take for it to settle in. It will go where it wants to.

This is my current plan as it’s all I’ve read people say with anemone issues, I more or less just don’t want to miss any signs that it’s dying in my tank. I have zero plans to touch it though

 

[j.falk]

This is my current plan as it’s all I’ve read people say with anemone issues, I more or less just don’t want to miss any signs that it’s dying in my tank. I have zero plans to touch it though

I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just shrunk up for the time being. Once it finds a place it likes it will reinflate with water and bulk back up. They typically move during the nighttime. Turning your lights off for the day would help it settle in faster.

 

[Jekyl]

3 months is definitely early for a nem. Although may not be a death sentence. Turn flow down and reduce lighting until it attaches itself somewhere. Do not feed.

 

[JFinlay]

3 months is definitely early for a nem. Although may not be a death sentence. Turn flow down and reduce lighting until it attaches itself somewhere. Do not feed.

Sounds good. This is where I get a little confused with nem care, so does it not need flow at all to move around? It can go up and down completely on its own? Should I have my lights turned down still? I had them turned down for 24 hours then turned them back to normal

 

[Jekyl]

Sounds good. This is where I get a little confused with nem care, so does it not need flow at all to move around? It can go up and down completely on its own? Should I have my lights turned down still? I had them turned down for 24 hours then turned them back to normal

Yes it can move on its own. If it doesn't attach itself soon you may want to think about returning it.

 

[Nano_Man]

They take time to settle in, Leave it to do its own thing

 

[Uncle99]

He should stick, not just roll around.
If the foot is sticky to your touch, he’s fine.
Turn off flow, ok to place on a rock gently.
If he doesn’t stick in an hour or two, something is making him unhappy but, I see nothing wrong in your chemistry assuming it’s not fluxing to much especially Alk and/or Salinity, they hate that.
He’s fine until he starts to disintegrate (come apart).
Do not feed.
Give some time, see what’s up.

 

[JFinlay]

He should stick, not just roll around.
If the foot is sticky to your touch, he’s fine.
Turn off flow, ok to place on a rock gently.
If he doesn’t stick in an hour or two, something is making him unhappy but, I see nothing wrong in your chemistry assuming it’s not fluxing to much especially Alk and/or Salinity, they hate that.
He’s fine until he starts to disintegrate (come apart).
Do not feed.
Give some time, see what’s up.

Yes originally I placed him on a rock and he stuck instantly and stayed there for the whole day, decided to unattach sometime at night and has just been in the sand bed since. If it doesn’t move by tomorrow I’ll try to place it back on a rock, if that doesn’t work I may just return it. Very scared of it dying in my tank lol

 

[JFinlay]

Yes it can move on its own. If it doesn't attach itself soon you may want to think about returning it.

I have 2 powerheads, should I turn one completely off and the other on the lowest setting? Or just both on low

 

[Jekyl]

I have 2 powerheads, should I turn one completely off and the other on the lowest setting? Or just both on low

Just not enough to blow it around

 

[JFinlay]

it’s shrunken up and barely moved still. Debating trying to put it on a rock and seeing if it stays. I can’t imagine it’s happy there and don’t get why it won’t move much from the back corner

 

[Jekyl]

IME 3 months is too young. I went through the same thing. Failure at 3 and again at 6 months. At 9 months they seemed happier and after the year mark they really started growing. The nems from 3 and 6 months did not survive.

Take it for what it's worth. Others have had success, many others and I did not.

There are things that can't be measured happening in our tanks. Maturity seems to be another parameter that needs measuring for nems and tougher corals.

 

[JFinlay]

IME 3 months is too young. I went through the same thing. Failure at 3 and again at 6 months. At 9 months they seemed happier and after the year mark they really started growing. The nems from 3 and 6 months did not survive.

Take it for what it's worth. Others have had success, many others and I did not.

There are things that can't be measured happening in our tanks. Maturity seems to be another parameter that needs measuring for nems and tougher corals.

I definitely understand that, I think this has humbled me a little to say the least, I’m interested to see what my LFS says as well, think they were overly confident in me as well. My tank has made great progress but think you may be right, just still too new at the end of the day.

Right now I’m taking it as a personal challenge to try and keep this guy alive, that’s why I’m thinking as a last ditch effort turning flow completely off and trying to manually move it to a rock once more. If it doesn’t latch or goes back to the corner during the night I think I’ll return it tomorrow. What’s your opinion on that plan?

 

[JFinlay]

In this short time it has opened back up, bubbling tips, but still just sitting in the corner, giving me mixed signals lol!

 

[Spare time]

The tank is not too young. That is a myth. Just scoop it up and place onto some rock crevice or somewhere where it can attatch easily and not get blown off. I have had several hundred of these anemones.

 

[Spare time]

it’s shrunken up and barely moved still. Debating trying to put it on a rock and seeing if it stays. I can’t imagine it’s happy there and don’t get why it won’t move much from the back corner

They can't crawl on sand very well. It needs to roll to a rock of be placed on one.

 

[JFinlay]

They can't crawl on sand very well.

Think I should move it at night once lights are off or now while it has a couple hours of lighting to enjoy? I have my lights turned down for now for it too

 

[Spare time]

Think I should move it at night once lights are off or now while it has a couple hours of lighting to enjoy? I have my lights turned down for now for it too

Up to you. As long as it is next to glass or a rock or on a rock, it should be able to climb up. Maybe just wait till the lights go out like you said to give it some time to have some photosynthesis