Not sure what my sebae anemone is doing...

WhiskeyCoffee · Aug 31, 2016

So I picked up this sebae anemone from my LFS about three days ago and so far he hasn't really attached to anything. I had my circulation fan and return pump off for 24 hours so the current wouldn't blow him around but he did not attach in that time. I've tried placing him on the sand and also on rock and he still won't stick. His mouth is closed from what I can tell and his 'foot' is very sticky. I came home today after being at work for 30 hours (military, long story) and found him in the corner. Not sure if he moved there or was blown by current.

What should I do at this point? I've read it's bad to continually move them around.

bios · Sep 1, 2016

I leave it there and try to feed it once for a week spreading solution of zooplankton round it
Do attention to powerhead since it stick

geckoejon · Sep 1, 2016

Imo, that does not look like a sebae. It looks more like a condy...

I would put it in an area with low flow. I would clear. Some sand down the bottom glass, stick its foot directly on the glass, and place rock rubble around the foot. This might kind of brace it until it attaches...

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 1, 2016

Should I exchange this for an RBTA? I don't want to kill a $50 anemone...

Nemguy123 · Sep 1, 2016

It is a Seabae they are sand dwellers he looks to be completely bleached they are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry best to not buy those very bleached ones they usually don't make it if it eats and its tentacles are sticky it might have a fighting chance if not I'd bring it back for a rbta

Nemguy123 · Sep 1, 2016

And $50 for a Seabae is kind of pricy especially if it was a Condy that is way over priced!

geckoejon · Sep 1, 2016

The tents just look very thick to be a sebae. It does look like it has too many tents for a condy though. Lol actually, not all sebae are sand dwellers... I believe malu are more rock dwellers and crispa sebae to be more sand dwellers....

How about a couple good pic? One showing from the top and one with the whites on?

Nemguy123 · Sep 1, 2016

Yeah some better pics would help

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 1, 2016

Here's a better pic for you guys... I dug down a little and nestled him in there against the rock. So far he's stayed put.

Nemguy123 · Sep 1, 2016

That's a seabae and I don't think your water quality is a problem I see a lot of coraline growth your best bet is to try feeding it and see if it eats feed small bits at a time like some brine or mysids and see if it sticks it and moves it to its mouth

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 1, 2016

Do you think I'm better off exchanging for an RBTA?

Nemguy123 · Sep 2, 2016

Yeah they are a lot easier to care for

Trex · Sep 2, 2016

You have a bleached H. crispa. (( Sebae is a common name for both H. crispa and H. malu )). H. crispas can be found both in the sandbed and in the rocks. H. malu is strictly sandbed dwelling.

Ignoring the fact that it is bleached, it doesn't look too bad. The tentacles still have some length on them --- so it hasn't fully started consuming itself for energy.
What size tank do you have?
What lights? (( what lights was it under and are you acclimating it to your lights? ))
Current water parameters -- with numbers please.
Are your powerheads covered?

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 2, 2016

I have a 29g tank with 10g sump. Last time I checked my ammonia it was 0 and nitrates at 0. PH was 8.3 and alkalinity was 11 dKh. Tank has been set up for about 4 months and was started with cured live rock from LFS.

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 2, 2016

Hey everyone. So I woke up today around 6am for work and noticed that the anemone had flipper over and was stuck under some rock. I'm not sure if it got carried away by current or tried to move and there was a mishap. Either way I returned him to his original spot and left for work. I got home around 5:15pm and it looks as if the nem may have attached. As you can see, the currently is 'lifting' him up but he is staying in place. Also hard to see in the pic but it does look like the foot may be stuck to the rock.

Also does anyone know what that orange thing is on the nem? Looks like there might be something crusty around it. Too hard to get a clear photo up close unfortunately. I tried feeding the nem some mysis shrimp last night but I don't think it accepted it.

Trex · Sep 3, 2016

WhiskeyCoffee said:
I have a 29g tank with 10g sump. Last time I checked my ammonia it was 0 and nitrates at 0. PH was 8.3 and alkalinity was 11 dKh. Tank has been set up for about 4 months and was started with cured live rock from LFS.

If it recovers, it will over take that tank --- I had one years ago that took up 1/3 of a 75.
What is your salinity/SG?
What lights do you have? Are you acclimating it to your lights.

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 4, 2016

I have the Orbit Marine Pro from Current USA, currently have blue channel set to 60% intensity and white channel to 40% intensity. My SG is 1.026.

I'm going to contact the LFS on Tuesday to see if he'll take him back - yet again today I came back home to find the 'nem stuck under some rock, completely upside down. Not sure if current carried him away or if he tried to move or what happened. I'm worried that this $50 investment is about to go down the drain, literally.

WhiskeyCoffee · Sep 4, 2016

So, the sebae anemone saga continues. Two times now he's been flipped over and stuck under rock so I continued to play with the powerheads and finally found a spot where I'm confident he's latched on. It's not the most ideal place, but I just want him to be happy and to regenerate to zooanthellae. This is the most 'open' I've seen him in the last 24 hours.

Sorry for the algae, it looks MUCH worse in this photo then it does in real life haha. *nervous laugh*

Trex · Sep 6, 2016

Just keep up your water quality and watch your lights --- at this point you don't want to give it too much light. In fact I would back down the lights a bit. Can either use the settings, or put window screening b/t the tank and the lights. I usually use 3 layers (( supported by egg crate )), and remove a layer every 5 days or so.

For the future, remember when it comes to hosting anemones, white ones are to be avoided.