Plate Anemone Advice

[bevo5]

Hi all - I got a plate *coral about six weeks ago and tossed it in my invert QT, which is just a biocube with standard lights. I had it up fairly high, and it spent all it's time hugely open with very long tentacles. I fed it on occasion, but I figured it was fat and happy.

About a week ago I moved it to the DT, which is under XR30's. It's on the sand, 24inches down - and I put it in an area of half light/half kind of shade. Since then it just hasn't ever opened up beyond a few small tentacles. I tried to move it to more light, but it stayed closed. I moved it less light last night so I'll see how that goes.

I've fed it twice and it eats a ton - but I'm starting to see a little tissue recession around the mouth.

Levels are normal except for elevated nutrients (dealing with the last bits of dinos) - but right in line with where the QT tank was. I'd say the levels are far more stable in the DT.

So - should it normally be wide open with giant tentacles or was that a reaction to low light? Or, is it definitely bad that it's not wide open? I have dozens of other anemones all doing just fine and bubbling up etc.

Thank you.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Hi all - I got a plate anemone about six weeks ago and tossed it in my invert QT, which is just a biocube with standard lights. I had it up fairly high, and it spent all it's time hugely open with very long tentacles. I fed it on occasion, but I figured it was fat and happy.

About a week ago I moved it to the DT, which is under XR30's. It's on the sand, 24inches down - and I put it in an area of half light/half kind of shade. Since then it just hasn't ever opened up beyond a few small tentacles. I tried to move it to more light, but it stayed closed. I moved it less light last night so I'll see how that goes.

I've fed it twice and it eats a ton - but I'm starting to see a little tissue recession around the mouth.

Levels are normal except for elevated nutrients (dealing with the last bits of dinos) - but right in line with where the QT tank was. I'd say the levels are far more stable in the DT.

So - should it normally be wide open with giant tentacles or was that a reaction to low light? Or, is it definitely bad that it's not wide open? I have dozens of other anemones all doing just fine and bubbling up etc.

Thank you.

Plate anemone? Do you mean a long tentacle plate coral? or an anemone? Pics so we can get proper ID to provide proper advise.

 

[Cantusaurus]

Yeah as the post above mentioned. Is it a plate coral? Which is in the Fungia or Scleractinia family.

 

[bevo5]

Sorry, yes. Plate coral. My brain wasn't working well!

I'll get a photo and post in a bit.

 

[bevo5]

here is a photo - as you can see, there is some clear tissue recession and just a few small tentacles. This thing was huge and filled with long tentacles in the QT tank. He's just not at all happy with in the DT. At this point I'm wondering if I should just move him back to the water he seemed to like better?

 

[Cantusaurus]

I had a similar problem.
My plate coral was in a similar situation.
I just did not touch it. I let it do its thing, and I fed spot fed it amino acids.
Make sure your Magnesium is on point, and maybe dose some Iodide.

I would leave it. Do not touch it. Unless it is in a spot where the flow is too high. The light shouldn't really matter unless it's too high.

Mine somehow recovered. But sadly when these corals often are not looking good, and just decide to go down with the ship for some reason and will accept death. If it is dead LEAVE IT, it can often bud off babies.

But if it looks worse then probably do an Iodine or infection coral dip, and put it back in the tank and follow the other tips I gave.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I had a similar problem.
My plate coral was in a similar situation.
I just did not touch it. I let it do its thing, and I fed spot fed it amino acids.
Make sure your Magnesium is on point, and maybe dose some Iodide.

I would leave it. Do not touch it. Unless it is in a spot where the flow is too high. The light shouldn't really matter unless it's too high.

Mine somehow recovered. But sadly when these corals often are not looking good, and just decide to go down with the ship for some reason and will accept death. If it is dying LEAVE IT, it can often bud off babies.

I agree to just leave it be, as long as it is not in high flow.

Side note: If it does die, leave the skeleton in the tank. It can and more than likely will spit out babies.

 

[bevo5]

Thanks y’all. I’m not sure what would really constitute high flow. It’s dead center in my tank. It’s a 80in tank with an mp40 on each side doing opposite reef crest. I don’t think it’s a swirl by any stretch, but there would be some movement of the tentacles if they were to open. I can build around it to reduce flow even more if necessary. Hell I could surround it easily enough.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Thanks y’all. I’m not sure what would really constitute high flow. It’s dead center in my tank. It’s a 80in tank with an mp40 on each side doing opposite reef crest. I don’t think it’s a swirl by any stretch, but there would be some movement of the tentacles if they were to open. I can build around it to reduce flow even more if necessary. Hell I could surround it easily enough.

As long as it is gentle flow, it should be fine. They do take a while to adjust, so for now, just leave it be and give it some time.

 

[bevo5]

As long as it is gentle flow, it should be fine. They do take a while to adjust, so for now, just leave it be and give it some time.

Will do. Thanks all for the help.

Last question - do y'all feed yours consistently? I was thinking that perhaps feeding it (reef frenzy) was just making it content to not open up looking for food.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Will do. Thanks all for the help.

Last question - do y'all feed yours consistently? I was thinking that perhaps feeding it (reef frenzy) was just making it content to not open up looking for food.

I do not. Mine catures the occasional piece here or there, but do not directly feed and they do fine.

They are on the right.

 

[bevo5]

Awesome stuff there. That's exactly how mine was looking in to the QT for over a month.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Awesome stuff there. That's exactly how mine was looking in to the QT for over a month.

Once I moved my big one out of QT, it pouted for a little over a week. Params in both tanks are almost identical, light and flow is different and i am sure something we do not test is, so I just gave it time and it opened right up one day and has stayed that way since.

 

[bevo5]

So an update - I did a full range of tests on both tanks. Everything is relatively the same with the exception of nitrates. I'm battling the last bits of dinos and raised them up to around 20 in my DT. Only at 6 in the QT. Phosphates are still high in both tanks (not sure why in QT).

Also, discovered my KH is low in both tanks - so I don't think that's a shift.

Results:

Qt
Kh - 7.0
Cal - high. 490
Mg - 1350
Ph - 8.2
Nitrate 5.6
Phosphate .18


DISPLAY:
Kh - 6.5
Ca - 430
Mg - 1400
Ph -8.25
Nitrate 22
Phosphate .17

 

[Eagle_Steve]

So an update - I did a full range of tests on both tanks. Everything is relatively the same with the exception of nitrates. I'm battling the last bits of dinos and raised them up to around 20 in my DT. Only at 6 in the QT. Phosphates are still high in both tanks (not sure why in QT).

Also, discovered my KH is low in both tanks - so I don't think that's a shift.

Results:

Qt
Kh - 7.0
Cal - high. 490
Mg - 1350
Ph - 8.2
Nitrate 5.6
Phosphate .18


DISPLAY:
Kh - 6.5
Ca - 430
Mg - 1400
Ph -8.25
Nitrate 22
Phosphate .17

6.5 and 7 are not terrible. Not what everybody recommends, but still acceptable. May want to bring up a little over time. This will just give you a buffer. But those tanks are close enough that the plate may just still be adjusting.

Just be sure to watch for any major tissue recession, etc.

 

[bevo5]

Thanks. Will do. There's certainly a bit of tissue recession around his mouth. I don't know if it's 'major' but it's increasing a bit. I'll just keep an eye on him and if not better in a couple days, move him back to his beloved QT.

Going to up my KH dosing as well...slowly.

Thanks again.

 

[bevo5]

Well I moved him back a few days ago and he pretty much instantly opened up. I guess there's just something about the DT that he's not liking. I'm going to get conditions to match EXACTLY and try again in a couple weeks when he's fully back to normal. But he's already a ton better here. He's on rubble in the QT. I wonder if he prefers that better than sand?