Anemone

[Reefguide]

I added this anemone to my clown grow out tank a while back. It never really attached to any substrate glass, ect. I recently moved him to a small 5g tank and he's just tummbling around and doesnt want to attach anywhere... Any tricks I can try? I figured he'd be happier here since this tank has LR in it but he continues just tumbling around half the time on his head !! The image below id now my anemone but rather one I found on the net. BTW is it a Purple Tip Atlantic Anemone ??

Thanks

 

[klingsa]

Looks like a long tentacle anemone, Macrodactyla doreensis. I have one of them also, and it has not attached either. They tend to like deep, fine sand beds, and bury their entire column in the sand. They can completely withdraw into the sand when threatened. I'm sure you know the dangers of a 5g reef tank...may not be the best place for an anemone. How big is the tank that it was originally in? If it has a deeper sand bed, it may be the better place to put him. But if the water quality is good, and it has the sand it needs, then I guess the 5g is fine. I don't think it's uncommon for them to take a while to find a nice cozy place to settle. Are the clowns hosted yet? There's nothin' cuter!

Good luck!

Sara

 

[Reefguide]

Well the grow-out tank is a 30g long... The grow-out and the 5g both have about 3-4 DSB... Most of the juvinile clowns hosted in the other anemone that had attached to a PVC eblow. This anemone just tmbled around and had no clowns hosting in it... Water parameters are watched closely on this 5g so water params shouldnt be a problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like a condylactus sp. to me, and if yours is a condy, they're not a natural host anemone anyhoo. If it is a condy, shut down your flow for a bit and if it's happy it'll attach--condys are darn near bulletproof, and attach to just about anything, but I've most often seen them on rockwork.

 

[Reefguide]

I already tried shuting the pump off and waiting a while and nothing came of it. oh well, I guess he can tumble around forever ! :?

 

[Goong]

Yeh, Mine does the same thing. But the tumbling does not stop my clowns from hosting in it. It just tumbles with it.

Goong

 

[wade1]

If it is a long tentacle, you need to provide it with a decently deep sandbed like mentioned above. Dig a little hole in the sand with your fingers, place the foot of the anemone into the hole, preferably against glass or rock, and then fill in around it a bit. It'll be happy.

If its a condylactus, take it back. I've never seen them unhappy enough to tumble around for long though. BTW, you can possibly tell what species it is by how much you paid for it...

Wade

 

[Reefguide]

I think it was like $9.00 ! Gonna try digging the hole ! Thanks !

 

[reefsnreptiles1]

Wade is right. For $9 it has to be a condy.