MISSING! HAVE YOU SEEN ME! : ANEMONE

[kokopuff73]

Last night once the moon light turned on, my new 2 day old anemone began to move from it's perch on a ledge down the rocks. It was not very high up in the tank. About half way and not in any direct flow. He then began to move into one of the caves in the rocks. Now I figured, once he got in there, he'd figure out that there's no more room to move. WRONG! He continued in that path. So I figured, eventually he'd move around and find a place to his liking. When I woke up this morning, he's still nowhere to be found. Is this common and has it ever happened to anyone? Will he eventually show up? I'm very reluctant to remove all my rocks to go looking for him especially if this is a common thing and he'll pop up sometime. I have an 80 gallon tank and about 150 lbs of rock.

 

[S!mon]

This is very common, just make sure it doesnt go into the overflow or a powerhead.

 

[kokopuff73]

Thanks. You've given me a little more comfort. How long can they hide like this?

 

[Len]

This can get very frustrating. Sometimes they hide for days, and sometimes they'll hide until they shrivel up and die from malnutrition Hopefully it moves around and finds a place it likes within the next couple weeks.

 

[kokopuff73]

Damn. Weeks? That really sucks. And I'm guessing that there's no way to lure him back out into the open? I wonder what would compel it to go into the caves in the rocks like that.

I should have known that this anemone would give me trouble. My wife picked it out. :lol:

 

[trido]

My LTA moved into a cave for over two weeks before it came out the back side of the rock pile and ended up in a CL intake. Some Sea creatures are a PITA to keep in a tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Damn. Weeks? That really sucks. And I'm guessing that there's no way to lure him back out into the open? I wonder what would compel it to go into the caves in the rocks like that.

I should have known that this anemone would give me trouble. My wife picked it out. :lol:

try changing the current pattern/direction

 

[snapper1]

They have mind of their own, mine do the same sometimes.

 

[Anonymous]

My bubble tips would do that when they were going to reproduce. Two would come out of the rocks 3-7 days later.

 

[kokopuff73]

Thanks guys. Do any of you guys have coral and if so how do they all do living together in the tank? Now I knew that anemone's could be a bit of a problem w/ coral so that is why I decided to get the anemone first, let him settle down, before I got any coral and then just build my reef around him. After reading a lot of stuff on the net about anemones, it seems that the consensus is that it is probably better off not to have anemone's w/ reef tanks. I asked a lot of questions to my LFS, and they kept saying that it's ok and that I will have no problems. I feel a bit decieved by them. How have your tanks fared?

 

[Anonymous]

the main potential issue is that you never know when an anemone might decide to go 'mobile'

it has happened to hobbyists, that in an anemones meanderings, it has crawled over corals and either damaged or destroyed them (more through smothering them when moving over them,settling on top of them) than anything else

another outcome of the same scenario is the anemone also getting damaged (stung) by the coral, and deteriorating, possibly leading to a fouled tank

there are plenty of hobbyists who have no problems whatsoever, as well-but for your lfs to not make you aware of at least the potential issues is abit irresponsible, imo

 

[Chubosco]

I had an anemone that moved around and was stung and killed by a hammer. He shriveled up so bad nearly didn't recognize him. Great danger when they move in a reef. You are smart beyond your experience kokopuff to add the little guy first before the coral. Good luck!

 

[kokopuff73]

Thanks, Chubosco. I love the interactions between the anemone and the clown. So I had to get one, but was told about how much they move. So I figured I'd get one before I got anything else and let him settle down. But they are so frustrating to keep. One second they're here, another they're on the other side. And occassionally mine curl up into a ball and sort of shrivel up and I think it's dead. And then the next thing I know, they're in "full bloom" again. Very interesting creatures.