Killing with Kindness

[AJ_77]

Thought I would help a buddy out and take his baby LTA off his hands. Thought I could nurse it back to health in the 29 gal. Thought it would be fine with my large LTA when they would both go into a larger tank.

Thought it was doing much better - opening up, colouring up, starting to accept food again. Thought "this is a piece of cake."

Thought I was some kind of Anemone Whisperer or something... :rolleyes:

Didn't think that the thing would uproot one night without warning and get itself wrapped around the intake for the Aquaclear 300... Didn't imagine it would become worm food within a few days... my fault.

I knew I shouldn't try to keep 2 anemones, period. But I was "doing a favour" by "giving it a good home." Not such a good home after all. Another hard lesson learned: Don't push your luck.

:confused:

[Beverly]

Alan,

Sorry to hear about your loss, especially when your heart is in the right place. :frown:

Don't know anything about anemones, but why can't two be kept in the same tank? How large was the tank they were in?

Don't know if this might have prevented the anemone from being sucked into the AC 300 intake, but I often cut a hole in an AC mini foam and pull it up over AC intakes to prevent accidents like the one you describe. Don't know if it would have helped in the case of your anemone, though, as it might have pulled off the foam anyway.

[AJ_77]

Hey thanks Bev, I guess there were measures to be taken... woops.
:redface:

They weren't both in the same tank "yet" but the plan was to put them in a new bigger tank in a few months' time. It's just that the little tucker needed a home "now" and I pushed things a bit...

As far as keeping multiple anemones, the strictest advice is to dedicate a tank to keeping ONE - with very little else. After that, you increase the risk exponentially, apparently - another of the same species, or maybe add a different species, then a whack of corals, some more fish, etc etc...

I didn't even get to that point, but had a crazy idea to move in that direction. I already have fishes and corals in the 50 with the big LTA - bit of a mixed blessing - it's getting pretty crowded in there...

[EmilyB]

Sorry to hear that Alan. :sad: It's hard to lose the animals under our care no matter what the circumstances.

At least now you can prepare for any "wanderings" of the Big Guy when he gets into his new home.

[Skimmerking]

Sorry to here of this Alan:

Maybe you can in there near future put a sponge over that intake to prevent it from happening just a thought.


mike

[Bob I]

I will have to second Mike and Beverley's motion :rolleyes: I always did that very thing when I had anemones. :mrgreen:

[johnny rock]

I love anenomes but even under the best conditions they tend to move for no reason. I had an LTA for 2 years [sold it] but every once in awhile he would move and come back. super healthy guy but they have a mind of there own.

[BCOrchidGuy]

AJ Sorry to hear of the loss, as Beverly said "your heart was in the right place". Sad when something dies, even sadder when it dies on someone who was doing the right thing.

Doug