HELP! Is my anemone dying?

[nelletron]

I have had him for a few months..He looked amazing yesterday and in fact I was thinking he has looked better than ever over the last week. Water levels are pristine... I really don't know what it could be. More importantly, if he is dying I would like him out ASAP. I have seen him deflate but never like this.

[mike31154]

Looks like it's got good colour & not turning inside out. I've seen btas deflate more than what your photo looks like. I wouldn't get too freaked just yet, give it some time, it will probably be back to normal in a day or less. Have you been feeding it at all, and if so what & at what interval?

[jeff690]

what have you been feeding it?
might not be getting enough food

[nelletron]

I was just noticing that there are little tentacles coming out of the bottom of my anemone.... Is it possible that it's reproducing via bilateral fission??? So weird...

[nelletron]

This is him now... He does kind of seem to be turning inside out. I feed him silverside a few times a week and my clown is an amazing host and often brings his mysis... He was just doing so well even last night. Now I think I'm going to lose him :(

[mike31154]

BTAs can be pretty tough & resilient. I've had one come back from being badly torn up & it's now the size of a dinner plate taking over my tank. However, the latest photo of yours does not look good. All you can do is keep an eye on it now & prepare to pull it out if it starts disintegrating. Best of luck.

[Delphinus]

Looks just deflated to me. It may be in poor health but there could be other reasons as well. It could have just spawned (they do tend to deflate completely for a few days following a large spawning event), it could be reacting to a change in parameter in the tank (ph, temp, Alk are big ones that can shock an anemone).

Ultimately, my advice is that they are not dead until they are dead. That may sound sorta weird but basically, it comes down to "if you have to ask if it's dead then it probably isn't." (That's not to say that they always live, but when they do perish, the flesh tends to melt into a pile of liquid goo, fairly quickly. If it's not a big ball of snotty goo, then it's not dead, and probably worthwhile waiting it out because you just never know.)

Good luck..

[michika]

This is him now... He does kind of seem to be turning inside out. I feed him silverside a few times a week and my clown is an amazing host and often brings his mysis... He was just doing so well even last night. Now I think I'm going to lose him :(

It seems to be too small of an anemone to be fully and completely consumming a few silversides a week. I'd cut back on your feeding as well.

[gregzz4]

You said you're feeding it silversides a few times per week :surprise:

I'd cut this back to once or twice a month, then just once a month, unless you want it to grow and split like crazy

It may be having trouble right now as it can't process the food fast enough and may be getting plugged up, or the food is rotting inside

Give it a break from food and keep an eye on it