Stupid Nem

[ensquire]

Or maybe it's me. Anyway. I brought home 4 new Naked clowns and thought that I might as well bring the anemone that was hosting them also. It was the last thing that I added to the tank after everything else was acclimated and placed it in a quiet corner and things seemed okay. Except it kept floating up towards the nearest powerhead. So I shut that one off for the night. Next morning the nem had found its own spot in amongst the rocks and corals, of course, stinging as it went. SO I turned the powerhead on and watched it for a bit and it seemed to be set where it was. I kept checking it periodically all day and all seemed well. Anyone want to guess what happened next ?? Thats right, Next day woke up to the nem stuck in the powerhead. Slowly I worked the nem out of the housing and cleared all the sand out of a different area and set it there with all the powerheads off this time. Over the course of the next hour it decided that it wanted to check out the other end of the tank, slowly drifting along rubbing here and there. Me moving things out of the way and cleaning up the carnage in it's wake. It finally lodged itself in a new spot clear of all other corals and stayed for half a day, so I turned on powerheads and watched again intermittently all day. Seemed fine. NOPE..... next morning another suicide attempt. Wrapped up very well in the Sicce 4 . Again took almost 10 minutes to carefully remove it with out more damage.I thought I had a terra cotta pot to put it in but couldn't find it, so I placed the nem in a porcelain dish in the corner at the original end . I left the powerhead off but it never stayed for even a few minutes as I'm sure it's totally in shock. So for now because I have no idea wgat to do with it, I placed it and the dish in the sump inside a strawberry basket in the hope that it will attach to the dish and them I can put it in the tank.
I am trying to find a way to keep this guy in my tank without it hurting itself anymore. Would building a egg crate cover over it and leaving it covered for a few days help. Any suggestions ???????

[ponokareefer]

If it doesn't like the location you put it in in the container, you will further stress it out. Any attempt to keep an anemone where you want it instead of where it is most comfortable is not going to end well. I would try to find ways to cover your powerheads. I lost a huge green and red BTA in a powerhead a while back that had been in the same spot for about a week, but decided to wander around. BTA's are very prone to wander.

[jagermaier]

Originally Posted by ensquire

Or maybe it's me. Anyway. I brought home 4 new Naked clowns and thought that I might as well bring the anemone that was hosting them also. It was the last thing that I added to the tank after everything else was acclimated and placed it in a quiet corner and things seemed okay. Except it kept floating up towards the nearest powerhead. So I shut that one off for the night. Next morning the nem had found its own spot in amongst the rocks and corals, of course, stinging as it went. SO I turned the powerhead on and watched it for a bit and it seemed to be set where it was. I kept checking it periodically all day and all seemed well. Anyone want to guess what happened next ?? Thats right, Next day woke up to the nem stuck in the powerhead. Slowly I worked the nem out of the housing and cleared all the sand out of a different area and set it there with all the powerheads off this time. Over the course of the next hour it decided that it wanted to check out the other end of the tank, slowly drifting along rubbing here and there. Me moving things out of the way and cleaning up the carnage in it's wake. It finally lodged itself in a new spot clear of all other corals and stayed for half a day, so I turned on powerheads and watched again intermittently all day. Seemed fine. NOPE..... next morning another suicide attempt. Wrapped up very well in the Sicce 4 . Again took almost 10 minutes to carefully remove it with out more damage.I thought I had a terra cotta pot to put it in but couldn't find it, so I placed the nem in a porcelain dish in the corner at the original end . I left the powerhead off but it never stayed for even a few minutes as I'm sure it's totally in shock. So for now because I have no idea wgat to do with it, I placed it and the dish in the sump inside a strawberry basket in the hope that it will attach to the dish and them I can put it in the tank.
I am trying to find a way to keep this guy in my tank without it hurting itself anymore. Would building a egg crate cover over it and leaving it covered for a few days help. Any suggestions ???????

That is the exact reason I stick with LPS and SPS!! I had the same thing happen to me.

[ensquire]

Originally Posted by ponokareefer

If it doesn't like the location you put it in in the container, you will further stress it out. Any attempt to keep an anemone where you want it instead of where it is most comfortable is not going to end well. I would try to find ways to cover your powerheads. I lost a huge green and red BTA in a powerhead a while back that had been in the same spot for about a week, but decided to wander around. BTA's are very prone to wander.

I knew this in the back of my mind, but I gambled for the sake of the clowns. Poor decision..... In light of the fact that the tank is full of LPS and softies, I'm not really willing to let it roam around this tank.

Originally Posted by jagermaier

That is the exact reason I stick with LPS and SPS!! I had the same thing happen to me.

I have a couple of options... place it in my other less populated tank. Or give to a friend. Wife says other tank, but we will see.

[Myka]

Is this indeed a BTA? Maybe I'm blind, but I don't think you said what type it is? If it's a BTA I've found they like to be tucked away into a deep pocket in a piece of live rock. You could leave your powerheads off all night and just leave the return pump going. He shouldn't get sucked over the overflow. I find they like to move at night. Some just like to move I think. I've had some that never stop wandering and some that don't move even when I move the rock to a different place.

[fishytime]

nems is evil

[ensquire]

Originally Posted by Myka

Is this indeed a BTA? Maybe I'm blind, but I don't think you said what type it is? If it's a BTA I've found they like to be tucked away into a deep pocket in a piece of live rock. You could leave your powerheads off all night and just leave the return pump going. He shouldn't get sucked over the overflow. I find they like to move at night. Some just like to move I think. I've had some that never stop wandering and some that don't move even when I move the rock to a different place.

It isn't a BTA more of a sabae

Originally Posted by fishytime

nems is evil

Starting to think that way myself.

[Aquattro]

The "problem" with anemones is that they are very particular about location. So even if it sits in one spot all week, as soon as you turn the powerhead back on, the environment changes, and it's likely to move again (usually into said powerhead). I've had them move even after moving the angle of a powerhead. And as the lights wear out, it will move. And as corals grow and the flow changes slightly, it will move. Basically it could decide to move every time there is a slight change. Best bet is to cover the pump intakes or move it into a species specific tank. Or give it to your friend and let him remove it from his powerheads

[ALang]

Happened to me, too. Had a large beautiful sabae, hosting a pair of clowns, did great for two years plus, then, inexplicably, got itself sucked into my MP40!!
Many extractions over the next few days, it got too damaged to live.

Trying another BTA, just because my clowns were slowly killing my once beautiful ball of Duncans. I stuck it into a few large pieces of LR, almost burying it, with a few holes allowing the anemone to peek through. So far, since the FF4, it is attached, and looking fine.

Usually this will do the trick, and it will crawl around inside the pile of rocks until it finds the orientation that it likes. The rocks will have to be good sized, and the nem in between several of them, like building a cage. You won't kill it if you are careful in your rock placement. This works for me every time. Now, all I have to do is to keep it there for more than 2 1/2 year!

Good luck!

[ensquire]

For now it has been moved to my other less populated tank. Not such a problem if it moves around, and the MP10s have covers. It's not looking that healthy though. Due to all the powerhead spins I'm sure.
Hopefully it survives.