bubble tip anemone

[dangal]

Hello all. We have a newer tank just a few months old. Our water is perfect. We have great lighting including halides. This is a 180 gallon tank with live rock. We have 2 firefish and a sixlined wrasse. We have 2 baby true perculas and one nice sized bubble tip. The clowns are hosting. The anemone is moving around at night and flipping upside down. Only at night. He is feeding fine. I have no idea if this is a normal thing. HELP. Thanks Jen and Dan :?:

 

[spankerbob]

It is perfectly normal, I have had several, well one that split several times, and each time it split the new anemome moved to find the place it preferred. They move to find the best light and flow, that suits them.

 

[dangal]

To lay upside down is ok??? My husband keeps putting him back on his foot, should we just leave him alone? How long will they stay down before I should worry if at all? Sorry new mama to this tank and hobby so it is easy to worry.............

 

[spankerbob]

They will wander about the tank, they do not have any real means of mobility beside sucking in water and blowing it out so give it a little more time to find its place, if it has not in a week then you can glue it some were if you like. the ones in my tank only move at night aswell, so I never really seem them upside down.

 

[wrightme43]

The best thing to do with a anemone is leave it alone. If its getting into a overflow, or somewhere dangerous, move it, but other wise leave it alone, they know where they need to be.

 

[NaH2O]

When you say it is upside down, do you mean it is laying face down in the bottom of the tank? Does it stay this way, or will it eventually attach in this spot? How long have you had the anemone?

 

[chazbier]

They will move about until they find a spot they like. I had a bubble tip that stayed in one spot for about a year doing nothing, and one day it moved (driving the Saddleback Clown nuts trying to follow it around). I thought it was finally dead or something (I did see it upside down a few times but I think it was just water flow pushing it around), but after about three or four days it found another spot and tripled in size over the next year. It was about the size of my hand before I had to donate it to the LFS when I took down the reef to move.

 

[dangal]

I mean upside down as in all the way face down.......and he's like that when I wake up and then my husband flips him back over.....he's been in for about a week.

 

[NaH2O]

They do have a tendency to move about the aquarium finding a good spot, but the RBTA in my tank would usually find a spot to attach to soon after floating off. It would float off, then reattach....then it eventually was sucked onto the closed loop (thankfully I found it not too long after it happened). Does the foot feel sticky when it is placed back over foot down? Does the anemone look "normal" otherwise? Is the mouth of the anemone closed? Do you see any white stringy things (mesenterial filaments) hanging out of the mouth or the foot?

 

[dangal]

He looks great. No stringy things. His mouth is closed whenever I see it. And my husband touches him I have never. I will have to ask him tonight about the sticky foot thing. Our tank is 3 feet tall alone and I am 5 1 sooooo I can't hardly reach a thing in there!

 

[NaH2O]

He looks great. No stringy things.

Good. I was concerned that the anemone may not be doing well. Whenever he gets put back on his foot, it may just not like the location. Does the anemone get put back in the same spot every time?

Our tank is 3 feet tall alone and I am 5 1 sooooo I can't hardly reach a thing in there!

LOL - I hear ya! My tank is 25 deep (with 1" eurobrace), and I can barely get to the barebottom front to scrape the coralline....I'm 5'8". I can only imagine what it would be like at 36" deep! I swore I'd never have a tank made deeper than 20" after this one.

 

[chazbier]

Is there enough water flow in the tank? Anemones need good strong water currents, they like to hang out in the water stream. How about light? With a tank so deep the Bubble tip might be searching for more light, even if he moves at night he's not finding what he wants in the morning. Try stacking rock higher to the light source or get more light. Of course these are just suggestions to try and help.

 

[Maxx]

BTA's arent a type of anemone that prefers strong current. They will move out of it if unhappy. What kind of lighting are you running on this tank?

Keep in mind anemones are not like corals, they will move in attempt to find ideal conditions. I would suggest convering up all powerhead/pump intakes, and leaving the anemone to move to a place it likes best. BTA's prefer to be on rockwork with their foot buried in the rocks somewhere safe.
Can you post up some pics of your anemone?

Here are some links for you to read up on your anemone....

Bubble Tip Anemones

Clownfish and their Host anemones in the aquarium

FIELD GUIDE TO ANEMONE FISHES AND THEIR HOST SEA ANEMONES

HOST ANEMONES

Keeping Anemones

Anemone Health and Longevity Survey

Anemone FAQ This is a PDF file and will take a bit to open up.

Hope these help,
Nick