LTA demise 2/11/10
Although I've read and re-read various articles on various topics since preparing for setting up our first salt water tank - this is the first I've ventured into writing the "crew".
<You are a stranger here but once. I welcome you>
We have a 120 gallon display tank and a 30 gallon sump with fuge and skimmer. In addition, we run UV, Kalk, active carbon, GFO reactor and a denitrator.
<Mmm, a note/comment: These last two chemical filters can be too effective... removing too much necessary macro-nutrient for chemo and mixo-trophic life (in this case, Actinarian)>
We dose vitamin C (1/4tsp 2 times daily)
<I would do this more irregularly... let's say once a week>
and buffer KH and Ca as needed based on regular testing. We are a mixed reef with a peaceful collection of inhabitants with about 150lbs of live rock and a deep sand bed. We run 2 T5HO lights for 12.5hours a day and 2
150W MH for 6.5 hours a day. The fuge light runs opposite the T5HO light cycle. We control and help with monitoring everything via a Neptune Apex controller. For water flow, we have 2 6045 power heads and a Nano wave box.
Our water parameters are generally -
KH - 12
Ca - 415
<[Mg]?>
Ph - 8.2
NO3 - <10
<[HPO4]?>
temp 77-78.5
salinity 1.025
We have had fairly good success with the items we add to our tank - hopefully, partially due to the research and planning before we add anything or make changes. We also have the support of an incredible local fish store (too convenient at times...).
<Good>
That said, we had researched and decided to add a purple LTA to our system.
We waited a while until confirming a healthy specimen from a source we trusted. It was transported in person to an event where we were able to pick it up.
After getting it home, knowing it had been in a shipping package for a while, we immediately acclimated it - drip acclimation for approximately 1 hour, being cautious of the water temp of the container it was in. As it turned out, it was initially upside down in the acclimation bucket (it's how it initially came out of the bag with the water when transferring to the bucket) - so we got a good opportunity to examine its foot for any damage. Coloring was a nice bright red with no noticeable damage. There were a few lighter lines on the side of its foot that reminded me of stretch marks - but no torn tissue.
<Good>
The rock scape in our 120 is arranged in 2 islands, one larger than the other - so the tank is open in the center. With the wave box, we have a single center overflow box along the back and the sand bed is a little lower just in front of the overflow box. We had placed the LTA in that area, expecting it would like the protection of the base rock further to either side (there is at least 12" between them), light motion of the wave box water movement, and the direct lighting from the lighting above. We had arranged two smaller pieces of rock in that area initially - to provide some protection while it settled and ideally, buried its foot in the sand in front of the overflow box.
yes, I know that ideally
<?>
and LTAs don't mix.. :) But we wanted to start out with what we thought would work well for it and go from there.
As it turned out, it seemed very content there. We noticed some movement of the smaller rocks - we assumed from the shift in sand as it buried its foot. Our skunk clowns took to it immediately, and we were pretty sure it had eaten for us.
About 6 days later, it's disc seem over inflated and a bit transparent from the top surface. It hadn't moved, and its tentacles were still inflated with the same coloring - but the over inflated disc concerned us a bit.
It's mouth was neither open or inflated.
When we fed that night, the clowns pulled everything from it and pushed it aside (Mysis and squid). Of course, nearby fish were happy - but we weren't.
Then yesterday (8 days after being added to our tank) - we happen to see our clown actually push it on its side. Well - that told us it had decided not to plant its foot - which was okay - as it would move until it was happy. BUT, when we saw the bottom of the foot, we saw something that alarmed us - a small 1" long narrow section that looked like it was covered in a white stringy, ruffed substance. It reminded me of what you see when mushrooms get stressed - but in a longer strip, rather than out of a single mushroom mouth.
<Is part of the inside of the Anemone itself>
Since we knew it wasn't planted, we very gently scooped it up with some tank water into a separate container for a closer look. Other than the mark now discovered on the foot - we weren't seeing anything to indicate an issue - tentacles were active and inflated, mouth closed, etc.
We opted to keep the LTA in a plastic container to contain it in the tank for observation (plastic storage container with holes in it and rubber bands put around it to form criss cross over the top to prevent the LTA from floating out). Over a 12 hour period, the area we first observed on the foot grew to 1" square, and tentacles deflated. 12 hours after that, the entire bottom of the foot was affected, and it had regurgitated substances out of it's mouth - including undigested food pellets (that we feed) and what looked like mouse droppings. In addition, when bummed, the affected area on its foot appeared to start to fall apart.
Sadly, at this point, we removed it entirely from the tank.
<A wise move>
I would like to think we had a healthy specimen to start with, <Mmm, not hard to determine; hence the call for initial quarantine, mixing of waters/ back and forth over a few weeks time to chemically acclimate...>
and I'd like to think that we planned and prepared as best we could. But something, or a combination of things let to the demise of this animal - and I'd like some insight as to what.
<Well... importantly, it should be stated (and is repeatedly in my writings, presentations) that all Anemones are not easily kept... and Macrodactyla, Stichodactyla species in particular, don't have a good survival history.>
We've found plenty of articles and photos, including on this site, regarding how the tentacles, mouth, eating, and moving are indicators for the health and happiness of these animals - but, we haven't found reference to signs first showing up on the foot that then leads to its demise. Can you shed some insight?
<Again, it's very difficult to discern initial damage... the removal, holding, shipping of Actinarians from the wild is likely the largest cause/source of trouble...>
Attached are pics of the foot observed on day 8 and on day 9 since receiving. Also one of the pics of the stuff it regurgitated. I've re-sized - but you need larger pics, just let me know.
Thanks much!
<IF you must try another Anemone, I suggest (as stated in articles and FAQs archived on WWM) that you choose (if possible a cloned) Entacmaea or Heteractis crispa specimen. Bob Fenner>