Sad, anemone isn't going to make it

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Another suggestion

First, DO NOT cut the anemone with a knife...this would cause severe stress and you would lose the anemone for sure !

My last suggestion is to consult with Bob Fenner at www.wetwebmedia.com.
You can ask him questions and he is really good about getting back to you ASAP. You might also search his website to see if anyone else has had this experience and the recommended remedies if any.

Don't give up yet...my Magnifica which has been in captivity for 5 years exhibited odd behavior last year. The mouth enlarged to a point where I saw the bare rock under the anemone. Also, I observed deflated tentacles and some messentary expulsion. I thought it was curtains but I just maintained water quality and in a few weeks the anemone was back to normal! The antibacterial dip could work but moving the anemone could also stress it out enough to put it over the edge....I would just maintain good water quality and flow and let nature take its course.

Again, sorry you are having trouble and I really hope things turn around for you and your anemone. Goog Luck!

It is hard to tell in the pictures, but there is a definate difference between showing a little stomach tissue sometimes and having a lose mouth. I think the tightness of the mouth is a good indication of the health and it wasn't there in this one. Color and tenticle length are the other things to look for and it was good in those two areas.

 

[nunofs]

First, DO NOT cut the anemone with a knife...this would cause severe stress and you would lose the anemone for sure !

I only suggested that as a last resort... Cindy was considering removing the anemone, so it would be dead anyway, and cutting the dieing part might give it a chance (at least as much of a chance as removing it).

Nuno

 

[NateHanson]

Cindy, since water quality seems to be so critical for these guys, I wonder if getting your bigger skimmer running, or buying a larger skimmer, would be helpful for a future ritteri. The small Euro you have running is probably a little undersized for your 300 gallon system. Not to say it's not doing the job, and keeping the tank clean, but perhaps with such a delicate species it could be important to really polish the water more efficiently than the current skimmer can?

Nate

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Anemone

I disagree. Never do surgery on anemones, even as a last resort...they will surely die and the "surgery" could cause a meltdown and pollute your tank. Either remove it or leave it intact and try other remedies as discussed in the rest of this thread.

I only suggested that as a last resort... Cindy was considering removing the anemone, so it would be dead anyway, and cutting the dieing part might give it a chance (at least as much of a chance as removing it).

Nuno

 

[~Flighty~]

I would assume that the skimmer is doing fine because it isn't always taking stuff out of the water. It really only pulls stuff out soon after I feed or if I blow detrius off the rockwork. It is pulling stuff out, butI can go a week without emptiing the cup. amm,trates,trites, and phos have been undetectable. I do make tons of macro, so that could be taking up the nutrients.

Today it looks worse. I don't think a picture would show it, but people who've seen a sick anemone might understand. The skin is less substantial. It is still inflated , but there isn't as much substance to it. It looks like layers of tissue with water between them rather than a meaty base.

 

[NateHanson]

I'm sorry things aren't looking good Cindy. Hang in there.

As far as the skimmer, I don't think you can judge skimmer capacity by whether or not it is constantly skimming, or how fast the skimmer fills up. A smaller or less efficient skimmer just doesn't have the time and the volume to pull as much crap out of the water as a bigger or better skimmer.
I had a CPR bak pak on my previous tank, and it collected a small amount of skimmate and I figured my water must just be that clean, when I replaced it with a bigger better skimmer tons of brown crap came out of the water immediatly.
Your fuge is certainly polishing the water, but waste has to completely break down before your fuge will use it for growth, whereas a skimmer will take it out as whole proteins, organics, etc, before they have a chance to break down.

To be clear, I'm certainly not suggesting you've got "dirty water". Clearly your system is very happy and healthy - that's obvious to anyone who's seen it. I'm just trying to brainstorm any possible weak points that could be strengthened to help with keeping this challenging species. So please don't take this as a slight on your system.

Nate

 

[~Flighty~]

No, I need the help, I'm just giving feedback to your feedback
I think the autotopoff is the biggest thing I can do for improvement, but I don't think that there was enough salinity change to have caused this. We'll get that skimmer going soon and see how it works out.