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LTA question


KimmyB75

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So I found out the set up I purchased was just shy of 2 yrs old which is pretty good. I was at my LFS and stumbled across a Long Tentacle Nem. He was super healthy and absolutely gorgeous not to mention really inexpensive. I have very little color or anything to the setup yet so I got "Mr. Bubbles" I wanted to make sure that my tank was not to small for him so I asked and was told that he was about as big as he will ever get. He seems really happy and healthy so far in the 2 days he has been here. My Frostbite clown has yet to discover him which may take time if ever. He has been hiding in a little tunnel of rock that I had made but he does fully extend out from under it to grab at any floating food or for the light. I was told he would be just fine with my lighting since they are rated for Corals. I guess my main question is, will he get any bigger than he is now? Fully extended he is bout 4/5 inches in diameter. I want to make sure he has a happy life and not just surviving. I have been toying with upgrading to a 40g tank from my current 29g. My other question is, will he sting corals? I do want to start adding corals at some point. I was told he would be fine with them. Some sites say he would get really big and some say they stay smaller, so I have no clue. I do not know exactly what kind of LTA he is. I can tell you that he has purplish/pink tips. I did watch him eat so I got him just in time. The Condy that was in another tank was so healthy and today's visit, it wasn't looking so well. They both had just came in the day I took mine home. I hope for the sake of the other little nem, it is just not happy with the new environment. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

As for size, they can grow up to 16 inches, sometimes bigger. I have one in my 29 gallon, and he takes up an entire corner of the tank. He can sting corals, but mine has never. You have to have a deep sand bed for one. How deep is your sand bed? They like to burrow their foot into the sand. As long as your sand bed is deep enough, they generally stay put. Also, make sure you have some kinda cover on your wave makers or pumps. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

What kinda lightning do you have? Some lfs give information that is not accurate just bc they want you to buy their product, which is a great example of my lfs.

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

Here are some pictures of mine. Some of the pictures are old, and he may look bleached in a few pictures, but that was bc I bought him from my lfs that had him under lighting that was not good enough for him. 

38DFFA70-ACF0-4936-9679-FC689B019533.jpeg

7D987686-087D-464B-9A1E-788C6D70A619.jpeg

A3326625-C201-4D06-8D2A-CBEA31323CD6.jpeg

54651D94-D312-45F1-A4C9-13644F1B7642.jpeg

That my friend looks like a condy

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

I have only ever seen condys with purple tips

Is there anyway to move the rock on top of him? So you could get some better pictures?

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My HOB creates so much current that when I tried to add my powerhead today with a bit of modification to the grill so I don't end up with Nem Sushi, everything including the nem freaked out. No one liked the current that strong at all. Not even my Star Polyp. The sand bed is about to be deeper soon as soon as the dry dead sand come in. Right now it is about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. He has a short fat foot lol

 

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7 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

I have only ever seen condys with purple tips

Is there anyway to move the rock on top of him? So you could get some better pictures?

This isn't a Condy. I wish I could have rescued him too 😞 but only room enough for 1 unless I upgrade. I can get better pics i the morning. The lights have been off for several hours now and I hate to disturb everyone for pics lol. Mine's tips are sort of purple but sort of look lighter like a pink.

Edited by KimmyB75
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11 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

What kinda lightning do you have? Some lfs give information that is not accurate just bc they want you to buy their product, which is a great example of my lfs.

Exactly why I refuse to return to one of the LFS I use to love. They are not the same since going under new ownership.

 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
Just now, KimmyB75 said:

My Nem looks exactly like yours. The tip color is light and hard to get a good picture of.

Hmm, well mines more of a dull white, on its good days, it’s turns a light blue

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Hmmm maybe there are different colors of the same species? I know mine is identical to yours but the tips are like a very light purple almost pink. I noticed his foot was short and full without damage and haven't seen it extend any longer. The foot was about 1/4 the length of the Condy I was looking at that had a redish foot.  It sort of looked like a white balloon lol. I am hoping to start on the sand bed this week. Since mine is over a yr old, I plan to keep it and just add dry to it. They had live sand in stock, but I can't use that or it will crash the whole system into a new full on cycle. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
7 minutes ago, KimmyB75 said:

Hmmm maybe there are different colors of the same species? I know mine is identical to yours but the tips are like a very light purple almost pink. I noticed his foot was short and full without damage and haven't seen it extend any longer. The foot was about 1/4 the length of the Condy I was looking at that had a redish foot.  It sort of looked like a white balloon lol. I am hoping to start on the sand bed this week. Since mine is over a yr old, I plan to keep it and just add dry to it. They had live sand in stock, but I can't use that or it will crash the whole system into a new full on cycle. 

It looks to me like it’s bleached. What kinda lightning did your lfs have it under?

The Current marineland is not the most appropriate light for a nem, but I think it should be fine, not certain tho. I’ve never had one

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
9 minutes ago, KimmyB75 said:

Hmmm maybe there are different colors of the same species? I know mine is identical to yours but the tips are like a very light purple almost pink. I noticed his foot was short and full without damage and haven't seen it extend any longer. The foot was about 1/4 the length of the Condy I was looking at that had a redish foot.  It sort of looked like a white balloon lol. I am hoping to start on the sand bed this week. Since mine is over a yr old, I plan to keep it and just add dry to it. They had live sand in stock, but I can't use that or it will crash the whole system into a new full on cycle. 

Adding live sand won’t start another cycle. I’ve added live sand and everything was fine. Who told you that?

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I was reading a journal blog of someone who was doing it and they ended up loosing almost everything in the system due to it sending the tank into a whole new cycle. I am still reading on which way would be better so the jury is still out. I was just thinking on the lines of playing it safe since I do not have anywhere to quickly move any livestock in the event of a crash. 

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8 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

It looks to me like it’s bleached. What kinda lightning did your lfs have it under?

The Current marineland is not the most appropriate light for a nem, but I think it should be fine, not certain tho. I’ve never had one

In these pics he looks bleached, but he actually has really good color to him. I will have to get a better pic by lifting the rock he is under. I am doing a water change tomorrow so it would be a good opportunity to get good pics. The lights in the store I am not sure of but they said he has just came in earlier that day. I know for fact he wasn't there the day before because I was there lol. I had to go back to make a return.

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
6 minutes ago, KimmyB75 said:

I was reading a journal blog of someone who was doing it and they ended up loosing almost everything in the system due to it sending the tank into a whole new cycle. I am still reading on which way would be better so the jury is still out. I was just thinking on the lines of playing it safe since I do not have anywhere to quickly move any livestock in the event of a crash. 

Oh, well it’s never done it to me. I’ve never  even heard of that

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Mmm ok! I may give it a go when I do the water change tomorrow! How deep would be ok to do in a 29? I have been doing some reading on old tank syndrome with DSB. Don't know if that is a thing of the past now, or if thee is ways to keep it from happening.

 

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3 hours ago, KimmyB75 said:

Mmm ok! I may give it a go when I do the water change tomorrow! How deep would be ok to do in a 29? I have been doing some reading on old tank syndrome with DSB. Don't know if that is a thing of the past now, or if thee is ways to keep it from happening.

 

Do lots of research on DSB's and their care, it's quite different from a short to normal sand bed.

 

From reading LTA need moderate lighting, you should be okay.

 

Live sand or dry sand, both should be washed before added to a tank. 

If you have an established tank, its advised to wash any new sand being added to a tank. 

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Thank you all! I will be adding more pictures of the tank. Another member gave me a website to do some ordering from! Heaven help me cause now I am a happy camper! They have the Zoa I want for $4 for a single. The LFS that I refuse to return to wanted $99 for a single of the same one!

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