? on RFA

[sadie]

All but 2 of my RFA have attached themselves, the other 2 are just floating around the tank.  One of them will attach for 1/2 a day or so then I find him rolling around.

 

I just want to make sure that it is not harmful for them to just be floating around.  They are the smallest ones and I'm not sure if that matters.

 

Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[ChristopherDido]

Someone else may offer better guidance and better news for you. But in the times I've had RFAs, if one ever went just rolling around/floating, it was not long for this planet.  I think in the past, when I had one for a while that did that it was either an unseen pest in the tank, or parameters got messed up for whatever reason. If it was a new one and would not attach it was usually the foot was damaged when the LFS got it out of tank. When they move they usually stay attached to glass or rockwork.

Sorry I don't have better observations for you.

[Clown79]

I'd put them in a basket in the tank and check them out to ensure there is no damage to the feet.

 

If they are tiny, you can keep them in there until they grow a bit and then try to place them in the tank.

 

 

[Tired]

Yeah, that's a really bad sign. Where did you get them? 

 

Contain them in something so they aren't getting blown around, and make sure they have something solid (a shell, a small bit of rubble) to cling onto and hide under. 

[sadie]

Their feet are not damaged, they look good and all of them were stuck to something at one time or another.  It's just the 2 smallest keep coming off.  I don't have a basket or anything like that. I will have to find something, maybe a small container I can drill holes in or something. 

 

Thanks for the help.

[sadie]

I went to go find them and they were gone. I finally found them both.  One looks okay, but the other I had to pry from my crab.  😟  Not sure that one is still alive.  How do I know if it's dead?

 

I used some wooden scures to place in front of them and kinda wedged them so their feet touched the rock.  I did this for another one and it worked, so I'm hoping it works.  Here is a picture of them.

The first one is the one I think is okay, the second is the one I'm not sure of, I can't see it's mouth.

 

 

 

[Kellie in CA]

In my experience, when they are dying they won't attach then they kind of turn inside out from their mouth.  If that second picture is the front of the anemone, I think it's a goner.  Sorry. 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

You can put them in a shot glass (or am I the only one that drinks enough to have plenty of shot glasses?!). I also keep pvc caps for them, which they seem to love. It also makes easy removal if they melt. 

[Tired]

The first one looks not great but may have a shot, the second one is dying or dead. Which would be why your crab had it. 

[sadie]

27 minutes ago, Tired said:

The first one looks not great but may have a shot, the second one is dying or dead. Which would be why your crab had it. 

yea, once I saw my crab with it, I was pretty sure that was bad.  I will give it till tomorrow and see what happens.  

[Ratvan]

My LFS kept the smaller ones in Ceramic Bio Media Rings to try and give them a good headstart (and avoid the foot damage issues)

[sadie]

It died.  ☹️  I took it out last night.  I can't find the other one, but it's probably gone too.

 

Thanks for the help.  I think I will stick with the larger ones from now on.