WhiteRat Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 Okay, some of you may've seen my aforementioned rant about my condy that I got as a freebie in a mail-order shipment of live rock. I didn't ask for it, I didn't want it, but I'm the kind of wimp who'll buy a tiny tank for an extracted mantis shrimp instead of killing it. True to minireef doctrine, I put all my rock together with nice flowspace of caves and stuff in, around, and behind it. The )(*@#$#@@# Condylactis anemone keeps getting a burr up its orifice and crawling off the rocks and settling BEHIND everything where it's invisible and unreachable without disassembling the reef. Now, I don't mind the little )(*#@$# wanting its privacy, but I've heard too much about the fragility of anemones and if it dies I want to make sure I can scoop the little jellybag the hell out of there quickly. One of my LFS actually suggested staking it to a rock with a toothpick because 'they're too primitive to be hurt by that'. This sounds pretty thin to me. Anyone have any better ideas? Ratty Ratty's Reef Link to comment
hhasty79 Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 Don't stake it... make sure there's a place in front where it can completely hide its foot, but expand to reach the light. And make sure this area has good water flow...he's probably found such a place in the back of the tank. I suspect staking it would not only hurt it, but might not work at all. If I were an anemone, I'd think something was trying to eat me, and pull loose ;-). -h Link to comment
tinyreef Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 DO NOT STAKE IT! what moron lfs told you to do that?! i'm sorry but that's one of the dumbest statements i've heard from a lfs! ??? the condy or most anemones are going to crawl no matter what. if they like a spot, they'll squat. if not, they'll move. it could also just be getting used to the system (water flow patterns, light intensity, tankmates, etc.). as long as it expands regularly it's fine. if it stays shrunken regardless of the photoperiod and for days then it's (obviously) not doing well. but there's very little you can do directly to it. you just have to work on the tank's parameters according to the animal. i.e. cold water anemone~lower temp, carnivorous~small foods (presoaked), good water, etc. anemones are PITA's and each individual is slightly different (many species imo) to its prefs. some prefer high light others shade with flow. depends. Link to comment
WhiteRat Posted January 19, 2003 Author Share Posted January 19, 2003 ...On actually staking it, though I guess I didn't make that entirely clear. It was more an example of 'yet another lame-*ss LFS suggestion'. If it starts sucking the blood of other anemones and raising dead mantis shrimps then I might consider it... The funky thing is that the places it has been previously all qualify as stated, access to both light and shadow, good ability to shield its foot (I have VERY porous rock with lots of caves) whereas where it has ended up now is dead night shadow even with the halide on. It spent almost two weeks in one of these sheltered-but-well-lit-and-currenty spots, and then I dumped some Hawai'ian ministars in and the damn current swept them straight into the condy's tentacles. Given that I'd paid good money for those, I tapped the condy 'til it let go of them. Unfortunately, it let go of the rock at the same time and ever since it hasn't settled, even when I stuck it back in the same place. I'm just really frustrated because, while I didn't want it to begin with, I admit it is colorful and neat, so I do like having it visible and I don't want it to die and make a mess of the tank. And it keeps ending up in places I have to tear apart half my )(*@#$#@ reef to get to. Like, moving four or five large rocks. =P Very frustrating. Ratty Ratty's Reef Link to comment
hhasty79 Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 If there's no light back there, just wait a few days. It will probably wander out on its own once it's done sulking at being abused ;-). Link to comment
J-Bass Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 Hmmm.... ok Zerg Queen, you pretend you're an anemone and I'll stake you... err nevermind. Link to comment
The Unit Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 just let the anemone move..i have had many in the past and i have a large on in my 15 high now....they will never find the perfect spot...although mine hasnt moves in about a week...if u keep it fed and let it find the most light it will be fine and thrive...ill post a pic of my tank latter today in the members section as i have a new colt, and just want to show it off.....gl with the condy they are deff overlooked when i come to corals... Link to comment
hhasty79 Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 *waves tentacles in the air, anemonae-like* Link to comment
WhiteRat Posted January 21, 2003 Author Share Posted January 21, 2003 High up on the right side under a powerhead. It's all fluffy and stuff. Joy. Okay, how many zerglings can you keep in a 5g? Ratty Ratty's Reef Link to comment
tinyreef Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Beware the powerhead! my condy lived very nicely under my prizm intake (about 95% throttled, i.e. low-flow) for about 8 months. then one day , my condy got an instant crew cut. X) nursed it back to health but it was too weak to make the subsequent two moves i put it under. (satch's mutant xenia made it tho) use a sponge pre-filter if possible for the PH. hth Link to comment
WhiteRat Posted January 22, 2003 Author Share Posted January 22, 2003 No problem there. I use Powersweeps which require monthly cleaning and that's assuming you leave the sponge filter on. I assume most of the people who whine about Powersweeps take the filter off or skip the monthly cleaning (a good idea for any brand of powerhead) (No, cleaning it is a good idea, not skipping!) Ratty Ratty's Reef Link to comment
leesnuts Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Question...How do I extract a condy when it buried itself in a rock crevice? Mine is in a undesirable spot and I want to move it but the thing just does not want to move with out some damage. What to do. Link to comment
hhasty79 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Aim a powerhead in such a way to make it uncomfortable. Like blowing directly at its foot, or at least into the crevice at an angle likely to get under the foot. They hate that. Link to comment
leesnuts Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I tried to pull it out already. I think I hurt the guy last night already cause he is all shriveled up. I gotta make sure he is ok first then I'll try the PH. Thanks, Lee Link to comment
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