Anemone Acting Weird

[marisp127]

I have had this bubble tip anemone for over 1.5 years, and it has done excellent, showing lots of growth in that time. The last few days, though, it has been struggling, going through inflation and deflation cycles 2-3 times a day. The times that it is inflated, it isn't fully extended, though the tissue looks normal in color and texture. The mouth is not gaping and the foot is attached firmly to the rock. It was obviously pooping in the last week as well, but typically the deflation period is several hours when it is expelling waste, not over several days and not cycling back and forth. Typically this nem will be fully inflated for the entire daytime photoperiod (10 hours) and deflate at night. It has been hosting a clownfish pair for ~3 months now, and they have been living together peacefully. I do feed mysis twice a week and have been since I got it with no problems.

My parameters are stable, lights and flow are the same as they were a month ago when it was doing fine. I do have a mild aiptasia outbreak going on, and there is one small one growing near the nem, but I don't know if that might be the problem. Not sure what is going on and would appreciate any insight, I've really enjoyed this nem and it has grown extensively since I bought it, so it'd be a real shame if it ended up dying.

 

[Timfish]

Several guesses. First of all I'm sure it's grown since you got it so changes in behaviour shoule be expected. It might be getting ready to split if it hasn't in awhile, it might be reacting to a sudden change in weather, it might be reacting to changes in the clownfish's behaviour as they mature. It could be something else. I wouldn't change anything you're doing though.

 

[marisp127]

Several guesses. First of all I'm sure it's grown since you got it so changes in behaviour shoule be expected. It might be getting ready to split if it hasn't in awhile, it might be reacting to a sudden change in weather, it might be reacting to changes in the clownfish's behaviour as they mature. It could be something else. I wouldn't change anything you're doing though.

It has never split before so that very well could be it. Weather is a possibility as we had a sudden shift from mid-50s to highs of the upper-20s recently along with daylight savings last week. I will keep watching it and let you know if anything changes. Thank you for the help!

 

[marisp127]

Update: doing my water change today and noticed the very tip of a shell near the anemone’s foot. Pulled it out and a hermit crab had wedged itself in the rock next to the men’s foot, poking it with its shell! Hoping this was the cause of all its unhappiness

 

[Rick's Reviews]

just maintain your usual maintenance if your aquarium life is used to this, BTA in my understanding have there own minds, they shrink alot, the poop alot and this can sometimes take days- weeks, if everything else in your aquarium is acting fine then I would not worry,
A small water change would not hurt in my opinion