Loved (nearly) to Death

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RonS

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So... I bought a small-ish (4"-5") beautiful neon GBTA for my small-sh clowns. They are "designer" type, and so tank-raised, and clearly had never seen a nem. I put it in the tank, and it was doing beautifully. For about a month.

Then the male clown discovered it. And liked it. A few days later, so did the female.

I'm sure there have been 1000 similar posts... they beat the poor GBTA nearly to death. All of its tentacles are atrophied, many to the point of not being visible as such any more. It is lethargic. Its mouth is gaping open, though doesn't appear to be torn. It took food a couple days ago, I will try again tonight.

I have moved it to its own tank.

Any suggestions on what can be done to assist in its rehabilitation? Any chemicals/foods/etc. that can be added to help it recover?

Thank you!

--Ron
 
Time, regular feeding and routine maintenance will be key. Usually they hold up pretty well to clowns initially hosting, the clowns must have really been trying to rub in close. Is everything else in the tank doing ok?


D
 
RonS said:
So... I bought a small-ish (4"-5") beautiful neon GBTA for my small-sh clowns. They are "designer" type, and so tank-raised, and clearly had never seen a nem. I put it in the tank, and it was doing beautifully. For about a month.

Then the male clown discovered it. And liked it. A few days later, so did the female.

I'm sure there have been 1000 similar posts... they beat the poor GBTA nearly to death. All of its tentacles are atrophied, many to the point of not being visible as such any more. It is lethargic. Its mouth is gaping open, though doesn't appear to be torn. It took food a couple days ago, I will try again tonight.

I have moved it to its own tank.

Any suggestions on what can be done to assist in its rehabilitation? Any chemicals/foods/etc. that can be added to help it recover?

Thank you!

--Ron
Click to expand...
Hey Ron - I never heard of a clown beating up an anemone before, but like @bigd said, only time will heal it.

Any pics of it?
 
I used cipro flaxen for my rittori anemone and it did help. I wouldn’t worry too much about a BTA though, they’re usually pretty hardy even after some harsh treatment. My first and last maroon clown did the same thing and the GBTA was fine after I removed the pest.
 
Something similar happened to our green several years ago. We once had a GBTA that our designer clowns did a number on. They loved that thing to smithereens. But, What really did it in was the fact that we had a RBTA in the same system. The two anemones were apparently engaged in chemical warfare- which we did not realize at the time. Some anemones can get along perfectly, and some not so much. We also did not know that you should never buy a BTA unless it’s foot is holding on to something. The green one looked healthy, but unlike the rose one, the green was not attached to any rock or rubble when we picked it up. Eventually, with all the excessive clown love, the most likely damaged foot, and the chemical battle, the green withered away after a month. The Rose absorbed the Zooxanthellae and it now a super cool rainbow color. But lesson learned.
 
Hi all! Thank you for your responses and sorry for the long delay in answering. Been an “interesting “ couple of days...

Regarding the GBTA.... it was firmly attached at the LFS when I bought it. I brought it home and dropped it into a “nook” in the LR with plenty of flow and it stayed put. It ate well, expanded fully, and maintained its bubbles and green coloration for the month or so until my little hellions found it.

It wouldn’t come off the rock when I moved it to the QT, which sounds like a good sign. I’ve been keeping it in low light for the past two days (it seemed to shrivel when I had the Fluval’s modest light on). This morning it had moved a little on the rock.

I will try feeding it tonight. It finally looks like it has a tentacle or two intact.

I have attached a (bad) photo.

thank you again for the feedback. I’m feeling more confident that it will survive. I just need to figure out what to do with it next...

—Ron32AF90D3-7C78-4FBC-99BC-6590A02A154F.jpeg
 
I have a GBTA and it looked like yours when i first got it too. Then after a month or so it started doing what you said yours did but with out anything bothering it. At times it looks really pitiful but it just seems to be what it is. Ive never had mine grab onto any food even when i tried to spot feed it. It has never looked neon green ever since that first month. It hasnt even really grown either. All of my other Nems look amazing and eating well when I feed the tank.
 
ZapataInc said:
I have a GBTA and it looked like yours when i first got it too. Then after a month or so it started doing what you said yours did but with out anything bothering it. At times it looks really pitiful but it just seems to be what it is. Ive never had mine grab onto any food even when i tried to spot feed it. It has never looked neon green ever since that first month. It hasnt even really grown either. All of my other Nems look amazing and eating well when I feed the tank.
Click to expand...

Ouch. Well, now it's a mystery! I will say that it ate like a pig until the last week or so when the female started pounding it, too. If it does well in isolation then I'll "assume" it was too much clown love...
 
NanCrab said:
It really looked nice tucked into that rock. Now for the experts...how can Ron protect it from the same fate if he nurses it back to health and wants to reintroduce it back into his DT?
Click to expand...

Thank you, @NanCrab!!

I think I would either need a much larger nem, or a second one. Larger probably isn't going to work in my small-ish tank. I wouldn't mind a second, but only if it will stay put - and that's a BIG "if" with anemones.

But I am definitely open to other ideas/recommendations!!

Thanks again, all!

--Ron
 
Man if you weren't on the other side of the world I would offer to sell you a RBTA.

MVIMG_20200126_131821.jpg
 
ZapataInc said:
Man if you weren't on the other side of the world I would offer to sell you a RBTA.
Click to expand...

LOL - you're the one on the other side of the world!! ;) Seriously, though - thank you. Let's see how this GBTA survives. Even then, then one in the pic looks to be about the same size as the one they destroyed :oops:

@NanCrab you are always welcome to chime in on my threads/posts!!! : )


Thanks again,

--Ron
 
RonS said:
LOL - you're the one on the other side of the world!! ;) Seriously, though - thank you. Let's see how this GBTA survives. Even then, then one in the pic looks to be about the same size as the one they destroyed :oops:

@NanCrab you are always welcome to chime in on my threads/posts!!! : )


Thanks again,

--Ron
Click to expand...
Well the ones I have are used to having a clown host it. So they are used to being thrashed about.
 
i believe this is happening to my nem its been in tank for 2 weeks ever since the second day my tomato clown has hosted in it but now its gotten really small she never leaves that thing its still attached to the same spot just not nearly as big as it was when i first got it ill post pictures tomorrow
 
Question - do you run carbon? When I put my neon pink tube anemone in my tank my rose BTAs looked terrible after a day. Ran carbon and everyone is fine. Might work for you too once he bounces back.
 
I run carbon for 2-3 days at the beginning of each month, but not all the time. But other livestock seem to be reacting well to the water quality.

Great - I just looked over and the male has finally given up and is trying to host in my brand new frogspawn. What a little menace! :p
 
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