LTA wont stay

J

jeh2002

I've been looking around the internet all night but cant find my answer so i'll post it here and i know you guys will help me out once again....

I got an LTA today at Franks Tanks but it wont attach itself to my rockwork or anywhere i put it. I have turned off all my pumps except my return that way it will stop floating round and not get sucked into my pump. The LTA as great color and the foot looks healthy as well... What gives?????
 
Try to put the foot down into a crevice between rocks. Don't pinch it in, but just give it the opportunity to attach down into a crevice...

It's been a while since I kept a LTA, but I seem to recall they highly prefer a hole or crevice they can snuggle up into...
 
ok i tried to but it in a hole in the rock work but i get the same result... He just floats away...... I noticed on his foot today there is a cut. It is white with a clear bubble over it. Is he dying?
 
If he actually won't attach, that's usually not a good sign...

Not beyond hope by any means, but not a good sign...

IMHO keep a VERY close eye on him to make sure he doesn't to deteroriate, if he does, yank him out before he pollutes the tank...

Other than that, just giving him every opportunity to attach is what I'd do, disturbing him as LITTLE as possible...

Good luck! Lemme know how it goes...
 
Hi Joshua, I had one and it loved the sand. I read that they prefer the sand, not rocks nor crushed coral. Hopefully you have a deep fine sandbed or can make a mound in a corner for him to bury his foot in. I put mine against the glass and sand in the corner and he buried his foot slowly over a few days.
Putting them on the bottom of a tank with PC lights may not work. If your tank is tall he may not get enough light. I think that's why they say LTA's need metal halides since they live on the bottom. Mine seemed happy in a 29 gallon with PC lights, but then again I did lose him. I think he was poisoned by a snail that fell in his mouth because he died 5 days after the incident. He seemed fine for the previous 3 months.
When they die, they look like they are melting and their insides open out, they don't release toxins or anything, so even if it looks bad with shriveled tentacles and a lumpy bubbly foot give him time to heal.
Good luck. Let me know if there's anything else, and I'll try to help.
 
I have it on the bottom but it just dosent burry itself. Should I put it agaisnt the glass and sand and burry the foot a little? When i put him on his foot he always go to his side..... When is was at the store he was floating was that a bad sign? Please advise.....
 
I put mine against the glass along the bottom of the tank and he stuck to the glass; it was laying it's tentacles on the sand, but that's ok. I left it alone and it expanded it's tentacles the next day. Mine didn't bury it's foot the first day either, it took a few days. The foot would expand and then contract as it pushed the sand away from the glass.

I'm not aware that floating is a bad sign, it just means he's looking for a better spot, not that it's dying.
I've heard a few people mention that anemones can trap air in their bodies if left out of the water too long, it's not something I tested, but I'm don't think it is enough to kill them, I would think the anemone could expel the air by contracting it's body.
I hope all goes well. Do you have any clowns bothering the anemone? You may try keeping them away for awhile, til it settles in.
 
Try to stop handling it for now, and let it figure out where it wants to be.
 
Joshua
FWIW
How are you water parameters? My RBTA didn't seem to like alk on the low site. It kept moving around until I got it back on track. They've been happy ever since.
 
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