Well...this sucks!

Oh MAN! After I was just boasting that I kept my anemone alive for a month, I think I might have killed it. I was gonna move a small rock in my tank, and didn't see the anemone's foot was half attached to that rock, and so I just grabbed it, and it tore the foot! Actually it pretty much tore the anemone in half!! :-[ Surprisingly, the anemone shrunk up for a bit but seems to be bouncing back, and "puffing up" again. I can't imagine, though, that it will last long. If I had a better camera I'd post a pic. But half the anemone's foot is still attached to the small rock, and the other half still to the other rock. So it seems like it's still sticky, and alive....I don't know. I'm trying to stay positive about this because I've heard of anemone's living through some pretty harsh things (getting cut in half from a power head, for instance). Maybe it was already splitting? And thats why it was so easy to rip? It really seemed like I was just moving the rock without any resistance. I doubt thats what was going on, but it's just an idea. The anemone has been in the back of the tank for the last week, and looked fine really, but thats why I couldn't tell its foot was on the small rock.....any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

 

JMO but I think it will be ok................. John

 

Brandon, i had a bta get sucked unto a power head and ended up spilting three time and all three survived. If your water levels are good i would just put the rock back let the split pieces stay in the shad and they should be ok. If they are bubbled up then they are fine. Keep trying to feed them both and sit back and wait.

Karma for going through a stress ful time.

 

Im gona agree with joe, Anemone are hardy buggers when it comes to phyical abuse...mine has gotten sucked into the ph a few times and it fine . Karma for ur anemone!

 

WHAT A RELIEF! Thanks guys! For the karma and the advise. I will definitely just let things sit and see what happens. I was gonna hold off feeding the anemone today, but maybe I will after all. It's only been a little more then an hour and the anemone is certainly doing fine. Like I said it's expanding again and seems to be doing ok. Time will tell but it's not shriveled up and wasting away, so I have high hopes! WHEW!!

 

If your water is excellent and you dont bother it, it should bounce back!

 

Brandon, I had the same thing happen, exact same, the split took about 8 days, maybe less, I could never really tell if it had split or not until they went to opposite sides of the tank, somedays it was circular, other times it was less than an inch wide and 10 inches long. Anyways, one went down hill fast and the other recovered quickly. The one that went down hill died and made a mess of the tank! The other one is doing great though, better than when we got it. I would leave them unless it keeps getting worst, then it is your call but I really wish I had pulled mine first, nothing else reacted poorly to it....except for me! I dosed with lugol's too, I don't know if that helped the healthy one or not.

 

Update

UPDATE: The anemone has moved a little, and is still looking like it normally did before "the accident," except its foot...well, now feet, :-/ are on 2 rocks again, and I could swear if I stuck my finger in its mouth (I WOULD NEVER DO IT), my finger would come right through the middle of its feet. Thats what it looks like anyways, but I'm not entirely sure. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but am in much higher spirits to see it's still bubbled up , even with the lights off, and not melting away....although it has only been about 8 hours. So I will be patient and let nature take its course.

 

Well, good luck! I know how it feels...i was a wreck when my little buddy got sucked into the power head

 

Hehe, thanks Bruce! You said yours made it through a power head, so I feel good about this. I have confirmed the finger-thru-mouth theory. I got a better look, shined the flashlight between the backside of its...feet...and there was the clownfish! So his foot tore right down the middle, and his mouth goes straight through. How, then, could he possibly eat? I don't think he can. Also, it would seem that his only option now would be to split completely after all. Unless he puts his feet back together and repairs them into one? Do they do that? Also, Cody said he dosed some iodine? Any thoughts on if I should add anything that might help? It seems right now the best thing would be to leave the poor thing alone, which is what I'm doing.