HELP! LTA saga continues...is this bad?

930Reef · 04/08/2018, 08:34 PM

I've had an LTA for a month that has never properly attached to anything in the tank, despite looking healthier by the day. It's always been big, open, very full of zooxanthellae, and sticky, but only ever put its foot on the surface of the sandbed. I've tried everything to get it to attach, including digging, piling sand, using pvc ring to give access to bottom glass, rocks, etc. Never attached but looked healthy. At night it always tips on its side and deflates a bit. Tank params have always been fine, and my lights are leds designed for reefing.

Today it was open, big and bright. I just got home and it was very deflated, on its side, and with some weird white stuff on the center of its foot. I thought at first it was aragonite sand stuck to the foot, but now I'm not so sure.

Is this anything anyone's seen before in the pic below? Splitting? I thought these didn't really split. Advice would be much appreciated. I've turned the lights on to see if it responds. Not inflating as it normally does with light. I should add that as of yesterday, and earlier today, this was not there. I haven't disturbed it since, so I'm now sure how it could be a tear? I was thinking maybe it was something else.

Thanks.

930Reef · 04/08/2018, 08:52 PM

White stringy stuff also now coming off of foot.

Going to move it to a separate bucket with tank water, a heater and a very small powerhead to provide some gas exchange.

Anxious to hear if anyone has thoughts.

aznflyfisherman · 04/08/2018, 09:04 PM

Maybe its just the sticky mucus stuff? I was in the same situation with two of my LTAs, i made a cove area n now they are not moving anymore, crossing my fingers they wont move.

930Reef · 04/08/2018, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznflyfisherman

Maybe its just the sticky mucus stuff? I was in the same situation with two of my LTAs, i made a cove area n now they are not moving anymore, crossing my fingers they wont move.

What sticky mucous stuff would that be? Sorry, first anemone.

Also, it's not responding to touch at all.

aznflyfisherman · 04/08/2018, 09:18 PM

They tend to leave like the sticky mucus from the skin or protected slime , you could call it? Heres a pic of the cove i made.

930Reef · 04/08/2018, 09:30 PM

I just tested water params again. Alkalinity is around 9-10. Normally in the mid-hi 8s. This is the only change. I added a small favia frag yesterday, too, but they are nowhere near one another in the tank.

930Reef · 04/08/2018, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznflyfisherman

They tend to leave like the sticky mucus from the skin or protected slime , you could call it? Heres a pic of the cove i made.

I used your cove advice from another thread you posted on, and the nem moved right out of it overnight yesterday. Yours looks really great, though!

aznflyfisherman · 04/08/2018, 09:50 PM

How about you flow, i had to turn it down until it was happy n it achored itself.

pfan151 · 04/09/2018, 01:09 AM

It’s a tear in the foot. I’ve never had an LTA recover from a tear.

930Reef · 04/09/2018, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfan151

It’s a tear in the foot. I’ve never had an LTA recover from a tear.

That was my fear. I wonder how it tore. Nobody touched it. Bummer.

930Reef · 04/09/2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfan151

It’s a tear in the foot. I’ve never had an LTA recover from a tear.

Mouth turned inside out and it was dead today. Flushed it. Just frustrating because I have no idea how its foot tore. Only thing I can think is I moved a rock a couple weeks ago and it was partially attached to it (I didn't realize it was there) and it fell off. I wonder if that injured it, though the part that looked injured wasn't the part that was attached to the rock at the time that happened.

I just feel bad for the nem, is all, and that I couldn't help it. If I caused it by moving the rock, I definitely feel bad. Will be more careful if there's a next time, but I also think giving my tank more time to mature will be good, too.

Although, if the foot was torn at any point, that would make sense as to why it stopped attaching, no?

davocean · 04/09/2018, 04:16 PM

A torn foot will keep it from attaching, yes.

It could have been the rock, maybe.
I once had a malu that was bothered by huge 2 foot long bristle worms at it's foot, was baffled until I finally saw them one night.
I caught them next night and all was well again.
It's hard to always be able to pinpoint exactly what went wrong.

AJ69 · 04/09/2018, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznflyfisherman

They tend to leave like the sticky mucus from the skin or protected slime , you could call it? Heres a pic of the cove i made.

Awesome set up

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

04/08/2018, 08:52 PM	#2
930Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Chicago NW Suburbs Posts: 108	Update: White stringy stuff also now coming off of foot. Going to move it to a separate bucket with tank water, a heater and a very small powerhead to provide some gas exchange. Anxious to hear if anyone has thoughts.

04/09/2018, 04:16 PM	#12
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	A torn foot will keep it from attaching, yes. It could have been the rock, maybe. I once had a malu that was bothered by huge 2 foot long bristle worms at it's foot, was baffled until I finally saw them one night. I caught them next night and all was well again. It's hard to always be able to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

04/08/2018, 09:04 PM	#3
aznflyfisherman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 957	Maybe its just the sticky mucus stuff? I was in the same situation with two of my LTAs, i made a cove area n now they are not moving anymore, crossing my fingers they wont move.

04/08/2018, 09:18 PM	#5
aznflyfisherman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 957	They tend to leave like the sticky mucus from the skin or protected slime , you could call it? Heres a pic of the cove i made.

04/08/2018, 09:30 PM	#6
930Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Chicago NW Suburbs Posts: 108	I just tested water params again. Alkalinity is around 9-10. Normally in the mid-hi 8s. This is the only change. I added a small favia frag yesterday, too, but they are nowhere near one another in the tank.

04/08/2018, 09:50 PM	#8
aznflyfisherman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 957	How about you flow, i had to turn it down until it was happy n it achored itself.

04/09/2018, 01:09 AM	#9
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	It’s a tear in the foot. I’ve never had an LTA recover from a tear.