Ritteri anemone won't attach

[leahfiish]

I've had this ritteri for a little over 3 weeks now. I placed it on a high light, high flow, flat rock, as I have read that they prefer. When I first introduced it I turned the flow off and it quickly attached to the rock. I turned the flow back on about 30 minutes later and it looked great! It stayed in place for the next 2 weeks and showed no signs of deflating and looked perfectly happy and healthy. Last week I noticed he started to detach a little and eventually released and ended up on the sand. I tried putting him back on the rock but he doesn't seem to want to attach to it. I also tried putting him on a frag tile on the rock and thay didn't seem to make a difference. He will only partially attach a small part of his foot. I tried putting him in a basket for a few days on the tile, so he could be in low flow and had the same result. He isn't walking anywhere but he is not attaching either. What is going on here? Has anyone had this happen?

First picture is now, second is from a few weeks ago.

 

[reef lover]

Is inflating and deflating often? Expelling anything?

 

[leahfiish]

No it has been fully inflated, not expelling anything.

 

[D-Nak]

DO you see any damage to the foot? Do you see any mesenterial filaments?

 

[mta_morrow]

Perhaps @Eagle_Steve can offer some help?

 

[leahfiish]

No foot damage, no mesenterial filaments. I did have some temperature fluctuations in the last week due to a bad heater but I fixed it on Friday and it's been stable since then.

 

[reef lover]

Did he start detaching when the temps messed up?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Darker mags are not as tolerant with swings as the lighter color ones from my experience. They are also more temperamental. I have had one that looks exactly likes yours for about 3 weeks now and it has moved too many times to count in a super stable tank lol. Yet the 14” lighter color one stays put as high as it can get on the rocks. Although the temp more than likely ticked it off. Try moving the tile and Nem to a shaded area next to a rock. This will give it time to readjust and once it does it will climb back up.
Also if you have a power head it needs to be left on, but needs a guard of some sort. Mags are dependent on flow and need to settle where they like the light and flow. A simple guard can be made with some small zip ties and cross stitch mesh available at any big box store in the sewing section.

 

[leahfiish]

I think the temp swings are probably what started it, but it has been stable since Friday now so I am hoping he is more comfortable soon. I do have him in a basket sitting on a coral tile, it's definitely a lot lower flow and light from where he was originally. I figure when he is ready he will try to walk out and then I'll put him back on the rock. I also have my powerhead covered.
Here are pictures from yesterday when I checked on him but I'm going to leave him alone for a few days so I don't disturb him any more. His mouth looked a little weird yesterday but looks normal right now.

 

[leahfiish]

Today he totally detached from the tile and floated out of the basket. He landed on the substrate and he keeps flipping upside down now. What should I do? Is it safe for him to be upside down, will he right himself on his own? Every time I flip him he flips back. Should I move the basket to more light or more flow? Eventually the current will pull him back out of the basket but I can move it so that it's at the surface of that's better.

 

[reef lover]

@OrionN

 

[OrionN]

He seem well enough in these pictures. Do you have QT tank?
What he need is to get good care and wait for him to recover. Sometime heat can damage Magnifica (or other anemones) internally. They just need time to recover, (or not.) There is not a lot you can do other than good care and hope for the best.
If you can set up a QT with GOOD ENVIRONMENT for him, do that and let him recover. These make shift QTs with poor condition will not do. If you cannot do that, get a basket and keep him from floating around. Put him in a basket with the tile and hope for the best. You can also use a basket and but it on him to keep him from floating. He will eventually attach then you can remove the basket.
What is your tank normal temperature and how hot did it get, and how long before you stabilized it?

 

[leahfiish]

It got to 82, I'm not sure how long but less than 24hours, then it fluctuated from 76-78 for 2 days before I could get a heater. But since last Friday the temperature has been stable at 77.5. I put him back in the basket last night and I have it near the surface so he can't float out. He is still upright today but I don't think he's attached, although it's hard to see his foot.

I do have a 10g I can set up with some live rock, a light, and an airstone, but it's only a 10g and I think the tank it's in now would be much more stable. I mostly just have the tank in case I needed to cipro.

 

[AD87]

I would put him in a basket attach the basket on the side of the tank so he can't float out. Give him decent flow and let him be, don't feed.

 

[OrionN]

How is he doing?

 

[leahfiish]

No change, he is upright most of the time and occasionally flips over throughout the day. Sometimes a small part of his foot is attached to the tile, sometimes not.

 

[leahfiish]

I've been mostly leaving him alone but I wanted to check on him today:

 

[leahfiish]

I am still not seeing any improvement. Sometimes it kind of curls up like this. Like it's folding in half? I feel like it should be getting better by now but it is not attaching to the tiles or basket at all. Maybe I should try a small rock? More flow? More light? Any ideas?

 

[reef lover]

i would try a small rock maybe hes not fond of smooth surfaces.

 

[leahfiish]

I put a rock in the basket and it's make no difference. I think it's going downhill, it seems weaker and smaller. I am probably going to try a cipro treatment. Since it's such a small anemone I am hoping I can use a 5 gallon bucket instead of a 10g tank. I already have all supplies just need to make some water.

Does anyone know how alk fluctuations will affect this species? I have lots of extra red Sea coral pro salt that I can use but it has a higher alk than what it is used to.