up side down?

Question
Hi, ok I have had my tank set up for only about a week and we used live gravel, live water, and live rock to set it up as fast as possible which seems to have worked as we not have a few fish and 2 anemone the question I have is that for a couple of days every thing was fine with my anemone but now it is up side down I flipped it back over once but it put it self back upside down on mu live rock. Is that normal how do I fix it? It is a sebae anemone that is approx. 7-8 in. in diameter (very large)

Answer
Hi Kristy. No, it is not normal for any anemone to put itself upside down. I suspect that it is not happy with where it is and is attempting to move. You have to let it be to find a place to settle in all its own. Moving an anemone can be very stressful for it and if it feels threatened in any way it will change location. The more times it feels it needs to change locations the more unhealthy it will become. It is very common for an anemone to not stay where you put it and don't be surprised if it ends up moving itself to a place where you may not be able to see it very well. Keep a close eye on your water quality as well. These anemones do not tolerate fluctuations in water parameters and will not do well in an unstable tank. I know you said you used all live sand, water and gravel, however there is no quick fix when cycling your tank and you may still go through an ammonia spike at some point. Anemones should not be added to a tank that has been set up for less than three months. Although your tank may have cycled in a week there is a big difference between a cycled tank and a stabilized tank. There is no way to instantly stabilize your tank and with any saltwater tank patience is the key. Sebae anemones are not very hardy, don't acclimate easily, and they can pose to be a problem even in a stable, established tank let alone a newly set up one. They require high light levels and a moderate current as well as water of the utmost quality. They need lots of porous rock as well as a sandy substrate where they can bury their foot. I would be curious to find out what other anemone you have in your tank. Sebae anemones do not do well with other anemones and unless in a very large tank will often undergo a sort of chemical warfare with an anemone of a different species where toxins are released through the water. Depending on what the other anemone is and who has the more potent toxins one anemone won't do so well. Your best bet is to leave it be until it finds a place to settle in. If it roams continuously then there is something not right in your tank for this species. Weather it be lighting, water quality or the other anemone. Hopefully eventually it will find a spot it likes and settle down there. Remember these anemones are not very long lived in the aquarium and even the most advanced reef keepers may have difficulties with them.