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FAQs on Anemone Health 8
Related Articles: Anemones, Bubble
Tip Anemones, LTAs, Cnidarians, Dyed
Anemones,
Related FAQs: Anemone Health
1, Anemone Health
2, Anemone Health 3, Anemone
Health 4, Anemone Health 5,
Anemone Health 6,
Anemone Health 7,
Anemone Health 9, &
By Genus, Species:
Condylactis Disease,
Sebae Disease,
LTA Disease,
Magnificent Anemone Disease,
BTA Disease,
Carpet
Anemone Disease, TWA
Anemone Disease,
Sebae Disease,
LTA Disease,
Magnificent Anemone Disease,
&
Cnidarian Disease,
Anemones,
Anemones 2,
LTAs, Caribbean Anemones,
Condylactis, Aiptasia Anemones,
Anemones and Clownfishes, Anemone
Reproduction,
Anemone
Identification, Anemone Compatibility,
Anemone Behavior,
Anemone
Selection, Anemone Placement,
Anemone
Feeding, Anemone Systems, Anemone Lighting,
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Anemone Fading Quickly, More
Information Needed - 11/20/07
<Hello Amber, Brenda here>
We are new to this fish tank thing and are getting by very well so far. We have
had the tank for maybe 5 or 6 months. The salt and nitrates are at a good level.
<I need actual numbers here.>
We have a 40gal tank, with live and dead rock. My boyfriend does water changes
every couple weeks with a vacuum thing. There are about 8 blue leg hermits, 2
larger hermits (don't know the name),
<This is too many for a 40 gallon tank. I am not a big fan of hermit crabs, but
if you must, no more than one per 10 gallons. Keep an eye on them, they are
known to kill small fish, snails, polyps, and pester anemones.>
2 Nassarius snails, a scooter blenny, the pink tip anemone,
<Your tank is a bit small for an anemone, and borderline in age. It is best to
have an established aquarium, 6 months to one year old. One year is best. Do you
have a sump? If so, how big? What species is the anemone?>
a sponge, and we just traded our 1 yellow tail damsel and 2 sapphire damsels in
for yellow fox face.
<A 40 gallon is much too small for a fox face.>
But any way back to the question. The anemone keeps shriveling up and going
inside of itself. Is that normal?
<No, it is stressed! It likely won’t last long unless you find and fix the
problem immediately. Anemones are difficult to keep. I don’t recommend keeping
them until you have a full understanding of their care.>
For a couple of days the sponge and the anemone were stuck to one another is
that ok?
<No, a sponge can be quite toxic.>
And it can't seem to find a place that it likes to be... It keeps hiding in the
rock sometimes where there really isn't too much light, is that bad for it? Any
solutions?
<I need more information. In addition to the above questions, I need your exact
water parameter, including salinity, temperature, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia,
calcium and alkalinity. I also need to know what lighting and skimmer you are
using. How much flow in the tank? I need to know the species of the anemone. Was
this anemone shipped? What lighting was it kept under previously? How long have
you had the anemone? What are you feeding it?>
Thanks,
Amber
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Exploding Anomone <Anemone>... An Out of
Body Experience for Our Readership... 7/22/07
HI.
<Hello, Mich here today.>
I am new to saltwater tanks. I have one set up for about three months now. It
contained two clowns, a dory,
<Cringe.>
two green fish with large red eyes
<WHAT???? I am not The Amazing Kreskin! You need to at the VERY LEAST learn the
common names of any living creatures in your tank!!!!>
and a yellow and black algae eater.
<Again, this is UNACCEPTABLE.>
I also had two anomones <anemones>.
<A huge mistake, in my opinion.>
One is small and brown with small tenticles <tentacles>. The other was a large
pink-bodied anomone <anemone> with many, many white tenticles <tentacles>. The
clown fished loved this one.
<And the mistakes multiply.>
This morning, I checked the tank as I do every morning before going to work.
<And hopefully you monitor tank parameters as well.>
Everything was fine.
<Vague.>
The clowns were basking in the anemone. When I got home, I found the water was
so cloudy that nothing could be seen, even the large rocks.
<Yikes!>
I changed out about 40% of the water, after reading about sick tanks.
<You should have done a larger change, and you should do a few more, quickly!>
I also cleaned the bio filter and changed the charcoal filter. When the water
was clearer, I found that the large anomone <anemone> was in thousands of
pieces.
<YUCK! To quote ScottF.: "An anemone bouillabaisse!">
The yellow and black algae eater was also dead.
<Not surprising.>
The dealer told me that the yellow fish had a dorsal fin that had poisonous
stingers at the tip. You could see them when the fish flexed the fin during
swimming.
<Without a common name, I have no idea what fish you are even referring to
here.>
My questions concern both fish.
<You should have many concerns my friend... You have a big problem on your
hands.>
From what I described, can you tell me why an anomone <anemone> would explode?
<The actual cause? I don't know. Were all you intakes covered? It could have
gotten caught in an overflow, sucked through a powerhead, perhaps this was some
kind of catastrophic allelopathic reaction... These animals can be quite fussy
and should never be kept by beginners. You mixed species in your tank... this is
a disaster to begin with.>
And why the algae eater would die so quickly?
<You're lucky anything survived! Anemones can be very toxic and can wipe out
entire systems. My friend, you have much work to do if you hope to stay in this
hobby for any length of time. You have a lot of learning ahead of you. Please, I
implore you to stop buying any more living creature and start reading and
researching. There is much that you can learn from this website alone. Bob and
many others have dedicated hours upon hours of our lives to build this site and
hopefully provide a useful source of helpful information. Now you need to sit
down and spend several hours edifying yourself.>
thanks
<You're welcome, please educate yourself, I beseech you to become a
conscientious aquarist. Mich>
Anemone with
Possible Torn Foot – 8/20/07
I'm hoping someone can help me here (Tony?).
<Hello, Brenda here to help.>
I've had this anemone for about 3 or 4 years now. It's been very healthy
lately. Over the weekend it started deflating a bit, but it happens now
and then. However, today I saw it was really small, and the tentacles
were very "flat" and "pulled inside".
<What are your water parameters? Has anything changed? Temperature,
lighting, etc.>
On closer inspection I saw these brown brainy "things" on its foot. It
still feels fairly "solid" (not all "snotty" like a dead anemone), but
it looks like small parts of the foot is starting to "decompose". Any
help?
<It looks like the foot has been torn. Did you remove it from a rock or
was it floating around the tank? Don’t handle the anemone anymore. Keep
the water parameters perfect to give it the best chance of recovery. The
coloring still looks good, so it appears it was healthy to begin with.
Do not try feeding until the anemone has recovered. Brenda> |
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Possible Torn Anemone
– 8/19/07
<Hello, Brenda here to help!>
I have a rose bubble tip anemone and I lifted the rock he was under but
half of him was connected to it and it looked like it pulled him away a
little.
<Ouch!!>
I'm not sure if I did something wrong but I laid it back down when I saw
what I did.
<Yes, you did something wrong. However, it is not likely fatal if the
anemone was in good health to begin with. When you say the anemone was
“under” the rock, are you saying it was hiding and not getting any
light?>
I lifted the rock slow but when I could see him I noticed the small part
pull away. Help me please. My finance will kill me if he dies. He is a
week old.
<I have to confess! I have done something similar! I have also witnessed
another crew member/friend do the same. You may have torn the foot.
Don’t try moving the anemone anymore. Keep your water parameters
perfect! The anemone may end up splitting, giving you two. Many anemones
have survived going through unprotected powerheads. You should know in a
day or two if the anemone is going to split. Do not try feeding the
anemone for a few days. If it does splits, wait a week to 10 days to
give the mouth time to heal before feeding. I hope this helps! I’ll keep
my fingers crossed! Let me know if you have any more questions. Brenda>
Re: Help! Bleached Sebae Anemone, - 7/4/07
7/6/07
We have an 80 Gallon tank that we have had for about 2 months. This was a
tank that was already established, as it was given to us by a family member and
had been going for a couple of years. It has approximately 60 lbs. of sand and
80-100 lbs. of rock. The light is a T5 with four bulbs that we have had for
approximately 1 month.
<My guess is that this is not enough lighting for this anemone, but I would need
to know how many watts these bulbs are, and their “K” value. Please read through
the FAQs regarding T-5 lighting for a better understanding.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/T5fluorFAQs.htm >
We have 23 snails, 35 crabs, 2 starfish, 3 ocellaris clownfish, 1 sebae
clownfish, 2 domino damsels, 2 blue and green Chromis, 3 yellow tailed damsels,
2 four stripe damsels, 1 spotted mandarin goby,
<You are overstocked for 80 gallon tank. It is also too many crabs in my
opinion. Crabs have been known to be predators.>
1 peppermint shrimp, 2 polyps, a sea slug, and a rock anemone.
<I don’t recommend mixing species of anemones. There will likely be chemical
warfare between the two.>
Our water looks like this PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.2, Nitrate 10, Alkalinity
DKH 7, Salinity 2.0-2.3.
<Are you using a protein skimmer? Your Nitrites and Nitrates need to be zero.
I’m not sure you are measuring your Salinity correctly. Salinity for anemones is
best kept at 1.026. Here is a link for a better understanding:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spg_salinity.htm
At this point I recommend returning the anemone, or finding someone local to
care for it until you have a better understanding of its care and a better
understanding of your new aquarium. Brenda>
Sick Anemone, Bleached, Zooxanthellae –
6/17/07
<Hello Elaine, Brenda here>
I have a pink sea anemone in my 2 month old, 14 gallon Bio Cube.
<What species? Your tank is not large enough for an anemone. It is also not old
enough. Anemones need established aquariums, six months old minimum.>
A month ago I bought a 2.5 inch tomato clown and a white anemone that she was
living with from the aquarium.
<A white anemone is a bleached anemone. It has expelled its zooxanthellae. It
needs an adequate environment to recover from this.>
All was well for a while. In the last week or so, the clown fish has been
rubbing on the white anemone very hard and the anemone retrieved to the rocks.
<Maroons are known to be rough on anemones. It is recommended that the anemone
be three times larger than the Maroon.>
I also noticed that the clown fish has been taking food away from her original
partner and feeding it to the pink anemone.
<This is not uncommon.>
Now the white one looks limp and shrunken. I have put it in a breeding cage with
adequate water flow but it would not eat even when I feed it. It would hang on
to the food for hours and then let go, probably because it could not hang on to
the food any more. Help!!!
<Your anemone is rapidly declining. It needs to be fed a tiny piece of meaty
foods daily. You may want to consider returning the anemones, or finding someone
local with experience in caring for a sick anemone.>
Elaine
<Brenda>
Re: Sick Anemone, Bleached, Zooxanthellae
- 6/17/07 – 6/19/07
Thanks Brenda. I have given it to a local Aquarium store to be looked after.
Elaine
<You're welcome! Good luck to you! Brenda>
Shrinking Anemone – 5/13/07
Hi there,
<Hello, Brenda here>
First I have a 159 gallon tank with two 150 watt metal halides and two actinics,
salinity is at 1.024 I bought an anemone a few months ago.
<You’re salinity is a bit low, gradually bring it up to 1.026.>
I think it is a Heteractis sp.
<Which one?>
or, gelam.
<Not sure what that one is. Your lighting is a bit low for keeping anemones in
that size tank.>
It lives in a rock that I bought with the anemone. It doesn’t look very good it
seems to be shrinking and the tentacles don’t inflate anymore. I feed it frozen
brine shrimp twice a week.
<Brine shrimp has little or no nutritional value to anemones. Try feeding it
some silversides. You can also try krill, raw frozen shrimp, Mysis shrimp, or
lance fish. I suggest keeping the silversides as its main diet. You can also
try soaking the food in Selcon for some added vitamins.>
I have a clown fish that cohabitates with the anemone. I also have been
feeding it frozen plankton. This last week it didn’t seem to hold on to the
food very well. Pleas help what is wrong with my anemone?
<Sounds like you have a few things going on here. I would definitely consider
upgrading the lighting soon. Good luck! Brenda>
Malu anemone died... Polychaete ID,
comp... 5/9/07
Hi Crew,
<Hazel>
I love your site and have found many answers to my questions.
Someone always has had the problem before me it seems. I would
like to know what this is though. I have a 200L marine tank and
this worm has been in it from the start. He must have been in
the live rock.
<Yes, very likely>
I thought that he was about 8 inches long but he is over 24
inches as I found out when I removed him a few days ago.
Something was eating the Cladiella coral and the malu anemone
in the front left corner of my tank and he lived in those rocks
behind that area. I am not sure he is the problem as he only
seems to eat dead items despite his enormous size;
<Mmm, yes>
I have him in a spare tank at this moment so I can observe him.
(He is very interesting because of his size and he loves muscles
and eats small dead fish as well as flake food) I do not want to
kill him. In my regular tank I saw a small red bristle worm
steal some food from the malu anemone as the anemone was
beginning to show signs of damage.
I have not caught this yet. Too quick for me.
<Can, could be baited, trapped...>
My tank is water salinity 1.025, ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates
0, PH 7.8 am and slightly higher pm. Calcium 380 - 390, I use
RO water and mix the salt, change 15% water every Friday, and
keep mostly soft corals. The tank is a Berlin system with a
skimmer and filter at the back of the tank and 3 pumps moving
the water around, two at the bottom and one two thirds of the
way up. There is a grill where the water flows to the back part
of the tank into the skimmer etc.
I have recently added a superb Catalaphyllia which was about
eight inches away from the anemone and from the Cladiella, and
wonder if that gives off any poisons in the current.
<Of a certainty, yes>
Could it be that it is blocking the water flow from the area as
they are in the front corner?
<Perhaps... circulation matters are too-little discussed in our
interest>
The Catalaphyllia is eating well and is out all day. The clowns
have moved in as the anemone has now disappeared. Above the
sand, on the first level of rock I have a Tubastraea which is
growing very well and has new heads growing from the sides of
the existing heads. I feed this every night, sometimes brine
shrimp or Mysis and sometimes parts of defrosted frozen fish
from local marine store. Also small pieces of shrimp. This has
been very good, always open at 7pm ready for its dinner. This
has been above and to the right of the malu anemone for some
months. Could this give off some chemical that hurt the malu?
<Yes>
I have one yellow tang, one coral beauty, one mandarin, five
blue Chromis, one fairy wrasse, one chalky goby, three pyjama
cardinals and a breeding pair of Banggai cardinals (had babies
few weeks ago) and the two clowns.
The tank is quite peaceful. I have a flame scallop and two
hermit crabs, and two Lysmata amboi and three Lysmata
wurdemanni, plus a long spined urchin (recent addition for baby
cardinals to hide in). Babies disappeared soon after being born
and the one I caught died later in the breeding net.
I use PhosBan to keep the phostrogen levels down as I feed the
fish and the corals on a daily basis.
I have kept tropical fish for many years but only had marines
for a year or so. I have read up on the marine tanks, on reefs
critters corals etc and spoken to lots of local stores people
but there is so much to learn, can you help me with this problem
as I would love to buy another anemone, but only after I have
the right conditions for it as I hate to see it die.
Thanks for reading this
Best regards
Hazel
<Please read here re this Polychaete, Hermodice canunculata:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaecompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above... And take a jaunt through our page
re using WWM:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
re Catalaphyllia compatibility, other questions you have/pose.
Bob Fenner> |
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H. malu changing colors, possibly dyed. – 4/28/07
Hello!
<Hi Nicole, Brenda here>
I purchased a H. malu anemone about 3 weeks ago and I'm still trying to
figure out whether it is healthy or not. I believe it is, but upon doing
research, I've come across somewhat conflicting info. I hope you can
help me sort this out.
<I will try.>
Color: My anemone currently has a pinky-peach column with magenta
splotches and a yellowish tinge toward the top. It also has magenta
stripes radiating from its mouth and magenta rings around its
pinky-peach tentacles. That sounds OK, however, the very tip of its
tentacles are white and there are about 5 inner tentacles with the
bottom half stark white and the top half pinky-peach. Also, some of the
outer tentacles have a yellowish tinge to them. Does this sound normal
or is it recovering from a bleaching?
<I would really need to see a picture. The different color is making me
believe you may have a dyed anemone. There is more information on dyed
anemones here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedanemfaqs.htm
>
Waste or Zooxanthellae: I've come across info regarding the gunk that
anemones expel. I've seen the nasty, crusty looking white stuff coming
from its mouth as well as a transparent sack. I also noticed a couple
days ago long dark brown stringy stuff coming from its mouth. Again,
I've read that the brown stuff is waste but I've also read that it is
the anemone losing its zooxanthellae. Which is it?
<I have seen anemones expel waste that is white, black and brown. If
your anemone is loosing color and turning white, it is loosing its
zooxanthellae.>
Feeding: Because I was concerned by its coloration (white and yellow
areas) and felt it was a recovering bleached anemone, I read that it is
important to feed it every 2-3 days until it is healthy again. (I've
been feeding it silversides and scallops. Sometimes I soak the food
in Zoe). I also read that healthy anemones can be fed from 2-3 times
per week to once a month. What is the appropriate feeding frequency for
a healthy H. Malu. (BTW, mine is still small with a column about 1.5 - 2
inches in diameter.
<I recommend feeding 2 to 3 times per week.>
Is it correct to determine its size by the diameter of its column or the
spread of its tentacles?
<I have always measured by the spread of the tentacles. However, I am
not sure that is correct.>
Will an anemone always take food that's offered or will it refuse if it
is not hungry?
<A healthy anemone should always grab onto the food. However it may not
eat it if it is not hungry. It may also eat it and regurgitate it
later.>
Location: When I first put the anemone in my tank, it buried its column
into the sand and then it realized it wasn't happy and walked for a
second and tipped over and leaned on a rock.
<That doesn’t sound good.>
During a water change, the current floated it toward a cave and it
eventually placed itself between the rocks and that's where it has been
for about 2 weeks, though its column is not buried in the substrate. I
was happy because I read that an unhappy anemone wanders around the tank
and a happy one stays put.
<Some anemones are just too sick to wander.>
But then I read that happy and healthy anemones like to be in the light
and are on rocks or buried in the substrate in the current to catch
food. And unhappy/ unhealthy anemones put themselves between rocks and
hide from the light. Well, which one is it? Is my guy happy but shy or
sick and sensitive to light?
<It sounds like you have a sick anemone.>
Last question(s): It turned green! Recently I noticed that its
tentacles were turning green, were shriveled up and its column scrunched
down.
<It is not uncommon for an anemone to become darker in color when it
shrivels up. This is typically when the anemone is expelling waste.>
I changed the water thinking it was giving me a clear sign that the
water was getting too dirty and it did open up a little bit immediately
after the water change. But after a little while it shriveled up again,
still green. The only thing I could think to do was to turn off the
power head assuming it was the current irritating it. Well, sure enough,
it opened up again after I turned off the power head. Its tentacles
retained the greenish color for a little while and then went back to
being pinky-peach.
<I have not heard of this. I don’t recommend the use of power heads
with anemones. Many anemones have lost their lives to them.>
The thing is, I hadn't changed the position or strength of the current
so why did it suddenly begin to bother the anemone? And why/how on earth
did it turn green?
<I don’t know. I would love to see pictures of this.>
I look forward to your responses and suggestions. BTW, great website!
<Thank you!>
Nicole
<Brenda>
Bleached ritteri? (with attachments)
4/2/07
Can you tell me if the attached pictures of this Ritteri (called "Ritteri_Atypical"
and BTA (called "BTA") I just received is bleached or heading that way?
I understand there are color variations, but I am accustomed to
receiving Ritteri Anemones that are closer to the third attachment
(called "Ritteri_Usual").
<Receiving Anemones? I hope that these are all in separate
tanks. Anemones engage in toxic warfare with each other. In the long
run multiples in the same tank will not work unless you are really
dedicated to their care. Much easier to just have one. Not to mention
what can happen if they decide to start roaming.>
I have never seen a Ritteri or BTA that looked this way, but that's not
saying much. I was interested in if you all at the crew could vouch for
whether you have seen healthy specimens that looked like mine, since
your experiences range much wider than my own. If it matters, the
Ritteri has a bold pink coloration.
<These specimens are bleached. They need strong lighting and feedings
about three times a week. If you don't already have strong lighting,
and purchase stronger lights, remember to start them off high, and
gradually move them closer to the tank. This and time will dictate
their chances of survival. I hope that you have this H. magnifica in at
least 100 gallons. They do not last long in smaller volumes. Good luck
my friend. I would suggest doing some reading. This is a good place to
start:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/magnfcntfaqs.htm>
Thank you all,
<You are welcome. Brandon.>
CJ |
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Anemone tentacles falling off? - 03/24/07
Hi there
<Hello to you>
I have had my anemone for 3 months. It has done really well, and situated itself
in a corner in my tank. I have a very small 80 litre tank with two clown fish
and a shrimp.
<This is a very small and most likely inappropriate tank to keep an already
challenging animal>
My anemone
<What type of anemone is this, as this information is crucial?>
has flourished sometimes looking like a tree with a long stalk waving its arms.
When suddenly yesterday it almost turned inside out and started bubbling and
completely deflated it's tentacles. Now it seems they have discoloured and are
falling off.
<Uh-oh>
He has a few left and still stretching himself out like a long stalk. I have
noticed that he tried to move around the tank yesterday, and he keeps climbing
the glass walls of the tank.
<The climbing and stretching may be a search for extra light/water movement.
More tank details would help – lighting specifications along with filtration,
substrate, circulation etc..>
I did notice that my nitrate level has shot up in the last two days.
<Actual numbers would be more useful along with details of other parameters –
pH, Ammonia etc..>
I have however been trying to add Calcium, by boosting it and adding Calcium
daily?
<What way were you dosing; Kalk, Two Part Supplement, “Turbo Calcium” – Calcium
Chloride supplements?>
Maybe this has been too much?
<Probably not the root cause, although a test on calcium would show this..? Did
you witness a “snowstorm” effect at all?>
I did a 40% water change the minute I saw my anemone looking poorly. The nitrate
levels are back to zero.
<Good start and good to have a definite figure>
My question.
Will he die if lost his tentacles and do they grow back?
<Without knowing other details of the tank and only knowing the size of the tank
it is very hard to tell.
Although as I’ve said the size of the tank is much to small to keep this animal
in and it is sadly very likely that it will not survive without an upgrade and I
fear this may be too late now. In this volume of water it is also highly likely
it will take your other livestock with it. Regeneration is possible however, a
slim chance>
Is there anything I can do?
<Send along further details and maybe a picture, would be very helpful. I would
also suggest moving your other animals to another tank for their safety>
How do I add calcium to my tank safely?
<Noted on WWM -
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
A reply with the above suggestions on your species and tank may let us help you
further and I hope we can try and do
something more to save your animal and your system, Olly>
My white anemone shrunk. Is it dying? – 3/13/07
<Hi Heather, Brenda here>
I am a fairly new owner of a saltwater tank. We bought 1 white anemone to go
with our clown.
<A “white” clownfish hosting anemone is a sick anemone. If your tank is less
than six months old, your tank is not ready for an anemone.>
Today we left for a couple of hours and came home to find him all shrunken up.
<Anemones will shrink up to expel waste.>
He had maybe 3 or 4 of his arms at regular length and all the rest were sunken
in to his body and gray.
<Gray does not sound good!!!>
What is happening with my anemone????? Please help. I'm afraid that this is a
sign that he is dieing.
<That is my thought also.>
If that is the case, I am assuming that I should remove him from the tank ASAP,
yes???
<I would at least move it to a quarantine tank or a bucket.>
Please help!!!
Heather
<Please research before you purchase. Anemones are delicate creatures, and need
special care. Brenda>
Re: Bleached Sebae Anemone – 3/12/07
<Brenda following up>
Thank you so much for such a quick reply on specific help for our anemone!!!
<You’re welcome.>
We will give it our best care and hope for the best! I did think of one other
question. I understand that it is very important to remove a dead anemone as
quickly as possible from the tank to keep from harming other inhabitants. Is it
obvious when it is dead?
<If the mouth is gaping for long periods it is likely on its way out. Once it
is dead, you will likely see some build up of slime and it may look like it is
melting.>
Because frankly there are times we thought it was dead only to see signs of life
later. Is there a time frame we are looking at as to when we should remove it
when we are fairly certain it is dead?
<Time frame, no. Anemones can live a long time being bleached. They can also
parish overnight. Given the fact that this is a new anemone, it may be still
acclimating to its environment. Anemones can also look pretty bad when they are
expelling waste. It is best to always have premixed saltwater ready for an
emergency water change.>
Hopefully it won't come to this! And on the upside, it actually has attached
itself for sure to the front, bottom (glass) of the aquarium.
<Great!>
Not a great spot, but at least it's alive.
<Not only alive, but it also has the energy to attach itself. Many times sick
anemones are being tossed around in the current.>
Thank you again!
Drowning in tank info
<You’re welcome. Brenda>
Anemones getting darker......not a good mix of animals 3/4/07
Hi,
<Hello.>
I have a 50 long with 40lbs of live rock, 50 lbs of base a whisper 60
filter, and a 192 watt ho florescent lighting.
<No skimmer?>
For fish I have a yellow tang, a cinnamon and gold clown, a percula clown, 2
chromes, 2 yellow damsels, a checker goby, and a neon goby.
<The mixing of the clowns and the residency of the tang are a no-go long-term.>
For invertebrates I have 21 turbo snails of different varieties,
<Too many, 1 per 10 gallons is plenty....too much still, 1:20 gallons is usually
plenty.>
a sea hare,
<Be aware of this one and toxins.>
18 hermit crabs, 2 sally lightfoot crabs,
<Have a few horror stories about this one.>
emerald crab, a cleaner shrimp, afire shrimp, 4 peppermint shrimp, 4 anemones of
various types
<It is not good to keep multiple of anemones of the same species in a single
aquarium barring the exception that they are clones of each other in an aquarium
tank...you also should not keep anemones with sessile invertebrates and you
ESPECIALLY shouldn't keep anemones of differing species together.>
and a few polyps.
All my anomies are turning brownish in color, they look healthy in general
and have had one of them I've had since the tank cycled. Is there any way you
cold tell me what to look for here?
<Not without knowing the exact species and more tank details...water parameters,
no I cannot honestly not tell you. My guess is that they were bleaching when
you bought them and are now producing more zooxanthellae to compensate, and thus
becoming darker.>
thanks John
<Adam J.>
Concern re Incorrect Information on a FAQ Posted. Could a note be Added?
<<Mmm, yes. RMF>>, there are NO naturally white Heteractis species
- 02/21/07
Hello Mich,
<Hello again Brandon!>
Here is the image that seems to be lost in the stream of bits, bytes, one's and
zero's that we call the Internet. I was a programmer before I started messing
with water.
<Oh! Do you know anything about placing rotating banner ads? We have been
trying to place the ads on our site and have run into multiple issues. I
received the image with the other query.>
As promised here is the text that I found that concerned me as well,
<I will inform the powers that be, of your concerns.>
"*Sebae **Anemone*
Hello Again, (It has been about 1 month since my last email, heehee) The tank is
running perfect with the RO water changes and the Prizm, (I don't know about a
90 gallon, but for my 26 it's pulling out tons of dry skim, only complaint is a
little noise, a good compromise though.) I had a sebae anemone surprise
delivered to me in a ordering mix up, I contemplated sending it back but didn't
know if it would survive the shipping again so decided to keep the freebee.
Its white, which scared me at first, but then I realized that all the pictures
of bleached anemones appeared translucent, mine is sort of a creamy off white
sheet rock color. It has purple tips. It attached to my rock in the lower
areas of the tank and hasn't moved yet (1 week). It responds well to being
touched (shrinks away) but doesn't feel sticky as it probably should. The only
thing that it would eat was a little squid, no Mysis, fish fry, or krill. I
have 130 watts of brand new lighting right on top of the tank. Do you think
this anemone has expelled its algae or can I salvage him. Oh he's about 3 inches
diameter and my Percula shows absolutely no interest.
I know clowns have a tendency to fight but could I add a small Clarkii? Thanks
a ton guys.
Eric
<<<Many Sebaes are naturally white so he should be fine. The lighting will be
sufficient for this anemone also. Please read here for more info on these guys:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
Cody>>>" <Wrong. RMF>
This alarmed me because I have never heard of a H. crispa, H. magnifica, or any
other Heteractis spp. for that matter, being white. Also it would seem to be in
conflict with a statement that Mr. Calfo made that went something along the
lines of, " <<<<this is a common reality/problem my friend. Your anemone is
dying... and it was not a good candidate from go. Frankly (not berating you),
your merchant should have known not to sell this animal and you should have
known not to buy it (as an educated consumer...
research your livestock's needs before you buy them). This species of anemone is
naturally dark in color (usually brown) with dark purple tips. Yellow is not a
natural color and indicated an animal that is bleached and/or has been dyed. It
will be dead within days. Few live weeks beyond import. I really don't know why
merchants pay for these things when they are shipped to them. If they stopped
paying for them and if consumers would stop buying them, then the collectors
would get their acts together and stop
shipping them unhealthy. Please read more about anemone health and car in our
archives. Be sure to follow the links at the top of the page too. Best regards,
Anthony>>>>" It would at least appear to me that you all seem to advocate not
buying the white specimens in lieu of tan or deep brown specimens.
<Yes.>
Mine is a very deep brown/tan color. I have not made up my mind as to the
pigment, it seems different every time that I look at it.
<Happens.>
As for the attachment, I was trying to narrow this guy down to subspecies. I
know that it is of genus Corallimorph, I am strongly leaning toward a species of
Rhodactis, I really would like to know if this is correct, and if so what
subspecies is it.
<Yes is a Rhodactis. More in other query.>
I bought it mistakenly as a type of leather coral. What I get for listening to
the people at the store. From what I have found I am not quite out of my
league, as I am regularly hand feeding a Plerogyra sinuosa, a Trachyphyllia
geoffroyi, a Heteractis crispa, two colonies of Tubastrea spp., and now the
mystery Corallimorph. I introduced food into the tank and a mouth appeared. It
was quite large, so I fed it. The mouth consequentially went away, after taking
the Mysis of course.
<Yep.>
Also I am going to quote the address of the offending page,
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sebaefaq2.htm the 12th
query down.>
perhaps it should be looked at with some scrutiny, again guys I am not trying to
undermine the work that you do. It is as I told Mich, you very wonderful and
dedicated people are often the last line of defense against, haste, lack of
knowledge, and general disregard for common sense. But, I would hate for
someone to see this and think that all was well, when in fact it is not.
<Thank you for your observation.>
I would love to help you guys out in any way that I can, and if there is ever
something that I could do please do not hesitate to let me know.
<We are still trying to place rotating banner ads on the site and have run into
numerous problems. Any chance you are knowledgeable in this area? Any
assistance here would be most appreciated.>
With the utmost gratitude,
Brandon R. Foster
<Thank you, -Mich>
B <<Got it>>
The photo that he is referring to was sent in another query and was place on
the FAQ’s from 2/20. His note is quite lengthy, but his point as I understand
it is: the response that was given is incorrect and he would like to see a note
added stating as much so other aren’t mislead. It is the 12th query down on
this page
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sebaefaq2.htm
Below is the text he take issue with and the justification.
<Many Sebaes are naturally white so he should be fine. The lighting will be
sufficient for this anemone also. Please read here for more info on these
guys: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
Cody>" <<Is not a factual stmt. RMF>>
This alarmed me because I have never heard of a H. crispa, H. magnifica, or any
other Heteractis spp. for that matter, being white. Also it would seem to be in
conflict with a statement that Mr. Calfo made that went something along the
lines of, " <this is a common reality/problem my friend. Your anemone is
dying... and it was not a good candidate from go.
M
Joes Juice for Aiptasia Control Versus BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor - 2/4/07
Hello,
<Hi Sharon, Brenda here>
I have 3 BTAs and an Aiptasia problem. Before using Joe’s Juice, I would like to
know if this will harm the BTAs.
<There is mixed results with Joe’s Juice for Aiptasia control. To answer your
question, too much at once may harm your BTA. If you choose this route, I would
not use it near your BTA. Start out slow and watch your livestock closely.>
My first thought was to move the infested rock to a bucket filled with saltwater
and zap them there, but all of my rock can be removed. Help!
<An alternative that I have used is Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata Wurdemanni.
Unfortunately others have had mixed results with Peppermint Shrimp. There is
more information on both here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
>
Sharon
<Hope this helps. Brenda>
How can I tell if my anemone is beyond help? 2/2/07
Dear WWM crew,
<Jane>
Thank you again for the fabulous web site and all the advice you have given me
in the past. My question today is simple, but here is a little background info.
<Okay>
An LFS had received a blue carpet anemone (Stichodactyla Haddoni) a week ago. I
do not buy carpet anemones from stores since I do not want to encourage their
collection and the likely subsequent death.
<I am in agreement with your practice>
But I figured there would be no harm in visiting it now and then. Well,
yesterday it was upside down, shriveled up and the mouth was severely gaping (I
mean, open about 3"). It was oozing stuff.
<Very bad signs...>
I pointed it out to them and they were about to toss it out. I asked them to
give it to me so I can try to rescue it (I do know how slim the chances
are). At the time I had estimated it would be dead within 3 hours.
Well, I have it at home in a 100 gallon tank all to itself (although it only has
3" of water in it right now). I can not tell if it is dead or alive. I have
had it for about 16 hours now. It looks terrible (covered in slime) but there
is a small section of the tentacles that still looks alive. The mouth is still
wide open and its surface ("skin") is all cracked and torn. The whole anemone
keeps oozing whitish stuff. It does smell somewhat bad, but I can not tell if
it is the anemone itself or all the goo coming off of it.
<All part of the same>
Oh, and last night when I was gently transferring it into the tank, one of my
fingers went right through its oral disk. I am guessing it is a bad sign. In
retrospect, I should not have picked it up with my hands...
Also, can a dead anemone still have sticky tentacles?
<Yes>
I have heard that the Portuguese Man-O-War can sting creatures long after it's
dead, but what about anemones? This one still have slightly sticky tentacles
(at least in some places). It is also bleached (the blue tips are still there,
but the brown undertone is all gone).
I do not want to give up on it until I KNOW for sure that it is dead.
<We are in agreement here as well>
But how can I tell, aside from waiting until the whole thing disintegrates all
over the tank and spreads its aroma throughout the whole house?
<Mmm, not really, but the reality is that this animal is highly likely dead, or
as the line goes in the William Goldman "Princess Bride" movie, mostly dead>
I have been praying and doing water changes. Hope it helps :)
Thanks to you all
Julia.
<I think you have given this situation your "best shot", but this animal is
gone. I would siphon it out to waste. Bob Fenner>
Anemone Dying? 1/1/06
Hi there, I have a problem. I have a Sebae anemone who seems to have
shriveled up and died. I checked my water parameters and noticed a small amount
of ammonia (.25). The tank had been cycled and is fine, no other death,
etc., so I removed the piece of live rock that the anemone was on and placed it
in about two gallons of water from my tank (enough to keep it covered). The
problem is I can't get the anemone off the LR. This piece of rock is the
largest in my tank and I really don't want to lose it. The anemone almost
completely withdrew into the rock (you can just see a bit of it sticking
out). First of all, is there any way to get it out?
<In your situation, best just to leave it die and re-cure the rock.>
And secondly, once I do, do I have to cure the rock again now that it has been
out of my tank and had a death on it? How long would I need to do this, and how
would I go about it?
<Best to cure in a tank/tub large enough to submerse the rock. I'd direct a
power head in the area the anemone is in. Your curing process will be complete
when ammonia levels have dropped to zero. To speed the process up, a small
water change could be done on a daily basis.>
Thank you for your help.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
How do I know if my Anemone is still alive? 12/15/06
I’ve had a green purple tipped anemone for 2 weeks.
<Mmm, likely a "Sebae"... Heteractis crispa>
It seems to have
attached well to live rock.
But then two mornings ago I found it just floating around the 50 gallon tank.
<Maybe another species of Heteractis here... magnifica does this behavior quite
commonly... Even in the wild... thought to be a mechanism for dispersion>
It seemed huge! with every tentacle engorged.
I lifted it a little out of the water
<... not a good idea>
and it sprang a leak! of water from one of the tentacles. I placed it back onto
the live rock and it quickly collapsed into a tight ball. But a few hours later
it was open and re-attached. My concern is that it no longer moves its
tentacles. It does elongate and shrink back but there in no action in the
tentacles. I feed it frozen shrimp – twice since I purchased it. I feed it again
2 days ago, but it didn’t hold onto the shrimp with its tentacles, unlike the
previous feedings.
I have a maroon clown fish that calls the anemone home. Otherwise I have
damsels, snails, hermits, a sand star.
My nitrites are slightly up to 0.3 from <0.3. Ammonia levels are 0. Other
chemistries are fine.
I’m confused by its lack of independent movement of tentacles and feeding, but
it does change shape.
Is it dead?
Is it dying?
Do anemones usually leak?
Do I need to un-attach it and get rid of it?
Do I just wait and see what happens?
<Mmm, no, maybe, not usually, no/no, yes>
Thank you very much for your time.
Stewart Blandón, MD
<Need to ascertain which species this is... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
and then on to the species coverage (linked above...). There is much more to be
discussed once the species is discerned... its needs, your system, water
quality, nutrition. Bob Fenner>
Re: How do I know if my Anemone is still alive? Not reading...
12/17/06
thank you for the super fast reply.
<Welcome>
I contacted the store where I purchased the anemone - the Lucky Goldfish in
Oakland, Ca. USA. They said the species was HAITI.
> searching your site I think it looks most like this one -
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Cnidarians/Non-Condylactus_anemone.jpg
It is a green/purple color.
Still the same - doesn't move, but hasn't shriveled. No spikes in Nitrates.
Clown fish still calls it home.
The guy at the store said to just watch and wait. That it was not dead.
Your opinion?
Thank you,
Stewart
<Read on my friend, read on where you were referred. RMF>
Anemone ID
11/14/06
Hi, I cannot seem to find a picture that can assist me in
identifying this anemone (See attachment) I think it might be a
Heteractis crispa although I am not sure.
<By the tip appearance, verrucae, I think you've got it... though this
specimen is terribly bleached, bereft of zooxanthellae>
I have a two stripe clown (I think it is an African Clown) living in the
anemone and feeding it.
<Mmm, looks like a Clark's... Bob Fenner> |
Re: Anemone ID. Bleached H. crispa – 11/15/06
Hi, thank you for the speedy response. Is their anything I can do to try and
save it? I have 2x 54w 20 000k, 2 x 54 10 000k T5's and 2 x 150w MH 6500K as
lighting in a standard 6ft tank.
<Good lighting fixtures>
The anemone does take small pieces of clam fed by the clown.
<Ah, good. Only time, patience can/will tell. Bob Fenner>
Regards,
Wikus
<There is evidence that such endosymbiotic endosymbiotic algae is reincorporated
by way of its availability from other hosting organisms at times... Perhaps this
will occur here. Bob Fenner> |
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Anemone Health And Lighting 9/11/06
Dear Crew
<Greg>
I am relatively new to SW and fish tanks in general but I am giving
it a shot, so far I love the hobby. Right now I have a 20 tall with
2 Top Fin 20 filters and a 20 watt bulb. I know it is not a lot of
lighting but just can't afford to upgrade at the moment. I have 30
lbs of live sand and 30 lbs of live rock. In the tank I have 1 Condy
that has footed nicely but 2 days ago I introduced a LTA (appears
healthy). The LTA has yet to take foot to anything and is just
floating around the tank. I was reading some of your articles and
came across something about an anemone not "footing" because of a
chemical war. So last night I removed my Condy and placed it in a
hospital tank that I have set up. Could the reason that the LTA is
not footing because of the chemical war? The next morning the LTA
has still yet to "foot" to anything. Please help...
The 2nd part of my question is that currently I have 1 Maroon clown
in my tank, but he has yet to take to either my Condy or my LTA. My
LFS said that the clowns rarely take to a Condy, but it should love
the LTA. Is it the just type of my clown that doesn't like anemone's
or have I not giving it enough time with my LTA?
<Oh boy o boy. Your 20 gallon high is much too small for keeping
anemones.
They are sensitive to changes in water parameters which can shift
very quickly in small tanks. Your lighting isn't near enough for
keeping any anemone alive.
They are a photosynthetic animal that requires bright light to
survive. Also keep in mind that in the home aquarium, under proper
conditions, anemones rarely live more than a year. Did the LFS tell
you your tank and lighting are inadequate for anemones, or was he
just interested in making the sale?
Do read here and linked files above, especially lighting. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
Thanks dearly,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Greg Lewis
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