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FAQs on Anemone Identification 17

Related Articles: Anemones, Bubble Tip Anemones, LTAs, Cnidarians, Coldwater Anemones, Colored/Dyed Anemones,  

Related FAQs: Anemone ID 1, Anemone ID 2, Anemone ID 3, Anemone ID 4, Anemone ID 5, Anemone ID 6, Anemone ID 7, Anemone ID 8, Anemone ID 9, Anemone ID 10, Anemone ID 11, Anemone ID 12, Anemone ID 13, Anemone ID 14, Anemone ID 15, Anemone ID 16, Anemone ID 18, Anemone ID 19, Anemone ID 20, Anemone ID 21, Anemone ID 22, Anemone ID 23, Anemone ID 24, Anemone ID 25, Anemone ID 26, Anemone ID 27, Anemone ID 28, Anemone ID 29, Anemone ID 30, Anemone ID 31, Anemone ID 32, Anemone ID 33, Anemone ID 34, Anemone ID 35, Anemone ID 36, Anemone ID 37, Anemone ID 38, Anemone ID 39, Anemone ID 40, Anemone ID 41, Anemone ID 42, Anemone ID 43, Anemone ID 44, Anemone ID 45, & Cnidarian Identification, Anemones 1, Anemones 2, Anemones 3, Anemones 4, Anemones 5, Invertebrate Identification, Aiptasia Identification, Aiptasia ID 2, LTA Identification, Bubble Tip Anemones, Caribbean Anemones, Condylactis, Aiptasia Anemones, Other Pest Anemones, Anemones and Clownfishes, Anemone Reproduction, Anemone Lighting, Anemone Feeding, Anemone Systems, Anemone Compatibility, Anemone Selection, Anemone Health, Anemone Behavior, Anemone Placement

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Anemone Success
Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Anemone ID and Arrow crab predation query    01/13/2008 Thank you for this wonderful service and for devoting your time and effort! Tank parameters: *92 gal community reef (110lbsLR, 90lbs live sand, 4 small gobies, various softies, 2 green emerald crabs, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp), *29 gal wet-dry sump/refugium with Caulerpa, mud, and 10lbs of LR (in line), *Lighting: 175MH, 4- 24W T5HO actinic, 12 LED night lights *Water chem: SG-1.024 , pH- 8.3 , nitrite- 0, ammonia- 0, nitrate- undetectable, calcium 410ppm, 78 degrees F I bought an anemone from my LFS yesterday and I am afraid I've walked into an unfortunate situation. I had been told by one of the workers that this anemone was a bulb-tip of some sort. So I put it on hold to research it for a few days. Upon return yesterday to purchase it, other workers told me it was a yellow Sebae anemone. I still bought it but now really wish I had gone back home to research instead. The column is a orange-red color fading to a yellow around the top with white/transparent tentacles. Sadly, from reading all the articles on here at WWM, I realize it's probably dyed and dying. Although, mine doesn't look like a Sebae to me...maybe because it's so far gone already?? I'd just like to know what it is so I can properly care for it / try to save it. <It looks like a bleached Long Tentacle anemone to me (hopefully Bob will correct me if I'm wrong).> <Mmmm, maybe... could be a Magnificent/Ritteri though... RMF> On another note, I have a question about predation from arrow crabs: I am hoping to make a proper home for a mandarin goby in the next few months so I ordered a culture of copepods. I added them to the fuge but have seen nothing in over a week. I wrote the sender and they said to give it 3 weeks.... I'm doing that. In the meantime, I put my arrow crab (juvenile at this point) in the fuge to take care of a bristleworm population I have (he does have a much larger suitable tank to go to when he gets grows). <Hmmm, why do you want to "take care" of your bristle worm population? The vast majority of these worms are actually beneficial scavengers/detritivores.> Will the arrow crab, even if there are plenty of bristleworms to eat, harm the growing copepod population? <I suppose it's possible, if the crab is small and fast enough to catch them. But as the crab gets bigger, it will likely seek out larger prey (as big as small fish even). To be frank, they're not the best of live stock choices. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/arrowcrabfaqs.htm> Thanks so much!!!! Erin
<Best,
Sara M.>

 A dying one. RMF

Anemone I.D -01/14/08 Hi, First off I want to tell you how much your website has helped me out. It's a great source of information. <cool, thanks> I was given a 7 gallon nano cube. It has a deep sand bed <Hmm... DSBs are not so functional in any tank <40g.> and about lbs. of live rock. We found an anemone in the canister filter. Apparently the person who owned the tank had lost the anemone a month before. When we got it out it was completely blanched. I started to target feed it every two days with chopped frozen seafood. It has been a little over two months since we found it and now it is starting to regain some color. It has some blue around the base tentacles and the ones in the middle seem to be light green and yellow. I would really like to know what kind of anemone it is. I appreciate any help you can offer me. <It's almost impossible to even guess without seeing more of the animal. Could you please try to take other photos, showing the center of it and base more clearly?> Thank you
Edith
<Best,
Sara M.>

Another dying one. RMF

Re: Anemone I.D  1/16/08 Hi again, Thanks for your quick response to my email last night. I hope these extra photos will help you identify my anemone. Thanks again Edith <Help yourself... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm the tray on Anemones... this one's dying. BobF>

Anemone ID 1/5/08 Dear Crew: <Brad> Happy New Year! I hope you are all well in every regard. Wow, thank you for the stunning SW Pic of the Day. Outstanding! <You're welcome and thank you.> I have attached an amateur photograph of a small (3/4" - 1" diameter) anemone. The tank she is in is in the third year, so she must be shy having just shown up (grin). After reading through several dozen pages of Anemone I.D.s and your section on Tropical West Atlantic anemones, I am in need of your thoughts and advice. Would you say that this is the Turtle Grass Anemone (Viatrix globulifera), or worse - some type of Aiptasia? And, if she is the former, is she friend or foe? <It looks a little closer to Arachnanthus nocturnus, a type of Tube Anemone, but the center is whitish in color where the specimen in your photo is not. I believe you have an Aiptasia, and is not a friend, will multiply rapidly. Read here and related articles above. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm> You all continue to amaze us, your loyal readers, with this world class website. Thank you as always. <You're welcome.> I wish you the best for 2008. <And to you my friend. James (Salty Dog)> Brad in Basalt P.S. I need to send you a photograph of another possible troublemaker if you would graciously allow me two questions today to start off the New Year. I will do so under separate cover to as to avoid overloading your Email system. <OK>

Anemone ID, E. Quadricolor, Bubble Tip Anemone, BTA -- 1/02/08 Dear Folks, <Hello Renee, Brenda here> Thank you, ahead of time for your advice and expertise. <You're welcome!> I have looked around the entire site, and throughout all the areas and I don't see my anemone anywhere. I got these from a pet store I frequent. It has taken me 4 months to buy them, because they will never let go of the rocks they are on, and finally, I got a big man to break the rock so I could afford to get them...and the rock broke, one fell loose and is now in one of my rocks re-homing himself (unharmed of course, thank goodness) and the other is on its rock enjoying its new home. The salesperson, by the time I got them (so many months later) said he doesn't recall what they are, but they were false rose something, or anyway...I have no clue. I don't see any red rose colors anywhere. Does anyone have a clue what kind of anemone I have here? <They are E. Quadricolor. They are commonly referred to as Bubble Tip Anemones or BTA.> The second one is hiding in her rock, but will come out eventually. The first one to settle I didn't remove from a rock. Instead, I just bought the whole rock. <Good!> I didn't want to risk a broken foot. <Torn. There are no bones in anemones to break.> Had that happen once...ewwwww so sad and traumatic to see it suffer and then die. <A torn foot is not usually deadly in many species of anemones. There may have been more variables involved in the anemones death.> Well, if anyone can identify these, please let me know. One already ate, as you can see, he had Krill for dinner. This is 2 days in a row and tonight he had 2 krill. The other is still hanging onto hers and hasn't let go, and it's sitting just inside her hole. She intends to eat it later probably, as she already ate last night. <This is way too much food for anemones. They do not need to eat every day. Every 2 -- 3 days is more than enough for a healthy anemone. I don't recommend food bigger than the anemones mouth. Over feeding will cause the anemone to expel the food later as it is unable to digest. This will ultimately end up causing the anemone to get nothing to eat.> Are they both the same type? Or different and can you tell me what they are? <They are the same, possible even clones. More information on anemones found here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm> I thank all of you in advance. Renee <You're welcome! Brenda><<... this looks more like Heteractis crispa to RMF>>

Re: Anemone ID, E. Quadricolor, Bubble Tip Anemone, BTA -- 1/02/08 Hello Brenda, <Hello Renee!> I wanted to thank you. <You are very welcome!> I originally (3 months ago) thought they were BTAs also, however when they turned so brown, I thought perhaps they were Condys. <What color were they when you got them? Any pictures?> My Condys are brownish and my curlyques turned brown. <I don't recommend keeping different species of anemones together. What size tank are you keeping them in? What are your water parameters?> I wanted to let you know that on the second page of the link you sent me below Pt. 2, at the end are some links and one is not working. :) Just a website heads up. <Yes, I see that! Note to Bob: Under Bibliography/Further Reading, the first two links are not working. See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anempt2.htm > Thanks so much for the ID. Renee <You're welcome and thank you for the heads up! Brenda>

Re: Anemone ID, E. Quadricolor, Bubble Tip Anemone, BTA -- 1/03/08 Hello Brenda, <Hello Renee!> My answers are in between your questions in bold. <The bold did not show up when I received this. I will clean up and delete our previous discussions so that we don't duplicate information.> They looked peach colored and had different shaped tentacles. I originally thought Bubble tips, that were orangish peach in color and they were not round, and they weren't pointy like now either. They were flatter on the end and kind of roundish in some areas and extended in others. <The E. Quadricolor is known to change the shape of its tentacles.> My parameters are 8.3 ph, and everything is at zero, and if it goes up more than 2 notches, I bring it back down, but to be honest it runs really smooth and I don't get a lot of spikes, which I attribute to so much live rock/coral that it filters it before the system gets to it, clear filtration and skim the heck out of it. <What is your temperature, salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium?> I am using 2 sets of compact fluorescent lights, 96 watts each, totaling 4 bulbs, 2 actinic 10000k, 2 blue 6500k in a 75 gallon Tru Vu aquarium with built in overflow, 2 powerheads, <I don't recommend the use of powerheads with anemones. If you must use, be sure the intakes are covered to protect the anemone.> a UV filter/removable and not always in the tank, Aquamedics UV filter, Prefilter (home-built, to the hilt, very good pre-skim), and a skimmer, TruFlo wet/dry and I only have a few fish, and about 100 lbs of rock and 3" of sand (picking up 70 more lbs of rock tomorrow from a friend). My fish are only 6 damsels, one wrasse, one snowflake eel, one yellow tang and a Lawnmower Blenny. I have hermits, snails, etc. I feed krill, silversides, flaked food, Mysis shrimp, algae cubes and dried algae and I am also bringing in fresh cultured algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton as well as trace elements. I put Iodine in monthly. <Are you testing before you dose? If not, I would stop dosing immediately.> I change 20 gallons every few months. <I recommend about 10% weekly.> I add the Trace Elements by Kent. Anemone in that aquarium consist of (the aquarium is halved by the overflow chamber) 2 Condy Haitians on one side, and 2 curlicues I have had for a long time live on the top near the top of the tank (about 2' away from any other anemone up high in a coral fitted to the side chamber, and the ones I wanted to have identified are in the rocks to the right side, below). Nobody touches anyone else, nor are they near each other. However I am up for your expertise if I have made a mistake housing these together. <Anemones do not do well long term (sometimes even short term) when housed with mixed species. To mix anemones long term you would need a system of a few hundred gallons or more, even then there is no guarantee.> The curlicues are very small and they have been pets nearly a year and are way up high in their own colony...they arrived see through and turned dark brown also, <It sounds like they had expelled their zooxanthellae, and have since recovered.> The Condys are brownish, with long pink tips and about 8" long each. <This sounds normal.> The new anemone I sent pics in of is about 3" long each, very small...probably a clone off of one anemone of the same kind). The anemone I just purchased have been housed in a pet store environment with a hanging halide light, approximately 3' above the aquarium, which has shallow water, great flow and a major skimmer. I am hopeful to keep the same luck with these as I've had with Condys and the curlicues. <Unfortunately, I do not see this happening long term. I suspect you will have issues with the E. Quadricolor first.> Whew what a long paragraph. I am waiting the response anxiously. Thanks again! :)
Renee
<You're welcome! Brenda>

Mystery Anemone? Aiptasia 12/06/2007 Hi Crew! <Hello Stephan, Mich here.> I discovered this creature at the base of my leather coral. <I see.> I found it after I split the coral in two. <OK.> Looks like an anemone no? <Yes, and a nuisance one at that.> Should I be concern or get rid of it? <Yes, I would remove.> My tank a 24 gal. reef with softies. Thanks for your reply
<Welcome! Mich>
Stephan

Question re: Identification of corals'¦ Aiptasia 11/04/2007 Hello guys, <Hi Lynne, Mich here.> I am attaching a couple of photos (sorry they are not the best) of some corals that are growing and spreading quickly in my aquarium. <Heehee! I bet they are!> What type of coral is this? <You have Aiptasia, a nuisance if there ever was one... will kill most any other coral it comes in contact with as you have seen with your Caulastrea. More here about this pest that easily reaches plague proportions: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm > The store said it was pink tip tulip coral or something like that. <Oh good grief! Please tell me you didn't actually PAY for this 'coral'. I've got a bridge and some prime real estate in the Pocono Mountains for sale'¦ You could build a casino! Interested in buy either?> Well I also have I was also wondering what type of behavior can I expect from this coral. <Did you see the Star Trek episode titled 'The Trouble with the Tribbles'?> When it came in contact with my Candy Cane coral it killed those and seems to be taking over. <Yes indeed. Is what it does.> Any information you could provide me on this type of coral and its behavior would be much appreciated. <Nuke it! Some removal options here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm Though I would recommend avoiding the flambéing method someone recently wrote in and suggested'¦> Thank you!
<Welcome! Mich>
Lynne

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