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FAQs on Bulb, Bubble Tip/Rose Anemone
Health 5 Related Articles:
Bubble Tip, Rose Anemones, Entacmaea
quadricolor, Use in Marine Systems by Bob Fenner,
Bubble Tip Anemones by Jim Black,
Recent Experiences with BTA's by Marc Quattromani,
Anemones, Cnidarians,
Colored/Dyed Anemones, Related
FAQs: BTA Disease 1,
BTA Disease 2, BTA Disease 3,
BTA Disease 4, BTA Health 6
BTA Health 7, BTA Health 8,
BTA Health 9, BTA Health 10, &
E. quad. FAQ 1, E. quad FAQ 2,
E. quad. FAQ 3, E.
quad FAQ 4, E. quad FAQ 5,
BTA ID,
BTA Compatibility, BTA Selection,
BTA Behavior, BTA Systems,
BTA Feeding, BTA
Reproduction/Propagation,
Anemones,
Anemones 2,
Caribbean Anemones,
Condylactis,
Aiptasia Anemones, Anemones and
Clownfishes,
Anemone Reproduction,
Anemone Lighting,
Anemone Identification,
Anemone Selection,
Anemone Behavior,
Anemone Health,
Anemone Placement, Anemone
Feeding, Heteractis
malu, | 
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E. Quadricolor, New Tank Issues – 11/14/07
Hello once again!
<Hello Ryan, Brenda here>
I have yet another question for you.
<Not a problem!>
It never ends, does it?
<No, but this is how
we all learn, and why we are here.>
Thanks for all your great
help so far and hopefully you can help me out with this interesting
situation?
<I’ll try!>
I recently moved my bubble tip anemone
and its clone to a new tank. The new tank was setup with existing
live rock and water, as well as some Chaetomorpha algae.
<This is
not an instant cycle. This creature needs an established
environment, including the sand bed. This takes a minimum of 6
months, one year is best.>
Everything has been going well, except
the endless walking around the tank.
<It is not happy.>
Different flow and lights will cause that.
<The new tank is
likely the cause.>
Yesterday I came home from work and found
something interesting. The anemones had been fed the day before and
looked a little unhappy.
<What are you feeding it?>
I took a
look and found something interesting? I've posted this on three
forums and no one has responded, which, in my opinion means no one
has an answer? Today the anemones look much happier and the "egg
sac" in the attached picture is gone. After I took the picture last
night I noticed the tentacle started to tear open but I did not stay
up late enough to see if anything was released? I added some carbon
and did a water change just in case something in the tank was off.
<You need to keep a close eye on your water parameters.>
Thanks
for looking, Ryan.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_1496.jpg
It is just to the right of the mouth.
<Yes, I see this.>
Any
ideas?
<Well, I can tell you, it is not an egg sac. Here is a
link to a thread that shows eggs inside of an anemone. The pictures
in this thread are amazing.
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic74210-9-1.aspx This is also a good
article to read:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/feature.htm As far as
what is going on; it could be a number of things. It looks to me
like one of its tentacles has become injured or irritated. What are
the tank mates, including fish, corals and invertebrates? Have you
noticed anything bothering it? Are there any possibilities that salt
accumulated somewhere and dropped into the tank, landing on the
anemone? What are your water parameters? How long has this tank been
up and running? Did you transfer the sand bed over also? If so, how
long did you leave it cycle before adding the livestock?
Thanks
again.
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. Quadricolor, New Tank Issues – 11/15/07
Hi Brenda,
thanks for the reply.
<Hello Ryan, and you’re welcome!>
You
are not going to like this?
<Yikes!>
I did the entire change
over in one day!
<Ouch!>
After asking many people if it would
be OK if I used existing live rock and water as well as some Chaeto,
they all said yes.
<No, it is not ok, especially with anemones.>
So if this was not OK what can I do now? Water parameters were fine
until I fed the anemones, I fed them shrimp, same shrimp I've fed
for over a year. My ammonia was a little high the day after and I'm
assuming that one or both of the anemones did not eat their
"dinner", causing the higher ammonia.
<The ammonia spike is
caused by the cycle. This is extremely toxic to anemones.>
I did
a water change to fix the problem, a rather large water change and
after that they both looked fine. Here are the water parameters,
ammonia 0, nitrite 0 (yes I'm sure), nitrate 0, calcium 400, Alk 10
DKH, salinity 1.025, temp. 79....I think that's it.
<I do
recommend a salinity of 1.026 for anemones.>
The tank has a
couple of frags that were attached to the live rock, Montipora and
that is it, no other corals or fish....oh other than the one
Palythoa hijacker. Please let me know if there is a way I can fix
this situation?
<I suggest getting the anemones out of there for
a while. See if you can find someone local to take it in. If you are
starting with a new sand bed, you need to wait a minimum of 6
months. If you transferred the old sand bed, it will take less time,
but I can’t give you an exact time frame. It could take a few weeks,
or even a few months. There are too many variables. You will need to
keep checking your water parameters. Once everything has been stable
for a while, you can put the anemones back in.>
I assure you I
did a lot of questioning before I went ahead with this move and
everyone said it was fine. Now I need your help, please. I did not
check the links yet because I'm in a bit of a rush and trying to
catch you today rather than tomorrow. Thanks for your help, Ryan.
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. Quadricolor, New Tank Issues – 11/16/07
Thank you
Brenda!
<You’re Welcome!>
Sorry to keep this going back and
forth with you.
<No need to be sorry!>
The sand is new, I
thought I was saving myself cycling issues by doing this rather than
using old "dirty" sand, apparently I was wrong.
<Even when using
old sand, there will still be a cycle.>
I have little trust in
others in my area, I work at a LFS but don't want my anemones there
because they cram them all in one little tank.
<Ouch! I know what
you mean! When visiting a LFS, I first look at how they treat their
anemones. I can’t count how many times I’ve left feeling sick! I
have found very few LFS that provide an adequate environment for
this creature.>
I don't know anyone else (local) with a tank that
would be suited to keep anemones.
<Wish I could help, I would
gladly take the anemones in for a while if you were local.>
So
that being said I would prefer to try and fix the problem by myself.
I watch things very carefully and hopefully I can pull this off? I
have a SPS reef tank that has been doing great for over a year
(started it before that). Here's what I've been doing. I'm making 5
gallons of new saltwater per day, letting it rest (with a pump) for
a day, adding that to my reef tank, then I take 5 gallons out of my
reef tank and change 5 gallons on my anemone tank.
<This is a
waste of effort in my opinion. You simply can not create an instant
cycle. Your new tank needs time to cycle. Dirty water is not the
solution. Once your tank has cycled it will still not be an adequate
environment for anemones.>
Not the best method but hopefully this
will get me through this 6 month period? I know you are not going to
be all that fond of this idea.
<No, I’m not fond at all, neither
are the anemones. They need an established environment, no less than
6 months, no short cuts here.>
Do you think it is possible to
keep my anemones if I continue to do this?
<It is a possibility,
but not a probability, also not fair to the anemones to be kept in
such an environment.>
My other option would be to somehow get
them back in my reef tank.
<This would be my choice, with a slow
drip acclimation to reduce added stress.>
I would prefer not to
lose my corals. That is an option that I would rather not go for.
<Were the anemones in the SPS tank previously? Were there problems
that made you decide to move them, roaming, etc.? I keep anemones
with SPS, and have had no issues. My anemones do not roam, and I
keep the SPS away from the anemones. Granted, this is not a
guarantee that they won’t roam someday. Can you tell me more about
your SPS tank? Size, equipment, livestock, water parameters, amount
of flow, RO or RO/DI water, is there room for the anemones?
I
appreciate your help a lot. Please try and see things from my point
of view on this.
<I do, (and the anemones view) we’ve all made
mistakes.>
I am doing my best to keep them happy. I guess I
should have emailed you first, before I made the transfer. By the
way both anemones look very healthy and happy!
<This may not be
long term.>
Thanks so much, Ryan.
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. Quadricolor, New Tank Issues... Brenda! Refer Ryan! –
11/16/07
Hi Brenda,
<Hello Ryan!>
Thanks again!
<You’re welcome!>
The anemones were in the SPS tank before but
the two used to be one, it split and then both started roaming.
<Both are a sign of stress.>
They are also very large so their
tentacles swaying in the current (lots of flow) were causing
problems with my corals and clam.
<Yes, that is a problem!>
I
use RO/DI water, have 4000 gph of flow (90 gallon tank),
<That is
a lot of flow, likely too much for anemones.>
a EuroReef skimmer,
Kalk reactor, refugium with a DSB and Chaeto, 500 watts of metal
halide lighting (10K), 100+ pounds of live rock, 30 gallon sump,
etc.
<Nice equipment!!!>
My water parameters in the SPS tank
are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 1.5, calcium 400, DKH 11, Ph 8.3,
temp. 79, SG 1.025-1.026.....I think I got all of those? My SPS tank
is packed full of corals and my main concern is the anemones
wandering or letting loose of the live rock and floating into a
Tunze powerhead.
<I don’t recommend the use of powerheads with
anemones. If you must use them, they need to be covered with
something to protect the anemone.>
I can provide you a link to a
picture to show you my tank so you get a feel for how packed it is.
My other thought was putting them in the refugium but then I would
have to buy an additional light and most likely keep that light on
at the same time my tank lights are on (not sure why I think that?).
<I don’t know why you think that either. I recommend the refugium
light to be on at opposite times of the main tank. Placing the
anemones in the sump (with proper lighting) is an option as long as
you can be sure the anemones are protected from all pumps. Anemones
going through a pump can wipe out an entire system. Without seeing
your set up or knowing how much flow is going through it, I really
can’t recommend it.>
I certainly want to keep the anemones happy
so I'll do what I need to. I'm also wondering if there would be a
safe way to connect the two tanks for a period of 6 months. I cannot
drill the tank, it's brand new acrylic and cost enough that I would
not feel comfortable putting a temporary hole in it.
<I don’t
blame you. What size/type tank is your new one? How close is it to
the old one? What lighting do you have on it? Do you have any old
tanks around that you could temporarily connect to the established
tank, a 20 gallon or so? I do suggest running carbon, and frequent
water changes when mixing coral and anemones. The initial problems
you experienced may have been caused by chemical warfare, along with
too much flow.>
I really appreciate all your help. Here's a
picture so you can see what I'm dealing with.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_1508.jpg
<Yes, a bit crowded for anemones.>
I guess the other option would
be to cage them in with some egg crate until they are attached and
happy?
<There are no guarantees that creating a cage will create
happiness. I believe there is simply too much flow in your main
tank, and possibly chemical warfare. In the mean time, take a cup or
two of sand out of your established tank, and start seeding your new
tank.>
Thanks once again, Ryan.
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. Quadricolor, New Tank Issues – 11/17/07
Thanks Brenda!
<You’re welcome>
Wow the longest running WWM FAQ ever....I'm
joking. I do have extra tanks but connecting them safely would be an
issue. The only way I could do that is to have a pump in the main
tank and a pump in the connected tank, both pumping water back and
forth, we both know you should not do that. The refugium may work. I
have no pumps in the Fuge, just a feed pump from a different area of
the sump which supplies clean water and lower flow. I would need to
upgrade the lighting but other than that I think that may work.
Here's what I'm going to do today. Take some sand out of the
refugium, add it to the anemone tank, take a large amount of Chaeto
and add that to the anemone tank as well. I am also going to try and
add some flow without having a pump directly in the tank with the
anemones. I think they miss the flow. Both settled in a very high
flow location in my reef tank so maybe that's what they're looking
for.
<They are suffering from being placed in a
non-cycled/non-established tank. It is important that you get them
out of there. This is not only very stressful on anemones, but also
one of the leading causes of death in captivity.>
I'll assume
this will be the last email about this, so once again thanks so much
for all your help. I'll give you an update in a month or so. Thanks,
Ryan.
<Good luck to you! Brenda> |
Sponge ID, Anemone getting healthier – 10/12/07
Crew,
<Hello Andy, Brenda here! I have received both of your e-mails, and
will answer both here.>
Hope all is well. I have two questions
and have attached three pictures related thereto.
<Okay.>
First: I purchased a piece of Tonga Branch with 4 greenish mushrooms
on it. At the bottom of the LR is what appears to be some type of
hairy sponge. When I tried to reposition this piece of LR, I noticed
that it has become attached to the piece of LR on which it rests. On
closer inspection, it appears that this sponge (or whatever it is)
has grown and bonded to the underlying LR. Any thoughts on what this
is?
<It is hard to tell with a picture and there are so many
different sponges.>
Second: I have had a BTA for 5 or so months.
When I got it, it was tan. Since then, it has gotten progressively
darker and is now a purple/brown color.
<Congratulations! Your
anemone is getting healthier.>
I feed it 1 frozen cube of Mysis
(thawed and soaked in Selcon) 2 times per week, and it is a very
eager eater.
<A full cube may be a bit much. I would also mix up
the diet a bit with some Silversides, Lance fish, raw shrimp, etc.
Portions should never be bigger than the anemones mouth.>
My Gold
Stripe Maroon Clown is in love with it.
<Yes, I bet! It is a
wonderful relationship to witness.>
In any event, as you'll see
from the attached photos, its tentacles have lost their bubble tips
(which it only had for a month or so), which I know is
typical/normal/not indicative of problems.
<No, it is not a
problem, and also not completely understood yet why some have
bubbled tips and some don’t.>
What has me curious is why the
tentacles sometimes look like curly-cues and whether it is normal
for the anemone to go concave on me (first picture). Its mouth is
very tight. It has not moved from that spot since I added it to the
display.
<Is it expelling waste when it looks like this?>
As
background, I have a 110 gallon display (48" x 18" x 30") with about
80 lbs of live rock, a 30 gallon LR/Chaeto/DSB refugium, a wet-dry
filter, and a Coral Life Super Skimmer. Lighting is six 54W T5 HO
(four 10,000k and two 460nm actinics).
<Do you have individual
reflectors?>
The BTA is positioned almost on the bottom of my
tank. Parameters are: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate all 0; pH
is 8.2; Salinity is 1.024-1.025.
<I recommend increasing salinity
to 1.026 for anemones.>
Temperature is 78 -80 degrees. I do 10%
weekly water changes with aged RO/DI water (Instant Ocean). Other
tank inhabitants are Sailfin Tang (I know . . .), Gold Stripe
Maroon, Brown Combtooth Blenny, Royal Gramma, Filament Flasher
Wrasse, Yellow Wrasse, Clown Goby, about 15 mushrooms (various
types), 2 unidentified tree corals, 1 Lemnalia, hermits, snails, and
two Sally Light Foot crabs. I appreciate your time/thoughts.
Andy
Crew,
Sorry to cause confusion and delay, but in re-reading my
e-mail below I realized that I asked about my BTA's oral disc being
"concave" from time to time, when I meant to say convex. Sometimes,
it turns outward/upward to fully expose its oral disc.
<It may be
trying to reach for light. From the pictures it looks healthy.>
Just so I'm clear, it never turns itself "inside out"--just appears
to reach for the stars.
<It is reaching for light.>
Because
it has never moved and has great color, I can only assume that it's
not in need of more light, but I am just a reader of law and no
specialist of inverts.
<It may be that the anemone has positioned
itself in such away that it is partially shaded, and needs to extend
in order to reach the light. It does not mean that you need to add
more lighting. The anemone appears healthy. If you have individual
reflectors on your T-5s, I would leave things alone.>
Thanks!
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: Sponge ID, Anemone getting healthier – 10/12/07
Brenda,
<Hello Andy>
Thanks for the response.
<You’re Welcome!>
I
don't think I have individual reflectors. I know that some T5 bulbs
actually have internal reflectors, but I don't think my bulbs
(SlimPaq T-5 HO) have this characteristic.
<Without the
individual reflectors, T-5 bulbs are comparable to PC lighting.>
What I do know is that my fixtures are Current Nova Extremes (I have
one 4 bulb fixture and one 2 bulb fixture). The product information
states that the fixture has "A German parabolic reflector increases
light output up to 99%".
<With the use of individual reflectors,
lighting can be increased up to 300%. I am really surprised that the
anemone remains so low in your tank, yet appears healthy after 5
months. I suspect that your clownfish constantly feeding it, and the
use of Selcon, is making up for the lack of lighting. The “reaching”
out that you see, is the anemone trying to get as much light as
possible. Keep a close eye on the anemone. Keep all intakes
protected in case the anemone decides to take a walk looking for
more lighting. If its health decreases, it may be time to upgrade
lighting, or find the anemone a new home. At this point, I am not
seeing any immediate concerns. Brenda> | 
|
BTA – Need More Information! – 10/7/07
Hi crew....
<Hello
Tracy, Brenda here>
I have a 30 gal. tank, fluorescent. lights,
<How many watts, what K value??
3 clowns,
<two clownfish is the
limit for less than a few hundred gallons.>
5 damsels,
<Yikes!
That’s a lot of aggression, and way over stocked!>
live rock, all the
tests are perfect.
<What exactly is “perfect”?>
I purchased a
Green BTA a few days ago. It looked good for a day, but now it is
totally closed up, and blown up like a balloon, and laying on its side
even though it is still attached to the glass.
<It should be attached
to live rock, not glass.>
Is it dead?
<I don’t know, I can’t see
it. You might want to send me a picture of it, along with the rest of
the information I requested.>
I don't want to R/M
<remove?>
it
if it isn't of course. I was hoping it is just adjusting to its new
home.
<It could be, but doubtful, how did you acclimate it, where did
it come from, internet, LFS, friend?
Thanks, Tracy
<Brenda>
Re: Rose Bubble Anemone
hlth. 9/7/07
I've not changed the set up in any way.
The only thing introduced in the last 2 weeks is a small colony of
mushroom corals which are usually the other side of the tank. The
lighting I have is 2x24" Acadia blue fluorescents and 2x24" white. The
tank size is 25 gallons (U.K gallon that is).
<Ah, anemones rarely
do well in small tanks.>
Water parameters are S.G 1.023,
<salinity should be closer to 1.025sg>
No3 10mg,
<doesn't help>
Nitrite Nil, Ammonia Nil, Phosphates Nil, Ph 8.2, Calcium 360mg and KH
7-10, temperature is a constant 77.25.
<closer to 80 would be
better>
I do a 25% water change weekly but this is mostly to try and
starve the annoying patches of hair algae before they get a grip in the
whole tank. I have an Aquaclear 4000 power head directing the flow of
water across the tank. The only other inhabitants in the tank are 2
clowns (male & female) and a Banded Coral Shrimp, so the tank is hardly
overstocked.
<Sure, but I wouldn't add anymore fish.>
on the
forum suggested that my lighting was incorrect and not powerful enough
for a BTA.
<That's quite possible. However, even if you had ideal
lighting, the tank is still too small for a BTA.>
Any suggestions
would be grateful as the BTA is truely beautiful when at full health.
(If you have any ideas to kill the hair algae that would be appreciated
too.)
<About all I can suggest at this point is that you get a bigger
tank. For the time being, running activated carbon might help.
Best,
Sara M.>
Stressed BTA due to shipping, Entacmaea quadricolor – 8/19/07
Hello,
<Hello Wesley, Brenda here again>
I've got a question about my rose BTA. I added it a few days ago to
my tank. The first day it expelled some waste then expanded to its
current size. After reading through your FAQs I think it is
expelling some symbiotic algae. I've attached two pictures to show
the change.
<Yes, I see, and agree.>
The first picture was taken 6hrs after
it was placed in the tank and is expelling waste (though it is hard
to see). Second picture is day 3 (color is actually more vibrant
than it appears). You can see that it has opened up and the
tentacles have elongated. Could be that the algae is simply being
stretched over a larger area resulting in less coloration. I have
noticed that at night when it shrinks down the colors are stronger.
<Typical>
The open mouth makes me think it is somehow
stressed/expelling algae.
<An open mouth is a sign of a stressed
anemone. It does appear to have lost some of its zooxanthellae.>
I ordered it online, so it did spend an entire day being kicked
around by FedEx.
<This is likely the cause. Shipping is very
stressful on anemones. How was the anemone packaged?>
Also, my
maroon clown has now made the RBTA its home, though she isn't
beating it up.
<A maroon clownfish with a stressed anemone can
cause more harm. Keep a close eye on it, and be prepared to remove
the clownfish.>
Tank specs:
50g
2 x 150w 20k HQI (same temp online store kept it under)
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Alkalinity = 10.5
Calcium = 380 ppm (slowly being raised)
PH = 8.1 (slowly being raised with Calcium)
<A pH of 8.1 is acceptable.>
Salinity = 1.235 (also being raised to target of 1.25)
<Slowly bring salinity up to 1.026. Use saltwater as your daily top
off until you reach 1.026. Where is your magnesium at? What is the
temperature?>
Slow = at least a week (hah)
I did the drip method acclimation procedure over roughly 3.5 hours.
<Perfect!>
I haven't started feeding it yet pursuant to Crew
member Brenda's advice (thanks!) to wait a few days. Is it
bleaching?
<It is slightly bleached. I have seen much worse
completely recover. I have high hopes for this little guy!!!>
What should I do if it is?
<Start feeding small portions of food such as silversides, lance
fish, or Mysis shrimp. Start with portions approximately 1/8 inch
every other day. Don’t force it to eat. If it doesn’t want to take
the food, try again the next day. Food soaked in Selcon may also
help.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/207914/product.web Keep
checking your water parameters and keep up with water changes. Once
it recovers feed two to three times a week, with portions no bigger
than the mouth.>
Thank you for your help,
Wesley
<You’re Welcome! I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Brenda> |  
|
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>
E. quadricolor, Bubble Tip Anemone Not Fully Inflated, Mixed Species
Tank??? – 7/28/07
Hi there!
<Hello, Brenda here!>
Well I
have a bubble anemone and would just like to have a concern addressed if
possible?
<I’ll try!>
My water quality is perfect and lighting is
good (in fact all other anemones and inverts are happy and are growing
like mad).
<All other anemones? Unless the anemones are clones, it is
likely the problem.>
My bubble anemone just doesn’t fully inflate. It
rarely deflates. It's open all day long and very occasionally moves
around, but not too often, changed positions once in the last 2-3
weeks).
<A moving anemone is a sign that it is unhappy. It may be
getting stung by a nearby anemone or coral.>
My main concern is why
does it never fully inflate? It is inflated but not to what I have seen
it do before! I would say it is about 3 quarters fully inflated but that
is as far as it goes! Any theories?
<I need more information. Are the
anemones that you keep the same species and clones? If not, I would
separate, that is likely the problem. If they are the same species and a
clone: What are the other tank mates? I also need actual water
parameters, tank size, equipment list, including lighting. How long have
you had the anemone? Have you changed anything lately, bulbs perhaps?
What do you feed, how often and what sized portions? How long has the
tank been set up?>
Many thanks, Jamie
<You’re Welcome! Brenda>
Stressed Bubble Tip Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, Tank Overheated –
6/19/07
Hi Guys!
<Hello, Brenda here>
So this is the deal,
I've had a bubble-tip anemone for about 10 months now and it has always
seemed happy. It is brown colored with a very orange base. It attached
itself to the lowest point in the fish tank against some live rock and
stretched its body through the live rock so it could get light. It
always took to food and always opened up when the lighting came on in
the morning. A few weeks ago, the temperatures in the area went over 100
degrees and we didn't have our air conditioner on at the time.
<Ouch!>
I didn't anticipate the heat (darn that weather channel) so I
didn't have any type of cooling for the tank when it happened. (I now
have some emergency frozen 2 liter bottles of water to float for such
days).
<Great! Using a fan to blow air across the surface of the
water will also help.>
Now, the anemone will not come through the
live rock to get light. I moved some rock around to see what it looked
like, and the foot does not seem damaged at all. Its appearance around
the mouth looks very leathery while the mouth itself used to be very
tightly shut but now stays open to about the diameter of a pencil. The
tentacles are no longer bubbly at the tips, they taper to a point. I
moved the live rock around it so I could have access to it to feed it in
the morning, but when I got up to look at my fish tank, the anemone was
completely shut. Is my anemone out of whack, sick, sensitive to light
now, trying to get better?
<Your anemone is likely still stressed
from the heat. Leave it be, don’t try to move it. It will move when it
is ready. Moving it will add more stress.>
I've had the water tested
at the LFS and they said everything is fine.
<I don’t trust tests
done by LFS. You really need to be able to test your own water
parameters. Parameters can change over night. Pristine water conditions
will be the key to its recovery.>
The only other issue I can see with
the tank is that a bit of my purple coralline algae seemed to turn brown
after the day of overheating.
<Your coralline algae will return.>
Thanks for your help!
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Tiny creatures living on my bubble anemone! Misplaced – 06/11/07
I have a 20 gallon tank, been up for 4 months and very stable, no deaths
and box fish,
<... this is way too small a volume to keep an
Ostraciid>
mandarin goby,
<Ditto>
2 clowns, a camel shrimp and
a couple damsels
<Ditto>
are thriving and happy.
<Ah, no>
I
just introduced a rose bubble anemone (I think, orangy white with a
little green) to the tank 2 days ago.
<A very poor idea>
I might
have to return it though, as it hasn't seemed to find a good spot and is
contracting and expanding a bit.
<They do this last...>
Today to
my great surprise, I observed tiny little mite looking creatures on it.
There are probably 50 on this medium anemone.
They are flat, same
orangy color of the anemone and they are oval and about 1 mm in
diameter. They are "crawling" on it sporadically and pulsate/lift up
slightly from the surface of the anemone. Are these symbiotic creatures
or contributing to the anemone's discomfort?
<Mmm, don't know...
there are acarinans in marine/reef settings... Many can become
problematical in challenging/challenged situations. That is, these could
be working this anemone woe...>
Is this a sign of another general
state of the anemone? It's mouth is a bit 'loose'.
<... Likely
trouble>
Also, I am observing at times, what looks like digestive
strands being exuded from some of the tentacles. Is this possible and
why?
<Stress... perhaps a damaged specimen>
Thanks so much. Your
website is a great contribution to the fish loving community!
Julia
<Julia... please do read re anemone keeping on WWM:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm
And if it were my
system, I WOULD return this animal/anemone post haste... There is too
much probability that it will perish, take your other animals with it
here... DO read re the Systems, Compatibility of the life you list...
and going forward, what you intend to keep. You NEED a much larger
system here. Bob Fenner>
Re: tiny creatures living on my bubble anemone! – 06/11/07
Thanks
Bob for your advice. I will return the anemone.
<Ah, good>
How do
I go about catching the mandarin goby to return it also? Is there anyway
to get around taking everything out???
<This may be necessary>
I
wish the store had told me the goby would not be healthy in my system
before I bought it!!! Thus the importance of your site. Wish I'd found
it before my purchase...
Julia
<I as well. Life to you my friend.
Bob Fenner> New Bubble Tip Anemone Stressed! Is it
Dying? 5/18/07
I've had my Bubble Tip Anemone 5 Days now. It
has spent most of the time since then shriveled up and hidden away in a
hole it moved to on the third day.
<It may still be acclimating to
its new home and/or your lighting? Do you know what kind of lighting it
was under before you got it? What lighting do you have? How old are
your bulbs?>
It was acclimated over several hours.
<Good>
I
bought the rock it was attached to. It is small maybe 6 cm. Now it has
shriveled up to nothing, it has turned white and now has started to turn
brown. Should I get it out?
<White is not good. It has expelled its
Zooxanthellae. It can recover from this with proper care. Can you see
the mouth? Is it open? Can you send me a picture?>
I have an
established tank. Water checked every 2 days (every day during this
crisis) ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 5-10. pH 8.2.
<What is the
salinity, alkalinity and temperature?>
I noticed my cleaner shrimp
having a go at it as well (he is a little monster, he's learned to knock
my snails over and eat them, getting expensive to feed him this way).
<The shrimp may be adding to the stress, but I doubt it is entirely
responsible. The knocking over and eating snails sounds more like a
crab to me. Do you have any in your tank?>
This is my first attempt
at an Anemone and I feel really bad as I've not lost anything for ages.
<I understand completely. If at anytime the anemone looks to be melting
or decaying, it is dead. Be prepared to do large water changes. If it
dies the ammonia is going to sky rocket.>
<Brenda> BTA,
Entacmaea quadricolor not looking well, Clownfish moved out, 4/19/07
Hi Guys,
<Hi Nancy, Brenda here>
For the past year I have had a
180 gal homemade reef tank up and running with minimal problems. I have
an Eco System filter, 2- 60" VHO lights and 3- 175watt MH. Numerous
soft and stony corals, a few fish and 'house keeper' inverts. Also a
green and a rose BTA, a Sebae Anemone and one tomato clown who had
chosen to live in the Green BTA. All anemones have a clay pot for a
home.
<Why the clay pot?>
A few weeks ago the green BTA started
to look flaccid and the clown moved out. I have read that when they are
going to divide they will look poorly so I let it be.
<Not
necessarily.>
It has at least a 4" base on it, has thrived up to
this point and has been in my possession for a couple years. Concerned
that as it had shrunk to the bottom of its pot and was not getting
sufficient water flow I tipped the pot on its side and the anemone moved
out. It is now hanging off the side of the live rock where there is
maximum current but still looking less than healthy. Now and then the
clown will come over to visit but does not stay. What do you
think? Getting ready to divide or getting ready to cash out?
<I
doubt it is getting ready to split if it has been like this for a few
weeks. You should not mix species of anemones in one tank. All those
corals you have in there are not doing it any favors either. I imagine
there is a lot of chemical warfare going on in there.>
As it is so
large I hate to leave it in there to slowly die and contaminate the rest
of the tank but we have been together for some time now and I feel like
I need to give it a chance. I owe it to the critter.
<Yes, we are
ultimately responsible for the animals we keep.>
I did change the
VHO bulbs and put in two blue instead of one blue and one 50/50. Is
that enough to make a difference?
<Not likely enough. What are your
water parameters? I suggest doing a water change and running some
carbon immediately. If that don’t help in a day or two, I suggest
removing one of the anemone species and some corals. What have you been
feeding your anemones?>
Thanks, Nancy
<You’re welcome! Brenda>
Re: BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor not looking well, Clownfish moved out,
4/21/07
Thanks for the timely reply Brenda,
<You’re welcome>
Water parameters : temp 74.5, SpG .023, Ph 8.2, Ca+ 400, Alk 300,
everything else 0.
<Your temperature and salinity are
low. Gradually bring temperature up to 79 – 80, and Salinity up to
1.026. I would bring Salinity up by topping off with saltwater over the
next few days. Alkalinity at 300? I’m not sure what test kits gives
Alkalinity in that type of measurement. It is not one I am familiar
with. Alkalinity is typically expressed as meq/L or dKH (when expressed
as carbonate hardness), with 2.8 meq/L or 8 dKH as a target for
anemones.>
I do have carbon in the sump that I change when they get
covered with algae and did so around a month ago.
<How are you
running the carbon, through a reactor or in a mesh bag? A reactor is
best as it will force the water through. It is my understanding that
carbon is only good for 3 weeks at best.>
I feed the anemones
silversides, shrimp (that I would like for myself) and then whatever
type of frozen food that I am giving the fish I will squirt a bit on
them.
<Raw shrimp I hope.>
The interesting thing is that they
were together in a 75 gal tank along with soft corals and mushrooms and
did fine. The BTA and the Sebae have been in the 180 for three months
or more and the rose was put in two months ago.
<Yes, interesting.>
It is still on the side of the live rock right in the inlet water flow
this morning and is looking better than it has for some time. I will
try a H2O exchange and give it a few more days.
The flower pot is to
give is a comfort and secure spot to live so it won't wander all over
and get itself into trouble. That was suggested to me by a dealer and
has worked well. No one messing with water intakes or heaters or other
critters.
<I’m surprised you can get it to stay in there. I would
still protect your intakes with some needle point canvas.>
Nancy
<Keep me posted with any improvements or decline. Send us a picture
with your updates if you can. Good luck! Brenda>
Update: BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor not looking well, Clownfish moved
out, 4/26/07
Brenda,
I wish I had good news to share with
you regarding my BTA but unfortunately that is not the case.
<Sorry to hear that.>
The temp is partially determined by the
ambient house temp with supplement from a heater in the sump. When the
temp cooled off outside after a short warm spell I relit the fire and
the temp came back up to 76-77. I guess that I need to adjust the
heater a bit.
<Yes, needs to be warmer, 79 – 80
degrees.>
I did raise the salinity up to .026 over the course of a
few days. When the BTA initially vacated its flowerpot and hung on the
side of the rocks in the current I thought that it was improving as it
was well stuck and the base was inflated
although the tentacles
remained short.
<Short tentacles are a sign of hunger.>
I was out of town for two days and when I got home it had moved/dropped
to the bottom of the tank, lost all tentacles on one side and looked
mushy. I hated to do it but as I feared for the health of all the rest
of the critters I took it out and sent it to anemone heaven.
<Sounds
like it may have been time to remove it.>
Since that time the red
Brain Coral has been inflating better than previously. Could be
circumstantial or could be it's happier without some irritant.
<Likely the later.>
Life in my mini ocean sure is
interesting. Thanks for all your help.
<You’re welcome.>
I do
think that I will forgo adding any more anemones. The Sebae and the
Rose are both looking chipper and the clown is sharing his time between
the two. I'm going to leave well enough alone.
<As previously
suggested, only one species of anemone per tank.>
Nancy
<Brenda>
Bleached BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor eats bicolor angel – 4/15/07
Please help me identify this anemone.
<Sure will>
I brought
it from my local pet store and recently it killed my bicolor angel.
His head was sucked in his mouth.
<A bicolor angel should not be
kept with an anemone. It is known to nip at them.>
Did the
anemone sting or just suffocate my angel cause he was hungry or for
any other reason. I have been feeding the anemone since I brought it
home on a regular basis.
<Your anemone was likely defending
itself. What have you been feeding your anemone? It is
hungry. The short tentacles are a sign that it is not getting
enough to eat.>
It has a brown base with white chubby tentacles
and at times they appear to be thin and pointy like.
<Your
anemone is a bubble tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor. It is known
to have “chubby” tentacles at times. Your anemone is also
bleached. This means it has expelled its
zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae is an algae the lives inside them. I
suggest feeding meat foods, like silversides, soaked in Selcon
daily. I also suggest portions no bigger than the anemones mouth.>
I have attached a couple of photos I took this morning. If it’s not
too much to ask could you send me a link or some information on his
requirement and what if any special precautions I should take.
<I recommend researching before you purchase. Anemones are delicate
and difficult to keep creatures with special requirements. There is
a lot of information regarding such on WWM. Also
www.karensroseanemones.com is also a great site.>
Thanks in
advance for all your help.
Cheers, Kristy
<You’re
welcome! Brenda> |
Re: Bleached BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor eats bicolor angel –
4/16/07
Thank you again for all your help.
<You’re
Welcome!>
I have been feeding frozen brine shrimp as the
person I purchased from suggested and for now on I will be
feeding it daily.
<Brine shrimp has little or no nutritional
value. Try some silversides. Once your anemone is healthy
again, you can cut back on feedings to 2 – 3 times a week.>
Will my clowns go in this as they haven’t yet?
<There is no
guarantee with clownfish. It may take some time, and it may
never happen.>
Is this because he is hungry?
<No.>
I
have a pair of Ocellaris.
Also in my 5ft tank I have a large
Regal blue tang, a very beautiful Large Powder Blue Tang
(Surgeon Fish), Coral beauty and a Heralds Angel <C. heraldi?>
along with some live rock and a Catalaphyllia.
I also
purchased a medium sized butterfly fish and was told it won’t
eat the Catalaphyllia as he will sting the fish. The fish
pecked at the coral. I have now moved the butterfly to a
different tank. Will the coral come back to its normal self
again and why didn’t it sting the butterfly?
<Butterfly fish
are known to eat anemones, which also sting. It is likely
immune to the sting. It should never be kept with corals or
anemones. It may come back. It really depends on the amount of
damage and if it is in a healthy environment. You have to be
careful with Angel fish and Butterfly fish with corals and
anemones. As far as your anemone’s health, it sounds like there
is a lot going on here. Feedings need to be changed, and
increase. It needs to be separated from the Angel fish,
Butterfly fish and Catalaphyllia. It sounds like you are
getting some bad advice. I suggest making a list of all your
livestock and researching their care and compatibility.>
Thank you.
Kristy
<You’re welcome! Brenda> |
Update: Re: Bleached BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor eats bicolor
angel – 4/17/07
Hi Brenda,
<Hi Kristy>
Ok so I
have now separated the bubble anemone and Catalaphyllia.
<Good>
I moved the anemone into a smaller tank (3ft) I used
once for quarantine. I used the same water from the 5ft and
shell grit. So conditions didn’t change much, I transferred the
rock he was on along with him. I was watching his behavior
closely. His mouth was closed up all day yesterday so I wasn’t
able to feed him any silversides so I went to the store and got
some Aquasonic liquid sea food.
<Yikes! You are putting the
food in his mouth? Stop! The anemone will take the food
itself. It will open his mouth all by itself. Never put
anything in its mouth. Aquasonic liquid sea food? I don’t know
what this is. If it is a liquid food it is not an anemone
food. Do not use it on an anemone. They need meaty pieces of
food. Your anemone is bleached and in poor health. If you tear
it, it will likely not recover. If the anemone is unable to
hold onto the food with its tentacles, simply drop the food near
its mouth from an inch or so away. Turn down the flow if you
need to so it doesn’t get blown away. If your anemones mouth is
open that means its health is declining. It does not mean that
it wants you to put food in it.>
Last night when I went in
to check on him, his foot was puffed up and was rolling/floating
around the grit on the tank. Once he rolled right over
until
he was on his tentacles.
<This is not a good sign.>
I
placed another piece of rock in the tank thinking he might be
just moving. I carefully placed him on the rock. Did I do the
right thing and he only done this behavior when the tank lights
were off, was he searching for light.
<Your anemone is
looking for a happy environment. My guess is it will not find
one.>
I turned on the marine light (blue light) and decided
to leave him be. Should I have done this? Should I have fed him
when he was all puffed up and open. Anemones are so fussy but it
is a learning experience and I like to learn new things.
<Anemones are not fussy when they are healthy and placed in the
proper environment. It may be a learning experience for you,
and you may like it. However your anemone is sick, and will
likely die. This is an animal that you chose to keep. It is
your responsibility to provide it with the proper
environment. This includes researching and knowing the
requirements before you purchase.>
So it is also kind of
fun, and stressful at times. But it is all worth it at the end.
<It might also be worth reading the information and website that
I provided for you previously. Also, WetWebMedia covers all of
these items. Myself and many others have covered them many
times.>
Sorry to bug you with so many questions, I just want
the best for the
anemone. Do you know the reason why he
would act like so.
<There are many reasons. As I stated in
my e-mail yesterday, “As far as your anemone’s health, it sounds
like there is a lot going on here. Feedings need to be changed,
and increase. It needs to be separated from the Angel fish,
Butterfly fish and Catalaphyllia. It sounds like you are
getting some bad advice. I suggest making a list of all your
livestock and researching their care and compatibility.”
This morning he has settled on the rock I placed him on but is
still closed and can’t seem to put food in him and doesn’t seem
to want it as he closes more when I place it on his tentacles.
PLEASE HELP MY ANEMONE.
<Take him back to where you got him,
or offer him to someone in a local club.>
THANKS HEAPS.
kind REGARDS
KRISTY
<Brenda>
Update: RE: Bleached BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor eats bicolor
angel – - 04/17/07
4/87/07
You must have had me
mistaken. I didn’t use the correct choice of words by stating
that I tried to put food in his mouth meaning is mouth was
visible but closed, I could see the center of the disk as the
tentacle were sucked in so bad. No way will I do that. As I know
the risks of driving further to anemone heaven.
<Good>
I
have read the site that you gave me from top to bottom.
Its
a great site, also another document that I found useful was
http://www.carlosreef.com/AnemoneFAQ.pdf
Its really good
and I read most of that one today, I recommend it to all that
would like to purchase an anemone.
<It is a good
reference. It is not BTA specific such as Karen’s website.>
The more I read on my BTA the more I regretted buying it. I have
chosen to see if the store will take it back and I have learned
a lot from this experience and I would hate for this to die. I
will be doing heaps more research on these before I buy another.
<Both excellent choices. Do you have a local reef club? You
may find someone local with experience that can help your
anemone.>
Thank you for all of your help; will let you know
how my Catalaphyllia goes in
the future.
Kind Regards
Kristy
<You’re welcome! Good luck to you! Brenda> |
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