Re: BTA shrinking tentacles more info... Allelopathy  4/24/2009
Hi I sent you guys a question earlier this morning about my bubble tip anemone problems. I sent a picture of him, and listed all water and lighting other livestock etc. I did not mention the other corals in my tank. I have been reading on your site all day and I'm wondering if the brown, gold, and green Zoanthids in my tank could be the problem.
<Mmm, yes>
I thought it was the new light bulbs. I will continue researching on your site, but wanted to add to my earlier e mail that there are a lot of Zoanthids in my tank, also some metallic green star polyps, a toad stool,
and a mushroom.
<All these can be toxic to other Cnidarians... most so the Zoanthids>
If the Zoanthids are the problem, should I get rid of them. Our tank has been set up for a long time and they have multiplied a lot. Will my BTA survive? What's the easiest way to get rid of them? Thanks. Dawn D.
<Mmm, best for you to read: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
and the linked files above... till you understand your situation, options, consequences. Bob Fenner>

bubble anemone shrinking tentacles... Nope... sent secondarily  4/24/2009 Hi Crew. Thanks in advance for your help. I am needing some help with my bubble tip anemone. <Not... see here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm Can't be sure from your image, but from the color of the pedicle, the verrucae... this looks like a Heteractis magnifica> I purchased him at my LFS about 2 months ago. I am in the process of trying to correctly identify him using your web site, but when I got him he had beautiful frosty bulbs with purple on the tips. <Mmmm?> He was fine, behaving and eating as I would expect based on the research I've done about them. About a month ago we replaced the bulbs in our aquarium. Compact fluorescents 2 each of 65w dual actinics and 2 each of 10,000K dual daylights. <How far away...?> Our tank is a 90 gallon with a 15 gallon sump. No mechanical filtration. 6 inches live sand, 110 lbs live rock, a pro clear aquatics 150 protein skimmer in the sump, and a pacific coast imports chiller that keeps the temperature at a constant 78. specific gravity is always 1.024 with water that has evaporated replaced each day with RO water from a Kent RO unit. We do weekly 10% water changes. Calcium is about 400, PH is 8.2-8.3. no ammonia etc. alkalinity is on the high side of normal according to my test kit. The aquarium has been set up for over 3 years. This is the first time adding a BTA. Also I change a carbon pillow monthly in the sump. We have four ocellaris clowns, one desjardinii tang, one regal tang, one yellow tang, a coral beauty, and a male and female mandarin dragonet. Also a lot of snails, some hermit crabs a couple cucumbers a skunk cleaner shrimp and two red fire cleaner shrimp. Anyway, since we replaced the light bulbs, our BTA has not been well. His color on his body is still the same, brown, but his tentacles have shrunken more and more until they are almost gone. He still eats and excretes waste. I feed PE mysis shrimp mixed with Cyclopeeze and formula two flakes daily to all tank inhabitants, and I feed small chunks of shrimp and scallops from my local grocery store to the BTA every few days. Usually he takes it. Occasionally he lets it go. Are the lights the problem? <Perhaps a contributing factor... This amount (intensity) of light is insufficient for either Entacmaea or a Magnificent...> Should I move him? <I would try this> He is attached to a large rock that can be moved lower in the tank. I am attaching a photo that I took of him this morning. At night when the lights are out his disk expands like a big soft pillow full of water, about 4 or 5 inches across, but the bulbs still stay shrunken. His mouth is tight and smooth. Can you guys(and or girls) help? Thank you so much. I love your site! <Please use it. Bob Fenner>

Sick Ritteri... many issues... A jokester?  12/27/08
Hello, We have had a Ritteri for about 15yrs. We had him in a 50 gallon tank for many of those years, along with the rest of our reef inhabitants.
At one point several years ago we remodeled our room and we changed to a 75 gal. tank. For a year or so all was fine and then we had a water problem of some sort and he started shriveling up so we tried to fix the water
problem and put in Nitrate sponges and phosphate sponges, we made sure our sump was working properly, and that our protein skimmer was working properly...Everyone else in the tank was very happy except him... In an last ditch effort to save him we put him in our 15 gallon show tank [taller than most 15 gal tanks]. We have mushrooms and polyps on rocks
<Not likely compatible with the Magnificent anemone>
in there and they are doing beautifully. He attached himself and for the last several years along with "Coral and Marlin" the two clown fish that have been with him since we got them, They have been happy. About a month or two ago we started having a green water problem and the Ritteri is shriveling up and closing up, and spitting out his stomach, and is almost flat.... we have taken every test available to us. Salinity is 23,
<Mmm, better to be near seawater strength/concentration: 1.025>
Nitrate was 0,
<Is an essential nutrient>
Phosphate was less than 0.05 , Hardness [which is too hard] 14... the Calcium is 540
<... Way too high... and your Magnesium?>
.....We did an almost 90 % water change. We used the Reef water since it has no issues...about 60% of the tank, 10 gals or so. and the rest, new salt water from our barrel. but the Ritteri wouldn't perk up. Our little tank is green again, and we have ordered Algone for the tank but it hasn't arrived yet.
<I would not use an Algicide...>
So we put the Ritteri in the reef on the bottom...... We are watching him , he is stuck to the bottom , but he's spitting up all this fluffy looking stuff and all his tentacles are laying like a flat mum (the flower)...
<Bad>
but he does not smell and none of the cleaning crew are trying to eat him...What do we do? Thank you so much, Susan and Bobert Arnett
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner.

Anemone problems, Ritter's   11/25/08
Hi there,
you have helped me out in the past, and I am back again. I just acquired a Ritteri anemone, about 4" in diameter,
<Mmm... "squeezed down" for shipping likely... Heteractis magnifica in the wild are almost always much larger than this>
came shipped, arrived in good condition. I have tons of live rock, checked up on your website, placed him high in the tank. Cut back the water flow for now, he rolled around a lot and now is where i think he wants to be, however my maroon clown has taken interest in him and now is trying to move him. The anemone isn't attached yet and it has been a few days. What should i do?? Thanks for all your help.
<Mmm... I'd remove the Clownfish for sure... temporarily... to see if this "helps" the anemone to settle... H. magnifica/Ritter's do "go floating about" much more than any other symbiotic Actinarian species... Do make sure pump intakes and overflows are effectively screened... heaters as well. You have read my piece on this species care on WWM: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm
and the linked files above? This is not an easily kept animal... Bob Fenner>

Anemone problem
I have looked at a very large amount of anemone websites on the internet and I believe that you site is ranked as one of the most informative in my
opinion. 
<thank you... as it is intended. I for one feel that most anemones should not be collected and that most aquarists should not buy/keep them. We could talk for hours about the reasons why. Simply know that for starters that they are likely doomed to fail (assuming you can even get a healthy undamaged one) if they are not kept in a species tank: no other cnidarians! No coral and no other anemones>
I have kept many anemones with not much luck. They just all seem to slowly die. I hate that. 
<don't keep buying them my friend>
I currently had a big beautiful ritteri anemone. 
<perhaps the most difficult of them all. They need full reef lighting... more than most coral. How many aquarists are willing to spend $1000 on a hefty halide lighting system just to keep a single anemone. This... most climb the walls starving for light and die without it or get torn/killed in a pump or overflow intake in their search. Tragic>
It seems to be big in the morning but as the day progresses it just seems to get much smaller and tentacles begin to deflate. It has plenty of light 
<250-400 watt metal halides?>
and a moderate amount of water movement. 
<very strong water movement needed here too>
The thing with all my anemones is when the begin to die, they look like they begin to expel some sort of a smoky substance. Can you tell me what that is? 
<one possibility is the expulsion of zooxanthellae under duress>
And is there anything I can do to help my anemone?
<natural sunlight supplemented with big halides, no unguarded pump intakes, heavy feedings of micro sized ocean meats, weekly water changes... essentially a species tank>
thanks, Chris
<best regards, Anthony>

Heteractis magnifica health 12/12/03
Guys,
<Adam here this evening>
I have had a magnifica for about 8 months (previous owner had it for 2years)
<congrats on your success with this difficult animal!>
and all of the sudden the mouth has protruded outward and it has not decreased in size. At night the mouth comes out even further.
<I have seen this behavior in other species of anemones, and have always seen it pass in otherwise healthy specimens>
The anemone has not lost its color or its ability to hold onto food (it does not eat food but holds onto it for about 10 min. and then lets it go)
<Good signs that the stress it is experiencing is probably mild and still reversible.>
It is about 12 inches wide and 2 clownfish host it one 3 inches long and one 1inch long. I have metal halides and bombard it with current.
<You obviously are aware of this animals requirements in this regard.  If it has been healthy for 8 months in your care, I suspect that you are meeting light and current needs.  My next thought goes toward water quality.  Even if all of the parameters you test for seem to be within acceptable limits, there may be a water quality issue outside of the things we normally test for.  If this aquarium also houses corals, I would be suspicious or allelopathy.  If not, I would still recommend a couple of significant water changes.>
I use to feed it 3 times a week but for about 2 weeks I have not fed it at all. Let me know what I can do to remedy the situation.
<I would verify that all measurable water quality parameters are acceptable, and proceed with a couple of water changes regardless of the results.  If any large corals are present, I would consider moving them to another tank.  In the mean time, I would limit feeding attempts to only enough food to see if the animal resumes eating.  When it does, you can increase the amount.  If you don't ever vary the food, you may try that also.>
Thank you for your input
<Always a pleasure!  Please do keep us updated. Adam>
Alexander Blanco

Ritteri blues
Good Morning,
<hello>
I have a 50 Gal. tank that is 36"L X 18"W X 20"D, with 2 175 Watt Metal Halides and 2 65 Watt power compact actinic blue lights. My tank is completely cycled for almost a year now, and my water quality is exceptional ( I do a 30% water change every two weeks, sometimes more often), and I have a motion full tank with alternating wave action.  My question is I have purchased a 8"-9" Ritteri Magnifica about 6 weeks ago, I did the acclimation properly for a week, and he was in good health when I bought him. For about the lst 4 weeks he deflates himself for several hours a day several times a day ( at no specific time period for any amount of time) and he looks like a blob, but he isn't deteriorating, and then reinflates himself for several hours again.  I filter feed him only twice a week, and he is hosting a percula clown, he hasn't moved since the first day he was in my tank so I don't know if he is happy or not.  I also have a carpet anemone in my tank, but he is all the way in the other corner of my tank, and he hasn't moved for 6 months.  I am beginning to wonder if I am pushing to much light or not enough, could you help me please.
< no you are not pushing too much light. This is most of the time normal. they expel water and take in new. this is one of the most hardest anemones to keep. the best way I have found to keep them is by making a raised platform near the top of the surface and place them there. turn off pumps for 10 minutes and he will stick if healthy). they love light and also love to get hit with a lot of random current. your should also try feeding him cocktail shrimp uncooked). Last it could be the clown is harming the anemone. If the anemone is small and the clown is big it can damage the anemone. the anemone should be at least 5 times the size of the clown. hope good luck Mike H>
Thanks,  
Michael C. Arnold

Re: Questions about my Ritteri
Thank You for your response,
<welcome>
I have a wave maker in my aquarium that is set on rolling action.  My clown is about 1" in length and my Ritteri is about 8"-9", so I doubt it is the clown
<I doubt it too>
Should I keep my lights on little longer, right now they are on 10 hours a day?
<10 hours a day is good I would not go any longer than that Mike H>
Thanks,

Ritteri Anemone 5/21/04
Hello Anthony
<cheers Drew>
Recently bought a nice Ritteri Anemone from my LFS and was wondering about some strange things its does,
<this is such a beautiful anemone, but one of the most challenging cnidarians (among all corals and anemones) to keep in captivity. They require an extraordinary amount of light (halides ideally over 5 watts per gallon) and powerful water flow with target feedings several times weekly (finely minced meats only... no nig chunks) in a species specific tank (no other cnidarians). Most become a statistic within a year, sad to say. Please do take this advice to heart. I hope this works out for you!>
every night and hour before the lights go out it will lean almost lay down into the current? seems odd to me but I can not find anything on habits of an anemone other then they will wander.
<yikes... there is lots of info abroad (mostly negative) on the keeping of this anemone. Dig deeper my friend>
tonight he was leaning over and just fell off the rock?
SPG is 1.0235
ph is 8.3 - 8.4
temp is 78
water flow is approx 1300 GPH
90 Gallon aquarium.
for lighting I just installed prior to buying him, 4 VHO bulbs
all are 110 watts
2 Super actinic
2 Aquasun.
<the water flow is good.... but the lighting is not even close to par. The actinics are just for aesthetics and offer little to no help here (I still like them too though <G>). In essence, you have 220 watts (just over 2 watts per gallon) to keep this anemone with only two white bulbs... and worse still.... its VHO which is very attractive in my opinion, but only penetrates weakly into the water column. Unless the anemone sits in the top 8-10" of the surface, It is not getting enough light to even survive the next couple of months. My advice is to switch to four 7k - 10k K bulbs and force the anemone to stay near the surface (top 10"), unless a halide fixture is a possibility>
also like to mention that two True Perculas have taken to him only a few days after he was put in the tank. During the day he seems fine he is on a high point where he will receive lots of light and current but on a separate pile from the main rock work to deter wandering. sorry for the lengthy email just thought to pass on info I thought that may help. Thanks. Drew
<no worries... you are on the right track. I wish you the best of luck!>
ps. plan on buying your book I found an autographed copy at my LFS and will be picking it up shortly.
<ah, thanks kindly :) Anthony> 

Ritteri shock?
Hello Crew,
<Graham at your service.>
Sent an email about my ritteri falling off his rock, but received no response.
one thing i did notice though is its every night when i shut off the lights it falls off and rolls across the bottom of the tank, I have left it and it looks most unhappy so i always put it back on its rock where it seems fine till the next night.
<It's completely normal.>
Guess my question is, will the sudden change in light cause my ritteri to release from his rock thus being blown off from the current?
<No. As you probably know, anemones have no central brain -- thus why they cannot adapt to a certain environment. If your aquarium isn't fitting the exact needs the anemone would encounter in the wild, the anemone will move to find a suitable location. This move is commonly done during the night. With that said, leave your anemone and let it roam around the tank where it wants -- just make sure it cannot be sucked into a powerhead or filter.>
if so what can i do to prevent this with having to spend extra money for a dimmer.
<See above.>
am running a icecap 660 with 4 110 Watt VHO lights
2 super actinic to Aquasun.
Thanks as always
<Good luck! The Ritteri is a very difficult anemone to successfully keep. It's important to maintain excellent water quality and give the anemone ample amounts of lighting. You may also want to feed the anemone foods such as krill, squid, silversides, lancefish, etc. 3x weekly to give the anemone added nutrition. Take Care, Graham!>
Drew 

Ritteri Anemone Trouble
Hello,
I have a question, I have a Ritteri anemone, for about 3 Months it has been doing good until the past few days.
It had moved to the top of the tank and stayed there. I notice the bottom of the anemone is falling apart (Dying) but the top looks excellent. The mouth is in good shape too. I assume that maybe this is a light issue.
It is a 29 gal. tank with power compacts 100 watts,<I believe the light should be adequate provided of course the tubes are changed yearly and one should be an actinic.> <<No... RMF>>
10x on the water flow ( Which it moved it self right in the path of) 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, ph 8.2, nitrate 20ppm
Only thing in this tank is a pair of maroon clowns, and some live rock. Is there any saving this anemone? As I said the top looks great!. Is there anything I could or should do, or is it too late. I would start by doing a 20% water change with an enriched salt such as Reef Crystals. Secondly, do a 10% change weekly, not just till things get better.  Are you using a protein skimmer?  Do you feed your anemone?  Please respond for a more detailed answer.  James (Salty Dog)
Thanks,
WWM Fan!

Ritteri Anemone Trouble
Yes I was feeding it 3 times a week, The lights were new, 1 Antic. I pulled it out the mouth was did not look good and it was fouling
the tank. It was Gone and nothing I could do. I just do not know what happened to it. I do use a protein skimmer and getting good stuff out of it.
and in All my tanks I faithfully do 20% a week, including my 180, and my 300. I haven't missed a water change in 2 years. I always add my supplements. The food was Chopped up krill, with chopped silversides and other mix. Thanks for your help, but I do not think it was meant to be.
The Maroons look lost. I think they were wild caught. I have had them a year. they lay eggs, they hatched a few times but did not live. I just do know what kind of anemone to get them anymore. I had a nice bubble tip In there with them, but It was too small. They beat the heck out of it, It almost died but I moved it to another tank and it is doing really well. The problem is the female is about 7" and very aggressive and protective of her anemone. I barely could stick my hands in the tank to clean it. Thank you for your time.<Hello Mr. Zielgler.  One thing to keep in mind.  Anemones are not easy to keep.  First of all, they don't ship well and that adds to problems from the start.  You must have done your homework on anemone/clown relationship since the Ritteri is the anemone of choice for the Maroon Clown with the bubble tip being second and long tentacle anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) being runner up. The use of metal halide lighting is preferable for the ritteri.  PC lighting is acceptable for the bubble tip providing your tank is not deep. You certainly are doing things right but you are just experiencing what many of us have and that is realizing most anemones can't be kept in a closed system for any long term duration. Every now and then a lucky aquarist will get one that does exceptionally well under proper conditions. James (Salty Dog)
Scott