Sebae Anemone/Health/Systems  - 06/07/2006
Hi there,
I'd just like to start by saying your site is very useful, and has certainly saved me from inadvertently given LFS misinformation. I have a question about what I believe may be an ailing Sebae Anemone. I have a ten gallon nano with about 12lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand, Nano-skimmer, carbon/bio filtration, and I change the water 10% every other week. I monitor the levels very closely, but only with test strips. According to the strips the levels are all optimal. It's a fairly well established (4 months) system with several blue hermit crabs and turbo snails, 2 Ocellaris clowns, and a Royal Gramma. I got the Sebae about four days ago, and it immediately moved to a part of the tank with pretty constant but light water flow, and dug its foot in to the sand. Since I got it I have realized (thanks to your site) that the white coloration of the anemone is actually a sign of bleaching (doh!). But at the LFS it was all inflated and actually had a clarkii nesting in it. I went on the fact that the guy at the store said an Ocellaris would probably like a Sebae. I since also found out that there are probably more suitable choices of anemone.
<Believe the LFS gave you more misinformation.  Your tank is too small just for the fish you have in there.>
(lesson learned. Always do research) however, I put the Sebae in. I invested in some invert supplements for the water to give the thing better chances. I have noticed over the last few days that the anemone has a habit of inflating and deflating during the course of the day. It will plume out for about an hour to two hours, then deflate for the same time. I didn't really think much of this at first because I heard they do this to get used to new water. However, I got up today, and its lying sideways on the sand, deflated, with its foot exposed.
There's no sign of it breaking up at all, the foot looks like its not torn or anything like that. There was a problem in the oral area, it looked almost like it had hemorrhoids in its mouth. Today that's gone, and the oral disk is rather smooth. Although on its side the disk is opening and closing slowly, and the foot does seem to me moving somewhat (but extremely slowly.
Is this thing doing its swan song? Or is there a way I can save it?
<I'd see if you can take it back to the store, won't live in your tank.>
I couldn't really find this specific situation in any of the articles.
<You probably won't.  The situation shouldn't exist.>
I appreciate your help, and apologize for writing you a book here. Thanks in advance,
<Chris, you should have researched the Sebae before buying.  You have nowhere near the requirements for keeping one alive.  You do not mention lighting, so I'm assuming you do not meet the needs there either.  Enough light for this anemone would probably heat up that 10 gallon to 100 degrees.  I will post a link for you, too much info on keeping anemones to pen here.  Do read along with related
topics above and you will see how far off you are.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
James (Salty Dog)>
Chris H.

H. crispa Woes    4/16/06
  I have used your site for a long while now and really appreciate the information!
<Glad you have found it useful!>
I have just added a custom 200 watt MH to a 44 gal pentag tank with a magnum  65 gph carbon filter and a Skilter 400 bio/aerating/skimmer and approximately:
<Okay.>
40 lbs of crushed coral and live sand base
60lbs of live rock
6 snails
3 cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
1 coral beauty
1 mandarin goby
<Mmm…did you research the needs of this animal before purchase? Please read WWM re.>
1 small clown
1 yellow tail blue damsel
<Watch behavior could “turn” as he ages.>
1 max. clam
1 blue knuckled crab
1 several zooanthids
1 mushroom
some SPS that tagged in on the rocks and did very well under my old lights
1 sebae that was bleached and nursed back to vibrant health
1 sebae with green oral disk,
<…Sorry to interrupt but the sessile invertebrate load on the tank is quite heavy not to mention the broad species list, be sure to watch for signs of competition, stress and “overgrowth”.>
pink tentacles and magenta tips that has been floundering and has actually turned inside out and back again (with some help by me...it was seen relocating after 2 days in the tank yesterday morning.  When I came home it was wedged in the rock/sand reef base and by 8pm had ejected its mesenteries.   I removed it to a reservoir, noted it had air in the guts rising to the surface in the folds of the gut and couldn't seem to right its self.   I squeezed out the air and stared turning it by hand right side out.   It then took over from there.   This afternoon it looks like he-- as I expected).....Help!
temp 84 day and 82 night
20 to 30 ppm nitrate
0 nitrite
300 alk
8.2 pH
Was the light too much?  
<I would say no, however keep in mind H. Crispa ships and acclimates quite poorly to captivity with the majority not living a month in captivity, it is possible this animal had passed the point of no return when you had bought it already. I would enjoy the healthy specimen you have and leave the rest in the ocean.>
  Thanks for the help
Travis
<Adam J.>

Sebae Anemone 3/17/06 health, comp.   3/17/06
Hello Crew, Now I am sure you saw the title and groaned, so give me a chance to explain my tank set up and such, I am sure when I am done telling my story you will be just as upset as I am.
<<Hee Hee... no groaning at all!>>
I have a 90 gallon reef tank with aprox 130 lbs of sand in the display and about 140 lbs live rock, with the display I have a 33 gallon refugium with 30lbs of sand and a 45 gallon sump with sand and rock, this is my filter system in conjunction with a Becket skimmer.
<<Sounds good so far.>>
I run the skimmer off a Mak 4 and circulation in the tank comes from a little giant (aprox 1300 gph) and the use of a SCWD along with 2 power heads (aprox 800 GPH on the PH)
<<More good stuff, although powerheads and drains are good anemone traps!>>
I have a number of LPS and SPS as well as leathers zoas buttons etc. and all are thriving.
Sal 1.024
PH 8.2
Alk 4.0 Meq
Calc 450
Magnesium 1350
Nitrate and Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Lighting consists of 400W 14k MH's along with 4 T5 HO bulbs.
That pretty well describes my tank.
<<Sounds great... that's ALOTTA light!>>
I put a lot of thought and research into making my decision to buy the anemone and think I have every thing that would be able to keep it alive and  healthy. Here is where the problem come in.
I ordered my Sebae anemone in it arrived , appeared to be okay in the bag but was hard to judge, brought it home went through the process of landing it properly... Now I go to remove it from the bag and place it in my tank and it feels firm, but not overly sticky small concern here) I look at the mouth and its open, not gapping but not tightly closed.. alarms go off, looking at coloring its yellow to white with bright purple tips( I don't believe its bleached)
<<So far, this all sounds normal for a just-shipped anemone, although I suspect that your critter IS bleached.  H. Crispa is normally creamy light brown or creamy green, rarely pinkish or purplish.  Yellow H. crispa have been bleached (often by intentional heat stress) and then dyed with food coloring.>>
so I continue a careful examination will it is still in the bag and check the foot.. well it seems that this poor creature was brutally ripped off the rock by the company (person shipping it) it has multiple tears on its foot. I am very PO'ed that they handled this anemone so poorly, I have placed it about 6 inches from the surface of the water which places it about 12 inch from the MH in a gentler (is this a word?) flow area so it is not tumbled around the tank. I am watching it closely for melt down and it seems to be moving its tentacles around and reaching for stuff but has not firmly grasped any rock. Is there anything I can do to save this Anemone or is it doomed  due to improper shipping and care?  Thanks for taking the time to read and feel free to blast away.  Cheers Drew
<<This is one of the serious problems with mail ordering live stock.  Had you purchased this animal locally, you would have had the opportunity to observe and inspect it before purchase.  In any case, I would keep an eye on the anemone.  H. crispa can be pretty durable and it may settle in, heal and do fine.  Exercise a great deal of diligence to prevent this anemone from wandering into a drain or powerhead!  Once it does start to attach, I would start feeding it small meals (raw marine meaty foods, about the size of a marble) every few days.  If it is bleached, feeding will be important for it to survive and recover.  Also, you may want to lower the lighting intensity until you see signs that the anemone is recovering zooxanthellae.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>>

Sebae Anemone part2  3/20/06 beh., dis.
Hello Crew,
Thanks for the quick reply AdamC, just thought I would update you on day 2 of the anemone, I took your advice and put it into a lower light area of the tank, I placed it on a large smooth coral skeleton I had picked up from a fellow reefer a while back for glue frags to. I placed this flat cup like piece in between to rocks in a sorta crevice and placed the anemone on it. This is protecting its foot nicely underneath. It has not attached to the rock but seems to be cradled nicely in place and is swaying from the gentle alternating current.
<<Sounds very good.  Hopefully it will attach soon.  It has been my experience that anemones that have spent an extended amount of time tumbling in the water column in a dealer's tank are often slow to attach when placed in an aquarium.>>
Its tentacles look thick and full but its mouth is still open slightly. the foot looks to be pinched in to a ball shape atm. Color wise its is more off white today, not yellow , not tan/brown  more tan white( good or bad?). I am hoping that the foot being pinched in is a good
sign as I can not see the damage as well as I could last night. Thanks Again for your advice and help. Cheers, Drew
<<All sounds OK here as well.  A slightly open mouth is OK... a seriously everted one is bad. Based on the color, it sounds like your anemone has some zooxanthellae left, so this is good.  The "pinched in" foot may be a reaction to protect the damaged area or just a result of being unattached.  The real hope is that the foot will extend naturally and take hold of the substrate.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>>

Sebae anemone  - 01/03/2006
Hi there! <Hello Marni>
I have read and re-read your responses to 'upside down anemones" but none of the letters seems to match my situation exactly.
I have a 55 gallon tank that was set up approximately 2 months ago.  To start the tank we were given an 8 year old tomato clown because it was too aggressive for a friends tank.  We purchased a sebae anemone and after reading your advice, we now know it was unhealthy (white with purple tips).  However, within 2 weeks half of it turned brown so that was a good sign.  It eats Mysis 2 times per week (this Mysis is FRESH and not store bought as my husband fishes this commercially for a living).
We were having a major issue with hair algae and we were advised to do a 30% water change, scrub all the live rock and place everything back in the tank - which we did the next day after preparing new water, etc.  After the water change the pH plummeted to 7.2 <Not good> and the ammonia was higher than before we did the change but still only at .25.  Nitrates were also registering but not high.  Everything was in the "safe" range still.  The tank had done its 'cycling' but even with the tank cycling it has never had any 'spikes' in the nitrates or ammonia or anything else - everything has remained in the 'safe' range this whole time.
Since we did the water change (3 days ago) our anemone went up the side of the tank (half on the side and half on the bottom - which is live sand).  It came detached from the side of the tank and flipped upside down.  We noticed that the bottom was inflating and deflating regularly the next day and the anemone made its way to a chunk of rock and reattached itself BUT 24 hours later it flipped upside down again - which it seemed to do on purpose because of it inflating its bottom side.  All the tentacles are plump and moving.  The bottom is inflating and deflating.  The tomato clown is still actively 'nuzzling' its home.  The mouth of the anemone is right on bare glass.  Should we flip it and put it back on a its perch where it was before and monitor it to see if it flips itself again  or should we just remove it from the tank altogether? <Have you raised the ph of the tank to an acceptable level?  If not, this needs to be done.  As far as the anemone, I would place a divider in the tank to keep the clownfish from disturbing the anemone, then upright the anemone and give it a chance to anchor before reintroducing the clown.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you for any info.
Marni Murray

Mail  9/20/05
Bob,
<James>
Hope you had fun at MACNA.  I'm to a point now where I wish the larger anemones were banned from the market. 
<And sharks.... and?>
A query today disturbed me.  The gent has a Heteractis crispa with about three watts per gallon of light, wants to know why it is upside down etc. 
Tank is too small for it to start with. As you well know they can grow to almost two feet in diameter although I doubt very few aquarists have ever
grown one to that size.  I'm guessing average life span/average aquarist, about two to three months max. 
<I'd say less>
Just venting Bob, know you're busy.  My input.  If I were to keep one....220 minimum tank, refugium equipped, 2000gph water flow, at least seven watts
per gallon, preferably MH/HQI, trace elements, strontium etc, feedings once weekly with food soaked in vitamins, and a family of five blue striped clown
and no other fish inhabitants, just some usual clean up guys.  I'm thinking this would give one a half a chance at keeping one for any length of time. 
What's your opinion Bob?
Regards,
Salty
<'Bout the same my friend. Cheers, BobF>

Shriveled Sebae  9/4/05
We just bought an Anenome yesterday. it is what and has purple tips.
<Sebae Anemone, Heteractis crispa. This particular individual has expelled its symbiotic zooxanthellae due to stress resultant from poor water conditions, shipping, too much handling, general bad, health, etc. This is known as being "bleached." A healthy sebae is usually a deep brown/beige color. As a general rule, no zooxanthellate cnidarian should ever possess white polyps (in this case, the anemone itself can be considered a polyp).>
I has already started to shrivel up. The pet store told us that it would do this
when it expels old water and takes in new water.
<Yes, this is a common occurrence with anemones. Sort of a "body column water change." If the shriveling is accompanied by a gaping mouth/expelled internals, however, it is a sign of severe stress.>
It has almost been a day and it hasn't blossomed back yet. Is there something wrong with it?
<Too soon to tell, really. Give it another 24 hours.>
could it be dead already?
<Possibly, but I doubt it.>
and how long does the process of expelling water take?
<usually, the water change can be completed in around ~12 hours, but this is by no means a concrete rule.>
Please Help ASAP Please email me back
<It's funny you sent me this email at this time. A family member of mine recently purchased a bleached sebae, and it, too, shriveled up beyond recognition, was vomiting entrails, etc. on day 2. I just 5 minutes ago received an email from him with pics of the now-healthy anemone. I advised him to use a syringe (sans needle, you know, the ones you get with test kits) or pipette to force feed the anemone a mixture of Cyclops-eeze, liquid garlic, and Selcon by placing the tip of the syringe/pipette between the anemone's "lips" and squirting gently and slowly. He did this twice daily, and the anemone bounced back and is now a deep shade of brown after only 2 months. The anemone stopped requiring the force feeding after 2 weeks of it, at which point it was rather sticky and could accept whole krill soaked in Selcon twice daily. At any point where all hope seems lost, it's not. Trust me. Never give up, and best of luck! Mike G>

Re: Shriveled Sebae  9/5/05
thank you for all the info.
<Welcome.>
I came how from work and it had moved itself and blossomed back up.
<Good to hear.>
Now another couple of problems. How do I feed it the
silver side without the fish floating to the top and without getting to close to where it will sting me.
<Well, if the anemone is sticky enough, you can just place the fish on its tentacles without any problems. If the anemone is not sticky, it would be best to force feed it the previously mentioned mixture. If it is not sticky, chances are good it could not harm you if you came in contact with its tentacles. However, if you're cautious you can buy a pair of rubber gloves specifically for your tank.>
Another question we have a clownfish, cowfish, yellow tang and a blue damsel.
<How large a tank?>
How do I keep the nitrate and
ammonia  levels low with all the fish, and is there some way to clean the waste away from the sand.
<Siphon off the debris or, if your tank is large enough, get a detritus-eater: Tigertail Cukes are a good choice. They pass the sand, metabolize the debris, and expel clean sand in neat little pellets.>
Sorry to keep bothering you. Stephanie
<Not bothering, glad to help. Mike G>

Sebae Anemone 8/3/05
I have tried to find books on the topic of anemones but they are hard to find and I found your article on the web along with a few others but they
don't answer all of my questions or really even cover the behaviors of an anemone.
<Anemone behavior? You mean, eat, deflate, inflate, grow, wander?>
I just bought an anemone on Saturday for the first time and I picked out a Sebae anemone, however I think I made two major mistakes.  
<I'd say your first was picking out one of the harder species of anemones.>
First, mistake the anemone wasn't attached to anything in the tank, but it was puffed up and looked healthy and beautiful, however I read afterwards that a creamy colored anemone may have started the bleaching process already.  
<Indeed. To add to this, Sebaes are often sold bleached.>
I can still see a brown pigmentation on the body but the tentacles and foot a more of a creamy color.  
<Could very well be bleaching, though it does not sound like a serious "case">
Second mistake, I didn't make the dealer feed the anemone at the store.
<I never even considered that to be a part of buying a healthy anemone. I always look for coloration, fullness, a closed-tightly mouth, a full foot, etc.>
I acclimated my anemone for about 2 ½ hours and placed him in my tank, and he just started to float around so, I didn't want him to get hurt floating
around in my tank, so I think I may have held him too long...a couple of minutes.  
<Does not sound too great.>
Finally he attached in a cave in the rocks where he gets some light but not too much.  He stayed attached for a little over one day,
however he didn't eat anything that I tried to feed him.  
<Could have simply been acclimating. When you picked him up, did he feel sticky? That is a sign of good health. Conversely, lack of stickiness is a sign of very poor health.>
I have tried to feed him silversides, chopped up, and Mysid shrimp.  He started to eat some of the shrimp the first day but then spit it back out.  About a day later he flipped up side down on his mouth
<No good at all.>
so my husband and I moved a powerhead so it was pointing in the anemone's direction to tip him back over, which worked.  
<Unnecessary stress.>
Now another day and half later he won't attach to anything
<Very bad.>
since the previously mentioned, and he leaves his mouth open a lot
<Very, very bad.>
and he still won't eat.
<Quite bad indeed.>
I don't think his stinger cells are working either.  One of my baby Chromis has come in contact with his tentacles and is still alive swimming around in the tank, but food does stick to his tentacles when I try to feed him.  
<Then, yes, his nematocysts are still in operation.>
I did see the anemone expelling some brown stuff the first day and some creamy colored stringy balls from inside his mouth are mixed within his tentacles.  
<Normal.>
His foot is not damaged and I haven't seen any rips or tears on his body or tentacle.  I have T5 lights, 4 Blue actinic and 2 white
<Actinics have considerably less photosynthetically usable light than white bulbs. I would not go so far as to count them toward your wattage.>
and get a little over 4 watts per gallon in a 75 gallon tank. I am at a loss due to good information on the Sebae anemone, Heteractis crispa.  Do you have
any suggestions?  
<Give it a place where it will get good lighting as well as be able to shade itself, decent flow, daily feedings... make sure it eats at least once a day, even if it means sacrificing 100 Mysis to feed one. When feeding, cut the circulation and stick the food nearest to the mouth as you can.>
Is my anemone dying?  
<It is unwell, but can recover.>
When do I know when to give up and get him out of my tank before he becomes harmful to other specimens in my tank?  
<When he dies.>
I don't want to throw out a live anemone...I would feel really bad but I don't want to lose my other fish and coral that I have put time and
money into.
<Watch him closely. If he dies, remove him immediately. I recently brought a Ritteri anemone with extremely similar symptoms back to life: it is now a deep shade of brown-green. You can save it, even when death seems unavoidable. Best of luck, Mike G>

Re: Sebae Anemone 8/5/05
Thank You so much for your response
<You're very welcome.>
however my anemone died yesterday just a couple of hours after emailing you.
<That's too bad, sorry to hear about it.>
I have a couple of questions from your responses.  
<Alright.>
I have done some reading, what I could find on the internet.
If my anemone flips over on his mouth, should I flip him back over or just let him be?  
<Flip him back over.>
I had read to make sure they don't flip over but you said it would cause unnecessary stress
<No. I said that using powerheads to flip him over was way too stressful. Using your hands (gloved, preferably) is a much better option. Sorry if I misled you.>
which I agree with, but what should I do if that happens?
<Use your hands to flip it back over.>
When I picked up my anemone he didn't feel too sticky just heavy because of the water in him.  
<Not a good sign.>
I couldn't find any gloves at the store to use in my tank, that I knew would not introduce any unfriendly substances/chemicals into my tank.  
<Better safe than sorry.>
Therefore, I used my bare hands to place the anemone into the tank but I didn't feel any immediate stinging
<Different people have different reactions to anemones. I can touch carpets and not feel so much as a tingle. One of the employees at my Pet Store gets rashes from Mushrooms.>
however my arm burned a little afterwards, but that could have been from the salt.  
<Possibly.>
Should my anemone have stung me worse, if he even did at all?
<Depends on how your body reacts to a sting.>
I mean, should I feel it immediately and should it sting really bad?
<See above.>
When I place the anemone in my tank, is there a certain way to go about it?
<Just put it in the right light and the right flow, away from powerheads (to avoid possible Anemone Spaghetti). It will move until it find a suitable place.>
I just picked mine up with my hands and placed him in the tank, in a spot I thought he would like.  
<That's how I do it.>
Is there a more gentle way to place them into the tank?  
<If there is, I've yet to hear of it.>
And if he starts to float around should I continue to try to place him or just let him float?  
<Continue to try to place him.>
Also, should I turn the powerheads off while putting him in the tank or leave them on, so that he can settle in a place
of his liking?
<I'd leave them on.>
I think that's all of my questions.  Thank You so much for your time and effort in assisting me with this problem.  
<Not a problem. Glad I could assist.>
Do you have any suggestions for a good thorough book about anemones?
<Actually, I have found the best info on Anemones is online. Most anemone books are outdated, and we are learning about these wonderful creatures at such a rate that it's not surprising.>
Have a great day
<You too.>
Stephanie
<Mike G>

Anemone stays upside down
My Sebae looks so pretty when it's inflated but that's not very often. Most of the time it's inflated and sometimes on it's face. I have to Ocellaris that love the anemone but I'm afraid they're stressing it too much. < Very likely.  I would try putting a plastic basket (like the kind strawberries come in at the store) over the anemone keeping the fish out; to see if that makes a difference. > What can I do to help the anemone? < If that doesn't fix it, it is not a fish issue but a water quality issue.  In that case monitor your tank for changes.  Also, be sure the anemone has plenty of light and space around it. > Should i upright it when it's on it's face? < Tough call.  Usually I don't, but if it is still upside down after a few days, then yes I would try to help it out. >
<  Blundell  >

Heteractis crispa, Sebae anemone color, health
I was looking at your site and it said that sebae anemones are bleached out when they are white.
<Yes, generally>
I had one for about 2 months and is perfect but white. Is there anything i can do to bring back its zooxanthellae.
<Good care, feeding, patience, adequate light, current, good water quality, the presence of other cnidarians that might "lend" some algal symbionts...>
I feed it once of one cube of Hikari Mysid shrimp. It also has a sebae clown hosting in it. I want to attach a picture of it, but you guys never receive the mail.
<?>
thanks
Joe
<Do read over all the materials posted on Anemones on WWM... Bob Fenner>

Anemone Conundrum, lack of knowledge
Hi Gang,
<Hello>
First, let me describe my setup. I've got a 125G SPS tank with about 9 watts per gallon of 20K MH and actinic PCs. I am collecting the rarest frags I can get, making it somewhat of a collector's tank.
<Okay>
The reason for the email is that a lady has stolen my heart, and she is a beautiful bright yellow sebae anemone.
<Mmm, she's a phony... a dyed animal>
They call her the 'flaming sun' sebae. I have heard conflicting reports of anemones stinging SPS corals, and LPS for that matter. On the other hand, I've seen lots of successful reefs with a mixture of SPS, LPS, and an anemone or two.
Thoughts on adding a sebae in particular, or is their a better choice?
Thanks,
Brandon Wilson
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
and the other archived materials on Heteractis crispa/Sebae anemones... And don't perpetuate the practice by endorsing it (buying such doomed animals). Bob Fenner>

HELP!! Yellow <Dyed> Sebae Anemone
James,
Okay, I understand the feeding issue.  But I was wondering if there IS
a such thing as a yellow sebae? <I've heard of them> Like I said his foot is yellow too. <<No... this is a dyed specimen... RMF>>
 I put him in a 3 gallon bowl with bubbler, live rock (which he attached
to right away) and sand. <He will not be with you very long in a three gallon bowl.  They need much larger quarters and plenty of moving water and intense lighting to survive.> I put him in the sun in my daughters room and when we got home last night he looked a lot happier.  This morning her room was chilly and the water was 76, so we currently have him back in
the sun on the patio with a thermometer to watch the temp.  I noticed a clear slime that is coming out of his pursed little mouth (not gaping like yesterday)  I have a gallon of fresh salt water to swap out when he is done "sliming".  What is that? <Please do a google search on the Wet Web, keyword "sebae anemones".  You should know what their requirements are.>
Also, in an unrelated question, what else do spotted snake eels eat
besides ghost shrimp?  He will eat out of my hand, but does not like
Mysis or brine soaked in Zoë.  <Read here.  http://search.hp.netscape.com/hp/boomframe.jsp?query=Spotted+Snake+eel&page=1&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D3ea67cb9c10fc109%26clickedItemRank%3D9%26userQuery%3DSpotted%2BSnake%2Beel%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wetwebmedia.com%252Fophichthidae.htm%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSISPTop%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wetwebmedia.com%2Fophichthidae.htm >
Also, I tripped across a blurb about not having anemones with coral??  <It's not a good idea but people do it.>
I have a peppermint and 1 zoo, and 1 Ricordea mushroom (who will NOT
attached to anything to save its life!  Dumb Mush!)<Not unusual>
Thanks, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Carrie :)
PS;  Is indirect or direct sunlight better for the sebae?  And for how
long? <10-12 hours direct>

Yellow <Dyed> Sebae Anemone
Hi Bob, 
<James, today>
Boy am I mad at myself!!! But I don't have hours to search for answers! Now, for each of my new purchases, I do a crazy amount of reading to ensure my pet's survival. I knew I wanted an anemone and was told the bubble tip was my best first kind. Then many of the shops here in Vegas swear that the Sebae is just as hardy.  SOOOOOO.......After my gravity is 1.023 and parameters are good (78-80 degrees) alk approx 8 to 8.4 and ph 8.1, I purchase a Yellow Sebae (the foot was yellow as well) I put the little darling in my tank after acclimating it in the drip method and it attached right where I put it (I have 55 gallon sand/LR and 260w) I shot some Zoe (Kent) into it and it seemed to love it. 
The next day, 2/3 of the tentacles are "shriveled up", so I am buggin' out here! Yesterday morning, oddly enough, it was more like only 1/3 shriveled up. Some of the purple tips came back, but still some tentacles are shriveled and his bottom
part slightly curled up near those tentacles. I fed some brine soaked in Zoe (Kent) and it almost seemed to want it and after 30 seconds, let it go. 
Then it balled up and opened again to have the body of it full of water but most of the tentacles thin. I am SURE if I wanted to, the LFS I go to would take it back, they are pretty cool and generally informative. In fact they had a fluorescent-ish green sebae I almost got instead (at least the green would be better from what I read) Anyhow, I want this little guy to be happy. I was told to try some "silver backs" frozen fish chunks. What do you think? Is the Bubbletip better? Also, do they dye these as well? What color is better for a bubble tip? I have read a ton of articles on your site
about sebae, but my time is short this weekend and I need an answer before he/she dies! Thanks and have a great one! 
<I think the biggest problem you encountered was feeding the anemone too soon. Let it get adjusted and tacked down good and bloom out before feeding. I would not feed it anymore, at least for a week. Anemones do produce a lot of their own food providing your lighting is sufficient. James (Salty Dog)><<Not dyed ones... RMF>>

HELP!! Yellow Sebae Anemone - Follow-up
James,
Hi, thanks for your reply, I wanted to mention, putting the sebae anemone in the 3 gallon bowl thing? That was only a 1 day thing to get him in the sun, as a 55 gallon would be a little hard to carry! lol! I'm sorry if you thought I was a complete idiot as if I was going to house the anemone in a 3 gallon! That is funny! I did that while I did a 30% water change. He is back in the tank in the middle height area, and I gave him some diced silver side, and he kept it in his mouth. 
This morning he looked TONS better, with a smidge more "tan" color. My other LFS guy who has been in the business for 30 years only has the very light tan Sebaes, and he was aware of bleaching. His look great! I bought 3 baby ocellaris yesterday and so far they don't go near the anemone. I may throw in some baby tank/aquacultured sebae clowns to help the anemone. They are all babies, and I will be moving to a 125 as they age. Thanks for all the help, just thought you would like to know. 
BTW, I DO spent HOURS of time on your sight looking for answers, but when I have spent 3 to 4 hours and I cannot find the answer, I email, so please do not think I just email on a whim. Oh, by the way, 2 or 3 halves of silver backs, and the spotted snake eel chows it!!! Saves me buying those stupid ghost shrimp!! Take care!
Carrie :) 
<Carrie, we wish more people would be like yourself and make the effort to find the answer before writing. Many questions we receive have the answers available on the Wet Web Media. Good luck with the anemone. James (Salty Dog)>

My Host Anemone is Wigging Out!!!
Hi Guys...
<Hello there>
Ok, so, I bought this huge anemone about 3 weeks ago. I believe he's a large Sebae (white base, shorter tentacles covering his plate (?), whitish, with purple tips)... I don't believe he's a Condy, as his tentacles aren't nearly as long as the one I had previously... 
Here's my dilemma: This creature had been doing great until a couple days ago. His coloration was wonderful, he found a spot to sit that he liked, his clown loved him continually. Suddenly, a couple days ago, he decided to move. No changes have been made to the tank, with the exception of adding a 110 w VHO 50/50 to our 36 w compact 50/50 and our 96 w compact 50/50. 
So... more lighting... He moved to the side of the reef rocks, when he had been planted firmly in the substrate, hanging out with a large feather duster. 2 mornings ago, I got up, and his tentacles were deflated, and his stomach is protruding in a cone-like manner. The previous night, I had fed him approximately 10cc of zooplankton, and my eel small (1/4 inch or so) pieces of sea bass. I had noticed that the clown brought the anemone a couple pieces. He has not yet pulled his stomach back in, and his tentacles are still deflated. 
Do I need to remove him? I'm sure he's not starving, I spot feed him 3 times per week (zoo plankton, and also supplemental squirts of phytoplankton into the tank water). Or is it possible he's getting ready to split? (He's approximately 8-10" across). Any help would be greatly appreciated, as my clown seems, well, depressed, not leaving the anemone's side. Also, I loved this creature, as he was a wonderful addition to my tank.
Thanks guys, and I hope to hear from you soon.
J&M Sprague
<Let your love be a springboard for studying about the proper care of this animal... it is badly bleached out, starving, has been exposed to very different (light) shock... Don't move it, read on WWM re "Sebae", Heteractis crispa anemones... Bob Fenner>

SEBAE ANEMONE
I am so glad you have this web site! In quick desperation I found it last night. Our tank is about 5 weeks old & we bought a Sebae Anemone (pale white with purple tips). After we ate diner we noticed a long dark brown mucus coming from the center of the anemone & a lot of it's tentacles were deflated. I explored your web site & called the LFS to find out what I can do FAST to nurse it back to health. The LFS said to do a water change & get a Reef Sun 50/50 light. We did as we were told. 
<I think the anemone was just ridding itself of waste (poop). Before you bought the 50/50 light, what were you using? The Sebae Anemones do like strong light, upwards of 5 watts per gallon generally speaking.>
Today the anemone looks fuller but still some deflation.  Is their any thing more I can do to nurse this back to GOOD HEALTH? I feel so bad...
<Make sure you have adequate lighting, and very good water quality (10% changes weekly). Once it gets settled in and expands you might try feeding it a dime size piece of shrimp or crab meat. James (Salty Dog)>
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING ON YOUR WEB SITE!!!!
<You're welcome>

-Sebae troubles-
Ok, I've poured over the site to find an answer to this question and found parts of the answer but I need to put my worrying mind to rest.
<Will do my best, you have Justin with you today.>
We got a Sebae anemone which was kind of white, more yellow (which I told my boyfriend to buy the more colored one and he got confused and got the whiter one)...
<Editor's note: the more brightly colored the Sebae, the stronger the DYE job - DON'T buy these colored anemones, not their natural color! Please see here, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm found via Google bar on site.>
... but he's got purple tips and is sort of a pale pale yellow, a baby- about 3-5 inches across when opened. We have a 100g, 2 metal halide, 2 fluorescent., 2 tank-raised clown, 5 Blue Chromis, 1 cleaner shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp, Fiji live rock and indo-live rock and various other "dead" rock mostly. 
The Sebae was doing great at first, liking the halides and the Zoo.... food we got him, opening with the lights, tips turning dark dark purple, and then going into conserve mode when the hall's are off, he insists on being on the bottom of the tank near the back in the substrate.
<I see the problem already. You are feeding a predatory animal food that it does not eat. This animal should be eating meaty foods like silversides or defrosted cube foods containing shrimp and other inverts (marine predator foods) Otherwise the Sebae will eat whatever it can even your fish.>
We initially set him on the live rock near the top and he bailed and went to the bottom. We haven't moved him since, but he moves between about 7 inches of the same place up next to a rock or back to the glass.
<This is normal, let the Sebae move as it likes and do not force it anywhere.> 
So the other morning one of the baby blue Chromis (real little about 15cm) disappeared. None of the water parameters have changed, he's nowhere to be found.. Did the Sebae eat him?
<Bet my bottom dollar on it.>
That was 2 days ago. and today the Sebae is all scrunched up like a button and took nearly an hour to open up with the halides on, we don't usually turn them on this early in the day but we were worried about him and he really
enjoys the light. 
<I would not alter the lighting cycle unless you absolutely have to. Use a flashlight or wait as the animals need a day night cycle.>
BTW, do the halides need a dimmer? They warm up but when you turn them off, they just go off- no dimmer action. -is that necessary?
<The dimmer? No. However, you might leave the room lights on after the halides go off to ease into darkness rather than a sudden drop.>
Anyhoo, I'm worried about the Sebae, what else can we do? We currently don't dose anything in the tank except food. Will things like Calcium, or Kalkwasser help? We saving up to buy a dosing pump. We recently added some Phosphate sponge to help the overgrowth of brown algae. Thanks so much, you're the best!
Most humbly, Kat
<Kat, feed that predator meaty foods. If its big pieces, they need to be minced very finely. Or if its cubed food, use a powerhead and stick the cube to the strainer inlet, and as it thaws it will be blown out. Have this point near the anemone but not directly pointing at it. Also a turkey baster works well for feeding it. If it is a silverside simply use a feeding stick and set the silverside on the tentacles and let it go. The anemone will eat at its own pace. Feed them every 3 days or week or so. The yellowing that you see is the anemones photosynthetic algae spreading some and that is a good thing. Between the algae and the meaty foods, it should be fine.>
<Justin (Jager)> 

Sebae anemone upside down 3/28/04
First I would like to thank all of you for your great site and all the helpful info.
<thanks kindly... please do tell friends/fellow hobbyists about us>
I have a Sebae Anemone that I have acclimated to my system and it seems to be doing ok.  It is still white from it's bleaching, but when I put him in I set him right side up (pedal foot down) the next day he was upside down (tentacles in the substrate). I flipped him over and he stayed that way for several days and got up one morning to find him upside down again.  
<this is often caused by water flow not to their liking. Do experiment>
He seems to be doing topsy turvey every few days but eats fine when I feed him with a turkey baster.  Though some time it seems as though nothing sticks to its tentacles and my cleaner shrimp climbs across them and picks food out as well.  Is this something of the norm or not?
<please do keep trying to feed and offer different foods (very fine diced). Also consider adding Cyclops-eeze (frozen if possible... freeze-dried if not). Anthony>

Sebae death - 12/9/03
Thanks for the reply. <No problem> Checked this morning, and the anemone didn't make it, unfortunately. <I am very sorry to hear>  I tried moving positions of it, <Not usually a good idea> and after a while it came back to life, but then the clown fish found it. <Yeah. Not easy to hide an anemone in a confined space> It wasn't really eating now that I think about it. <Hmmmm>  Tried pellets, <Nope> frozen brine shrimp, <Not really a nutritional choice for the sustainability an anemone> even some squid (hey, you never know) <a very good choice. Also try Mysids as well>.  It was holding though in place, I think it got so agitated it was flipping over to protect itself. <You mean retracting> Alas....
I have about 60 lbs more of live rock I've been curing for 5-6 weeks now. <Sounds like it could be ready> After I add to the tank, I may try again with a different type. <Well, maybe just not necessary to have an anemone for this clown fish.>
Thanks again for the help. <My pleasure ~Paul>
Geoff