SebaeFdgFAQs

FAQs on Sebae Anemone Feeding/Nutrition

New Print and eBook on Amazon:

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

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Sebae 'success' story 8/6/08 Hey, just wanted to write in agreeing with Mike Giangrasso's force feeding advice in your article on sebae anemones (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/heteraccrispa.htm). Almost a year ago I received a specimen in pretty bad shape from an online vendor, which I was sure wasn't going to make it (almost completely extruded stomach, wouldn't attach, deflated with completely gaping mouth, the works). The animal was completely bleached, wasn't sticky, and didn't eat on it's own (for probably 2+ months), and had a gaping mouth (for days). I force fed it with Selcon, Cyclops-eeze, and minced raw shrimp every other day for about a month, and it recovered to the point where it ate on it's own. I used a turkey baster inside the animals mouth, and *slowly* injected the mixture into its stomach. The animal is now doing well. :)Just an FYI and an update for the article, perhaps.<Thank you for this>How's sunny CA? Galveston, TX just got a tropical storm, as you probably know. Mosquito heaven :( What are you travel plans for mid-August? Take care, Mike <Am out in Hawaii till the 19th... with SaraM, ScottV et ux... Big Wave Dave and Jamie... and many other fine friends. Wish you were here. Bob Fenner>

Bleached Sebae Anemone -- 3/10/07 <Brenda here to help.> Reading all the info you have provided. Thanks. <You're welcome.> I see that "regular feedings" of a "meaty" substance is crucial for an unhealthy, bleached Sebae. How often is regular? <Regular feedings are always crucial for this anemone. Since yours in bleached I would feed every two days to start with. If the anemone recovers you can feed twice a week.> And how much of what do you recommend? <Try feeding silversides soaked in Selcon. Portions should be smaller than its mouth. Gently drop the food near its mouth. If it is regurgitating the food, try an even smaller piece.> We have a completely bleached Sebae that is not looking too good. <I can imagine. Was it bleached when you purchased it? If not, you need to figure out what caused it to bleach. It could possibly be caused from lack of lighting or poor water quality.> We are very new to this hobby and unfortunately were told this was a "fairly easy" anemone to have. <This anemone is considered difficult to keep. You have been misinformed. Your tank needs to be well established to keep this anemone, six months minimum, a year preferable.> We have had it for several weeks, feeding it Cyclop-eeze 1-2x/wk. <Cyclop-eeze alone is not adequate. I personally do not use it for anemones. I would stick to the silversides for now. Then you can move on to other meaty foods such as krill, Mysis shrimp, or raw shrimp, keeping silversides as the primary food.> It hasn't attached to anything yet. It seems to be trying to attach to the front glass (which is really not where we want it. <Anemones will go where they are most comfortable. I recommend leaving it alone at this point.> We have a 65 gal. tank by the way. It changes size almost daily, getting smaller for the most part. <That doesn't sound good. Keep your water parameters perfect.> It shrivels a lot and at one point completely closed up with no tentacles showing but reopened later in the day. Please just give as best you can some specific care instructions to try and save our first attempt at anemones. <What type of lighting do you have? Metal halide lighting is best.> A little more info - we also have a blenny, goby, percula clown (that has no interest in the anemone), and a bright red shrimp. Along with a star polyp and daisy polyp. Some small snails and 1 large snail. We keep temp. around 79 degrees and water quality is good. We add purple up daily and a calcium supplement, flakes for the fish. <I would stop using the purple up. Many have experienced problems using it. Make sure your salinity is at 1.026, and target a pH of 8.2. Also make sure you are testing calcium and alkalinity before dosing. Please be sure you research all of your livestock before purchase.> Signed, drowning in tank info. <Good luck with your anemone! Brenda>

Sebae Anemone Let me start by saying that your site is the best site I have seen for aquarium junkies such as myself and I thank you for that. <Thank you, WE all owe it to Bob> This is the anemone I purchased at the LFS. I think it is a sebae but not for sure, I sent along two different pictures to show what it looked like when I got it and what it looks like now. <Only one came through> <Judging by the one picture I got to open I would say you're correct, this is a sebae.> It seems to be doing fine and is turning a light brown which I read is a good thing. <Yes it is gaining zooxanthellae algae which are photosynthetic and help to feed the anemone.> It seems to turn darker brown at times but stays a lighter brown or tan most of the time. <This is normal and is fine.> I have been feeding it small silver sides. I recently asked another LFS what else I can feed it and they told me to feed DT's Phytoplankton and give a couple drops of Coralife's Invertebrate Target Food every other day. My question is that when I feed the target food the anemone opens its mouth real wide and in the area where I place the drops the tentacles seem to shrink up and turn dark purple, they only do that for a few seconds and then return to normal. Does that seem right... <I am not sure, as I have not used this product. The anemone needs fine meaty foods like silversides and maybe some shrimp or other meaty foods that are finely diced or in frozen cube form, let them break apart in a bowl for the frozen cubes then use a turkey baster, or use a powerhead on low and put the cube on the intake port and as it break up it will blow out near the anemone and the current will get it there.> ...or does the anemone not like the target food? My other question is if I feed the phytoplankton is that enough to support the anemone or do I still need to feed silver side etc...? <Feed the silversides every 3-4 days or at least weekly, and you don't need the phytoplankton. Anemones need meaty foods to survive.> Thanks in advance for the help... Mike
<No Problem. Justin (Jager)>

Sebae Anemone Follow-up Thank you for the quick response to my email, <No Problem> but I still don't understand the reaction of the anemone when I give it the couple drops of target food. <Well It changes color or its reactions when it is stimulated by something on its tentacles.> I will not feed the phytoplankton anymore and resume the silversides. Do I still give the drops of Invertebrate Target Food? <I would not unless you notice a difference without it. that target food is probably too small to really feed the anemone. I'd just stick to the silversides and lots of light.> Thanks Mike <Justin (Jager)>

Sebae Anemone won't eat 1/30/05 Morning, I've read here that when fed finely diced ocean meats anemone will sting and gather it into his mouth. My sebae won't. It will wrap around it but let's it go. <no worries... just experiment with different sized meats (finer or more coarse) and different varieties. Also try some Cyclop-eeze. Cnidarians like your anemone are often very picky about exact prey and particle sizes and textures/types> We also made the ignorant mistake of getting a yellow one (I know now). <this is common my friend. I understand> It has regained some brown. <ooh, very good to read!> This morning it was upside down after staying in one place for a week. It is the only anemone in the tank with some polyps and a coral beauty.70 lbs live rock and sand with lots of copepods. <the latter will help this anemones indeed> Nitrates are coming down as I slowly remove bio balls, other parameters are OK. <all good... and no worries about a small amount of nitrates - this will feed the anemone a little bit> It now is about 12 inches from the light which is 335 watts PC. Is there anyway to help add beneficial zooxanthellae algae? <persistence here mostly. And feeding at the same time every day is quite helpful for getting the creature into a feeding rhythm> Any other care tips? <adding a bit (a teaspoon) of thawed frozen pack juice (or tuna juice) to the water 15-30 minutes before feeding meats may help stimulate a better feeding response> Thank you , this is a great help esp. to us rookies. <it is our purpose for being here my friend. Kudos to you for your efforts to save this anemone. Best of luck! Anthony>

Sebae anemone Hi, I have a 125 tank with LR,300 Watts (HQI MH) it has white color. Is that good? <if the lamps are between 6500K and 10,000K in color, yes> I will add a sebae anemone next week . <brown with dark purple tips only... not white or yellow specimens (very unhealthy).> I was wondering is it possible to feed him a frozen dried food (brine shrimp). <not at all recommended... ideal foods are very finely minced meaty foods of marine origin Mysids, shrimp, krill, etc. Please do research more about this anemone in the FAQs and articles on this our site www.wetwebmedia.com> I have a very good water condition. Is there any thing else I should worry about? Thank you. <so much info here on this anemone... read articles on feeding, lighting, dyed specimens, etc. best regards, Anthony>

Sebae & clown fish follow up Hi Anthony, it's Kathy again, <Greeting! Anthony> Just thought you'd like to know that my Sebae anemone seems to be improving. <Outstanding!> It has embedded itself in the live sand that I have in my tank and seems to be coloring up a wee bit now. It is turning light beige, hopefully brown later. The base has a dark color, like there is something dark inside. (Zooxanthellae, hope this is how you spell it) <all very good signs that the zooxanthellae <wink> are returning> When I said it moved in my last E-mail to you I meant that it would open and close it's tentacles and puff itself up when it eats. It only moved to find it's spot in my tank when I first got it. At present it has fluffed out its tentacles so it is a nice shape, NO mouth gaping thankfully. <ahhh...very good> Bozo, my clown is very protective of it. He is like a cat with catnip, I swear!! It is so funny how he loves this thing. I have noticed that when I feed the anemone with a baster full of minced food that my clown will steal some of it. Any ideas on how I can prevent Bozo from taking my anemones food? <probably no great harm...I suspect the anemone will get enough (please don't overfeed to compensate)...the anemone will eventually get it anyway when the clown passes waste> I have tried to feed the anemone at the same time I feed the fish, but the anemone is a bit slow to close around it and Bozo is right there to pluck it out. I feed the anemone once every three days, for now anyway till I see how it is doing. Hope this is not too much. <not at all...perhaps a little more even> I am curious too, how long should I leave my lights on for the anemone each day? I leave them on for 8 hours is this enough, too much? (minimum for fluorescents 8-12 hours and keep bulbs fresh (changed every 6-10 months for photosynthetic animals> Thanks for all your help :) I am learning so much!!!! <keep learning and pass your wisdom on to others in kind. Anthony> Kathy

Please visit our Sponsors