|
FAQs on Tube Anemone
Systems
Related Articles: Tube
Anemones, Cnidarians,
Related FAQs: Tube Anemones 1,
Tube Anemones 2, Tube Anemone ID, Tube Anemone Behavior, Tube Anemone Compatibility, Tube Anemone Selection, Tube Anemone Feeding, Tube Anemone Disease, Tube Anemone Reproduction, &
Anemone Feeding, Condylactis,
|
Like where they're found...
lagoon-ish, slow-moving water... light not important... muddy...
fine sand/silt...
|
pink tube anemone... damaged by a filter
intake... 9/2/08 Hi, <Hello, Mich here> I
have a pink tube anemone that was added to a 100 gallon tank yesterday,
it was doing great tentacles out. The next morning I came down and
noticed it had started to move into the rocks. When I noticed it the
back end was still trying to move forward and the head of it could no
longer be seen as it was in the rocks. Later in the afternoon it was
still in the same spot. I became worried so attempted to move it, that
is when I realized its tentacles were stuck in the intake of the
filter. <Oops!> I promptly shut off the filter and moved the
anemone away from it. There was no noticeable damage on him other than
most of his long tentacles had been drastically shortened.
<Yikes!> After moving it away from the intake it still seemed to
be expanding its tentacles like before, <A good sign.> I am not
sure what to do about it now. <Nothing really, just keep your water
quality up.> with just the tentacles injured will they just grow
back, or is the anemone in danger of dying. <Well, every day we all
are in danger of dying, so that is a loaded question. This anemone was
injured and may be at an increased risk, so it is best to keep a close
eye on it, but, it does not sound like a fatal injury.> If so is
there anything that I can do about it at this point or is it just one
of those things where you have to wait and see what happens? <The
latter.> The tank parameters are as follows: temp: 77, nitrate:
10-20, nitrite: 0, ammonia: 0, pH: 8.2, phosphates: 0 I very much
appreciate the help. <Welcome. Happy to share. Cheers,
Mich>
| Tube Anem. sys., fdg... I recently purchased a tube
anemone that is BEAUTIFUL.... It has glowing peach tentacles that
are long and flowing.. and the tube is dark Purple about 5 inches
long just at the tube.. The tentacles appear to be 8-10 inches even
curled up.. maybe longer when fully expanded..... We fell in love
and couldn't resist.. The trouble is ..This anemone I know
nothing about.. Please tell me the best way to take care of it..
And will it hurt anything in my tank. Since I purchased it I have
heard that they will eat the smaller fish if given the chance??
What is the best food to feed them.. DO they like strong current..
Light, etc.. Help Also it seems to have a slimy looking gray stuff
attach on the side of the tube.. is this waste product.. My Foxface
fish tried to nibble at this gray stuff..?? any ideas.. Please tell
me all you can about tube anemones.. Thanks Leeann >> I have
a feature length article on these stinging-celled animals at our
wetwebmedia.com site, but you may not like what you read... In a
nutshell, Tube Anemones (Order Ceriantharian) are not suitable for
much of any other type of set-up than a dedicated
"species" tank. That is, one that caters to their
particular needs, and little else. These animals require deep, soft
sand beds (or hand made substitutes, see the article), present
heavy nutrient/waste product circumstances, and "give
off" a whole bag of stinging cell and chemical products that
are hard on tankmates... A few at least, precautionary statements:
Place the Tube anemone way, way far away from other sedentary life.
They are real winners (and the other life real losers) in most all
contacts..., It will indeed eat any/all of your fishes if they get
near or sleep near... They do like meaty foods, placed near on
their inner or outer tentacles, once/twice a week, They can do with
or without strong current; most are collected in rather stagnant,
muddy conditions. Light is of little consequence. The grey stuff
around the base is an exudate the animal is producing (mucus
plus...), and will eventually break off in bits and need to be
removed. The Foxface is just sampling his/her universe... it will
"learn" to avoid the Tube Anemone. As you might/may
understand from the above, I do not encourage you or others to
"try" these animals in general marine or reef aquariums.
You'll soon know why. You might want to try
returning/exchanging this animal for something more
suitable/compatible... Bob Fenner Thank you so much for your quick
reply... Your information was so helpful and may help save my
tank.. I have a well established tank and had lost nothing for
quite some time.. But today I lost my coral beauty ( dwarf angel
and my mandarin is not looking to good.. Both have been in my tank
for months.. And my sea apple has closed up tight .. in a weird
position...After getting your message I see why.. I have moved the
anemone off to the side by itself.. But it moves around a lot.. I
think I will try and take it back.. But I am greatly upset that the
store I bought it from... Did not warn me. This is where I
purchased my original setup.. and have purchased most items from
except for the order I got from flying fish.. They know my tank
well.. At the very least they could of warned me that even thou it
was beautiful.. it was deadly to many of the fish that I already
had.. Enough burdening you.. I just really wanted to THANK YOU
!!!!!!!!! I have always researched before purchasing.. Except this
time.. I have learned my lesson I will never purchase on impulse
again.. Thanks again... Leeann >> Leeann, you are very
welcome. I would hate to see you leave this wonderful hobby because
of a tragic loss; all for want of a little information. Not to
offer excuses for your store, but there is so much to know and
relate to others that there are many instances, indeed many types
of livestock that are dangerous or incompatible with other forms...
Ah, yes and your personal lesson. So glad to hear of your previous
diligence. Like freedom, this is the eternal cost of good
husbandry. Good luck to you. Bob Fenner |
Tube anemone, sys. hello, let me say this is a great and
informative site. I recently bought a tube anemone from the LFS which
came in a 6 inch tube. Following the suggestion of the proprietor, I
arranged the animal so the tube was wedged in my live rock and the
tentacles occupy a sphere of space near the center of the water column
when extended (not on the floor of the tank). I have since read your
information and warnings on these creatures and now realize I should
probably a) remove the creature or b) remove the tube and place the
anemone on the substrate. Could you please suggest a course of
action? <Yes... either course of action...> I have a 55 gal
w/ 55 lbs. rock, 3 inch substrate bed, several polyp colonies, one
mushroom rock, one SPS coral, your usual host of crabs and snails, two
shrimps, a dispar Anthias, algae blenny, and dusky damselfish. Please
tell me what specific threat the anemone is posing to the inhabitants.
<Too great for my sensibilities... in such a size, type system, with
the animals you list... I would remove this Ceriantharian> I love
this creature but will get rid of it if you advise me to do so. Also,
if you suggest removing the tube, please tell me how this is
accomplished, as it seems like it might be a difficult task. Thanks a
million, -Mario <Not so difficult to extract... carefully, slowly
the whole of the creature can be extracted with or w/o its made
"tube"... best to siphon out the matter as much as possible
and the gravel-vacuum the area about it once removed. Bob
Fenner>
Tube Anemone Care and Minimum Housing Hey there
WWM crew!!!!! Who better to get in touch with than all of
you guys!!! Such an ingenious bunch indeed. <Thank
you!> I am hoping to get some questioned answered by you guys as I
can't seem to find much about it myself. The Tube anemone....
<Also known as the Cerianthus membranaceus.) I know that many people
either love or hate the idea on nanos and such small aquariums being
kept........and I myself.......am not too fond of the idea
either. With that being said.....I keep an open mind to all
things relating to the ocean, so whatever works right!!!!! To my own
understanding a nano is considered a desktop aquarium, ranging from
1gallons to 10 gallons right??? Either for a FOWLR or a
small teeming reef? <It really depends on the persons point of view.
I personally consider a nano aquarium between .25 gallons and 29
gallons. Others may say up to 10 or 15 gallons. There is no proper
definition of what size a nano aquarium should be.> Anyhow.....I
have myself......originally set up for housing amphipods....not for
feed, just for my own special little critters! It's a
2.5 gallon deco art tank, called the "wave" from red
sea........I figured it would be a bit cooler to house the amphipods in
something small and not traditional looking.......and still be able to
keep a small HOB filter running on it. So I bought the
"wave tank"........the live reef substrate from natures
ocean........and also purchased the Corallife mini light.......one
9watt daylight and one 9watt actinic. Very cool little
light, although it's a bit hard to situate in regards to the wave
tank.....which is curvaceous from one side to the next.....or even on a
regular tank with a glass top.....as the strips in the glass tops, are
right where the bulbs are, blocking a portion of it. That's the set
up thus far.......which I'd like to do for the tube anemone....if
at all possible. I've come upon people who keep a 2
gallon set up teeming with corals and such.....and they manage to keep
their livestock well and thriving. <I've also seen
aquariums less than 2 gallons fail miserably.> I assumed maybe I
could do the same thing......BUT just house one specimen............
<Here's a quote I want you to consider: "What may work for
someone may not work for someone else because no two aquariums are
exactly alike." Can I house one specimen, small/medium sized tube
anemone-more small than medium.....in a 2.5 gallon???? Would
this work and be good place for the creature???? I know I
want to hear yes....BUT......I've come to you guys as always for
the truth and your own personal insight on the situation. <I cannot
say whether it would do fine or not. I would personally recommend
against it due to two reasons: First, water quality is not entirely
stable in such a small aquarium. Temperature, Salinity, and pH can all
fluctuate quite rapidly in such a small aquarium. Secondly, these tube
worms can grow large. Mine reached a tentacle span of around 8"
after growing from a worm the size of a quarter almost 3 years ago. You
can also say goodbye to your amphipods if you do buy the tube worm.>
I've read the entire sight about the anemones and feeding and care
and such. Glad I could find that much as it is not that
easy to come upon specific info on these beauties! I know
they are nocturnal.......quite aggressive....like more of a zooplankton
sized feed compared to a larger frozen krill and chopped clams and
such........... <These tube worms will indeed feed on krill, squid,
shrimp, brine, etc. -- just make sure the food is small enough.> I
also read that the smoother the substrate the better...........I'll
admit the reef substrate from natures ocean isn't as smooth as the
one I've got in my main tank.....yet the tube anemone can't be
housed in my main tank for the safety of my seahorses. I'd
primarily use frozen mysis, as it's always on hand for my
seahorses. Not sure if the tube anemone would even pay
attention to frozen Cyclop-Eeze. Mainly....I can work the rest
out......in regards to the rock and keeping the system stable as I
can..........but I need a green light from people who know what can and
can't...or maybe should or shouldn't be done. In
regards to the 2.5 gallon. it would have a chunk of Fiji very porous
LR, about 2-3 pounds........the substrate that's in there....the
light and the light HOB filter......... Sorry, I don't mean to be
so long winded.....but I turn to you guys for more info on
the tubes. Hope I can learn more if you have anything extra
to say about them other than the stuff on the site. <I personally
would not attempt it, although it can possibly be done. Again, I
wouldn't recommend it in such a small aquarium.> Thanks
again.....I await your response!!!!!!! <Take Care, Graham.>
Cerianthus in nano? Yikes 3/23/04 Hey there WWM
crew!!!!! Who better to get in touch with than all of you
guys!!! Such an ingenious bunch indeed. <whassup,
buttercup?> I am hoping to get some questioned answered by you guys
as I can't seem to find much about it myself. The Tube anemone....
<Cerianthus... beautiful and aggressive> I know that many people
either love or hate the idea on Nanos and such small aquariums being
kept........and I myself.......am not too fond of the idea
either. <agreed> With that being said.....I keep an
open mind to all things relating to the ocean, so whatever
works right!!!!! <well... sort of, keeping in mind responsible use
of resources. And just because it works for one lucky bugger,
doesn't mean it will for the other 9 out of 10 folks. Responsible
aquarium keeping bud> To my own understanding a nano is considered a
desktop aquarium, ranging from 1gallons to 10 gallons
right??? <OK> Either for a FOWLR or a small teeming
reef? <OK> Anyhow.....I have myself......originally set up for
housing amphipods....not for feed, just for my own special little
critters! It's a 2.5 gallon deco art tank, called the
"wave" from red sea........ I figured it would be a bit
cooler to house the amphipods in something small and not traditional
looking.......and still be able to keep a small HOB filter running on
it. So I bought the "wave tank"........the live
reef substrate from natures ocean........and also purchased the
Corallife mini light.......one 9watt daylight and one 9watt
actinic. Very cool little light, although it's a bit
hard to situate in regards to the wave tank.....which is curvaceous
from one side to the next.....or even on a regular tank with a glass
top.....as the shrimp in the glass tops, are right where the bulbs are,
blocking a portion of it. That's the set up thus far.......which
I'd like to do for the tube anemone....if at all
possible. <nope...not recommended. They need very strong
water flow and heavy feedings which are incompatible with
easy/responsible small tank care... and they sting fiercely and do not
leave you safe working space in a desktop> I've come upon people
who keep a 2 gallon set up teeming with corals and such.....and they
manage to keep their livestock well and thriving.
<yes... even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes> I assumed
maybe I could do the same thing......BUT just house one
specimen............ <ahhh... still no> Can I house one specimen,
small/medium sized tube anemone-more small than medium.....in a 2.5
gallon????
<heehee...hahahahaha...hehehehehe....wooooohoooooo. Ahh...no.>
Would this work and be good place for the creature????
<the tank size just is not conducive to success for this animal>
I know I want to hear yes....BUT......I've come to you guys as
always for the truth and your own personal insight on the situation.
<hopefully sarcasm too :)> I've read the entire sight about
the anemones and feeding and care and such. Glad I could
find that much as it is not that easy to come upon specific info on
these beauties! <if you ever find yourself in the Long
Island NY area, do stop to see Atlantis Aquarium for one of the best
(small <G>) Cerianthus displays I've ever seen> I know
they are nocturnal.......quite aggressive....like more of a zooplankton
sized feed compared to a larger frozen krill and chopped clams and
such...........I also read that the smoother the substrate the
better...........I'll admit the reef substrate from natures ocean
isn't as smooth as the one I've got in my main tank.....yet the
tube anemone can't be housed in my main tank for the safety of my
seahorses. <OMG... not a prayer> I'd primarily use frozen
mysis, as it's always on hand for my seahorses. <you
need better variety ion the diet for any reef animal than just
Mysis> Not sure if the tube anemone would even pay attention to
frozen Cyclop-Eeze. <it will.. a fine food> Mainly....I can work
the rest out......in regards to the rock and keeping the system stable
as I can..........but I need a green light from people who know what
can and can't...or maybe should or shouldn't be
done. In regards to the 2.5 gallon. <the latter,
exactly> it would have a chunk of Fiji very porous LR, about 2-3
pounds........the substrate that's in there....the light and the
little HOB filter......... sorry, I don't mean to be so long
winded.....but I turn to you guys for more info on the
tubes. Hope I can learn more if you have anything extra to
say about them other than the stuff on the site. Thanks again.....I
await your response!!!!!!! <a larger tank or continued admiration
from afar, my friend. Kindly, Anthony>
|
See here... Sea hare 5/3/04 Tube Anemone Good evening my
wonderful reefers! lol <live it, swim it, smoke it... er,
well.. two of those things at least> I won a Aplysia
dactylomela the other day at a raffle. I won it on
purpose out of sympathy, I didn't want it to end up with some
poor bloke w/out a clue where it would starve to death.
<interesting... perhaps a polite mention to the club/donors to
be more conscientious about submitting items of challenging needs
for random win/purchase by others> After a bit of hunting
around my tank for some red algae (which proved non-existent, the
info on the specific type of algae these guys eat is rather
lacking, a lot of authors say they eat red algae they just
don't specify what kind! I think it must also take them
awhile to adjust their diet to green algae) <I do not spy it
quickly at hand... but we have a link in our bibliography for our
Reef Invertebrates book to a web page that lists the exact foods
for many species of opisthobranchs> I tried putting in some
red/purple Nori by Two Little Fishies (Julian Sprung & Co)
and my guy started to chow down. Since then all it does is eat
and sleep. hehe <ahhh... good to hear> I was wondering if
you could tell me approx how long this sea hare
lives? I've read from 1-2 years is
all. <hmmm... I am not certain, although I recall
the larger temperate species living somewhat longer
than the typical 24 months or less> Do they live longer if
they don't mate? <nope... not to my knowledge.
There is precedent to support this in other mollusks (like the
famous octopuses with a defined lifespan, breed or no)>
It's funny, I live in Miami and went snorkeling the other day
and saw a mated pair of Dactylomelas. I didn't
know mine was the same even though I've seen them many times
when I snorkel. Also, treading into dangerous waters... are there
any colorful Nudi's that can be easily kept in a reef tank or
is this a lost cause? <hmmm... sort of. The key to any
Nudibranch is identifying and supplying their food source. Many
will keep and breed easily if you can do this. I keep an active
colony (several hundred!) of beautiful blue Berghia (Aiptasia
eaters). Other folks keep and breed Elysia sp algae eaters...
some folks even dabble with the Zoanthid eating species. The
problem with keeping in reef tanks is that most such systems have
excessive powerheads and overflows. If you plan well though, you
can keep some beauties> I always feel so bad when I see these
really amazing looking, doomed Nudi's at the
LFS. There should be a campaign on to stop the
collection of specialized feeders such as these. <no formal
campaign is needed. Educated aquarists simply vote with their
dollars and do not buy them. They die in the dealers tank, and
when it happens enough times, the dealer stops ordering them
<G>. You might help this along with a polite
mention of the reality (supported by a helpful list of web links
or photocopied documents) that you give to the LFS. If that
doesn't work... tell us their name and we'll post them on
the wall of shame <G> Ha!> Oh, about how big will a tube
anemone get in a reef tank? <it won't...
because it does not belong in a reef tank and will never be
placed there by a conscientious aquarist. If you know of anybody
tempted to the contrary, please direct them to our extensive
archives at wetwebmedia.com for an explanation why not
<G>> Will I need meters of sand eventually? lol I hope
not. ( <8-12" would work nicely... let it mature for 6-12
months before putting a Cerianthus in a species specific tank (no
corals or other anemones unless you intend to sacrifice some)>
Ah, the pot calling the kettle black I know, but I'm going to
try and provide for it) It's only 3 inches long at the moment
and eating fine. <sigh... disappointing> Thanks for all
your help! Love you guys, Morgan <sob...sob... another anemone
destined to be a statistic. Anthony :p>
See here... Sea hare II 5/3/04 Tube Anemone Blast! hehe
Why is my tube anemone doomed? <the problem is not
so much the anemone (Cerianthus are aposymbiotic and actually can
be kept well if fed well enough - several times weekly with a
variety of finely minced meaty foods in substitute for
plankton... a plankton reactor in support better yet). The real
problems here are that most people are not willing or able (busy
lives) to target feed these anemones by hand several times weekly
for a lifespan that exceeds the family dog (anemones live decades
and some seem to be "immortal", as in "no tissue
degeneration", read: no definable lifespan). Without
speaking to the extreme end of the potential lifespan, my
argument is that few people will commit long enough to get the
anemone to live more than just a few years (and that's being
generous). We see most of these animals die very slowly of
starvation. Add to that the fact that they are extremely
aggressive and pose a direct and serious threat to fishes and
other cnidarians in the confines of aquaria. I frankly think they
are excellent choices for anemones (well... maybe not
"excellent for their ability to sting people fiercely... but
still a hardy candidate)... IF, one is willing to keep them in a
proper, species specific display> I've read a lot of
faq's on people that have kept them for years. <yes,
agreed. Still... most die within just a few years. That's not
responsible aquarium keeping IMO> I will be moving it to a 180
in a few more months and we keep 4-5 inch DSB, it'll probably
be deeper when we get the 180. <I'm truly glad to hear
it... but we hear this story all the time. Everyone expects to
move into a bigger tank. Some folks do, and other folks
"life happens": job change, house move, children,
finances change, etc. And this anemone does not need a bigger
tank... but rather, an isolated species tank. Perhaps a DSB
refugium at the very least (still will not temper
allelopathy)> It eats really well and I feed it meaty foods,
DT's, Cyclop-Eeze, etc, etc. <the DTs is
interesting... and likely not needed at all... these are
zooplankton feeders> I am also willing to give it plenty of
breathing room so it doesn't sting stuff when it gets larger.
<focus instead on not mixing unnatural species my friend. You
and your animals will fare better for it> Why is it
doomed?? <as per above> All the WetWeb
faq's I read made it sound okay to keep. I don't want it
to die!! sniff, sniff... <understood... no worries. Hopefully
clearer now :) > I've kept my flame scallops and
tunicates, etc for almost 2 years now. <very nice
to hear... but to consider it against their actual natural
lifespans. We can't claim victory yet> What do I have to
do so it doesn't become a doomed anemone??? <you've
got the right mindset my friend! And the solution is really
simple and inexpensive. Could be a 29 gall or 38XT tank with
8" of sand. Preferably offline of the main display, but
tapped in if you must> Cheers, Morgan <best of luck,
Anthony>
See here... Sea hare III 5/3/04 Tube Anemone I'm
back about the tube anemone. ;] I reread all of the
WetWeb faq's and general info about these guys and there is
nothing in there that says these guys are doomed.
<no worries... as per prev e-mail, this is a matter of risk to
other inhabitants for their aggression and concern that most
folks do not have the time to hand/target-feed this
azooxanthellate feeder several times weekly for all the years of
its lifespan> Quote: <From my experience, if you provide
the tube anemone with enough space, it is not a threat to your
aquarium. However, some people have noted that their tube anemone
has eaten some of their smaller sized fish. Although this is
uncommon, it can happen. Overall, I would keep it -- It's a
very colorful and hardy addition to your aquarium.> <yes...
agreed> Let me clear up a few things: I keep a DSB 4-5 inches
of very fine Southdown, have a huge EuroReef skimmer and a
refugium, lots of flow in the tanks, do monthly-bi-monthly water
changes, and provide plenty of space for the anemone so it
doesn't sting other creatures. <excellent to hear all,
except the latter presumption that space of mere inches/couple of
feet will spare allelopathic aggression from unnatural tankmates
in the confines of a closed aquarium system> The small one I
have is temporarily (one month) in an 11 gallon tank w/ pc
lighting, 3 inches of fine CaribSea live sand, two powerheads,
and a hang on the back refugium w/ Chaeto, Caulerpa, and miracle
mud, and bunches of decapods all over the glass (no fish).
<OK> I have various other corals in the tank which are
doing fine, no obvious signs of chemical warfare.
<we have two different perspectives here my friend... I am
talking long term> The anemone is very responsive/retracts
quickly and opens up fully at night. It also eats
well. <a beautiful animal indeed> I also spoke with some
people on ReefCentral that keep tube anemones and they said
chemical warfare does not seem to be a problem. Of
course they had larger tanks like I will have this guy in soon.
<neither they nor I can quantify the impact of allelopathic
aggression in the confines of a variable 3-d environment (your
tank/husbandry/stock). Unless they cited scientific papers that
you can kindly point me too to add to my
collection/perspective?> Is it still doomed?
<not at all... just needs specialized care. No casual keeping
of anemones in mixed reef displays. Its neither natural nor
practical> As you can see I'm a bit stubborn.
hehe <not the word I would have used... but OK
<G>> If you tell me something's doomed I work harder
to make it not doomed, like the flame scallops. ;] <sigh>
Thanks for any and all advice! Morgan <Anthony>
Sea Hare IV 5/3/04 Tube Anemone Hi Anthony!
<cheers> Nice to get your reply so soon. <we
eat sleep and breath our hobby/passion :) > Well, I nor my
husband are casual reefkeepers, we are along the line of obsessed
reefkeepers. hehe <Hmmm... to clarify, what I mean
by casual keeping is/was the state of keeping organisms in
"garden style" mixed displays (species mixed randomly
or in unnatural combinations... diff parts of the reef [sand flat
anemones, reef crest corals, lagoonal fishes, etc] or those form
entirely different oceans. For better or worse, that is your tank
(mix of anemones, e.g.) and what I meant by casual keeping
(versus specialized care)> He's kept saltwater systems for
9+ years and I've only been in it for 2 yrs and I'm
almost more obsessed than him. I got hooked when I looked up an
Acro of his to see if it was a valida or loripes. Since then
I've done my best to become an unschooled marine biologist.
lol <heehee... very cool> To reassure you, I have four
other anemones (ha! how did I end up with so many??!! I'm
going to have to train several generations in saltwater aquariums
now) two flowers, a green bat, and a rose
BTA. Therefore I'm used to feeding at least twice
a week w/ a mixture of Proplan/Frozen brine shrimp/bloodworms and
DT's/BioPlankton. I'm trying to keep my
Tubastrea alive/not receding and I think that will prove to be
much more of a task than keeping the tube anemone alive.
<Hmmm... same frequency of feeding (3-5 times weekly), but
indeed tougher as the Tubastrea needs each individual mouth
fed> I usually dose DT's every other night and feed a
variety of foods to my fish/creatures during the day
(Cyclop-Eeze, Spirulina, pellet). I also feed live
brine shrimp about once a month. Now you can see why we have a 2
1/2 foot EuroReef on a combined 135gals of tanks.
hehehe And it does a great job. <a very fine
skimmer... one of the best> I definitely will do all that I
can to provide for this anemone as with all of my
creatures. I have lost a few corals since I began and
learned from it, I've had a very good teacher
too. I understand that there are some things that just
cannot be kept under any circumstances. We don't have any
choice but to move into a 180. We have a 75 and 58,
between our two tanks there is literally no more rock space to
put corals, including on the sand! haha My husband would get a
larger tank if I let him, but then our living room would be
reduced to a closet. lol I know you guys never worry
about esthetics, only about bigger is better. hehe <its a
pervasive thought for the masculine gender> As for the flame
scallops, I know I haven't reached the victory point yet, but
I can taste it. ;] Okay, onto another strange
subject. The 11gal is strictly an invert tank and I
have several tunicates in it. Some even came w/ the LR, which was
a surprise, I guess it really was cured! ;] Anyway, I go
snorkeling in the Florida bay a lot and collect a few encrusting
colonial tunicates that live on turtle grass/Halimeda/other
stuff. They're small, very colonial (like
pilgrims), and come in various cool colors (mainly orange and
red). Here's the question, well leading up to
it... I've tried to keep them before, but my hermits always
found them and said "Ah! Desert!" after a few
days. Now I have no hermits in my invert tank.
Bwahahahaha! So I bring them home and glue the Halimeda leaf to
the rock. Then in a matter of days the tunicates walk
over to the rock and completely desert the plant
leaf. I've seen it happen several times now.
Here's the question: How do these colonial
tunicates know to move onto the rock?
<chemosensory response... water flow... dunno> How smart
are tunicates? <1300 on the SATs... beats me>
Do they have unknown sensory organs? <if so, we
don't know of them ;) > I know that they're pretty
sophisticated, but hmmm... The tunicates that I collected
recently were on Halimeda leaves and in about 4-5 days almost all
of the tunicates have moved onto the rock and deserted the
vegetation. <my guess would be seeking optimal water flow
places/patterns for optimal feeding opportunities> Well,
that's my big stumper for the night/am. Always enjoy talking
w/ you. Maybe one day I'll go to IMAC and meet you
guys. <excellent... looking forward to it :)> Goodnight!
Morgan <ciao, Anthony>
|
Tube Anemone Placement 03/19/2008 Hey Guys,
Hello Craig, Andrew here>> I read Bob's article on tube
anemones, and I have a question regarding placing these organisms. I
should remove the outer tube before placing the animal in the tank?
I.e, it has a purple worm-like body covered in a loose mucous tube. I
should remove the tube? <<remove any mucous on the tube, leave
the tube itself. This is there for its protection.>> Then should
I place it near where I want it to plant and let it dig into the
substrate on its own? I.e. I do not need to bury it? <<Place it
where you want it, give it a helping hand with burying the tube deep in
the sand>> I have a 5-6 inch fine sand bed, so there should be
plenty of depth. Thanks guys, Craig <<Hope the above clear's
up your queries. A Nixon>>
|
|
