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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>>
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