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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...
|
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>
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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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