nems

jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Ok I was talking to a lfs owner yest and we had a difference of option. Anemones, need strong lighting. We all know this and know why. However most also get fed something meaty , frequency varies. This is where me and him differ, and I may very well be wrong. He says once a nem is mature you no longer feed it. It simply feeds from the lighting and by filtering the water. I always thought nems got there meaty foods throughout there life. Thoughts??
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I agree with both of you.

Once an Anemone begins to thrive in its current location it does not require direct feeding if there is sufficient lighting. It cannot filter feed though as that is defined. It can feed on detritus and fish poop that lands on it and that can provide sufficient protein for it to sustain itself. If you continue to feed it then it will continue to grow.

If it is hosting a fish then the fish will probably feed the Anemone for you both direct feeding and indirectly.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Ok, intresting. Continuing to feed it tho has no bad impact ? Just that it will continue to grow
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Yep. Some, like the Bubble-Tip will grow to a point and then split. Others like a Carpet will continue to grow to the point of being gigantic.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Ah ok, he was under the impression it was bad for the nem to feed it. Intresting, learned something new. Thanks
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
If an Anemone isn't hungry then it will not be sticky... In the wild an Anemone will eat fish for centuries, perhaps millennia, until something kills the Anemone.
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
I guess I always thought they just fed through filtering the water...my brother has a bubble tip that's about 16 inches across that he never feeds...

interesting thing happened though...someone tapped on his tank and the whole front of it shattered...he then went and bought another 55 gallon tank and put everything back in it...when he was done he noticed he now had 2 anemones..the thing is the one was still like 16 inches across and the other one was like the size of a dime...I guess I thought when they split they were sort of equal?

anyways he has never fed the little tiny guy either and now its about 3 inches across in a matter of months
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Wow, especially the shattering tank part. That would be my Worst fears realized.

I've read that news reproduce when they are stresses, not sure if that is true but your brothers nem had every reason to be stressed.

I feed mine every couple weeks. I think Coral his clown fish feeds him some.
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
Yeah because there's no way just a small piece of it the size of a dime split off it had to have been a baby...which is really kind of neat lol and lucky I guess
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
BTAs are one of the Anemone that can reproduce using pedal laceration. A dime sized anemone is exactly what you would see with this type of reproduction.
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
bang guy said:
BTAs are one of the Anemone that can reproduce using pedal laceration. A dime sized anemone is exactly what you would see with this type of reproduction.
Click to expand...
meaning one of the pedals may have very well just been cut off?

sorry jay didn't mean to jack your post lol
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
iidylii said:
meaning one of the pedals may have very well just been cut off?

sorry jay didn't mean to jack your post lol
Click to expand...
Not exactly. Pedal laceration happens when an Anemone moves and a piece of the pedal disk (foot) stays stuck to the rock and tears away from the main body. This small piece actually has a very good chance of growing into a full sized healthy clone of the original Anemone.
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
ahh I c and that sounds like something that totally would have happened in this scenario...and like I said this one went from smaller then a dime to about 3 inches already...thanks very interesting stuff :D
 
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