New Anemone

[becky]

Today i went to my LFS to get anemone for the percula clowns i will have. I have one clown and he could have used the anemone cause the damsel was so mean to him and killed him. I am goign to get rid of the damsel. My question is can anyone tell me a little more about this invert. The guy was not real helpful .. busy with others. If something should go wrong with it what will it look like?? What does it eat? How can i keep it at opitum health??
Your info would be greatly apprecited!!

 

[mr . salty]

I'll start by saying that about 80% of anemones in captivity DIE..NO JOKE,they don't do well at all in captivity.But there are a few things you can do to TRY to prevent it's demise.LIGHTING, Anemones REQUIRE(not need)but REQUIRErather intense "reef type" lighting to survive.This will keep the algae living inside the anemone alive.This algae is also what gives an anemone it's color,and also provide the anemone with needed nutrition.If an anemone looses it's color,it's a good sign that things are not going well...WATER CIRCULATION,They also need to be in a moderate water current.This current brings it food,and keeps it clean as it rushes by.. EXCELENT WATER CONDITIONS, This is why it is not a good idea to put one in a young,immature tank.They can NOT tollerate the poor water quality found in unstable tanks..FOOD,This is a gray area.Most will say that an anemone needs to be fed two or three times a week.I personally have NOT fed mine in over a year.That is NOT to say they don't eat.I occasionally come up a fish or two shy in my morning roll call.(one of the downfalls of owning one).The eat any meaty,FRESH seafood.Shrimp,Muscles,or other seafood that is cut into small enough pieces to be consumed.....Out of all of these I would say the most important is LIGHTING,and water quality...A few other signs of an ill/sick anemone are when it looses it's stinging ability.This sting is how it catches and holds it's food.To test this "sting" you can slowly reach into the tank,and touch it with the tip of your finger.When you touch it watch for it to "flinch"or jerk away.Also see if it sticks to your finger....If any of the three things I have mentioned are absent(color,sting,or movement)your anemone is in trouble...Because an anemone has a VERY slow matabalism,by the time we notice that they are in trouble,They are usually too far gone to do much to save them....Hope all this info helps.And good luck with your new invert....OH YEAH,They are an invert,,,So you must be carefull with any meds you are using...You can also add ZOE,by Kent marine directly to the tank water to help keep it healthy..Or soak it's food in it...
[ September 19, 2001: Message edited by: MR . SALTY ]

 

[becky]

ok one last question... is all of this true for carpet anemone?? thats the kind i have.. for clown fish.
Also .. i have a 50/50 light in a short, but long tank. Is this sifficant? its a reef light i was told by LFS
Gee.. they didn't tell me it would be so hard to keep one of these inverts! I sure hope i dont kil it!

 

[fixitdude2001]

Yes carpets need all this care, along with any other types of anenomes. case in fact we have 784 watts in our 72 gallon reef, morning on comes the atinics , anenomes are balled up from the night darkness and start to open when they come on, then comes the 2 daylight bulbs and they open a lot more, then the MH comes on giving the tank its full 784 watts and they get hudge. Lighting is very important and current flow, Mr Saltys advice was right on!!!! The only thing differant I do is give them an occasional feeding of squid,silverside or some times a goldfish. But I dont have to worry about actually feeding them tho the clarkies grab the food and feed them for us, this is always a treat to watch. Yes they even catch live goldfish and take them to it. Hope this helps,and I am sure they absorbe the additives that I add, like reaf solutions, dts, blackpowder, iodine[needed] for anenomes, strotium, magnezium,this hobbycan be as complicated as you want it and very simple, depending on what you want to care for in our little piece of the world. You make of it what you want but need to take care of the critters you have not just what will make it live but what will make it thrive,isnt this what we want? Good luck ....fixit

 

[jesuit_flyer]

One point I would like to add. The emphasis should be on feeding the anemone NOT lighting. Whether it's proper circulation that gets food the aneomone through direct feeding or otherwise. Read on for Dr. Ron Shimek's take who happens to be a Marine Ecologist:
"All organisms are on an energy budget. Anemones can get income (nutrient energy) from a number of sources - direct feeding, indirect feeding (fish feces, drifting food, particulate material in the water (bacteria mostly)), some direct absorption of dissolved nutrients and zooxanthellae byproducts. Zoox byproducts are basically carbs only, so for growth the animal needs some sort of food.
All of the above sources have to sum to 100% of the needs for the organism to stay at status quo. Less, and it will shrink and my die. More and it grows, and may reproduce.
The fact that a lot of anemones die is reason enough to realize that most folks don't feed there systems enough. And... all the light in the world will not substitute for food if the animal doesn't have a nitrogen source for proteins.
If they are feeding, you can keep all host anemones in absolute darkness until they are bleached whiter than sheets, and they will live just fine. As long as they are fed."

 

[adrian]

Sounds like some people need to do a little research before they purchase animals and throw them into their tanks. Its much easier to keep something alive if you know what it requires before you bring it home. Like Salty said most anemones die in captivity, this isnt because they are impossible to keep, its because people dont know any better and LFS could care less. A good book is a lot more reliable than an LFS employee. A big part of being a reef keeper is to be responssible for the animals you decide to keep, make sure you have what it takes to keep them alive before you make them take their chances

 

[becky]

You know thats what i was tring to do was get info on how to keep and take care of the species i get. And I am not a reef keeper, but have a FO tank with some LR. The anemone is mostly for my clowns to have. We all have to start somewhere you know.. look at your quote at the bottom of your posts

 

[fixitdude2001]

Your right becky, we all have to learn.. this is the right way to go you are trying to look out for your clowns and, what will make them happy and, an anenome will do this. but know you have to do what it takes to take care of the anenome. Its a big chain of events that need to be performed to substain this wonderfull hobby..have fun and keep ASKING...cya fixit

 

[becky]

Thanks fixitdude! I am glad that there are pl on here that can answer and be helpful and don't feel like they have to do so in a way that makes the other person who is learning feel like a complete idiot for asking.

 

[adrian]

Wow, why so defensive, I thought telling you to get a good book and research and animal BEFORE you buy it was the best piece of advise I could give you. Mr.Salty told you all you need to know about keeping an anemone, I was simply trying to help you avoid having this problem next time, didnt mean to make you feel like an idiot

 

[fat_ed]

Don't feel badly at all, Adrian. You're sentiment is well taken and cannot be stressed enough. As our hobby directly affects the health of reefs -- indisputably a critical and highly threatened natural resource -- it cannot be taken lightly. A "buy now, ask later" approach cannot be condoned.
Moreover, Becky, the carpet anemone currently under your care is widely considered to be one of the most difficult anemones to keep in captivity. In the wild, it can be virtually immortal. I sincerely hope you are ready to cough up a few hundred dollars in very short order to upgrade your lighting to metal halide, or at least VHO lamps. Otherwise, I suggest that you do your best to return the anemone to your LFS or give it to someone (at least temporarily) who has the proper equipment to care for it.