Shrinking anenome

reavely

reavely

Member
I just got a sebae anenome a week ago and it seemed to be acclimatizing well, had found a stable spot in the tank and was relaxing in a wide open position, extending its tentacles etc. Since I looked at it this morning though it has been shrinking up, contracting its radius and its tentacles to half the size it was last night. The tempurature in the tank has fluctuated normally about 1-2* during the day/night, but this is normal. PH is stable (~8.1) since last check four days ago. The clowns are in QT right now so it's been depending on free floating food - should I hand feed it some mysis shrimp? what is going on?
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
May just be expelling waste. They do this by ejecting the water from their bodies, making them shrivel. Then they re-fill, and expand.
 
jarvis

jarvis

Member
It is normal for them to deflate. They are just purging waste and what then cant digest. Yes, you should be feeding them by hand. Misis will work. I belive recomended is about 3 times a week. I feed mine daily. The size of the anenome is directly related to the food source and not age. Mine has grown from the size of a fist and approaching basketball size in a matter of a few months. I have also noticed that mine tend to deflate less often if you feed them blended food and squirt them with a hobby siringe or turkey baster. Im guessing that it alot easier to digest.
 
reavely

reavely

Member
Wow it inflated back up again, strange. I knew they did contract but this looked unreal. The tank is 75 gls. I'll start directly feeding it now.
 
jarvis

jarvis

Member
hey Kim I have a 150gallon. Unfortanately I dont have a digital camera. He is taking up alot of prime realestate.........funny that everyone seems to like that the best when it was $6 and could care less about nice expensive pieces.
 
reavely

reavely

Member
well the anenome played a great trick on me, it's back to it's normal size, flowing in the current & all. I squirted some Mysis at it and I it caught a couple but the peppermints brazenly hopped all over it to scrounge up what they could before the anenome could - I then fed them on the other side of the tank and re-fed the anenome. Those peppermints are getting on my nerves, can't wait until the fish are out of QT to keep them in check.
BANG GUY - am I reading your signature right - a 900 gallon refugium with 2500 pounds of sand plus rock??? YIKES! that's insane!?!?! is there a reason why? Where do you keep the thing? Do you have a wife?? Mine freaked when I had to add two QT's to accompany my 75 gallon SW and the 30 gallon cichlid tanks - I can;t imagine trying to explain a refugium that's bigger than the walmart pool I just got for my daughter!
 
sammystingray

sammystingray

Active Member
I personally think 260 watts is kind of low on a 75, but I can't take another debate.:D Watch those peppermints with the yellow polyps. Folks buy peppermints to eat aiptasia anemones, but yellow polyps are actually colonial anemones, and peppermints will sometimes eat them unless something prefered is around.
 
reavely

reavely

Member
I got the pepper's because I had alot of aptaisias on the live rock I bought & to scavenge, but I do think they are nibbling on the yellow polyps as well, I give 'em mysis but those guys are voracious, can't seem to feed them enough. What other shrimp do people suggest that aren't as aggro, but do some of the same work?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top