What to feed my anemone?

[rach4194]

I was wondering what to feed my anemone? This is my first. He is a pink tipped anemone. The guy who sold him to me said to feed him frozen shrimp, I tried that and he doesn't seem to get any, it just gets all over the tank. I turned off the pumps and it still didn't get any. How often do they need to eat? I have heard everyday to once or twice a week.

 

[texasranchers]

Welcome to the board. :cheer:
We feed ours twice a week at least. What type of frozen shrimp are you feeding to your anemone? We use the HEB brand, dinner shrimp for our LTA. We thaw it, depending on size, we may need to cut it in half. I'm not sure why yours is floating around in pieces.
Our carpet anemone will take the entire shrimp after thawing.

 

[rach4194]

My anemone is about the size of my palm. The guy sold me the little ones brine shrimp, the same kind I feed my clowns. Am I suppose to be feeding the big kind?
Thanks for your help.

 

[sagxman]

Are you just putting the shrimp in the tank and hoping the anemone will get one or are you actually placing the shrimp in the anemone's tentacles?
I hand feed mine by just putting the food in the tentacles.

 

[texasranchers]

Uh huh! Yes, the mysis or brine will float away. Try handfeeding like SaGxMan mentioned. If your clown and anemone bond, the clown may very easily feed the anemone for you.
Did your LFS give you a name for your anemone? You said it is a pink tipped anemone, Sabae maybe?

 

[sagxman]

Yes!!! I forgot to mention having a clown might make your job easier. As long as the clown is hosting the anemone it will probably feed it. My Maroon and gold stripped clown feeds my BTA before he eats any food himself. I rarely have to hand feed but I do sometimes anyway because I hand feed my hammer coral, bubble coral, and sometimes my peppermint shrimp get handfed. They love to hang out on my hands when I'm in the tank.

 

[sal713]

I asked the same question a couple of weeks ago. The experts here told me frozen Mysis shrimp, thaw in salt water, suck it up and squirt it near the anemones mouth with a turkey baster. Works great!

 

[samantha68]

i agree thats how i feed mine ,i have three which i was having a hard time feeding i was told to use thawed mysis in my suringe and it has worked great for me too

 

[frozenice]

I like Kent Microvert. It feeds the anemone. I used mine twice a week.

 

[rach4194]

I fed my anemone today frozen krill, (thawed) about 1" long with a feeder stick, he grabbed it with and ate it all pretty quickly. Is that too much? He seemed to puff up a bit and liven up a lot.
I only know that it is a pink tipped anemone, my clowns are looking at him but do not seem too interested. I read that my clowns don't take to this kind of anomone. This is my first one and I read pink tipped anemone are pretty hardy and he really didn't cost too much, so I thought I give it a try.
Thanks!

 

[thomas712]

Rach -
I suggest that you don't feed your anemone anything larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
Certain anemones do not have to be fed all that often. A carpet may need more feedings but BTA's LTA's, Haitians, sebae's really don't need meat as often as everyone thinks. I have gone as long as 2 months without feeding my BTA's.
Remember that they are photosynthetic animals and as such lighting is a most important factor, extra feedings is not a long term substitute but can help some, especially with poor lighiting. Yes they do like to be fed on occation, they will puff up and look great, but don't over do it. Twice a week is plenty. They will only take what they need and would reject to much food IMO.
Lighting must be PC, VHO, MH or MH combination. Normal output lighting will not do at all.
Adult brine shrimp is not very nutritious.
Silversides, mysis shrimp, krill, squid, formula 1, frozen plankton are all good. You should rinse frozen foods and a vitamin suppliment can be used like Selcon, Zoe or Zoecon.
Microvert and liquid plankton are not enough IMO.
Post a pic of yours if you can, I'd love to see it.
Good luck
Thomas

 

[fshhub]

start off with what kind do you have?
and do you have clowns or a damsel hosting in it?
these may affect our answers.
the what is pretty much constant. light and drill or shrimp(not brine)
different species have different needs, regaurding frequency
HTH