[afederico]

I just bought and anemone. All water parameters are zero except for nitrates between 5-10 ppm. temp 81. 1st day it was ine then all day today one side was completely shrunk as if I poured salt on a snail. Is this normal or is this the 1st stages of it dying. Will this change or heal itself. The good parts of the anemone look awesome. please help.

[reefnoob1991]

How long have you had your tank

[stacef]

What kind of lighting do you have? Did you acclimate him slowly? Has he showed any progression? From what I understand, when they shrink that is how they release waste, but it could also be signs of dyeing. How long have you had your tank? They should not be added into a tank less than at LEAST 6 months, but recommended 1 year or more.

[ilovemash]

Mine did that for a day then opened right back up and has been thriving ever since.

[reefcouple]

they will shrink, get discolored, open up look beautiful, shrink turn green etc. dont worry too much, they do all kinds of crazy and wild things, these have to be the most hardy things in a tank.... sometimes the LFS's will even pollute their tank to get them to split... They are very very hardy!!! You should get some KENT MARINE ZOE, and add a drop to its food, i feed mine mysis a couple times a week and unless i take mine completely out of the tank and flush it, it wont die lol

Also keep in mind they produce alot of waste so in a 24 gallon tank keep only 1, your nitrates will sky rocket, if it splits (they often do), get rid of the off spring (good trade items) after they are healthy...

[afederico]

It is a 24 gallon aquapod with power compacts. The tank is about 6 months old. Other fish and corals flourishing well.

[reefcouple]

I want to get one of those, did you get a good deal on it? i'm thinking of getting one as a small reef/quarantine tank... very cool.. and no worries with your anenomie, all will be just fine.. the zoe is a great thing for them tho...

[Taras1]

What species anemone? Depending on how big it is, a simple feeding of a half of a raw shrimp or other seafood is good. If the anemone hosts clowns, they will feed the anemone.

Good lighting and waterflow are key to keeping your anemone happy and healthy.

[reefnoob1991]

Actually anemones are one of the most sensitive creatures to keep in a tank..hence the reason most dont live more than a year or so.

[reefcouple]

I will argue that one with ya brandon mine are incredibly hardy, my LFS guy would also say they are very hardy and the firends i have with anenomies would also agree. Our anenomie has split about a dozen times, survived multiple power outages, even lasting days w/out power, and has been in the tank for 4 yrs. verrrry hardy

[reefnoob1991]

They can't handle much ammonia or nitrates, or atleast when they begin to rise they start bleaching...and big salinity swings aren't good for them. But there have been surveys and anemones hardly last 6-12 months in our aquariums

[reefcouple]

Maybe its a matter of species, mine has been alive for 4 yrs, went through alot.. and its "offspring" has been around for a few years as well...

In my own personal experience i would say its the hardiest thing in my tank.. jmo

[reefnoob1991]

Many factors play into health

[reefcouple]

Get this,

It kept splitting and splitting and splitting, i had 6 on one rock and traded the rock for another piece of coral..

They produce so much waste, my nitrates plumeted immediately once removed.. Now i have just the 1.

[dai66]

HI
I have just bought a green bubble anemone and my pair of clowns have paired up great with it. Its been in the tank for 4 days now, Its found a place to live under a out crop of rock and not having direct light. Ive just come home from work and have found that its folded its self up. Is this cleaning its self or could it be because were its positioned? if so do i try to move it. Please advise!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks

[reefcouple]

when they feed they will "fold up", dont worry so much about it.. those bubble tips (by personal experience), can handle alot. mine was completely out of the water yesterday for 15 minutes and looks great today...

Feed it mysis with a drop or 2 of ZOE..

You will see its hungry when its wide open, i feed mine twice a week.

Your bubble tip will expand and retract often, sometimes multiple times each day... They will also turn a putrid green color, its just something they do, and will come right back to normal..

But no worries, i have NEVER seen a bubble tip die, i'm sure they can, but by my own experience they will out live anything in your tank..

[michelle's ocean fantasy]

Hi guys- just have to pop in- I have bought on friday (2/1/08) a baby bubble tip- about the size of a large grape. He is so freakin' cute! I let him adjust to temp for 1/2 hour per LFS then put him in tank. On saturday he moved to a different spot and ate 1/2 a krill. Today, his mouth was open so I tried another 1/2 krill- nothing. I gave him a nice squirt of Kent Marine Micro*Vert. Is this in your opinion similar to the zoe you are referring to - or should I go out and get a different bottle? He is responding great! Except he moved behind the rock that I want him on TOP of. Can I place him where I want? How - without hurting him? And will he stay put? Any opinions? - thanks!

[reefcouple]

if he's unnatached, feel free to pick him up and gently put him where u want him, hold him in place til he grabs a hold.. he may move all over your tank til he finds a nice place he likes..

i feed mine mysis thats cubed, they are smaller and mine gobbles it up....

shoot me an email anytime on your bubble tip, they are vary curious animals with peculiar behaviors.

kent marine zoe, (small bottle will last a couple years). two drops on the cube to absorb will be ample.

what i do is this, i take a measuring cup, put some water from the tank in it, drop a cube or two of mysis in it, then add a drop of zoe, let it thaw out, take something to losen the zoe and use a turkey baster to suck it up with and squirt softly at the anenomie.

works like a charm..

congrats on your new tank resident, you'll like it

[Taras1]

Your BTA gets most of its nourishment from the photosynthetic zooanthellae. If you have hosted clowns in the anemone, they will often feed the anemone. Feeding your anemone krill, shrimp, etc, is usually done once or twice a week. If you've got a refugium and the tank is well seasoned, you should not really need any of the Kent Zoe, etc.

[dai66]

Hi
Can anyone tell me the best way to feed an anemone?
Do i try the mouth directly or put the food onto the tenticals?
Thanks

[pogodzib]

The tentacles will bring the food to its mouth so you just need to get the food to where its tentacles can reach it.

[reefcouple]

i take a measuring cup and thaw out the mysis in it with saltwater, then i use a turkey baster to squirt the thawed food into the anenomie. works great...

[rick67]

My anemone loves to move all around the rock he is on. My question is how do you get them to split?

[reefcouple]

well really just keep adding zoe to its food, mine split many many times..... right now its just looking for a good place to settle in, it will move less often after that...

splitting is cool and we use it as a way for "trade bate" with our LFS... Too many will cause alot of waste so you'll se an increase in nitrates.. but you should do it tho just to experience it, its kinda wild how it does it....

ZOE ZOE ZOE ZOE ZOE in every feeding and that baby will split in time feed it often, a few times a week if you want it to split.... honestly, mine gets fed mysis with zoe only...

glad to hear all is well with you anenomie....

[msbdiving]

I have heard of a drastic change in water conditions as a catalyst for the split. I have tried a 50% water change and still no split. My atlantic rock anemone and BTA just keep getting bigger. I am thinking about getting another home for the atlantic anemone.