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    Posted: January 08 2005 at 4:31pm

I was going to get a Bubble Anemone for my Clownfish. I was wondering if you have to place it in the tank or let it drop and find a place?  Also, how and what do you feed them?  Thanks for your time and hope to hear from you soon.

 

Eric

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pmpt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 4:41pm
Hold it gently against a rock until it attaches itself. Then you can feed it just about anything, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill, etc.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HHHdxSMH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 4:47pm

Do you hold it with your bare hands or do you use some kind of gloves?  Also, how do you feed it?

Eric

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pmpt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 4:51pm
You can use gloves. But a bubble tip aren't that aggresive so I use my bare hands. Up to you. I use a medicine dropper to target feed them. I take a medicine dropper remove the rubber sucker and then get a long piece of hard plastic tube (any LFS) and then glue the tip of the dropper on one side and the rubber sucker on the other. So it makes a long medicine dropper. Understand?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HHHdxSMH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 5:00pm

Kind of, so it is like you are making an extension on the medicine dropper?  Also, on what to feed it again.  I can feed it mysis shrimp smashed up into almost a thick juice and suck it up in the dropper and then shoot it into the middle of the anemone?

 

Eric

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pmpt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 5:01pm
I guess, I just usually feed them the whole mysis shrimp. Less work on my part and them like it either way. But whatever floats your boat.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HHHdxSMH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 5:08pm
ok, thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simple Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 5:37pm
Hello everyone,

Quote I was wondering if you have to place it in the tank or let it drop and find a place?


Personally I don't think it matters how you put it in. The anemone will likely wander no matter what you do. Either way, I do recommend acclimating the animal first.

Quote Also, how and what do you feed them?


How: Larger anemones can typically take pieces of food 1" and larger. It's easy enough just to toss a couple piece of krill in it. For smaller aneomones, I recommend using a turkey baster. They come in a variety of sizes and are obviously cheap. To feed: Just pop off the top, put the food in, put the top back on, suck up some tank water, shake to thaw, squirt the anemone. Piece of cake.

What: My BTAs have always responded well to shrimp (krill, mysid, brine). I feed 1" krill/mysid to anemones larger than 4" and mysid/brine to the smaller ones. Some people swear by silversides, but I've never had any luck with them.

Quote I can feed it mysis shrimp smashed up into almost a thick juice and suck it up in the dropper and then shoot it into the middle of the anemone?


IMO, there is no need to pulverize the food and it could be counterproductive. As long as the food fits in it's mouth, the anemone can take care of the smashing. Furthermore, you don't need to aim for the mouth. The tentacles should be able to grab pieces and get them to the mouth.

Hope that helps,
Chris

Edited by Simple
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pmpt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 6:06pm
Well said Chris
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SSpargur Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 6:12pm
I feed mine with a turkey baster or just put a chunk of shrimp in it's tenticles.
Sean Spargur
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote j's55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 7:20pm
I thaught if you jammed the food into the center it can
choke well sort of choke then it cant take in water to
fill in its flesh that is how it expands just put it on
the tenticles then it can do the rest       

Edited by j's55
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 8:01pm
Originally posted by pmpt pmpt wrote:

Hold it gently against a rock until it attaches itself.
What if that takes all day? Your hand will look like a prune!

Originally posted by j's55 j's55 wrote:

...jammed the food into the center it can choke well sort of choke...
I'd like to see somebody choke an anemone! I'm sorry, it just seemed like a funny picture in my mind. Like a person with their hands wrapped around a Carpet Anemone..."Hey, that fish was not your dinner."
That's not quite a throat, it's just a place where they take in food and expel waste. But force feeding an anemone is an interesting idea...

Edited by Mark Peterson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simple Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2005 at 8:49pm
Hello everyone,

Quote I thaught if you jammed the food into the center it can choke


I sincerely doubt this would happen.


While we're at it, here are a few more BTA and feeding things to think about:

Make sure the BTA is happy, intact and ready/able to eat before buying it. Find one that is colored, attached, inflated and has a tight mouth.

Don't expect it to eat for the first few days/week. Give it the chance, but it seems like they always need a little time to settle in.

Expect it to deflate and look dead every now and then. It's how they get rid of waste and take in new water (filter feed). When BTAs split the pieces can stay deflated for several days/week. Otherwise the process shouldn't take more than ~24hrs. IMO a hosted clown will help the deflation/inflation process and likely make for a happier anemone.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as feeding.. But if you haven't already, do some reading about xooanthellae. A happy BTA will have color. Red, green or brown are typical. A pale, white or colorless BTA is not happy.

Finally, back when I kept shrimp(cleaner and peps) with my anemones there was usually competition for the food. The shrimp had no problem dancing across the anemones and stealing food right from their mouths. Honestly, it was really cool to watch. But unfortunately, the anemones would get annoyed and shrivel up without eating.

Hope that helps,
Chris
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HHHdxSMH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 12:41am

What is xooanthellae?

 

Eric

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote j's55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 4:05pm
It is the algae within the corals tissue and it is
"zooxanthellae" It is where they get the nutrients to
survive that is why they need light. It is also what
makes them colorful usually the brighter the color the
more light it need. But animals like most gorgonian where
the polyps are white that means that the tissue has no
zooxanthellae and that it eats planktonic foods like
brine shrimp, Rotifers, cyclop-eeze, so on. If they are a
filter feeder they eat smaller things like phytoplankton
or fish waste for filter feeders you can mix around your
sand and they eat the bacteria and other things that
float up.

Most anemones have zooxanthelae and eat meaty foods and
some just eat meaty foods. A bubble tip is photosynthetic
and carnivorous they like strong light and strong water
flow.

Photosynthetic means they have zooxanthelae and require
light. Carnivorous means they eat meaty foods like squid,
shrimp, krill, any thing that was

Edited by j's55
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SSpargur Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 4:35pm

Originally posted by j's55 j's55 wrote:

I meant if you force feed w/to large of food it is harder
for them to eat it but I could be wrong. I thought it was
bad for the anemone if you just shoved it down but the
material I read could have been wrong too

I never said shove it down it's throat!    I simply place a piece of shrimp near a tentacle and it latches onto the food with it's nematocysts and pulls the food into it's own mouth.  If anemones can swallow fish, I doubt a chunk of shrimp will choke it.

Sean Spargur
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote j's55 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 4:40pm
I was not refering to you sean. I just read some where
that if you force fed anemones with to large of food that
it could hert the
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacob_poly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 10:18pm

the first week is usually the most critical. I would release teh anemone in an area of  medium water flow and close to where you want it to finally reside. Placing it in the proximity of a rock will help. Also if it does not float away you can place it in a crevice on the rock. BTAs usually attach pretty good and are easy to keep. Initially if it shies away from light and goes under some rock work let it be. Dont keep flipping rocks to have the BTA in view. Eventually it will move higher and try to bask in full light. Sometimes, unforunately for us, it decides to attach to the rear of a rock or the back glass....:(.

Also important is observing the color of the anemone. If its loses its zoo, it will be in the first couple of days. Watch the mouth, it should not start to look tired or gaping. The first couple of days might be stressful. However, if the anemone remains shrivelled for too long (a day or more) it could be because your water conditions are not up to the mark, lighting is not adequate, etc.

When trying to explain problems with anemones its best to use a check list -
1) What was the anemones conditions when it was bought?
2) What are Nh3, N02, N03 levels? (Atleast the first two should be zero and the last less than 15 ppm)
3) What is the age of the tank? Longer established tanks are more stable chemistry wise
4) What is the size of the tank? Larger tanks are always better. A minimum of 30 gallons being recommended.
5) Dissolved organics - are these under control with a good skimmer?
6) pH and alkalinity - are these good?
7) Lighting - Depending on species the type and amount of light required may vary. Taller tanks may need MH for greater penetration. Also a minimum of 4 Watts/Gallon is a MUST. Try and provide maximum lighting. 6 W/G and above is ideal
8) Try to avoid mixing corals and anemones in a tank if possible. Anemones can move, somtimes also float and can easily end by in hand to hand combat causing problems. Even if they do not they could still wage chemical warfare against each other.
9) You can attempt to feed an anemone a couple of days after introduction into a tank but dont exert repeated attempts to feed if it refuses food. Wont elaborate on feeding here as there are enough posts on the WWW about feeding methods, food, food size, frequency etc.
10) If adding more than one type of anemone (not really recommended for small tanks) try getting a bottom dweller and a rock dweller so that the twain will not meet.
11) Clownfishes can be cute but also a pain sometimes when trying to feed an anemone as they can pilfer food. This is not always the case but is common.
12) Water changes of about 7-10% per week is good
13) Specific gravity should be on the higher side - 1.024-1.026
14) Mouth should be tight and not gaping

Specifically I found BTAs to be low maintenance. They are quick feeders and generally more tolerant of not so pristine water conditions. Plus being rock dwellers tehy can climb higher to get more light.

I know this is more than you asked for but thought I'd share it anyways.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HHHdxSMH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2005 at 11:50pm
Originally posted by jacob_poly jacob_poly wrote:

I know this is more than you asked for but thought I'd share it anyways.

Thats ok, thank you for all the helpful information.

Eric

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simple Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2005 at 2:11am
Hello everyone,

Quote What is xooanthellae?


I don't have a clue. Sorry, I really should have checked my spelling on that one. Try looking for zooxanthellae. As previously described it's basically a symbiotic algae.

Quote I just read some where that if you force fed anemones with to large of food that it could hert the


First of all, it's borderline impossible to force an anemone to eat.

Second, the mouth of the anemone is kinda like a snakes jaw. They can open a lot farther than you think they would.

Finally, while i supposed it is possible that an anemone could choke, i suspect the anemone would just spit it out first.

FWIW, I've watched polyps try to choke down krill of equal size. I bet they could do it too, if the worms would give them enough time.



Thanks for the list Jacob, it's all good info to share. Generally I agree with what you've stated. Here are a few of my opinions to add:

Quote Dont keep flipping rocks to have the BTA in view.


I agree 100%. Let it do what it wants to do. Also realize that they like to mount their foot upside down and protected. From this position they'll turn their oral disk over facing the light. Even if it starts out somwhere you can't see it, evenutally it will grown and show up.

Quote 3) What is the age of the tank?


IMO this is of little consequence.

Quote 4) What is the size of the tank? Larger tanks are always better. A minimum of 30 gallons being recommended.


I agree. At that 30 gallon minimum I would likely keep only the anemones and it's splits. To keep a tank with more variety I would recommend a 55. From there plan for your anemone/s to take up atleast 1/3 of it.

Quote 5) Dissolved organics - are these under control with a good skimmer?


IMO the terms "under control" and "good skimmer" are totally different from one person to the next. Beyond that, over skimming could be an issue for a filter feeding. FWIW, there are plenty of happy skimmerless anemones out there.

Quote 7) Lighting - Depending on species the type and amount of light required may vary. Taller tanks may need MH for greater penetration. Also a minimum of 4 Watts/Gallon is a MUST. Try and provide maximum lighting. 6 W/G and above is ideal


I believe watts/gallon is a meaningless standard. Intensity of light on the animal is all that matters. Indirect shaded light in 10000w/gal tank is still just indirect shaded light. Conversely, an anemone would be happy in a 10000 gallon tank at 1w/gal if it were right under the light. Ultimately, the BTA will likely find one of the highest/brightest spots in the tank and take up residence.

Personally I recommend MH lights. From what I've seen BTAs do MUCH better with them.

Quote 8) Try to avoid mixing corals and anemones in a tank if possible. Anemones can move, somtimes also float and can easily end by in hand to hand combat causing problems. Even if they do not they could still wage chemical warfare against each other.


IMO mixing corals and anemones can be, but doesn't need to be, a problem. You just have to remember that as they grow, they take up a lot of space. Put the anemone in before the corals. Let it get settled in for a month+. Then plan atleast 6"+ each direction for it. They can and do split when they're smaller, but you shouldn't count on it. Even if the anemone does split, the splits usually like to wander a couple few inches. As you add corals to the tank take care to keep a similar current on the anemones area. If you add large coral somewhere that blocks flow, the anemone may start wandering. Finally, if you plan ahead and give it plenty of room, there shouldn't be any problems.

Quote 11) Clownfishes can be cute but also a pain sometimes when trying to feed an anemone as they can pilfer food. This is not always the case but is common.


I've seen this happen. But I've also seen clowns pull food out of the current and toss it in the anemone. Ultimately, I feel that a hosted clown will do far more good than harm.

Quote 12) Water changes of about 7-10% per week is good


This is an opinion about reefkeeping in general. Some believe it, some dont. Like my skimmer opinion, it's not hard to find happy old-water anemones.

Quote 13) Specific gravity should be on the higher side - 1.024-1.026


IMO, this isn't on the high side. 25ish is just right.



Hope that helps,
Chris
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