Reefs.org Forums

[liquid]

HOT TIPS Column: November 2006 Issue of Advanced Aquarist

November's theme is "Anemone Tips." Please submit your tips and tricks for taking care of your anemones. Your tips and tricks will help new and existing reefkeepers and also helps to bring the hobby to the next level (plus it's just cool to get published in a magazine like Advanced Aquarist).

When published, your hot tip will have your username published (along with your real name if you so desire). Every month we will be running a new HOT TIP thread so stay tuned and help out when you can.

The staff at both Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist would like to thank you for your continued interest and support of our online community, magazine, and services.

Let the submissions begin!

Best regards,

Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist staff

[Lawdawg]

Always be sure to cover any pump intakes or overflows to prevent an anemone from getting sucked in. For pumps like powerheads, sponge works well but be sure and clean it regularly. For overflows, you can use filter floss, or the fine mesh PVC gutter grills which can be found at home improvement stores. This material comes in a roll, is black which is a little less noticeable than white filter floss. You can use fine smaller cable ties to secure the material to intake, but be sure to use the ties that have no metal parts.

[PitPat]

Feed them!
Its amazing how many times I hear "They don't really need to eat."
They do need to eat. Feed them! I think that is the most important thing for keeping anemones successfully.

[blackcloudmedia]

Yes I agree deffinately feed them. People complaint about anemones dying or losing color. I feed my anemones everytime I feed my fish and the three anemones I have are huge, well inflated, and "perky". Also keep that water quality up.

[SnowManSnow]

Careful not to direct too much flow directly on top of them.. my anemonies have never seemed to like very strong flow.

Also, don't put a clown in the same tank that is oversized for your anemone. I've anctually had a few larger clowns pester my smaller anemones to sickness.

B

[cvp7900]

I agree with feeding. They need to be fed. Lawdawg is definately right on covering intakes for powerheads. I lost an anemone that way.

[bleedingthought]

On maxi-jets, are the screens for the intakes (the plastic ones that come with the powerhead) enough to keep BTA from taking a helicopter ride? Or do I NEED sponges? Seems like the slits on the cover are small enough, but what do you guys think?

[Lawdawg]

On maxi-jets, are the screens for the intakes (the plastic ones that come with the powerhead) enough to keep BTA from taking a helicopter ride? Or do I NEED sponges? Seems like the slits on the cover are small enough, but what do you guys think?

IMO & IME, the screens are not really enough. If they get sucked up against even a fine screen it tears tissue and depending on how much damage is done it can kill your anemone. Now on a sump overflow the screens seem to be enough as they rarely float up high enough to get sucked in IME.

[nice1bruva]

dont try and move a nem in a rough way as tearing them is soooooo easy!
some people use a credit card to gently peel them away from glass etc but thats no good on live rock or any uneven surface.

one tactic i have used sucessfully over the years is to put an ice cube into a 'food safe' bag and gently 'tickle' it's foot for a fraction of a second every 2 or 3 seconds until i irritate it enough to start moving from it's spot.
DONT USE TH ICE CUBE WITHOUT THE BAG OR YOU WILL 'BURN' THE CREATURE....NOR SHOULD YOU TOUCH IT FOR ANY MORE THAN A FRACTION OF A SECOND AT A TIME.

i have used this tactic on a few occasions with no affect whatsoever on the nem's in question.....irritating them is enough to make them move without any fear of damage whatever the surface.

[Goldstein]

For long tentacle anemones ( Macrodactyla doreensis ) to get them to stay in one spot excavate a small depression on the substrate and if possible let the animal make contact with the glass. Then surround the depression with some small pieces of live rock at the periphery of their tentacles. They may still wander but I've used this technique and they generally stay put providing lighting and flow are to their liking. Have also done this with a Heteractis malu anemone.

One more tip - never touch anything in the Actinodendron family - these anemones are sometimes sold as 'tree anemones'. They pack a ridiculously potent sting which causes severe pain.

Images of said anemone:

http://nhm.ku.edu/inverts/adorian/actinodendronidae.htm

[Platax]

When start up new tank.
Do not hurry to gain the anemone, wait when tank is well established (months) and quality water will be high.

-----------------
Best Regards,
Andrey.

[Platax]

Feed them!
Its amazing how many times I hear "They don't really need to eat."
They do need to eat. Feed them! I think that is the most important thing for keeping anemones successfully.

Yes, they do need to eat.
I offer to inform than you, feed them.
I feed anemones with a fresh fish (the sea perch) and a squid 1-2 times per week.
Successfully I keep them already more than 8 years.

-----------------
Best Regards,
Andrey.

[kevin b]

oops double post

[kevin b]

It was said before that you should not get an anemone that is not the correct size for your clown. A clown bigger then an anemone will give the anemone unneeded stress.

[vitz]

anemones should NOT be kept in coral tanks, as a rule-they are more likely than not to wreak havoc with sessile animals

anemones are also extremely sensitive to water parameters/quality-often more so than corals, and should not, as a general rule, be attempted by beginners in tanks less than a year old, as the chemistry 'swings' in non mature tanks can do them in

always bear in mind the true final size of the anemone specie you're thinking of buying-many get HUGE, fairly quickly, and are not suited for tanks under the multiple hundreds of gallons size (ritteris and carpets, specifically)

light symbiotic anemones the same way you would light a photosynthetic coral

[jimmyj]

Another tactic to protect anemones from powerhead puree is to make a mini overflow box over the PH like a wanna-be tunze box (that doesn't really work like a tunze box).

Takes up extra space, but will work in some applications.

Same set up can be made so that the PH pulls water from different levels in the tank more or less increasing overall flow from the same pump.

See link.

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/sho ... hp?t=34057

[the-elliotts]

I would also suggest good anchor spots for the anemones that are also out of direct water flow. It seems that once they find somewhere permanent they really take off. My rose bubble has divided 3 times in the 12 months I've had it.Lots of food.