Anemones

[lt34]

I have a carpet Anemone that I feed 2 to 3 times a week a silverside. I just lay it on him and away he goes. Now I have also got a Ritteri Anemone and was told to feed him everyday or everyother day a silverside also. The problem is, he isn't eating the silverside. He is about 1 to 1 1/2ft across. The two False Perculas (Tank Raised) was hosting him within two hours after putting him in the tank last Wednesday. I feed cyclopeeze freeze dried a little everyday, San Fransico Omnivore, Carnivore, and mysis Shrimp altering each day, and Spectra with garlic everyday. Are the Clowns taking in some of the food and feeding him because he looks good and healthy. What else should I try and feed the monster. The Carpet eats a whole silverside and is 1/4 the size of the Ritteri. Is the Silverside to big for the Monster?

Thanks for any input in advance.

 

[Blown 346]

Maybe the anemone isnt hungry since the clowns are feeding it.

 

[MCary]

Anemones live mostly off their zooanthellae. Feeding them is like giving them a treat. They don't really need it.

Mike

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7945755#post7945755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCary
Anemones live mostly off their zooanthellae. Feeding them is like giving them a treat. They don't really need it.

Mike

From experience, I have to disagree. By feeding these animals, you are providing what they would receive in the wild. While they are photosynthetic, they also need the complex proteins and fats provided by meaty prey. The two species you have are piscivorous and will benefit greatly from regular feeding. By providing good light and a good feeding regimen, they will be much healthier by comparison than an individual only receiving one or the other.
On a different subject, H. magnifica (aka 'ritteri' anemones) are quite difficult to care for. Unfortunately, by putting the two together (carpet and ritteri), you may have compromised what little vitality is often left in these anemones. Being as aggressive as anemones are, many new additions react negatively to the presence of another established anemone in the same system. This is often compounded by the fact that most people don't provide the appropriate environment for them to begin with (i.e. intense lighting and water flow for H. magnifica). Many of anemones will also 'fight' by stinging each other or releasing stinging cells into the water column to fight indirectly. My advice (unless you have an extremely large system, especially considering the max size of both species) is to return the ritteri and continue your good luck with the carpet anemone. If your carpet is doing well, it can get quite large, anyway. chances are, even if the ritteri lives, they will outgrow the tank and make even more of a problem. You can get rid of one to prevent from potentially losing both of them.

 

[MCary]

Host anemones are 99% photosynthic. Feeding them will make them grow faster, which is not always good. But you could stop feeding them entirely and as long as all its other needs were met it would live forever. It is doubtful that they catch alot of fish in the wild. Anemones also don't have a life span as we know it. They don't grow old. But fate plays a hand.

Mike

PS The subject of whether an anemone needs to be fed is a hotly debated issue. That usually means the jury is still out. I am repeating what I read, which does not make me right. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[bertoni]

I don't know of any data that indicates that host anemones are 99% photosynthetic. The cost of creating nematocysts that are never used is far too high for me to believe that in the wild, they don't catch food. If you read a biology book, like the Ruppert, Barnes Invertebrate Zoology, anemones are described as predators. I've never heard that the jury is out on this issue.

 

[DannyXL]

Well, mine has been rockin and rollin with a host Gold Striped Clown. I have noticed when I feed some brine shrimp for my fishes as well as the clown, he'll bring some over to him and kinda nessle it in his mouth... He is kinda protective of it his anemone. I'll up a pick or two this week.

I've always read that they do not need to be FED. But, that feeding them once a week wouldn't hurt as a treat.

 

[lt34]

I didn't mean to start an argument, I knew the Anemone is photosynthetic also, I just want to know what else to try. I know its got to be getting some of the other food and with the clowns going to its mouth, thought they were giving it food. I wondered if the silverside was wrong or to big. I saw frozen krill that is much smaller that the silverside. Would this be better to try. If I was to get rid of an Anemone, I prefer to get rid of the carpet as the clown really love the Ritteri.

 

[bertoni]

Frozen krill is a good idea, in my opinion. A different brand of silverside might be good, too. The Gamma brand lancefish (often called silversides) might be more palatable.

 

[Fishy Business]

Mine loves PrimeReef frozen cubes(thaw them out first ofcourse)

In regards to the clowns feeding the anemone, I have not yet been convinced they FEED the anemones but rather store some food in a SAFE place for themselves later. I think we give these fish more inteligence than they really have. I know this is really easy to do when you love your fish as much as I love my own. Just my .02

 

[Fishy Business]

Anyone else agree with me?

 

[picnic]

I only feed 1 of my 3 anenomes 3 times a week with shrimp the other 2 just toss it out.

 

[bertoni]

Yes, the fish don't feed the anemone intentionally. They just grab as much food as possible, and the anemone often gets some. That's my understanding.

 

[lt34]

Thanks, I will buy some krill and try that and some prime reef. One thing I notice is in the evening he shrivels up and looks almost dead or dying, by morning he looks great. Twice I thought he would be dead by morning and to wake up to a beautiful Anemone and very happy clowns.

 

[bertoni]

Mine does that kind of shrinking, too. I try not to let it worry me.

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7949144#post7949144 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Yes, the fish don't feed the anemone intentionally. They just grab as much food as possible, and the anemone often gets some. That's my understanding.

Very true. The clownfish are also aware of the fact that the anemone can grip the food, thus by letting it catch some food, the clownfish can rip smaller pieces from a larger chunk. Has it settled into a more or less permanent position? If so, now is the time to feed. If it is still wandering, you need to provide the appropriate environment, first.