Feeding anemone silversides

[Mikro]

Does the anemone digest the whole fish bones and all? Or does it spit out the bones and stuff?

 

[vessxpress1]

It spits out a small blob of junk. Never was curious enough to inspect it. It won't spit out a perfect fish skeleton like a cartoon if that's what you were wondering. The hermits are ready and waiting to eat the junk before it expels it in my tank.

 

[Mikro]

So is it better to feed them something like silversides or shrimp, clams etc. Something without bones?

 

[bertoni]

I would feed them the whole animal. It's hard to say what might get digested or not, but cleaning the animal is asking for trouble, IMO. I feed whole silversides and krill to my BTA. I haven't seen bones being released.

 

[vessxpress1]

Silversides is the name of the fish. It's a whole fish. They're very similar to minnows you'd use for fishing. I got a package of them that are anywhere from 2-4" in length. My bta is about 7" in diameter now and easily eats a whole 4" silver side. Sometimes I feed it freeze dried shrimp. It occasionally catches fish food scraps too.

 

[TippyToeX]

I feed the whole thing (bones and all) but chop up the meal so it's nice and easy to digest.

 

[Mikro]

I fed him the whole silverside but he couldnt get it in his mouth I guess 'cause it was still whole just entwined in his tentacles. So I chopped of the head and tail and fed it to him again and this time he ate it
I saw a picture of an anemone eating a fish and it was going in head first. Maybe I will try to feed him that way next time.

 

[bertoni]

Hmm, I should have been more clear. Chopping up the animal is fine, but you need to feed all the parts. My anemone is can eat a whole silverside easily, though. Pig!

 

[JC2005]

I feed my RBTA one whole silverside, scallop, or clam which I cut in about 1/4" pieces so that it is easy to digest. Never seen any bones.

 

[JENnKerry]

I feed mine whole silversides as well. I will mix it up with krill and prawn too.