Feeding sebae anemone

[petoonia]

I recently got a sebae anemone. It was doing really well it was last fed two days ago. It excreted some waste awhile after eating, but since has shrunk down to half its size and gone onto its side. We have been target feeding it a small portion of a thawed mysis shrimp cube 2-3 times a week. I was wondering how much of the cube we should feed it. We also feed the fish 1 coral beauty, and 1 percula flake food, and or pellets in the morning and a bit of flakes or the mysis shrimp in the evening. I would love to hear some different ideas or opinions on these things.
Thanks

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Most Anemones will feed off lighting more than food. I only feed my nems once a week. I will give them 2 pieces of krill. What kind of lighting do you have. Also nems will act like that when being placed into a new environment. They will deflate and then regain size. Give it a little bit.

 

[petoonia]

Thanks for your info.

I have a power compact w/ 96 watt dual daylights, and 96 watt dual lunar lights. (I hope thats the right info about the lighting) It also has a very dim moonlight. The tank is 24" deep, and the anemone has gone to the bottom. We were told this was sufficient lighting, but after researching a bit. Im not too sure.

I guess I just have to play the waiting game now. I just hate the idea that its health may be declining, while I just sit by and wait.

Thanks again for replying.

 

[hansonfam]

hmmmmmm i have a feeling there is not enough light for it. I am pretty new to anemones but someone please correct me if i am wrong but this one need halides does it not? I think the only one you could possibly try with would be a bubble tip and place it really high on the rocks. Or maybe a condy?
I would say that is why it is not to happy. Is it's foot secured to something? Or is it just floating around?
If anything i would try to take it back if it is really declining in health.

Good Luck

Lisa

 

[OCDP]

Lisa, check your PM's!! I've been trying to contact you for a couple days hahah

 

[petoonia]

The foot is attached to the glass. (We went bare bottom this time). It is still eating, and the tentacles are fairly sticky.My little percula is very persistent about guarding the anemones food when we feed it. Maybe im just being impatient. It is still settling in. If there is no improvement very soon, I will definately see about bringing it back. It was doing really well at the LFS, it had been there a few weeks.
We will also check into a lighting upgrade, but that wouldnt be possible for some time. I guess I will have to be patient for now.

Thanks

 

[phender]

I like to feed my anemones with something a little more substantial than mysis. I usually go with silverside, shrimp or scallops. 1/2" - 3/4" cube is uusually the right size for a healthy anemone. When the anemone is new I feed about 3 times a week. Pieces of food the size of a pencil eraser are sometimes better for anemone just acclimating.
For a 24" high tank, 2-96 watt PCs is a little skimpy. If you are feeding it and it is not growing then that is usually a sign that the lighting is not enough.

 

[raoul]

I'm curious about something that hasn't been mentioned yet. You said you just recently got the nem, what color is it?

Given the right environment (lighting, space, and some feedings) you have a decent shot at keeping a healthy sebae. Unfortunately, in my experience, it has been VERY difficult to find a healthy one at my LFSs, in fact, I don't know if I've ever seen one (doesn't mean there haven't been any, I just haven't seen them).

If you begin with a bleached one, your chances of sucessfully keeping it are decreased quite a bit.
If it is a beautiful white, with stand out purple tips, it's bleached. If it's a tan, beige, brown (most common colors), and now the purple tips aren't so striking because of the color change it's healthier.

We had PC lighting when we got ours (it was bleached), and it wasn't responding, even with regular feedings, it wasn't attaching, and looked really bad. I'm still amazed it didn't die, I really thought it was a goner a few times. We noticed a turn around once we upgraded the lighting. We went to MH, but that was something we had planned on doing anyway. Others have been successful with other types of lighting too, but I felt this was easiest, and would accomodate future corals we were hoping for.

Ours is now healthy and happy and we don't feed nearly as often as we did in the begining when it wasn't. We do once every couple weeks or so. However, this would not be a good feeding schedule for a bleached one.

Good luck!

 

[petoonia]

Anemone had good color when we got it. A nice tan color. Which it still has. The anemone is doing ok today. It seems to be spreading out nicely, but it is still on its side. The foot is partially attached to the glass. We think it may be trying to move. The last time it moved it took about two days for it to get turned around and settled in its spot.

Thanks!

 

[Amphiprion]

I agree with phender. A meatier food is in order, especially for this species. Since this species is mostly piscivorous, my suggestion is silversides (or lancefish if available) about 3 times a week. While others seem to reduce feedings once their anemones settle in, I have found it advantageous to continue frequent feedings. Though not absolutely necessary to keep the anemone healthy in the proper conditions, the extra feeding does, IMHO, make for an even healthier anemone in the long run.

 

[dantodd]

not sure where you are petoonia but lancefish are sold as "sand eels" here. Look for either, they're great anemone food.

 

[raoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7965732#post7965732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprion
I agree with phender. A meatier food is in order, especially for this species. Since this species is mostly piscivorous, my suggestion is silversides (or lancefish if available) about 3 times a week. While others seem to reduce feedings once their anemones settle in, I have found it advantageous to continue frequent feedings. Though not absolutely necessary to keep the anemone healthy in the proper conditions, the extra feeding does, IMHO, make for an even healthier anemone in the long run.

and...it's just really neat to watch!

I'm glad your nem has a good color. I think that's half the battle! I'm amazed you were able to find one in good shape!

 

[petoonia]

Thanks for all the info.. I will definately get the silversides. I will have to see what my LFS has in stock. If not I'll have to order on line. The anemone finally got itself upright this afternoon, and it expanded nicely. I think its gonna be ok for now. I will keep a close eye on it. I'll give an update on its condition tomorrow.
Thanks again!!!!!!

 

[petoonia]

Just wanted to let anybody interested know that anemone is doing well!! It has righted itself, and has great color. Thanks for all the help!!!!!

 

[Eric Boerner]

Try Krill, cocktail shrimp or baby Scallops from the fish market. My Sebae loves em and gulps them down with vigor.

Mysid (and even silversides) are usually too small for most Anemone to pull down without much effort. Get some larger, fatter meaty things for them to eat.

 

[dantodd]

?? I think you have silversides confused with some other fish. Silverside are typically much larger than krill or cocktail shrimp and about the same size as bay scallops, just different propotions.

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7974824#post7974824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dantodd
?? I think you have silversides confused with some other fish. Silverside are typically much larger than krill or cocktail shrimp and about the same size as bay scallops, just different propotions.

Yes. I have some frozen that are about 5" long and as big around as a jumbo pencil.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7974100#post7974100 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petoonia
Just wanted to let anybody interested know that anemone is doing well!! It has righted itself, and has great color. Thanks for all the help!!!!!

Beware, many out there that think they are having success with their anemone usually making a thread in about 6 months wondering why their anemone just died.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7974824#post7974824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dantodd
?? I think you have silversides confused with some other fish. Silverside are typically much larger than krill or cocktail shrimp and about the same size as bay scallops, just different propotions.

I have gotten silversides that are ~2" long and only as thick as big spaghetti. The next time I get it from the same company in the same package, I get fish the the length and width of my middle finger. (I'm 6'5")
When you talk about silversides, different people picture different things, and they are both right.

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7976614#post7976614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
I have gotten silversides that are ~2" long and only as thick as big spaghetti. The next time I get it from the same company in the same package, I get fish the the length and width of my middle finger. (I'm 6'5")
When you talk about silversides, different people picture different things, and they are both right.

I have you beat Phender. I am 6'6.


petoonia, try getting some silversides and see if your sebae likes them I am sure they will.