How & What To Feed Anemone?

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

Alright I recently got a green bubble anemone and I was wondering what you guys recommend feeding it and possible methods to feed it. I saw on a video a guy used a turkey baster and mixed the food in a cup and then sucked it in and then squirted it on the anemone in the tank. Just curious to hear other peoples methods. Thanks.

 

[heap]

i usually feed chopped shrimp or clam (about the size of krill at the largest, pencil eraser at the smallest)...i use long tweezers to get it on a nem's tentacle.

 

[Chibils]

If you have clowns hosting the nems, have fun. Otherwise, lay a small piece of krill, shrimp, squid, silverside, etc. on its oral disc or tentacles and let it do its work. Some people feed them every two days, some every three, some less.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I switch off b/t krill and silversides. Right now I am using krill, I thaw them out in a cup of water. Then grab a few pieces, reach my hand in the tank, and "throw" them into the tentacles of the anemones. ( Haddonis and LTAs )

 

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

Awesome. Thanks guys for the information. As of now my clown has not hosted. He is starting to notice it, but won't get too close to it.

 

[Smo]

Just in case your clown won't let you get near it, or you don't want your hands/arms in the tank water, then do this: Get 2 bamboo skewers (or wood), zip tie them with the sharp end of one overlapping the dull end of the other by 2" using 2 small zip ties.

Feed your fish first, then lightly stab a silverside or krill and place it near the GBTA with your new feeder stick. She'll grab it and maybe your stick a little, but after a few feedings you should have this down to a science!

That's what I do.

BTW, don't try the freeze dried krill, my RBTA won't touch it for very long.

 

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

What size pieces do you recommend chopping the silverside up to? I got a pack today and I cut one in half and then cut from the eyeball to its lip off and stuck it in the middle of the anemone. I came back shortly after and saw one of my hermits and one of the brittle stars munching on it so I moved it away from them and stuck it back on the anemone. He seems to expand and contract a lot throughout the day. Usually at night when I look at it though it seems to be fully open.

 

[Smo]

What size pieces do you recommend chopping the silverside up to?
You have a small tank so hopefully your GBTA is small too. Give him a small piece almost half. Make sure you thaw it out in a cup of tank water for about 5-10 minutes first. If he is hungry, he will reach right up and take the silverside from you as it gets near him. Push your hermits away or cage them off somewhere if they still try to steal the food.

He seems to expand and contract a lot throughout the day.
This is not good. He should do this just once a day to expell waste.
He may be unhappy. What's your lighting like? How about flow. No direct flow on a GBTA, but indirect to low/medium.

Go here ---> http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=282136 and read the Anemone FAQ. This may help.

 

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

I have 48w pc its a nanocube, so the display is a little less than 12g. He is seated in a low flow area.

 

[Patrick12]

Small pieces...like 1/3 of an inch in diameter. I would only recommend feeding weekly. Some do it more often, but it is not necessary.

 

[timthetoolman]

I cut a silver side in half or in thirds for larger ones and feed every other day or every three days. I just throw it in the tentacles and the fish finds it's way to the mouth. Then when I feed my sun coral I squirt some mysis on the tentacles too.

 

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

Okay. I noticed today that it seemed a little more aggressive in grabbing the silverside when I placed it in its mouth. I will continue to do so and just keep an eye on him. I noticed it moved maybe a half an inch from its previous spot so maybe it will settle in better there also. Clown still is not hosting it yet either, hopefully real soon he will find it.

 

[maxheadroom]

when i feed my tank, i just put in a piece of scallop/shrimp/whatever thats too big for my clarkii to eat and he brings it right to my anemonie.

 

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

Well today when I woke up he had migrated towards my pulsing xenia and the two hermits one was on top of the others shell in his old spot. I think if it would go the opposite direction of where he was then he might have a better spot. Do you recommend I try moving it from my xenias or just let it do its thing so I don't stress it anymore?

 

[timthetoolman]

I would let it do it's thing and move everything else.