pink RBTA?

[killinit123]

so i recently purchased a small ( about 3") pink RBTA I wanted to try and have my clownfish host it. I placed it where my clowns hang out most of the time and it seemed to like the placement. my clownfish on the other hand did not seem to like it. they kept swishing it away with their tails and at one point completely detached it form the rock it was on. I guess my question is what does this behavior mean? and is this normal? and do you think the clowns will eventually take a liking to it? also the nem has now moved all the way to the top of my water column on the back glass of the aquarium, if it could come out of the water it would. the nem looks very healthy but i am wondering if i should move it or is it fine where it is? when i do a water change the nem is completely out of the water while i change the water is this alright? i know there are a lot of questions in this post but any info would be greatly appreciated thanks a lot in advance.

 

[phender]

Clowns are very territorial. If you put it where they sleep and it is not their normal anemone symbiont, it is not surprising that they might want to move it away. Putting it close to their normal resting place, but not directly in the middle of it, might be a better idea.

Anemones are left high and dry at very low tide on occasion. If they have a strong attachment, they will stay put for quite a while. If the attachment is not so strong, they will fall back into the water. Being out of the water for a short time while you change the water shouldn't hurt it.

 

[jwoyshnar]

A "pink" rbta is one that is bleaching so you know. You never mentioned what kind of clown you had.

 

[killinit123]

thanks phender, currently they are not hosting anything. they used to host a big colony of zoas believe it or not but i moved it to the other side of the tank. they did not follow it over there, which is good because they started to get black dots all over them. I'm assuming this is from hosting the zoas, but correct me if I'm wrong.

jwoyshnar, yes it is a highlighter pink, with red and purple morph in it as well. it does not appear to be bleaching though. but i will definitely keep and eye on it. also i have 2 percula clowns

 

[phender]

You are right that the black dots are usually associated with clowns adopting a non-anemone host.

The base of your anemone's tentacles should be brownish with the tips being colored. If the base of the tentacles is white or clear it means that your anemone has expelled its zooxanthellae. This process is called "bleaching". Bleaching usually actually makes the "color" of the anemone brighter because golden brown of the zooxanthellae is no longer there. When you describe your anemone as "highlighter pink" that usually means it doesn't have any zooxanthellae. If the anemone is otherwise healthy it will gain its zoo. back, but you need to feed it small bits of food in the mean time because the anemone normally depends on the zooxanthellae to provide nourishment through photosynthesis.

 

[killinit123]

You are right that the black dots are usually associated with clowns adopting a non-anemone host.

The base of your anemone's tentacles should be brownish with the tips being colored. If the base of the tentacles is white or clear it means that your anemone has expelled its zooxanthellae. This process is called "bleaching". Bleaching usually actually makes the "color" of the anemone brighter because golden brown of the zooxanthellae is no longer there. When you describe your anemone as "highlighter pink" that usually means it doesn't have any zooxanthellae. If the anemone is otherwise healthy it will gain its zoo. back, but you need to feed it small bits of food in the mean time because the anemone normally depends on the zooxanthellae to provide nourishment through photosynthesis.

my nem looks very similar to this one


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2289834711_37980696d6_m.jpg

and i feed it a mixture of mysis, blood worms, and squid i spot feed and it also catches a significant amount of food when i feed the fish. is this sufficient enough?

 

[phender]

If it looks like the pic you linked to, then it is fine. You are feeding it plenty. Usually catching the food meant for fish is enough if the anemone is well lit and healthy.

When you say "hot pink" most people think of this: (not my pic)

This anemone is bleached.

 

[killinit123]

oh good and thanks for the clarification luckily mine does not look like that. i am going to try and move it above the clowns cave and see what happens.