Pink tip anemone - help

[dawn0506]

We just inherited a pink tip anemone and have no experience with them. We tried feeding it a silver side. He took the fish and we thought he swallowed it but 20 minutes later he spit it back out. Is this normal?

 

[Cu455]

Give him a few days to settle in and try again.

 

[darienreefs]

I agree with Cu455 but also try feeding him smaller pieces instead of a larger one

 

[Saltliquid]

Make it small and very fresh, if it was bait, then it usually has preservatives added and anemones will spit it out if not fresh and with out additives.

 

[dawn0506]

Will they eat other things like calamari or shrimp? We bought the fish in the supermarket from the frozen section so I don't think it has preservatives.

 

[Hdhuntr01]

A lot of your questions depend on the size of the BTA. I have 20 of them in my tank and they are different sizes. A small BTA (3" or less) will feed on frozen mysis shrimp. If you try to feed it a piece of silverside or shrimp that is too big, the BTA will attempt to eat it but will end up spitting it out. Keep in mind that BTAs do not have to be fed. However with that in mind, they do much better, grow faster and usually have better coloration when fed weekly. You can feed a BTA just about any meaty food, silversides, shrimp, clams, mussels etc... Usually, I start out by feeding a BTA a piece of silverside or shrimp that is smaller than 1/4". It may look like a very small piece but it is just right for the BTA. Once they are used to eating the silversides, I increase the size slowly. I have had 4" BTAs that would devour a whole silverside 3 times a week. There are just too many variables to give you a specific answer. Try a bit of frozen mysis first and take it from there. Don't try to feed a new BTA more than once a week until it gets established. You usually don't know what it was use to eating before you acquired it.

Hope this helps you....

 

[sh0ck]

and also it does not have to be BTA

 

[dawn0506]

I think the piece we have it was to big. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Daniel62]

do not use silverside. Look it up on the forum here. Just my 2 cents

 

[Saltliquid]

If you want an anemone to do well give it what it usually eats, I make mine up and put it in small squeeze bottles and freeze the bottles.
I then thaw as needed and squeeze into the tank for all as planktonic foods through out one to two days and directly into the anemones for its needs as well, works so very nicely!