elegance coral
They call me EC
That last pic just looks like the normal deflation that takes place every night.
Randy's Red Haddoni
- Thread starter Randy Holmes-Farley
- Start date
Oh, well, OK, I hope it is normal or not far from it. I didn't know they shrink up much at night. My other types of anemones don't shrink that much. This morning, before lights on, it is still deflated, and more so with all of it looking like the right front in the photo above. This is the first time that in the early AM, before lights on, it is deflated.
elegance coral
They call me EC
My LTA's are probably the only ones I've had the shrink more than my haddoni at night. I wouldn't worry to much about the expansion and contraction that corresponds with the light cycle. Mine shrinks quite a bit at night. As long as the mouth stays closed like in the last pic, things are going pretty good. Has it stoped discharging the brown slimy stuff you saw early on?
Thanks. 
It is still discharging small brown blobs. Not the wispy stuff that came mostly only at the start. Sometimes the mouth is more open than in that last photo.
It is still discharging small brown blobs. Not the wispy stuff that came mostly only at the start. Sometimes the mouth is more open than in that last photo.
OK, morning of Day 11 in the tank. It deflated during the night, but began reinflating this morning when the early dim lights came on.
At that time I fed it its first feeding of a small piece of silverside, bones and skim removed, shredded a bit, about 1 cm across. It stuck to the tentacles, but the anemone did not otherwise respond for at least a couple of minutes. I was about to give up and walked away briefly, and when I returned it was clearly trying to eat it, with two or three sides of the oral disk folded over the mouth, and the white insides of the mouth expanding outward (I won't pretend to yet know the technical jargon
).
Then over several minutes it probably disappeared down into it. I say probably only because I could not see what was going on, and I suppose there is a remote chance it floated away when I wasn't looking, but most likely not.
Anyway, that seemed like a success, and now as the lights are coming on a bit brighter, the anemone continues to expand but is still on the small side.
At that time I fed it its first feeding of a small piece of silverside, bones and skim removed, shredded a bit, about 1 cm across. It stuck to the tentacles, but the anemone did not otherwise respond for at least a couple of minutes. I was about to give up and walked away briefly, and when I returned it was clearly trying to eat it, with two or three sides of the oral disk folded over the mouth, and the white insides of the mouth expanding outward (I won't pretend to yet know the technical jargon
). Then over several minutes it probably disappeared down into it. I say probably only because I could not see what was going on, and I suppose there is a remote chance it floated away when I wasn't looking, but most likely not.
Anyway, that seemed like a success, and now as the lights are coming on a bit brighter, the anemone continues to expand but is still on the small side.
Don't you love it when a plan comes together ;>)
Keep up the good work
Keep up the good work
wicked_NaCl_h2o
New member
Just curious, why did you remove the bones and skin? Better yet how did you do that?
Even the largest silverside should be difficult to filet. I always leave that stuff on when feeding any of my anemones a silverside. Lately I have been avoiding feeding my nems silversides, in fear that I might feed them a bad one. I have read too many horror stories to risk it. So I feed my anemones raw shrimp, scallops, PE mysis, or squid soaked in selcon.
Congrats on getting it to eat its first meal.:thumbsup:
Even the largest silverside should be difficult to filet. I always leave that stuff on when feeding any of my anemones a silverside. Lately I have been avoiding feeding my nems silversides, in fear that I might feed them a bad one. I have read too many horror stories to risk it. So I feed my anemones raw shrimp, scallops, PE mysis, or squid soaked in selcon.Congrats on getting it to eat its first meal.:thumbsup:
elegance coral
They call me EC
With this being its first meal, even though you removed all the garbage, it may withdraw a little more than normal sometime soon. Probably tomorrow. If it does, don't let it scare you. Getting it to eat is a VERY good sign in my opinion. Keep up the good work.
K9Nurse911
New member
Great thread...I have honestly thoroughly enjoyed reading every post on it...(usually I just skim)...this is what i like to see...people chiming in to help others...
Beautiful nem, Randy...can't wait to see it's progress...good luck with it!
- Andrea
Beautiful nem, Randy...can't wait to see it's progress...good luck with it!
- Andrea
Thanks for the support everyone!
OK, about 7 hours after feeding, the anemone is nicely inflated, and has been all day, a bit open-mouthed as usual, but nothing sticking out.
Just curious, why did you remove the bones and skin?
A perhaps misguided attempt to make its first meal easier to digest. I don't plan to continue that for long.
Better yet how did you do that? Even the largest silverside should be difficult to filet.
"Filet" sounds much neater than the actual process.
I just cut a 1 cm segment of the fish from the middle, then cut half of that lengthwise slightly off center, leaving most of the bones in the other half. I pushed the skin off with my fingers.
All of the remains went to the fish and other anemones in the tank.
Lately I have been avoiding feeding my nems silversides, in fear that I might feed them a bad one. I have read too many horror stories to risk it. So I feed my anemones raw shrimp, scallops, PE mysis, or squid soaked in selcon.
Thanks a lot for giving me something else to worry about. I'd not seen such reports.
FWIW, I had a nice orange epicystis crucifer anemone that came in with my wild Florida live rock years ago. It grew from quarter sized to many inches across. One day I fed it a raw shrimp, and it died within a day or two. Possibly from an infection. So now you can worry about your shrimp and I'll worry about my silversides.
If this anemone lasts long term, I might try getting ahold of some lancefish which was recommended to me, but that will take a little time.
With this being its first meal, even though you removed all the garbage, it may withdraw a little more than normal sometime soon. Probably tomorrow. If it does, don't let it scare you
:thumbsup: thanks for the warning.
Getting it to eat is a VERY good sign in my opinion
I'm glad to hear that.
OK, about 7 hours after feeding, the anemone is nicely inflated, and has been all day, a bit open-mouthed as usual, but nothing sticking out.
Just curious, why did you remove the bones and skin?
A perhaps misguided attempt to make its first meal easier to digest. I don't plan to continue that for long.
Better yet how did you do that? Even the largest silverside should be difficult to filet.
"Filet" sounds much neater than the actual process.
I just cut a 1 cm segment of the fish from the middle, then cut half of that lengthwise slightly off center, leaving most of the bones in the other half. I pushed the skin off with my fingers.
All of the remains went to the fish and other anemones in the tank.
Lately I have been avoiding feeding my nems silversides, in fear that I might feed them a bad one. I have read too many horror stories to risk it. So I feed my anemones raw shrimp, scallops, PE mysis, or squid soaked in selcon.
Thanks a lot for giving me something else to worry about.
I'd not seen such reports. FWIW, I had a nice orange epicystis crucifer anemone that came in with my wild Florida live rock years ago. It grew from quarter sized to many inches across. One day I fed it a raw shrimp, and it died within a day or two. Possibly from an infection. So now you can worry about your shrimp and I'll worry about my silversides.
If this anemone lasts long term, I might try getting ahold of some lancefish which was recommended to me, but that will take a little time.
With this being its first meal, even though you removed all the garbage, it may withdraw a little more than normal sometime soon. Probably tomorrow. If it does, don't let it scare you
:thumbsup: thanks for the warning.
Getting it to eat is a VERY good sign in my opinion
I'm glad to hear that.
puter
Active member
That's why I feed them cooked shrimp at this point... virtually no risk of introducing some other pathogen. I buy a bag of frozen pre-cooked, deshelled table or salad shrimp. They defrost in minutes, then a quick mush, add a drop or two of Selcon, and feed.
Randy, watch to see if the anemone moves. For some reason, if they're going to, they often seem to move within a day or two of getting their first feeding.
Also, don't expect that the anemone will keep all of silverside down. You'll almost certainly see some regurgitation within 24 hours or so.
Mark
For some reason, if they're going to, they often seem to move within a day or two of getting their first feeding.
Gotcha. Thanks. I hope it doesn't move. It is in a perfect spot from my viewpoint, from it's neighbor's viewpoint (like the H, crispa a few feet away), and from what I can understand of its own requirements.
Also, don't expect that the anemone will keep all of silverside down. You'll almost certainly see some regurgitation within 24 hours or so.
If I see it coming out, should I remove it as soon as it is free, or let it lie there if it will?
Gotcha. Thanks. I hope it doesn't move. It is in a perfect spot from my viewpoint, from it's neighbor's viewpoint (like the H, crispa a few feet away), and from what I can understand of its own requirements.
Also, don't expect that the anemone will keep all of silverside down. You'll almost certainly see some regurgitation within 24 hours or so.
If I see it coming out, should I remove it as soon as it is free, or let it lie there if it will?
puter
Active member
It'll be a mucus covered, bacterial magnet bolus... I'd get it out at the first opportunity.
Actually, when working with struggling anemones in shallow tanks, I use a turkey baster and pipette to "help" them get rid of the waste.That's one of the ways in which I think a resident clownfish is a big help. He stirs things around enough that the anemone doesn't have to go through as many contortions to get the waste out.
Mark
, I use a turkey baster and pipette to "help" them get rid of the waste.
Yes, I've been doing that as well (using a plastic pipette) for the little brown blobs that come out and then sit on the lip of the mouth.
Yes, I've been doing that as well (using a plastic pipette) for the little brown blobs that come out and then sit on the lip of the mouth.
elegance coral
They call me EC
If the little brown blobs look like this, I'm pretty sure they are clumps of zooxanthellae. I wouldn't worry to much about it at this point. Hopefully it's just zooxanthellae that died on the trip over here or it's regulating the population to adjust to your lighting.
Randy, do you know if there's an easy way to determine if those little brown blobs have a high level of ammonia in them?
In what form? Actual loose ammonia will quickly wash out of something gooey like that. If bacteria are degrading organics, then they may continually release ammonia.
If the little brown blobs look like this, I'm pretty sure they are clumps of zooxanthellae.
Some are like that, yes. Some are larger.
In what form? Actual loose ammonia will quickly wash out of something gooey like that. If bacteria are degrading organics, then they may continually release ammonia.
If the little brown blobs look like this, I'm pretty sure they are clumps of zooxanthellae.
Some are like that, yes. Some are larger.
Randy, I am sure you have seen the thread on dosing with Vit C. Have you considered trying that to help the anemone along? I know more than a few people (including myself) have had a "positive" effect with BTAs forming bubble tips when dosing Vit C. I know bubble tips aren't necessarily a sign of good health in BTAs, nor is the lack of them a sign of bad health.
I realize there are a lot of caveats to doing this: no one is sure exactly why Vit C helps zoanthids and such in the tanks, and there are concerns about negative effects of dosing Vit C too. But it might be something to consider. It is also possible that Vit C might not affect S. haddoni at all.
It sounds like you don't really have anything to worry about right now, but I thought I might throw that out there.
I realize there are a lot of caveats to doing this: no one is sure exactly why Vit C helps zoanthids and such in the tanks, and there are concerns about negative effects of dosing Vit C too. But it might be something to consider. It is also possible that Vit C might not affect S. haddoni at all.
It sounds like you don't really have anything to worry about right now, but I thought I might throw that out there.
puter
Active member
I was afraid you might ask that...
I don't know.... NH4+? Following a convoluted thought process:
- Sea anemones excrete as their principal nitrogenous waste ammonia...
- The heavy reliance by sea anemones on proteins as fuels in energy metabolism implies a large production of nitrogenous wastes
- NH4+ infusion experiments suggested that the need to void this toxic substance affected the anemone's expansion state and ventilation of the coelenteron.
Besides the contracting, everting, and gaping mouth, there are not a lot of outward signs before a failing anemone's tissue begins to lyse... even when looking at the tissue with a reasonably good microscope. That leads me to wonder if some sort of toxicity might be involved rather than the widely assumed bacterial infection.
Again, this is an academic discussion since your anemone looks fine as of the last picture you posted.
Mark
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