when to give up on anemone?
- Thread starter j_beau_13
- Start date
Silversides are not a natural food for nems. They are baitfish, and mostly bones. And basicaly a waste of money.
I did not say to force feed it now did I? I said to hold the food there and give it time to open and take it inside.
And it is a proven fact that the precense of a Clownfish vastly improves the aclimation of a nem.
But what do I know, Im just a keeper of boxes of water.
I did not say to force feed it now did I? I said to hold the food there and give it time to open and take it inside.
And it is a proven fact that the precense of a Clownfish vastly improves the aclimation of a nem.
But what do I know, Im just a keeper of boxes of water.
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
Silversides are the best source of food for anemones, and NOT a waste of money, I've kept enough anemones to prove that.
Proven fact? That is not proven. Not in a captive environment, they don't need each other. At times clownfish have proven to be harmful to anemones. Clownfish do not help an anemone acclimate.
Proven fact? That is not proven. Not in a captive environment, they don't need each other. At times clownfish have proven to be harmful to anemones. Clownfish do not help an anemone acclimate.
SEAFLOWERS
Premium Member
I have used silversides before, and switched to mysis and Cylop-Eeze. I do not find that they need to be target fed, but you need to provide food in the tank that they can grab. I would take a look at Kevin's (Anemone) tank of the month. I do not believe he ever target feeds his and he has had hundreds of new nems over the years.
Last comment on silversides and I will move on.
Take a pouch of silversides and thaw them out.
Remove the bones and water.
What you have left is roughly 1/8th of the total volume of what you paid for.
I for one see no reason to buy fish bones and water.
And the nutritional value of silversides is lacking, to put it midly.
To the OP. I hope your nem makes it. Keep the monthly water changes up and good luck.
Take a pouch of silversides and thaw them out.
Remove the bones and water.
What you have left is roughly 1/8th of the total volume of what you paid for.
I for one see no reason to buy fish bones and water.
And the nutritional value of silversides is lacking, to put it midly.
To the OP. I hope your nem makes it. Keep the monthly water changes up and good luck.
RedSonja
Premium Member
As for food, there's a very good article by Dr. Shimek here: http://www.reefland.com/rho/0505/main4.php that says different anemones, even of the same species, prefer different foods. If a 'nem doesn't eat one kind, there are plenty more out there to try. I've had good luck with sick 'nems eating Formula One cubes thawed in Selcon when they'd not even recognize anything else as food.
I don't think this bta should be given up on yet, it does look like its color is improving even if its general appearance seems worse.
-Sonaj
I don't think this bta should be given up on yet, it does look like its color is improving even if its general appearance seems worse.
-Sonaj
catdoc
Premium Member
I nearly starved my own anemones (rbta) to death by target-feeding small bits of shrimp/mysis. Mine simply wouldn't eat those foods. The turnaround once I started feeding silversides was astounding. I had to hold the food bits at its mouth with hemostats for a few minutes to enable it to take the food though (the tentacles had shrunk to nubbins)--some would call that force-feeding, I saw it as assistance. I didn't shove the food in the mouth, just held it there while the anemone responded by enveloping the food.
Starving in July:
Recovered in December:
Also, I never did obstruct the maroon clowns' access to the rbta's during this recovery. I just didn't see the clowns as being the problem, they'd been together with the bta's for over 2 years. Honestly, the maroons pretty much ignored the sick anemones until they reformed their tentacles.
Starving in July:
Recovered in December:
Also, I never did obstruct the maroon clowns' access to the rbta's during this recovery. I just didn't see the clowns as being the problem, they'd been together with the bta's for over 2 years. Honestly, the maroons pretty much ignored the sick anemones until they reformed their tentacles.
davocean
Active member
I used to feed my nems just mysis/brine a while back, and they grew/survived.
Now they get one silverside a week, and have much better color.
You can actually see tips get brighter after feeding.
I do agree that clowns do help in grooming/feeding nems.
That's obvious to me as I see clowns feed the nem b4 eating for themselves.
However, I've seen many nems get beat to death by clowns that are just too big for that nem, and I think that's the case here.
That's why I suggest keeping seperated for now, let that nem heal.
Now they get one silverside a week, and have much better color.
You can actually see tips get brighter after feeding.
I do agree that clowns do help in grooming/feeding nems.
That's obvious to me as I see clowns feed the nem b4 eating for themselves.
However, I've seen many nems get beat to death by clowns that are just too big for that nem, and I think that's the case here.
That's why I suggest keeping seperated for now, let that nem heal.
just went and bought some silversides and he engulfed it...i held it to his mouth but it wouldnt take so i dropped it there and he finally gobbled it down in a matter of seconds!
i have to keep the clownfish away bc he not only beats it up, him and my xmas wrasse steal its food rite from its mouth.
i have to keep the clownfish away bc he not only beats it up, him and my xmas wrasse steal its food rite from its mouth.
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
I'm so glad you took the silverside route. In my opinion it is the best food for most anemones, granted a few won't take it, but most do and thrive with it.
Clownfish are strange, some will abuse an anemone, some will protect it. In your case I suggest protecting your anemone until it is much healthier and much larger.
Keep up the good work!!! Post pics to show its improvement too!!!
redvipe2010
In Memoriam
Try smaller pieces. No larger than the anemones mouth
well i went out and bought another GBTA to keep the clowns out of my hammer. This one was twice the size of my other one and was not bleached. He eats well but everyday he deflates and his white guts are seen from his mouth. But after a while he will open up and look beautiful. Is this normal or are my clownfish the real culprit?
JohnnyW
Premium Member
With your new GBTA, it sounds like it is contracting to expel waste. Mine all do this about once a day whether I target fed or not. One of my BTAs loves to catch pods that are dumb enough to try and walk across the oral disc. I wouldn't worry about it deflating unless it stays like that for several hours and continues to stay like that. Just remember to feed small manageable portions of food about the size of the anemone's mouth and that will help a little with keeping it from regurgitating what it has eaten.
