Anemone Help Needed!!

[kingsbum]

Ok so the problem is that I have no idea what kind of anemone I have. I'm not sure what to feed him (I tried shrimp and he rejected it/ didn't eat it at all). I don't know how to tell if he is doing ok or needs to be placed in another part of the tank. Also the very tips seem to be curling (is this normal?!)
When I placed him in the tank he didn't move very far from where I placed him. Yesterday he had a very weird looking thick brown thing coming out of him, it almost looked like unraveled intestine (but I haven't given him anything to eat yet), so I'm not sure if this is normal.

Any answers or ideas would be great!!

Thanks so much in advance!!

So looking around on the forum here I have found a few questions that have been asked to other people having problems:

How large is your anemone, fully expanded? Not completely sure, I would guess 5-7 inches in diameter.

How long are the individual tentacles? 1-2.5 inches

Can you describe the pattern of the verrucae (warts) on the column? Here is a picture:


Are the tentacles very sticky to the touch, or not? Yes they are sticky


My background: I have had the 55 gallon tank with 15 gallon sump up and running for about 3 months (give or take a few weeks) I have 20lbs live rock, 25lbs other sea rock(as a base), 1 pulsing xenia (doing great and growing new arms almost daily), 1 smaller yellow tang, 2 clowns (which wont go near the anemone), 1 firefish, 1 algae blennie, 1 pom pom crab, 1 emrald crab, handfull or 2 of snails, Live sand, I'm sure there is more...
This picture kinda shows that brown stuff coming out of it-->

[Ninong]

Hi kingsbum,

Ok so the problem is that I have no idea what kind of anemone I have.

I'm not sure either because my eyesight isn't very good and I can't see all that much from your picture, although you did post quite a few.

Unfortunately, I can't see the verrucae on the anemone in the photo that you posted. Are there any visible verrucae? I would assume that there are. The reason this is an important diagnostic characteristic is because there is only one host anemone that does not have verrucae and that's the bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). Therefore, if your anemone has any verrucae at all, it's not a BTA.

I want you to look at the verrucae for me (assuming it has some) and see if they match this description: "non-adhesive, prominent white round to ovoid (eye-shaped) verrucae in longitudinal rows." I can't tell from your photo, so you will have to look for me and then tell me what you see.

As far as having corkscrew shaped tentacle tips, that's completely normal for a corkscrew tentacle anemone (Macrodactlya doreensis). Some of its tentacles may curl like that. This anemone usually has rather long tentacles (longer than 4") but the length of the tentacles is sometimes not the best characteristic to go by when trying to identify an anemone because they will be shorter in a smaller animal and sometimes an anemone's tentacles will be shorter in the absence of fish. That means no fish that are using it as a host.

Which brings up another topic and that's the identification of your clownfish. It helps to say which species of clownfish you have because acceptance or rejection of the anemone by the clownfish helps to ID the anemone. Do you have Percula clowns? Ocellaris clowns? Something else?

Are there any radial white lines on the oral disc? That's something that helps identify it or narrow down the search if it doesn't have any.

I can see from your photos that the anemone appears to have buried its foot in the sand, is that correct? I'm just asking you to confirm my comment in case my eyesight is that far off. This helps to identify it.

The brown stringy stuff coming out of the anemone is not a problem. It could be expelling zooxanthellae. I'm not sure from your photos, but it appears to be fairly pale (lacking zooxanthellae). You forgot to say anything about your lighting when you described your setup. What do you have for lighting?

If the anemone won't eat shrimp, try something else. Try silversides. Maybe just a half of a silverside. Try squid. They sell frozen squid in those little plastic ice-cube tray things. In fact, you could try a variety of frozen foods designed for carnivores. Just squirt some of the thawed out food onto its tentacles and see what happens. Watch that the fish don't steal it all. Once you get it eating, feed it about twice a week.

You seem disappointed that your clownfish haven't accepted your anemone. It's always a good idea to know in advance whether the anemone you are purchasing is a natural host for your clownfish. Or, in reverse, whether the clownfish you are buying will accept the anemone you already have. This information is readily available online.

I want you to read this article by Dr. Ron Shimek on the husbandry of anemones.

In the meantime, I wouldn't be concerned about where it is in the tank. It will find a location that it likes. As long as that location is a place where it is clearly visible, then be happy. If it chooses a spot too close to something else, move the other thing a little more out of the way so that it won't get harmed by the anemone. The anemone won't stay where you put it if it doesn't like that spot. It's going to pick out its own spot.

It's important that you get it to eat something. It's also important that you have adequate lighting. Maybe you do. I don't know because I don't know what lighting you have.

After you answer my questions on the description of the verrucae and whether it has radial white lines on the oral disc, I'll tell you what you have.

[kingsbum]

I want you to look at the verrucae for me (assuming it has some) and see if they match this description: "non-adhesive, prominent white round to ovoid (eye-shaped) verrucae in longitudinal rows."

Yes it has verrucae, and that is a pretty accurate description of what I am seeing.

Which brings up another topic and that's the identification of your clownfish. It helps to say which species of clownfish you have because acceptance or rejection of the anemone by the clownfish helps to ID the anemone. Do you have Percula clowns? Ocellaris clowns? Something else?

I'm not sure how to tell the difference between Percula and Ocellaris Clowns. I would say it is one of these for sure. Also they are really hard to take pictures of as they move around a lot more then some other fish...

Are there any radial white lines on the oral disc?

I can't tell for sure. I would say no, but its really hard to tell.

I can see from your photos that the anemone appears to have buried its foot in the sand, is that correct?

I would say it is wedged inbetween 2 rocks that are right there. I would have to stick my hand in and try to move him a little to find out for sure. Let me know if you really need that info.

My lighting is a Current USA 48inch Nova Extreme 4x54watt T5 with Lunar LED's. It has 2 Actinic lights (420nm and 460nm) and 2 10000k white lights. I just ordered new lights for the whole setup as I bought this lighting system used and don't know when the last time they were all changed.

I will try to go get some different food for him after work tonight. I it safe to purchase things from a Seafood market or do I need to get the frozen stuff from my LFS?

Thanks for helping!!

[Ninong]

The verrucae I described are characteristic of Macrodactyla doreensis, the corkscrew anemone. It usually has vixible white lines radiating from the center of the oral disc. The picture you posted of some of the tentacles curled like that is very typical of this anemone. Anyway, that's what I'm leaning to right now.

Yes, it's possible to purchase almost anything at the supermarket to feed your anemone as long as it came from saltwater and not freshwater. You can try buying a very, very small piece of squid and then chopping it up into small pieces at home (you can always freeze some). You can try clams chopped up. Silversides are only sold at LFS places. They are very small fish that usually come in frozen packs. You can try fish flesh (not salmon) from almost any white saltwater fish. Just don't buy too much in case your anemone doesn't like it.

Whatever you buy, freeze the balance for use later.

Read Dr Ron's article on how to care for an anemone.




P.S. -- This anemone is not a natural host for either Ocellaris or Percula clownfish. They may or may not eventually accept it as a surrogate host.

Your lighting is adequate.

[kingsbum]

Ok i will definately try feeding him again tonight. I read the article already, and I feel bad for buying him... but there is nothing that I can do about it now except try to keep him alive

Is that his normal color or will that change over time?

Oh that is really sad about the clownfish but its not the end of the world.

[Ninong]

Anemones sometimes lose their coloration during collection, transport and holding at the LFS waiting to be sold because they are sometimes not kept under ideal lighting and often not fed properly. With adequate lighting and feeding the color should improve.

Clownfish in captivity will sometimes accept an anemone as a host even though it is not one of their natural hosts. This can take several months.

[kingsbum]

Good News!!! My anemone ate a silverside last night
So you say to feed them 2x per week? Funny how when I asked my LFS when I purchased the anemone, he said to feed it once a month at most... that is a pretty big difference. In fact, he has a display tank in the front of the store with 3 anemone's and he said he had never feed any of them. We will see how long they last...

Is there any paticular species of clownfish that would take to this type of anemone?

[Ninong]

Good News!!! My anemone ate a silverside last night

Good! I sort of expected that it would.

So you say to feed them 2x per week? Funny how when I asked my LFS when I purchased the anemone, he said to feed it once a month at most...

Are you going to listen to the no-nothing dude at the store or Dr. Ron Shimek? Who do you think knows more about keeping anemones? Ron has kept them and studied them for years.

I want you to read this article by Dr. Ron Shimek on the husbandry of anemones.

One of the most important lessons you have to learn in this hobby is figuring out who to believe. Unless proven otherwise, you should assume that the people at the LFS are clueless, because most of them are.

...that is a pretty big difference. In fact, he has a display tank in the front of the store with 3 anemone's and he said he had never feed any of them.

It is quite possible that the anemones in his display tank are getting enough to eat from the foods that he feeds the tank for the fish. It's possible. It's also possible that there are clownfish in the tank that are routinely depositing food onto the anemone's oral disc. That's also possible.

However, it is important that an anemone receive appropriate foods. That usually requires that it be target fed. How often it should be fed depends on a lot of variables. Some anemones should be fed at least twice a week while others will do just fine with weekly feedings. My advice to you to feed your anemone twice a week was based on ALL of the information you provided in your post.

Please read Ron's article for expert advice.

Is there any paticular species of clownfish that would take to this type of anemone?

If your anemone is M. doreensis, then it is a natural host for the following clownfish: A. chrysogaster, A. clarkii, A. perideraion.

Again, it is quite possible that your clownfish may eventually accept it as a surrogate host even though it is not one of their natural hosts. Only time will tell.

A. clarkii is the only clownfish that accepts all ten of the clownfish-hosting sea anemones in nature.

[kingsbum]

Well, my wife called me at work this morning and told me my little clown fish decided to end its life by sticking to the side of the Koralia 3 circulation pump. The little fish has been fine for over a week and then this. Very frustrating!

So it looks as if i will have room in my tank for another clownfish...

I think you misunderstood me earlier, so let me clarify. I think that your advice is due to your experience and not based upon a selfish gain. I trust what you say over what the guy at the LFS has to say, but i also take it with a grain of salt. I will continue feeding my anemone and hope that I can keep it alive for a long time. I just find it amaizing that there can be such a difference in advice from you to LFS owner. And whats worse is that he probably tells everyone else the same thing he told me due to not knowing any better...

I appreciate all your help with this!

[Ninong]

I know you're not criticizing anything I posted. What you are doing is simply telling us what you were told by your local LFS owner. People do that all the time when the advice they got at the LFS is different from the advice they receive online. It's only natural. We hear that all the time.

It's up to you to figure out which advice is best. Besides all of the online resources, there are a lot of very good books on the market that contain excellent advice.

[kingsbum]

So, I was saddly mistaken. My anemone has not eaten the silverside, it just waited until the lights were off and then let go of it... After work tonight I will go pickup something else and try feeding it again.
So far it doesn't like silverside or shrimp. Argh! So my last options are squid and clams?

[Ninong]

From Ron's article:

Dietary Requirements

Host, and many other, anemones have zooxanthellae. People tend to believe that animals with zooxanthellae either don't need to be fed or fed very much. This is definitely NOT the case. Zooxanthellae may provide nutrition to their host, but in turn, they need many chemicals, such as nitrogenous compounds, available only from their host’s digestion of food. Additionally, the anemones acquire significant and necessary mineral and proteinaceous materials from their diets rather than from their zooxanthellae. Host anemones need to be fed, and for good health often need to be fed a LOT.

After good water, the most important thing hobbyists need to provide is the proper diet. Sea anemones are slow-moving predators that wait until they contact their prey contacts them, but then they must kill it rapidly. Sea anemones are active discriminatory predators which maximize the likelihood of predatory success by choosing an appropriate microhabitat to encounter their mobile prey and by having the appropriate toxin to kill it. As you might expect, there is a correlation between the type or behavior of their prey and the morphology of the predator. As an example, Entacmaea quadricolor, projects its relatively large tentacles up off the bottom where they might encounter swimming or planktonic prey. Additional factors in dietary specificity include the nematocyst venoms used to capture the prey and the enzymes necessary for digestion. These are metabolically expensive. Natural selection acts to eliminate the production of enzymes not specifically necessary for capture and digestion of a predator's normal prey. As a consequence, anemones that eat fish in nature may not be able to eat shrimp in an aquarium, and may not even perceive of shrimp as food.

The appropriate diets for individual anemones should be determined by systematic testing of various potential foods, such as diced fish or whole shrimp. While it is broadly possible to predict what the diet will be differences within subpopulations may lead to specialization for alternative prey. Fortunately, Entacmaea quadricolor appears to be a bit of a dietary generalist, thriving on fish and crustacean prey, thus many foods are acceptable to it. When feeding, the whole prey item should be fed. Predators get important and essential nutrition from all parts of their prey including the guts and internal organs.

Once an acceptable food has been determined, the appropriate volume and schedule must be determined. The aquarist should gradually increase the amount of food to find out how much will be taken at one time. With only one opening to the gut, anything that is undigested has to come out the mouth, too. The time to regurgitation of undigested material; if any is regurgitated, should be eaten. Then feed again on the day following the regurgitation. If no obvious expelling of food residue occurs, feed again after two or three days. Probably as minimum, the animals will need to be fed two or three times a week to remain healthy.