i think the real hit or miss is with the tanks and the husbandry they get
that force feeding sounds like a very poor idea. i would far rather see a creatchure like that be placed in a stable system than have it force fed.
Anemone Advise needed
- Thread starter inflames
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that force feeding sounds like a very poor idea. i would far rather see a creatchure like that be placed in a stable system than have it force fed.
i think the real hit or miss is with the tanks and the husbandry they get
that force feeding sounds like a very poor idea. i would far rather see a creatchure like that be placed in a stable system than have it force fed.
any day! i do agree with you, force feeding is a big no no with nennies.
what bothers me is that my system is very stable and has housed 3 nennies in the past.
my first one (a magnifica, that has since doubled in size), my friends GBTA (we kept it in my tank til it had recovered, and it made a full recovery, then moved it back to his tank. was in my tank for around 4 months). and my newest addition, the crispa.
why it is behaving like this baffles me.
let me just re-iterate that it is a very last ditch effort in saving the nennies life. and only a thought.
sorta like a human going onto a drip.
i am leaving mine for now to see if it can pull thru on its own. he is still 'sticky' and if he doesnt want to accept food then i'm not gonig to force him to.
if this doesnt work, then i'm going to try placing him in the guppy breeding trap and see what happens then.
crispin, what are your thoughts on using the guppy breeding trap to keep the nennie in good light til it recovers?
furbs i think it has some meritt, but i would hesitate too, I think you maywell light shock him and that might be the end.
the primary danger of him floating is hittinga power head, any chance of you being able to sump him and add a decent light to the first chamber in the sump. see if he settles there? i know the flow would be far slower. i could send my whole over flow down into the first chamber and increase flow in there and i placed a 150w hallide for frags, but then i couldnt skim and running without my skimmer always worried me, but is that a possibility for you?
the primary danger of him floating is hittinga power head, any chance of you being able to sump him and add a decent light to the first chamber in the sump. see if he settles there? i know the flow would be far slower. i could send my whole over flow down into the first chamber and increase flow in there and i placed a 150w hallide for frags, but then i couldnt skim and running without my skimmer always worried me, but is that a possibility for you?
and furbs what about chemical warefare between the different nennies in there? they will leach nasties into the tank all day to get at each other. not a great idea to have more than one, two at max
now that is something i did not know... i thought it was only corals that were capable of chemical warfare.
thanx for the advice crispin.
i had the GBTA and my magnifica in with no problems.
maybe the crispa and the magnifica are having a dual.. might have to sell him on if this is the case...
HI Guys,
Just an update...my nennie seems to have found a spot he likes at the back of the tank! I have not fed him for about 2 and a half weeks now. Tried to feed him about a week ago and he wanted nothing to do with it! So have given up on that. He has at least attached again and he gets some light and opens up when my main lights come on. He did a strange thing 2 days ago and again yesterday... pulled all his "tenticles" inside...he looked like a sea apple! he also excreated a black "worm" looking thing. I take it it is him excreating a meal?!?! Anyway I have decided to leave him and see how it goes over the next few weeks and will keep you guys apdated...quick question though...do I really need to feed him? will he eventually die if he does not eat enough?
Just an update...my nennie seems to have found a spot he likes at the back of the tank! I have not fed him for about 2 and a half weeks now. Tried to feed him about a week ago and he wanted nothing to do with it! So have given up on that. He has at least attached again and he gets some light and opens up when my main lights come on. He did a strange thing 2 days ago and again yesterday... pulled all his "tenticles" inside...he looked like a sea apple! he also excreated a black "worm" looking thing. I take it it is him excreating a meal?!?! Anyway I have decided to leave him and see how it goes over the next few weeks and will keep you guys apdated...quick question though...do I really need to feed him? will he eventually die if he does not eat enough?
Healthy Nemmies don't need to be fed. Mine are fed exclusively by light, nutrients in the water column and their clown hosts.
Healthy means not bleached
Here is a very interesting read on Nennie's. She has 10 years experience with them, not months.
Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere
A bit from the link.
Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere
A bit from the link.
Yeah, but Karen has tanks with huge populations of nemmies and hardly any fish.
In this sort of environment feeding is a good idea.
The death sentence comment is way over the top. I haven't fed my nemmies in 8 months. Do I have some sort of immortal species
Explain how my Crispa grew from tennisball size to dinner plate size in this period ?
And the"no longer trust anything" makes me start doubting what she has to say, loads of reefers and experts have had success with nemmies without target feeding.
But she has some really interesting tanks and insights into Anemone husbandry.
In this sort of environment feeding is a good idea.
The death sentence comment is way over the top. I haven't fed my nemmies in 8 months. Do I have some sort of immortal species
Explain how my Crispa grew from tennisball size to dinner plate size in this period ?
And the"no longer trust anything" makes me start doubting what she has to say, loads of reefers and experts have had success with nemmies without target feeding.
But she has some really interesting tanks and insights into Anemone husbandry.
OK, here's my take...
Anemones are easily injured when removed from where they were settled (either in nature, or at the LFS). I would guess that there nennies were injured to some extent, most likely by the assistant in the shop pulling it away from the tank glass/rock where it had settled, and this is probably the reason why it has taken a few weeks to settle again - it had to heal first...
Yes, most likely (they can also expell their symbiotic algae this way, and that's BAD, but you would have noticed a change in colour if this was the case. Anemones won't readily accept a meal while they are stressed - just like with all living creatures, fight or flight has a much higher priority than eating. Once it has re-attached, and purged the remaining contents from it's stomach, it should be ready for a meal, so I would suggest that you try to feed it again.
I would not, however, feed it squid - this animal's flesh is very dense, and is probably quite hard to digest - it is also not a natural prey of the host anemones. I would rather feed it a small piece of (thawed) frozen prawn or shrimp, or a small piece of white fish (frozen, unprocessed hake would be good, but a piece of fresh fish would be even better). After it has eaten, wait about 3-4 days before you try to feed it again. Also, as previously mentioned, don't try to imitate a swimming fish, just drop the piece of food onto the tentacles (not directly onto the mouth) - you might have to guard the anemone to prevent the clowns from stealing this food...
I believe that anemones should be fed regularly, especially if you do not have very bright MH's as main lights. Warr, anemones have very slow metabolisms, and can survive (and grow...) for many months (or years) without food if you have bright lights and a nutrient-rich environment (just like the old sailors survived for months without any fresh fruit or vegetables, before they eventually died from scurvey). There is a difference between "surviving" and "thriving", and I would encourage you to feed the anemones even if they are kept under "ideal" conditions.
Hennie
Anemones are easily injured when removed from where they were settled (either in nature, or at the LFS). I would guess that there nennies were injured to some extent, most likely by the assistant in the shop pulling it away from the tank glass/rock where it had settled, and this is probably the reason why it has taken a few weeks to settle again - it had to heal first...
Yes, most likely (they can also expell their symbiotic algae this way, and that's BAD, but you would have noticed a change in colour if this was the case. Anemones won't readily accept a meal while they are stressed - just like with all living creatures, fight or flight has a much higher priority than eating. Once it has re-attached, and purged the remaining contents from it's stomach, it should be ready for a meal, so I would suggest that you try to feed it again.
I would not, however, feed it squid - this animal's flesh is very dense, and is probably quite hard to digest - it is also not a natural prey of the host anemones. I would rather feed it a small piece of (thawed) frozen prawn or shrimp, or a small piece of white fish (frozen, unprocessed hake would be good, but a piece of fresh fish would be even better). After it has eaten, wait about 3-4 days before you try to feed it again. Also, as previously mentioned, don't try to imitate a swimming fish, just drop the piece of food onto the tentacles (not directly onto the mouth) - you might have to guard the anemone to prevent the clowns from stealing this food...
I believe that anemones should be fed regularly, especially if you do not have very bright MH's as main lights. Warr, anemones have very slow metabolisms, and can survive (and grow...) for many months (or years) without food if you have bright lights and a nutrient-rich environment (just like the old sailors survived for months without any fresh fruit or vegetables, before they eventually died from scurvey). There is a difference between "surviving" and "thriving", and I would encourage you to feed the anemones even if they are kept under "ideal" conditions.
Hennie
I don't need to target feed as I have clown fish that feed their nemmies, awesome sight.
OK, that's great - but I think the way this had been said previously has caused some misunderstanding. YOU don't feed the anemone, but it is still being fed, and THAT's what we are talking about - ANEMONES NEED FOOD as well as good lighting, regardless of who feeds the nemmie. The above posts could be interpreted by the inexperienced that host anemones don't need any food, and that's not the right message to get across...
Hennie
Have to agree with you above statement. But how would you know the nennie is been feed, or should one look for it expelling it "poo".
Cool, know what you saying, from my experience even though the clowns try and force feed the nemmie, most of the time the food is released and the clown tries again and again.
But if I feed fish roe into the water column the nemmies go crazy (with most of the LPS Corals)
So my nemmies get fed by the system and I haven't target fed for ages.
Another thing I think nemmie owners should know is how big these creature actually get, and they never stop growing. Target Feeding does increase growth rapidly.
A Crispa can quite easily get to 800mm in diamater, and when they this size, watch out for your corals.
Hi Guys,
Have still not fed my nenny...he has moved again! I got home last night and has now moved from the back of the tank and settled (attached) in the front of the rock he was behind. He seems to look a little happier than he did a few days ago. I am not sure if I should try and perhaps feed him some "lance fish"? scared he might up and disturb him again...any thoughts?!?!?! I am tending to leave him be and see how it goes with him over the next few weeks!
Have still not fed my nenny...he has moved again! I got home last night and has now moved from the back of the tank and settled (attached) in the front of the rock he was behind. He seems to look a little happier than he did a few days ago. I am not sure if I should try and perhaps feed him some "lance fish"? scared he might up and disturb him again...any thoughts?!?!?! I am tending to leave him be and see how it goes with him over the next few weeks!
Inflames - feeding the nemmie won't "disturb" it. BUT, if the nemmie is indeed deflated and stressed, I would not say to feed it.
If the nemmie is inflated, and "looks happy" - and if the tentacles are sticky - then indeed feed the nemmie....
If the nemmie is inflated, and "looks happy" - and if the tentacles are sticky - then indeed feed the nemmie....
Hi Guys,
Decided to call it a day and take my nennie back to the LFS where I bought him from! He was really not getting what he needed from my tank. I might consider getting another one in the future once my tank is allot older and more established! Will also do allot more research next time. He has been sold again and hopefully to someone that can take great care of him! Thanks to everyones help and advise on this!
Decided to call it a day and take my nennie back to the LFS where I bought him from! He was really not getting what he needed from my tank. I might consider getting another one in the future once my tank is allot older and more established! Will also do allot more research next time. He has been sold again and hopefully to someone that can take great care of him! Thanks to everyones help and advise on this!
Mekaeel
Moderator
Hi inflames. Good decision man. I like where your heads at.