Bleached Anemones

W

Warr7207

Joined
28 Dec 2007
Posts
12,781
Reaction score
31
Location
JHB
Firstly are these creatures intentionally bleached and for what reason or is this cause from shipping around the world.

I understand the feeding regime to get a bleached anemone to recover it's zooxanthellae.

Once the anemone starts going from white to brown, how long would it take to recover it's natural colour or could the brown/beige be it's natural colour ?

I have also noticed although feeding is important for the creature to recover they grow very quickly when feed regularly.

My unit has double in size in 2 months. If I keep going like this it will be the size of a soccer ball before the year is out.

Any suggestions ?


​
 
No, it is not intentional, it is caused by stress and/or poor health/conditions. Shipping is very stressfull, and this often causes anemones to expel their zooxanthellae.

The brown or beige could be the anemones natural color. It is impossble to say how long it may take for an anemone to completely recover. It can take several months.

What kind of anemone is this? How often are you feeding? What are you feeding?
 
On the subject of feeding, i have seen a RBTA that is a beautiful healthy specimin, never been fed and is growing quite slowly but steadily in a tank for around 3 years, the owner told me that the more you feed them, the bigger they get and then become a problem unless you have a very large tank.
 
Wee-Man said:
On the subject of feeding, i have seen a RBTA that is a beautiful healthy specimin, never been fed and is growing quite slowly but steadily in a tank for around 3 years, the owner told me that the more you feed them, the bigger they get and then become a problem unless you have a very large tank.
Click to expand...

Never been target fed maybe, but its eating what the tank is being fed.
 
Anemone said:
Never been target fed maybe, but its eating what the tank is being fed.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, i'm sure it is getting sufficient food from the water column, perhaps i sohlud have been more clear, nem's do require food, but in a mature well maintained tank, they shouldn't need target feeding, and my personal thoughts, if you don't have a mature well maintained tank, you shouldn't have a nem (or many other delicate creatures)
 
Wee-Man said:
Absolutely, i'm sure it is getting sufficient food from the water column, perhaps i sohlud have been more clear, nem's do require food, but in a mature well maintained tank, they shouldn't need target feeding, and my personal thoughts, if you don't have a mature well maintained tank, you shouldn't have a nem (or many other delicate creatures)
Click to expand...

Not having a mature tank is one of the most important things often over looked. Another is getting an unhealthy anemone to begin with. Those "white" ones are so pretty! Yet often times so close to death, especially put in a new tank, with no knowledge on how to take care of the anemone.

The thing about target feeding and not target feeding .... Not everyone has a tank that needs to be fed enough to sustain the anemones health. I personally can get away with feeding just the tank, with out fouling the water. If you don't have enough livestock to feed the tank enough, I suggest target feeding the nem. Unfortunately, one thing doesn't work for every situation.
 
Anemone said:
Not having a mature tank is one of the most important things often over looked. Another is getting an unhealthy anemone to begin with. Those "white" ones are so pretty! Yet often times so close to death, especially put in a new tank, with no knowledge on how to take care of the anemone.

The thing about target feeding and not target feeding .... Not everyone has a tank that needs to be fed enough to sustain the anemones health. I personally can get away with feeding just the tank, with out fouling the water. If you don't have enough livestock to feed the tank enough, I suggest target feeding the nem. Unfortunately, one thing doesn't work for every situation.
Click to expand...

Very true, i think homework before you buy (anything) is the first and most important step
 
I had a Heteractis crispa and it did not want to eat, you are lucky yours is eating. It was white and died after about a month. I bought a smaller one that was slightly brown and it did eat a bit but also died after a month.

I then found a rose BTA with green tips. It split a day after I got it, it moved around a rock and settled nexto its twin. It was light when I got it. They both are a dark brown colour now. I noticed them getting darker after about three weeks. I use to feed them everyday and they were smaller. I now feed them twice a week. I noticed when I slowed down the feeding they seem to stretch out bigger. They must be trying to catch food. They are growing. I feed them pieces of frozen lance fish, head, tail, guts and all. They grab the food when I give it to them. Go to Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere to find out about BTA's. She calls the fish silver sides. She has some great advise. Tomatoe clowns and clarki's like BTA's. Common clowns might not host. I would definately recommend a rose BTA as I think you have a better chance of it surviving. I also have a green BTA, no red at all, almost luminus light green, and it likes to stay shaded under a rock and it does not like bright light. It grows slowly. I read the green ones come from deeper waters. Rather get a rose one. Mine has green tips brown tentacles and a rose base.

I think that you should continue to feed once a week at least while it is white, you should try lance fish. I found them in the freezer nexto the frozen brine, mysid and krill. Maybe the guts and head has some nutrition as apose to a piece of fish. I would actually feed it every second day while it is white. I would not compare a BTA to a Heteractis crispa the crispa is way more delicate IMO. Read up on wetweb media about them. HeteracCrispa also read faq. Might give you some advise.
 
Hi Nic - Hope you don't mind me asking a few questions:
- how long ago was this that you got your first anemone?
- how old was your tank at the time?
- what do you have in your tank, regarding life-stock, ligting, water flow, skimmer, DSB/sump?

Many thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom