Feeding Anemones

@shaunnorth @viper357 I would put it maybe under For Sale..basically everyone looks there or maybe by Urgent help needed...? Maybe that way the guys can get to see the Thread and help out by getting it a new home as you'r 2week Tank is definately not the way to go...I do believe you'r Lighting is not sufficient either...hmmm I would say you are doing the right thing by giving it a new home...Can't believe someone was actually going to flush it...EEEK..I'll stick my neck out and say that in a situation like that, I'll also save it from the toilet and then try and get it a better home...
 
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Tobes already gave good advice in the other thread
 
Anemone

Anemone said:
FEEDING ANEMONES:​


by Brenda Furtak​




In the wild anemones are opportunistic feeders, meaning, they eat when ever food is available. Anemones need meaty foods to survive. In captivity, there are many choices when selecting an appropriate diet. It is important to only offer raw foods to your anemone. Some of these include Silversides, Mysis shrimp, Krill, Lance fish, and even raw table shrimp from your local deli. Newly hatched brine shrimp may also be used occasionally and is sometimes recommended for sick anemones that are having trouble eating. However, brine shrimp must be less than 24 hours old to provide any nutritional value. Brine shrimp older than 24 hours has lost the yolk sack, and has no nutritional value.

Most anemones should be fed ¼” sized portions or less. This can be done 2 – 3 times weekly. It is important that portions are kept smaller than the anemones mouth. For heavily fed reef tanks, it is possible that you may never need to target feed your anemone. However, this should only be attempted by experienced anemone keepers.


Regurgitation:

Feeding too large of portions or feeding too often will cause anemones to regurgitate several hours later. This not only causes the anemone to miss a meal, it has also wasted energy trying to digest and expel meanwhile the anemone has not received any nutrition.

Regurgitation may go unnoticed. It can take place several hours after the lights are off leaving you to believe the anemone is eating well. Now that you are convinced your anemone is eating well, you continue this process, months later your anemone is showing signs of starvation.


Signs of Starvation:

Signs of starvation often include loss of zooxanthellae (bleached), a wandering anemone, or short stubby tentacles. The latter is the most severe, and death often follows if appropriate measures are not taken immediately. The recovery process can take several months. However, as long as your anemone is eating, your anemone is on the road to recovery. Small portions, is the key to recovery here.


Feeding your Sick or Injured Anemone:

Injured anemones should not be fed until the mouth has completely healed. Healing time will depend on the health of the anemone before the injury, the type and severity of the injury, and the conditions that the anemone is kept in during recover.

For sick anemones that are recovering from loss of zooxanthellae, I recommend 1/8” sized portions or less, fed daily until the anemone shows improvement. If the anemone is not able to take this, try smaller pieces or newly hatched brine shrimp. I also recommend feeding foods soaked in Selcon to sick anemones.

Never force feed an anemone. Their mouth is very delicate and you will only add to the problem by tearing the mouth.


Protecting your anemone during feedings:

Occasionally clownfish will steal food from an anemone. If this becomes a problem, you can place an inverted strawberry basket that is commonly found at the grocery store over the anemone giving the anemone time to digests its meal.

I have also witnessed shrimp stealing food from an anemone. Unfortunately for the shrimp, he was eventually eaten by the annoyed anemone. So keep your shrimp well fed if it is pestering your anemone for food.


Expelling Waste:

Anemones will shrink to expel waste. For those who have never seen this before it can be quite frightening, and many believe their anemone is dying. You will likely see black, brown, or white expelling from the anemones mouth.


The Falsely Accused Anemone:

You’ve just walked by your tank and have witnessed your anemone expelling your favorite fish. Why? Your fish was likely sick or already dead. Being the opportunistic feeders that they are, they are not going to skip a meal.

There have also been cases of clownfish feeding a sick or dead fish to its host anemone. The anemone is sometimes later seen regurgitating this fish, and falsely accused for the cause of death.

Now here comes the exception: Tube anemones are known predators of small fish. There have been several people who have also witnessed carpet anemones eating small, healthy fish.
Click to expand...


Are you still giving advice?
 
My RBTA has been in my tank for 2 yrs and has split once I feed maybe once a month but in the last 3 months it is not very happy and is now smaller than it was when I got it. If I try and feed it it seems that it is not sticky and will not hold its food. It looks really small now but it still has nice colour. I put clowns in and they went straight into the jennie 2yrs ago it was the first and last time they have been near it so how can I get them to go back
 
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