HisKid's Anemone Problem

[Anonymous]

I disagree that it is unnecessary to feed a LTA if you have sufficient lighting, and 7 months isn't much to go on. My LTA has been in captivity for over 10 years and has never been under particularly intense light (right now it is under PCs), but it does get fed several times a week. I think the myth that they don't really need to eat is the reason why some people have trouble keeping them. Ours love silversides which we get from our LFS. It gets fed just before the lights come on in the morning, and can really put away food.

I'm sure the anemones in our tanks love the free meals some people give, but to say they need them to survive is foolish. My LTA and the others i've had over the years have much appreciated the things that drop into it. Last i checked LTA's don't hunt for there food in the wild, so anything that falls into it by is stupidity or by chance. And last i checked light is food for many of these creatures. My point is, adquate lighting and good water conditions are enough, for a healthy specimine. I'm sure your LTA luvs the free meals you give it. This isn't a right or wrong reply, so keep your pantes in check. Just the truth.

The idea that hosts anemones can live by light alone is a very old school mode of thought. Adequate lighting is not enough. Here are some references for you to brush up on you anemone husbandry.

And I agree, 7 months of care is not long enough to be declared a success or make any inferences about what an anemone needs to thrive.

To date, there has been no cnidarian (the group to which anemones and corals belong) discovered which is capable of obtaining 100% of their nutritional requirements from light alone. All cnidarians (the group which includes hard and soft corals, anemones, gorgonians, mushrooms, jellyfish, hydroids and the like) require food to survive,

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/r_toonen8.html

Anemones will thrive on a varied diet

http://www.carlosreef.com/AnemoneFAQ.pdf

Anemones do need lots of food

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemidfaq3.htm

Why do you think anemones are structured the way they are, if not to catch food? A mouth surrounded by sticky tentacles packed with stinging cells infers that the anemone is made to catch food. Almost every feature of their body is designed to catch food.

I think the "panties in check" comment was a bit innapropriate considering how wrong the idea that "adquate lighting and good water conditions are enough" is. Anemones need to eat, whether you feed the tank heavy and it gets food that way, or direct feedings.

HisKid, silversides are small fish that you can buy frozen at about any pet store that sells frozen fish food.

 

[Joew]

Laura,
Get off the soap box please. Atleast i'm not pulling a Beaslbob now he is scary.

Love,
Joe W
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[Anonymous]

Laura,
Get off the soap box please. Atleast i'm not pulling a Beaslbob now he is scary.

Love,
Joe W

Hey, it's the new reefkeepers forum. I have a responsibility to keep newbies on the right track!

 

[Joew]

I disagree that it is unnecessary to feed a LTA if you have sufficient lighting, and 7 months isn't much to go on. My LTA has been in captivity for over 10 years and has never been under particularly intense light (right now it is under PCs), but it does get fed several times a week. I think the myth that they don't really need to eat is the reason why some people have trouble keeping them. Ours love silversides which we get from our LFS. It gets fed just before the lights come on in the morning, and can really put away food.

I'm sure the anemones in our tanks love the free meals some people give, but to say they need them to survive is foolish. My LTA and the others i've had over the years have much appreciated the things that drop into it. Last i checked LTA's don't hunt for there food in the wild, so anything that falls into it by is stupidity or by chance. And last i checked light is food for many of these creatures. My point is, adquate lighting and good water conditions are enough, for a healthy specimine. I'm sure your LTA luvs the free meals you give it. This isn't a right or wrong reply, so keep your pantes in check. Just the truth.

I will even retract some of what i said, I AM WRONG.....somewhat, but...I have had anemones in the years range and never really fed besides droppings. And never had a problem. Just going by my EXP.
Now we know Beaslbob is a complete knuckelhead(not to be consufed with our beloved knucklehead). he just goes to the LFS and replaces what he kills.

You can stay on the soap box if your wearing a skirt(i am a bad boy :twisted: ).

Love Always,
Joe W
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[HisKid]

All - Thanks for the update.

Joew - I think Laura D. has a point. If she has had an LTA for 10 years then she is having some extraordinary success. Which means that we should not be so quick to dismiss her comments.

Laura D. - 7 months, while not a long time, is still 6.25 months longer than I have had my LTA. So Joe must be having some kind of success in his own tank.

Laura D. and Joew - I think the two of you should either play in separate corners for a while or get married... LOL!!! But seriously... I appreciate both your inputs. I have to admit that my LTA is doing much better since I have been coming to reefs.org and interfacing with people such as yourselves. I have no doubt that you both are having success using your own methods. I think that a lot of this stuff also depends on the specimen in question. Considering that this genus can live for more than 200 years in the wild, I would submit that none of us can be called an expert because our own life spans prohibit us from caring for this species to fruition of its own lifespan.

 

[HisKid]

Ahh, thats better. Kiss and make up... or maybe a hug would be more appropriate.... LOL

 

[Joew]

priest: Do you JoeW take LauraD to be your wedded reef mate, to have and to hold and to hospital every creature with a proper dip.

JoeW: Why yes i do...

LauraD: Oh Joew you've made me the happiest reef chickinthe world...

Music Plays and the happy couple takes there LFS coupons down the store and SPENDS like mad...

*sigh*

If life were so good to me!!!!

It's all good, we're like one big happy family. If this was ReichCentral i'd be kicked by now.


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[Anonymous]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Joew]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

See, love is in the air.
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[Joew]

HisKid,
The real test for me was bringing back my tank from the edge of a crypto outbreak death spin. Lost only 1 out of 7 fish. And the death was the stupid tang that brough it on. NEVER AG AIN!!!
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[Anonymous]

Imho, an LT anemone needs to be fed on a regular basis. Joe, are you sure your significant other isn't sneaking behind your back and feeding your anemone when you aren't around? I just don't see how your anemone can thrive, let alone survive without regular feedings.

And Joe, I would never compare you to the macro algae dude! :wink:

 

[Joew]

Imho, an LT anemone needs to be fed on a regular basis. Joe, are you sure your significant other isn't sneaking behind your back and feeding your anemone when you aren't around? I just don't see how your anemone can thrive, let alone survive without regular feedings.

And Joe, I would never compare you to the macro algae dude! :wink:

MUAHAHAHA...........Maybe it's time to experiment with some target feeding then.

Love,
JoeW
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[HisKid]

Duh-Duh-De-Dah-De-Dah, Love is in the air.... LOL! Ok, so can someone answer the lighting question that sparked all this tender loving care?

 

[Anonymous]

Hiskid
The last Pic you posted looks like your anemone is starving. They will injest, so to speak, themselves to stay alive.

Bottom line: Please feed it! Silversides, and try the Formula VHP, as it worked wonders for me when I brought my H. crispa back from the brink

 

[Anonymous]

Here are the before and after pics

They are about 5 months apart

 

[fishfanatic2]

Hiskid
The last Pic you posted looks like your anemone is starving. They will injest, so to speak, themselves to stay alive.

Bottom line: Please feed it! Silversides, and try the Formula VHP, as it worked wonders for me when I brought my H. crispa back from the brink

Yes, feed it PLEASE with some fresh seafood it should do wonders. Lighting will not help ATM.

 

[HisKid]

Thanks all. I fed it some Formula 1 yesterday. I was pleased to see that it did not spit it out again. I fed it with my starfish feeder. This way it was securely delivered directly to its... err... mouth? And there was no chance for something to steal its food. Ok, So should I feed it every day? or 3 times a week? or what?

 

[fishfanatic2]

Thanks all. I fed it some Formula 1 yesterday. I was pleased to see that it did not spit it out again. I fed it with my starfish feeder. This way it was securely delivered directly to its... err... mouth? And there was no chance for something to steal its food. Ok, So should I feed it every day? or 3 times a week? or what?

Not every day. Once or twice a week should be sufficient. Again, try FRESH seafood instead of Formula 1 if it gets worse.

 

[Tackett]

i know Im late to the game here, and I know I suck at keeping anemones, but I still know what Im talking about. Im with everybody else here, (except one ) go to the grocery store, pick up some fish or some other fresh sea critters and FEED the thing. I dont think it will care WHAT you feed it at this point as long as you give it some meat. Listen to the other folk. They know what they are talking about. As for the "don't have to feed your anemone" comment. Dont listen to it. Feed the thing.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I used to supplementally feed mine once a week with a nice chunk of fresh seafood. The clarkii fed it on a daily basis when I fed the tank, but once a week I'd drop a piece of meaty seafood in the tank and the clarkii would bring it down to the LTA. Pretty funny watching the clarkii struggle with a big chunk of food trying to get it all the way to the bottom of the tank for the LTA.