Anemone Feeding Questions

[HisKid]

How do you know when to stop feeding an anemone?

What are silversides and where can I purchase them? None of my LFS's have heard of them.

Can I feed my anemones unspiced table shrimp? If so, do I need to peel the shrimp before I present it to the anemone?

Would purchasing 2 Clarkii actually aide me in caring for these animals?

 

[Joew]

yes, uncooked shrimp is fine. I've always been rold a piece the size of your pinky finger tip is a good size.


JoeW
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2000 recession

 

[HisKid]

yes, uncooked shrimp is fine. I've always been rold a piece the size of your pinky finger tip is a good size.


JoeW

Uncooked? I was thinking that the frozen stuff is cocktail shrimp. Can I feed them cooked shrimp?

 

[Anonymous]

Uncooked? I was thinking that the frozen stuff is cocktail shrimp. Can I feed them cooked shrimp?

You could but you'd lose some nutritional value. There are no microwave ovens or stoves in the Ocean. :wink:
I'd also recommend a variety of foods such as frozen silversides, shrimp, squid, etc all soaked in a product such as Selcon.

mario

 

[Anonymous]

Blender mash is the best thing you can give your anenomes.

Fresh or frozen shrimp, fish, clams, squid, octo and anything else you can find in the seafood section. Rinse fresh, thaw and rinse frozen, mix with selco, selcon or anything like that, can also add different phytoplanktons and grind in blender. At this point you can add to an unflavored jellatin and freeze in icecube trays or you could just make small packets with press and seal seranwrap and freeze with out jellatin.

That will make you enough food to last a year or so.

 

[ChrisRD]

If you go with the shrimp, I agree - uncooked and peeled would be best IMO. I'd probably try feeding once or twice a week to start and adjust from there if needed.

FWIW, silversides are a small, silvery schooling fish. They're a common prey item for larger fish. Generally they're available in the food freezer at decent reef places.

 

[fishfanatic2]

Purchasing the clowns would really make no difference, however I'd make sure your anemone was big enough and not stressed before you do it.

I usually feed my anemone 2-3 small (almond sized) chunks when I feed. Smaller is better than larger, as sometimes they will spit the large stuff out.

You can feed them anywhere from 2-3 a week to 2-3 times a month. Its really preference and experimentation, I don't feed my anemone very often and its doing great (knock on wood...)

 

[danmhippo]

You should be able to get silverside at bait shop. Otherwise you could also get anchovies, sardines. Just make sure you get smaller sized, targeting at 1-2 fish/feeding.

You can also feed it oyster/clam, although it's much more expensive than siverside.

 

[HisKid]

Thanks everyone. You are all truely helpful. I fed my anemone an uncooked peeled shrimp last night just before my lights kicked off. It is so happy today! Its standing straight up with its tentacles all inflated. It truely looks perky! I was going to share a picture with you all since you are the reason for my success, but I seem to have misplaced my camera

I do have to say that I am one happy camper!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Watch it good, it might , er, crap out what it didn't dijest. If so, don't freak, just get it out of the tank and wait a day or so, and feed it a little smaller peice.

Also, a fresh raw shrimp, head and all is good if you can get it. Lots of good stuff for anemones in the shell and innards.

As far as the clowns go, if you can get a tiny juvinile(sp) pair, i'd say go for it. When I say tiny, I mean teeny tiny. This will be easyer for the anemone to deal with, and you will wind up with a mated pair of clowns!

BTW, How big is your tank again?

 

[Anonymous]

I use frozen silversides for my carribean flower anemone...You can pretty much buy them at any LFS or Petstore chain such as Petco or Petsmart...2-3 times a week sounds about right...

 

[HisKid]

Watch it good, it might , er, crap out what it didn't dijest. If so, don't freak, just get it out of the tank and wait a day or so, and feed it a little smaller peice.

Also, a fresh raw shrimp, head and all is good if you can get it. Lots of good stuff for anemones in the shell and innards.

As far as the clowns go, if you can get a tiny juvinile(sp) pair, i'd say go for it. When I say tiny, I mean teeny tiny. This will be easyer for the anemone to deal with, and you will wind up with a mated pair of clowns!

BTW, How big is your tank again?

90GAL Reef tank. Here you go... It is sort of bare right now. i am planning on getting a lot of soft corals for the tank. I figure over the next few years, it will really fill out nicely.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice tank!

One word of warning:

Do not add another clown! Clownfish are sweet looking, but they are devil fish.Any you add, other than a juvi true percula will be killer, or will kill your present clown most likely.

If you want a clown to for your anemone to host, your percula may take the LTA. My A Ocellaris are hosted by a H. crispa, which is not thier normal anemone in the wild. I would advise trying to remove the clown you have, and adding the Clarkii's together.

Have you read Joyce Wilkersons book "Clownfishes"? It is an awesome help for husbandry of Clowns and anemones.

 

[HisKid]

Nice tank!

One word of warning:

Do not add another clown! Clownfish are sweet looking, but they are devil fish.Any you add, other than a juvi true percula will be killer, or will kill your present clown most likely.

If you want a clown to for your anemone to host, your percula may take the LTA. My A Ocellaris are hosted by a H. crispa, which is not thier normal anemone in the wild. I would advise trying to remove the clown you have, and adding the Clarkii's together.

Have you read Joyce Wilkersons book "Clownfishes"? It is an awesome help for husbandry of Clowns and anemones.

Thanks, I am taking things slowly. Some of my friends didn't take it slow and now they are fighting desease and all kinds of infectious bacteria. Thanks for the info and book title. I will have to pick one up. My clown is a surface feeder. It never goes to the bottom of the reef. I don't even think it knows that there are 2 anemones in the tank. It likes to stay in the current and swim from one side to the other. I suppose I could sell the percula back to the fish store and get 2 clarkii. I should start looking for a mated pair.