AnemIDFAQ14

FAQs on Anemone Identification 14

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Anemone Success
Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

BTA and Other Anemones -- 06/17/07 Good evening Crew. I have two questions that I hope have easy answers. First: I have a BTA that seems to be doing quite well--was when I purchased and remains a nice shade of light brown, shows its bubbles fairly often, etc. One thing that concerns me a little, though, is that it seems to prefer locations that have limited light. I have a 110 g that is 30" high, illuminated with 6 x 54W T5s (3 10,000K daylights and 3 actinics--thinking of swapping 1 actinic out for a 10000K daylight, just haven't gotten around to doing it yet). I know BTAs like to perch in ledges, <Mmm, only in captivity> and I have plenty of rock, overhangs, crevices, etc. The other night I had to move the rock on which it was perched to deal with an unstable rock underneath, and the BTA moved and is now sitting under an overhang of rock, about 90% shaded. I realize that BTAs will move to find a suitable location, but is this normal? <Mmm, normal... for abnormal/aquarium settings, yes... It will move itself...> From what I read, my lighting doesn't seem to be too strong. <Agreed> Second: I purchased some really nice Florida aquacultured rock and noticed that the rock came with a few (4 that I can see) very small anemones. Some are striped (brown and clear) and some are clear. I have tried to identify them using WWM, but they are too small to make an accurate ID. My question is, should I be wary of any anemone that comes on Atlantic rock? <Possibly... there are many "pest" types... some can/will displace, sting other life...> Put another way, are there Atlantic anemones that one typically sees on rock that are not pest anemones? <Yes... by definition, like a terrestrial plant "weed", unwanted... or at least not found to have purpose as yet> As always, I appreciate the insight. Andy Bulgin <There are ref. works re... Maybe see the Paul Humann, Ned DeLoach series... Bob Fenner>

Sea Anemone Identification and Concerns 6/10/07 I have spent the last few days reading your site, I am impressed with the amount of information provided. I have felt that I have learned more at this site then getting information from dozens of locations and sources. With this said, I do feel as I have not found the information needed for my newest friend. My tank is a 29 gallon, 30" X 18 X 12 with a JBJ Formosa Power Compact Dx series double light. 1 10k 65 watts and 1 Actinic 03 65 watts, 1 power head pumping 160GH, A Seaclone protein skimmer (working better than most say they will I get a good collection of greenish water and brownish foam), I have a Biowheel filter I run from time to time to clean up the tank if it gets debris or cloudy and the skimmer is not keeping up with the load, about 15 lbs of Live rock, 2 inches of crushed florida coral with 2 inches of live sand \ aragonite mixture on top for substrate. The tank has been going for 1 year with 5 damsels, <What species? This is too small a volume for most...> which all seem pretty happy. Recently, I divided the tank in half to separate the more aggressive damsels from my new friends. My water quality is not the best, I tend to get spikes of nitrates from time to time. I am getting better with water cycling. Current Salinity 1.020, <Too low...> temp 78 to 80, Nitirites .5, <Should/must be zip!> nitrates 60 ppm (High I know, have increased water cycling) PH 8.2 ( I have been using Proper PH, recently read why I shouldn't on your site, will start to correct this) I have finally come around to getting some clowns. I wanted to get Tomato or Maroon Clowns, <Not enough room...> but was out voted by my FiancÃ© for True Percula, (she likes the way they look) I went to many LFS I have 4 within a 3 mile radius of my house (lucky me) None of them had a pair, <Will make their own> or if they did; admitted they were not eating properly and would not sell them. <Good> Finally I come to a store that has a large stock of little ones, about inch to an inch and a half. I purchase 2, then start talking about a host Anemone, this is where I started making mistakes. He talks about lighting, and gets me to purchase the JBJ setup. Points out a "Sebae" Anemone, that is translucent white / Yellowish color. ( I believed it's been bleached only by information from your site) <Is it the one pictured? This is badly bleached> It looked extremely healthy in the LFS, it was under MH lights. Very compulsive Buy I am now regretting. I bring it home with the fishes, I acclimate them by floating the bags, put some of my tank water in the bags after an hour. Everything is going really well. I drop him in the tank, into the substrate away from the rocks. He has some stringy sticky material, He is slightly pulled together, but not too dramatic. He starts to open after an hour. It's close to night time I turn off the lights and he starts moving around, heading for the corner of the glass where the power head rotates too. He then Stretches out and is really big, I had no Idea he's about 6 inches across very Large. <Is actually much larger than this...> His foot is a Dark brownish color <Really?> and his mantle gets lighter towards the edges, He puffed up his foot and half climbed the glass. His tentacles, are pretty long. I was quite happy to see him happy and flowing in the water current. I was just amazed at how beautiful my new friend was. The next morning my heart sunk, He was shriveled up. All his tentacles were about Â¼ inch long and very bulby at the ends. He pulled his mantle together and just looked Ill. His mouth was shut, also no color distinction around his mouth, it looks like an opaque white. I turn the lights on, after an hour or 2, he starts to open a bit but all his tentacles stay very short and bulby. <Adjusting...> This Behavior has lasted for 3 days now. Same every night, he blooms very open and flowing in the current, very large and happy looking, every morning I feel like I got to get a grave ready. This morning I found a large brown ball of what I first thought to be his stomach or insides, <Waste material> I thought he perished. I grabbed the net and slightly touched him and he closed right away, I then decided to get the brown ball, I guess its anemone poop. I've never been so excited in my life to find poop. I have attached pictures, I guess I want to verify it's a Sebae. <Can't make out... are there the typical "pink tips" to the tentacles? This is diagnostic for Heteractis crispa...> Also if this behavior is going to lead to a very sad owner, or if it's just part of the process. I would think he would stretch out during the lighted hours to get as much light as possible. I plan on doing all that is possible to nurse this mistreated Beauty of the world and all the advice / knowledge is much appreciated. My clowns Don't want anything to do with the Anemone, and looking at the compatibility charts, I doubt they ever will. Should I wait for the outcome of this Anemone before thinking of finding a more compatible host for my pair? <...> I was thinking I wanted to pick up a BTA? <Shouldn't be housed with another Actinarian...> I do Apologize for the very long Message, but I wanted to make sure you had the details that lead up to my situation. I appreciate what everyone at your site does, it helps so many people I can't even imagine. Thanks for the time and patients to help others (specially us newbies) Both Lights on, First Day in the tank after he moved into the corner, During the Night, I turned on the Actinic 03 for just a few seconds to take the Picture, His tentacles are at least 3 to 5 inches long here. It's so Beautiful in this state. Its really hard to believe it's the same creature how it looks at night and during the day is amazing. A small picture of my small tank bringing me so much Joy. Justin Sciacca <That the base/pedicle of this specimen is dark brown, and that I can't make out the pink tips alluded to... and to some extent, the lack of attention by the Clowns (should be discounted due to their likely being captive-produced)... lead me to suspect this is "something else", maybe a Heteractis malu... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>

Please Identify This Inhabitant 6/5/07 Hi guys, <G.V.> As always, you all provide a wealth of knowledge to many of us in this hobby. We are grateful! I have saved many inhabitants lives reading your pages and my tanks are quite successful year in and out. <Ah, good> Moving Onwards. Please identify this animal if you will. I cannot find anyone locally who knows exactly what this is. <Is an Actinarian, an Anemone...> It started as a little guy underneath a rock that was over a year old and started out the size of a pinky toenail. Now it is about 4 inches in diameter when fully open. He appears harmless to my fish and other corals thus far and retracts like an anemone/tube worm if I try to manipulate his position in any way. He has moved on his own (very early on) but has since settled in that same spot where he has been for about 3 months already. I practice strict quarantine methods and never say him on any of "new" additions. <Good clues> I feed him and he is growing remarkably fast. Your response will be greatly appreciated! Regards, G. V. Catalano <Mmm, is either an Phymanthid, a Rock Anemone (perhaps of the "typic" genus Phymanthus which you can look up... Google), or Actinodendrid (maybe a Megalactis sp.). Bob Fenner>

What is this!!!? 5/31/07 Hi. I'm new to this Marine world and thoroughly love the WWM site. Please can you check the attached photo. <Yes...> It came on some live rock. This thing extends a white tube about 1cm in diameter and 3 inches long. On the end of it is a head like a sunflower with waving sticky tentacles. The creature uses this to attach itself to the glass or rocks then lifts itself up and plonks itself down again. The long sunflower stem then retracts back inside and the critter looks like the photo. What on earth is it? <Very interesting... a movable polyp... looks like an Actinarian, Sea Anemone... of some sort. All are mobile to an extent...> Thank you. Mike B 55 gal with 20 gal sump. 2 Clarkii, 1 Regal Tang inverts coral and alien! Central England <Do take care to keep all intakes (pumps, overflows, etc.) screened to prevent these "getting sucked up"... Cheers, Bob Fenner>

ID: Aiptasia Anemone 5/29/07 I am wondering if you guys could help me ID this, it's very small and just noticed it in my tank. <That is Aiptasia, a pest anemone. More information here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm Brenda>

Glass Anemones ID, more... 5/7/07 Hey crew Noob here, I have a question about some guys that came with a small Zoa colony I recently purchased. I am pretty sure I already know the answer (Aiptasia), however I do not want to make any drastic measures until I am positive. I also have some little guys that are suspects as well but completely different appearance, the guy at the LFS used them as a selling point for his live rock. Said they were light bulb anemones, sounded good at first. I spend hours each day reading through your archives and really appreciate having you there, It is very hard finding someone who's opinion is really worth much in the saltwater world. Thanks in advance <Is highly likely that this/these are a species of Aiptasia... Read here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Bubble Tip Anemone?? -- 5/4/07 Hello, A few weeks ago I found what appears to be a tiny bubble tip anemone. So tiny it's impossible to get any pictures. After much searching through the many photos both through this site and others I came across a photo of an anemone taken in Bonaire that looks very similar to mine which I have inserted below. With its tentacles extended it is no larger than a nickel. It extends its tentacles as soon as the lights go out and seem to stay that way while it's dark. They retract when the lights come on <Odd...> and it completely retracts into the rock crevice it is in and cannot be seen at all. Even with a flashlight it reacts and if I shine the light too long some tentacles move or begin to withdraw. It's tentacles appear crystal clear with white tips although if I shine the light just so I see bits of fluorescent green in some of the tentacles. I had started a 1.5 gal 'macroalgae' tank which contains a quickly growing ping-pong ball size of Chaeto, a small bit of feather Caulerpa and a Tonga branch with red bubble macroalgae and a colony of feather worms. It has a Red Sea nano filter containing a bag of Purigen. I do RO water top-offs only. I check the salinity and pH only occasionally (although with the addition of the anemone this lack of testing will change). For lighting there is a desk lamp over the tank with a 13W 6500K screw in fluorescent bulb I picked up at Lowe's. This is where I have placed the small rock frag housing the anemone. I'm not sure how long I've had this anemone but I have not brought in any new rock for over 4 months. This rock with the anemone was in my 10 gal tank but concerned it might 'move' to a rock where I could never get it out I opted to put it in the 1.5 gallon until I found out what type of anemone it was. I've read through several articles and am confused about two statements. One article stressed "Underfeed, underfeed, underfeed; don't feed" and another which says the anemone is bleached and must be fed. Obviously knowing what type of anemone you have would help in knowing which way to go. I have fed it twice using an eyedropper. Once with Cyclop-Eeze and the second with Cyclops (more like an afterthought during sun coral feedings). Both times the equivalent of about 2 drops. Its reaction was to withdraw into the crevice and then later fully extend its tentacles again. <Bad...> Does the attached picture offer any help in identifying this little guy? <Is not an Entacmaea species... looks a bit like some other possibilities... "Curley Q", some TWA species... But whatever it is... it appears devoid of zooxanthellae> Since he appears to be doing okay so far without any help from me my initial thoughts are "if it ain't broke don't fix it." But reading "the anemone looks bleached" my second thoughts are..."maybe its tentacles are clear because it's bleached and starving". <Yes> Since he's so tiny any idea how fast anemones grow? <Actually quite slowly... they mostly "show" in added, released water...> He will surely outgrow this tiny rock he's in at some point and want to move which means I need to be planning on a specimen only tank for him. Identification would also help with the decision of whether to add an anemone fish (or not) which also dictates what size larger tank. I did note on one of the charts that a Domino Damsel seems to be a good choice for a wide range of anemones. Hopefully you can shed some light on this matter. Thank you again. Regards, Debra Just another note, the tips of the small anemone I have look much whiter than what appears on the similar looking anemone in this photo. <Please have a look here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm scroll down to the area on Anemones, ID... TWA species... Bartholomea? Do you have rock, other hard material from the Tropical West Atlantic? Bob Fenner>

Aiptasia? Anemonia 5/3/07 Alex (or whoever our saviour will be today): <Saint James today folks.> Attached are three photos of an unknown trio of anemones in our tank. <Only could see two pics.> They arrived as little guys, smaller than peas, on a rock on which a cocoa worm was attached. They are now a little smaller than a ping pong ball. (Let us know if the photos are too dark and we can fix them if necessary.) <They are a little dark.> We've had them since December and have watched them grow. Our LFS said they might be bad, but they weren't sure. We just got Ronald Shimek's "Marine Invertebrates" and found the listing on Aiptasia .... is that what we have? They are just getting large enough to go on walkabout. <Based on the pictures, do not appear to be Aiptasia. Bob?><<Is not me either, but Anemonia majano. Why are you responding to this if you don't know: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/otherpstanemfaqs.htm. RMF>> Their coloring is somewhat more orange-y than photos posted on your site or in the book, but they have the same "clean" legs that are sharply defined (for lack of a better word). The other day, one of them took up residence inside the worm's tube. He's moved and the worm seems fine. <For the length of time you have had these, and if they were Aiptasia, you would have quite a few of them by now.> Thanks as always .... <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Michael and Dianne PS: We just did our second five-hour long-haired algae removal. Sigh. We got six weeks out of the first cleaning. <Mmmm, check our algae control articles on the site.>

Anemone I.D. 4/26/07 Hi Crew, <Hello.> I've bought a little anemone that is about the size of a penny from a reefer last week. I can't take any pics of the little anemone but I've got a pic of the mother anemone. Here's the mother anemone: http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r97/Francois-Etienne/Anemone.jpg <I see what looks like a LTA to me. Do you agree? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/LTAIDFAQs.htm > The anemone has split herself several times in aquariums since now. <Nifty.> The first day I got it, I placed it in the bottom of the tank but the second day, it went to a higher spot in the tank like if it wanted more light (and I'm using metal halides 150w)... So today I placed her on the top of my reef and she seems to open more than yesterday. <They go where they like. Don't bother placing.> I've tried to give it some brine shrimp but it did not eat any (is this normal for a small anemone of the size?). < http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonefdgfaqs.htm > The tips of the tentacles are white and round (not like a BTA but more like a magnifica). <You might be correct, but the size of the specimen makes it hard for me to be 100%. Look here for clarification on H. magnifica: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm > Do you have any idea of what kind of anemone this could be? <See above.> What would be the best food for it? <Look at the feeding FAQ. (Don't mean to be short, but our server has been hit hard with emails and I'm trying to fly through a chunk before bedtime.)> Should I place in a spot with higher flow or lower flow? <Nope, they go where they please.> Thanks a lot FranÃ§ois- tienne <You are welcome!
-GrahamT>

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