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FAQs on Dyed Anemones

Related Articles: Dyed Anemones, A Sham and Scam by Bob Fenner The Tragedy of Artificially Colored Live Corals by Anthony Calfo, Anemones, Bubble Tip Anemones, Cnidarians,

Related FAQs: Artificially Dyed Corals, Anemones, Anemones 2, Caribbean Anemones, Condylactis, Aiptasia Anemones, Anemones and Clownfishes, Anemone Reproduction, Anemone Lighting, Anemone Identification, Anemone Selection, Anemone Health, Anemone Placement, Anemone Feeding,

Maybe this one will live after being dyed, bleaching... Probably not

Anemone ID question      4/16/18
<Greetings Frank>
I came across this rainbow anemone
<Umm; not rainbow naturally. This specimen has been artificially dyed. Do NOT buy it. DO read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
from a vendor and I’m not convinced they know what they are selling. They list it is as a Thalassianthus type anemone, but it kind of looks like a hell fire a little.
<Could be the former genus... the latter is just a common name that I've seen applied to quite a few species.>
Do you know what species this is and how big they get. This is about 3” and do you know if they are a fast grower? I do have various anemones (tube, rbta,2 rock, mini carpet) with fish and my fish are pretty good avoiding these without touching them outside my trio of clownfish in the rbta. Will this be a big risk for my fish since I had 0 causalities for years in an established 54 gallon tank?
<I would NOT mix this animal in with what you have. Again, I would NOT buy it period, as it has been artifically colored and is not at all likely to live; being bereft of endo-symbiotic algae>
Thank you for your help as always!
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Attn, Bob... Report: Dyed "Sherman Rose" BTA!     6/28/17
Hey ya'll, Sean Morris, down here at Acadian Mariculture (what I am now calling my marine breeding operation, hehe)...I was trying to make my true perc broodstock happy because my last two clutches weren't... well.. alive
for long...and so my LFS who I do a LOT of business with, had these beautiful "Sherman rose anemones" ... purple disk, dark brown base, pink tentacles no green showing at all. I recently recovered a bleached gbta from
there, so my water quality isn't a problem... again... I breed true percs.So my wife bought one... and it hasn't been doing well (thought it was due to quick acclimation)... so I went and bought another... did a 3 hour acclimation... brought it home in an ice chest...bought two gbtas with it...-I want my mama percula to imprint on rose and regular so the babies will take to both. at least that was my plan-Well... today, after waking up to the three new anemones looking perfectly happy... ... this first Sherman is still showing the same symptoms:-tentacles sticking together, sticking to algae, bacteria.-overly frequent defecation of body-colored bits.-enarging at night with mouth open-color fading, turning white in some spots, brown in others-as sensitive to hands in the tank as a ritteri(whereas most btas, you can touch and they don't care, this one shrivels when I pull have a finger in without vinegar soaking, and even then, its only a matter of time)-and now, today... a green tentacle. just the one?
<Mmm; they can/do change color/s at times>
A single green nub, surrounded by pink and purple... cant really see it well in the photo, but I tried. one green tentacle...for now...but the bleached areas seem to be showing a little green, as well.i will more closely document the progress of the other, formerly identical, specimen, and post progress on my YouTube channel, The Lost Begotten. Feel free to check it out ;)-also filming an ultimate anemone guide series, so you may find that helpful.
<Oh yes; my pitch/presentation this year (August) at MACNA is titled Captive Anemone Use. Do make it known when and where this is posted>
In addition to my 30yrs exp, this past weeks panic has made me update my research-base, and I feel like I've got some complete info that needs sharing. For now, I had to let you all know about this, apparently, dyed RBTA... makes me wonder if Sherman's are all dyed. It would be sad, but not surprising, if con-artistry had become so elaborate.
<I don't know re Sherman... some folks postings on the Net speculate they might be.>
Welcome to Trumpland. Thanks again for all your helpful info. Peace-Sean Morris (Baton Rouge, La)
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Presumed Bleached Anem Video Link       7/21/15

Bob Fenner Dyed and bleached....

Rohit Ratnakaran No Bob Fenner it's natural colour and yes it's bleaching. This is the sort of local stuff that we get in India. I would not support any dyed invert sale period

Bob Fenner Natural colour? This is a dyed Stichodactyla haddoni almost for sure... the yellow color alone is fake; that it's on the outside edge only; further proof. See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/dyedanemfaqs.htm

https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQChuzN_A3Q1pYfd&w=90&h=90&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwetwebmedia.com%2FCnidarians%2FAnthozoans%2FAnemonePIX%2FHeteractis%2520crispa%2FIMG_20141218_190412.jpg&cfs=1&upscale=1

 DyedAnemFAQs

Related Articles: Dyed Anemones, A Sham and Scam by Bob Fenner The Tragedy of Artificially...

WETWEBMEDIA.COM

Rohit Ratnakaran Hi Bob Fenner
The anemone was under led lights with more blue leds.
The yellow colour you see is actually light green Zooxanthellae left over from stress in the animal. These anemones are collected in India by the hundreds. They will be green when collected from the gulf of munnar. The stocking methods of the collectors here do not include providing any lights suitable for photosynthetic organisms. Lighting here is just a normal cfl bulb or a t8. That too if there's any customer's at the place. Add to this the fact that there's shortage of electricity. Hardly any collector has any ups, inverters or generators. These are collected on daily basis and sold the next day itself or the same day down the chain of supply. By the time it reaches people like me it's passed through at least 3 different tanks with as varied water parameters as can be dreamt of. Here the anemones expel most of their Zooxanthellae by the time they reach us. 
If you are ever visiting India give me a call on +91 9820447657. We can make a trip to a few collectors so you can see for first hand.
Again i would reiterate that i would never deal in any dyed invert period.

Bob Fenner Ahh, thank you for the useful input/relating and your kind offer. I have been diving in the Andaman Sea (just before Myanmar) and Maldives, but never India; nor Sri Lanka. Would really like to get on out there. Cheers.

Bob Fenner Rohit; would you mind if I copied/pasted your stmt.s here on WWM for all's use?

Rohit Ratnakaran Bob Fenner go ahead no issues. WWM has been a go to source of advice for innumerable hobbyist. Go right ahead.

Bob Fenner I thank you.

Shubham Rohit's statement came as a sad eye opener to me too. frown emoticon

confused ... id please ..sabea anemone??      12/18/14
Hi, pls confirm whether this is sebea anemone..??
<It is a dyed yellow Heteractis crispa; indeed; dying>

Also let me know whether
it is dyed..?? Feeling sick to know it may be dyed from some online sources.. Please help..
<Help yourself. READ on WWM re the species; DON'T send us 8 megs of pix....
READ here; my piece on this scam: http://wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: confused ... id please ..sebae anemone??       12/19/14
Thanks Mr. Bob for quick reply,
<Welcome Anupa>
my god, didn't know they dye corals.. wonder how to find its natural colour or dye one.. had no clue when looked at it in LFS. Sorry for the pic size. will take care of the pic size next time on..
<Good>
Dying?? :( hope it have some chance of recovery?
<Small; not much>
any advice or care recommendation..
<The reading>
thought new to hobby, but will try my best to take care of these animals.. its a mistake i bought it in first place, have to blame my ignorance and impulse purchase..
Thanks again..
<And the false perceptions of the folks involved in making these animals, offering them thus. BobF>

What is the Ball of slimy stuff from the Anemone 06/09/10
Hi
<Howsit?>
I have had 2 anemones for quite some time now.
One of them is a Yellow Sebae Anemone
<Dyed>
and he is doing quite well. I had once read a post on your site about dyed anemones and I was very worried until
the LFS said that he does not get any of that stuff.
<Mmm, well, someone snuck one in while no one in charge was watching then... This animal is artificially colored>
. (I hope you can confirm that it is not one of those dyed anemones - the color is a little too bright as I am taking this pics from my camcorder... it is a tad lighter than what you see.)
<Thank you for this>
The other is a tube anemone.
<Cerianthus sp.?... incompatible with most captive marine life... Oh! The other anemone shown is not a Tube...>
He seems to be doing fine .. eats cut shrimp that I give him but the only thing I don't understand is the huge blob of slimy stuff he keeps ejecting from his mouth/anus.
<A "fecal pellet"...>
I have removed it and sometimes it looked like it was green eggs in slime.. it got me really confused.. never the less I threw it out. After he ejects the stuff he seems fine and sways around well and eats again and then tonight it has started to eject more of this stuff.. but this time it looks worse like someone has removed the intestines from an animal inside out.
Also he has shrunk like crazy...
<Is "anybody" missing?>
I might be exaggerating with this stuff for all I know it is a huge chunk of waste.. but I have never seen anemones eject so much waste.
<Can, do>
I have enclosed pics of the anemones that I have. Hopefully it will explain better what I am trying to say.
BTW do you have a specific page about Anemone selection and care.
<Oh yes... here: http://wetwebmedia.com/CnidIndex2.htm
scroll down...>
Thanks a lot for your help .
I really appreciate your website as it helps me a lot.
Joanna
<Good. Bob Fenner>


Re: What is the Ball of slimy stuff from the Anemone... using WWM 06/10/10
Hi Bob,
<Joanna>
I appreciate you replying back.
<Certainly welcome>
It is very sad to know that my sebae anemone is dyed. I also so foolish to have falling for the LFS's marketing tactics.
<Happens... to folks/consumers, as well as earnest, otherwise honest r/etailers>
He seems healthy right now, except when he deflates to poop. (That is normal is it not.)
<Is not abnormal>
Do tell me what care I should take to ensure that the anemone is not hurting.
<... read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/heteraccrispa.htm
and the linked files above>
I know some people may say.. Just don't buy dyed anemones.. but I have learnt my lesson and I seriously was not aware about dyed anemones.
<Please read here re: http://wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
and the linked FAQs file above. They can recover... lose the dye in time, reincorporate Zooxanthellae from others...>
Once again thanks to your website I have understood that topic also. I will surely give the LFS a good peace of my mine.. now that it is a little wise
<You are welcome to refer them to me>
Now to the very very sad reality .. The Cerianthus sp as you mentioned seems to be dying after ejecting more huge balls of fecal pellets.
<Mmm, ... anemones aren't generally compatible with other species... the one is being killed here by t'other... Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/anemcompfaqs.htm
and...>
I think there is now <no, and no, tis poss.> way to save him right now
<Needs to be in a separate system...>
but I am enclosing pics so that other people can related to these questions visually and identify if they have the same issues.
<I/we have responded to sufficient numbers of folks that have made this error as you'll see. Become a good consumer, steward of our planet and study ahead of "buying" life>
I have included pics what he was and what he became.
He is totally deflated for a whole day now with some very occasional tentacle movement.
I am interested in keeping some shrimp.. Along with a Blue Damsels / Sebae Anemone / Clarkii clowns and a Snail. Which one would you suggest.
<That you read>
Lastly I would like to know how to make a good wet dry filter with built in sump and skimmer.
<Oh?>
I also wanted to know about the various types of media that are used in filtration. Specially about the different types of filter sponges. I am told that different ones do different jobs.
<... this, these issues/questions are all answered/archived on WWM... there are some 30-40,000 people (unique ISPs) who use this resource per day... Do learn to/use the search tool, indices...>
Do suggest some good books that give all information on known marine species for aquariums. I have been searching for some good books for quite some time now.
<Oh, there are a few mentioned here... in bibliographies, articles on the topic>
Thanks for all your help bob..
Joanna
<Welcome. BobF>

BTA demise 5/13/10
Hi to all WWM crew, Its the first time I ask/write a question to you, usually I find the answer or something near to it in the website, Ill try to cover all the details, completely cycled aquarium,70 gal, plus 30 more of sump, DIY skimmer in urgent need of perfection, evaporative cooling device (fan) to maintain water on the 24/28 Ã'°C right now its 26Ã'°C, it evaporates a lot of water, I replenish it daily with treated tap water, no RO yet.
SG is 1.1025,
<1.025 likely>
Calcium is 450 ppm,
<Mg?>
nitrates are 5 ppm, nitrites 0, pH 8.4. A deep sandbed about 5 inches consisting of crushed coral an a
1inch or more aragonite sand, lots of live rock and really don't know how much, full of sponges, coraline algae, two varieties of Caulerpa racemosa and the other one that is more common,
<Likely C. taxifolia... both too toxic for casual use. See WWM re>
under control, just two little patches of green color, GAC in the sump and also phos sorb from API, sump is also full of live rock, this live rock has been with me in other aquariums for more than 2 years now. Drilled tank, two 1-1/2 inch outflow and two 1 inch inflows also two Koralia 3 pumps for creating water movement. Lighting is comprised of 2 -56w pc 50/50, and two HO t-5 10,000k and actinic blue lamps making it about 200 w of light, also aquarium gets some nice sun light from the windows in the mornings and midday. I used to have some 30 gal aquariums near this windows and anemones, Condylactis that time used to love the light, or at least I supposed that.
Now with the livestock, there is only one sand sifting goby, one little toadstool soft coral, about 3 inches high and about 1-1/2inch wide, one little piece of cup coral that I'm trying to salvage from the LFS, he
gave it to me free, I think its making its comeback slowly, (daily feeding trying to get the little tentacles to get something), three turbo snails about 1 inch each, some Aiptasia on the live rock, and the purpose of this email, a new green BTA.
<May not get along w/ the other Cnidarians here>
On the LFS it had already three weeks on the holding tanks, good color, extended not all but about what I would thing 3/4 it size, it was housing one little maroon clownfish, was the only inhabitant of that tank, its foot was strong, no visible tears or anything suspicious, when I bought it I took much care for the store guy to don't separate it from the rock it was, so I got all the piece together, BTA and rock, perfect condition at my home, made the dripping method to acclimate the anemone and then to put into the aquarium I never got it out of the water, I positioned the rock and BTA the about 2/3 from the bottom of the aquarium, right now it could have chosen any spot it liked, everything looked fine, stayed extended, mouth normal no gaping, then next day it started some inflating deflating cycles, inflated by night deflated by day, but then it started to look like those clocks from Dali, hasn't moved from the spot, there is good circulation there, well now It
looks worse 4 days from the introduction it seems like something has ripped some tentacles apart, they seem like detaching, and mouth is ok but beside the mouth there is this "open wound" , with stringy things
coming out, it really doesn't looks good. Right now it is contracted and on the foot about half its way there is an open wound also, I haven't been able to understand what is going on here, seems like there is something picking on it but I cant see it, the crabs are small and have been with me about 2 years also, always sifting sand and algae, or staying put where a current is to get some food from it. Well that's all I could think of, I don't know what to do my QT tanks aren't ready, and I'm afraid If I move the BTA it will get worse, I'm in the process of stocking these new tank (3 months now, about 1 with the livestock) and well with almost no inhabitants in this tank I saw little problems for the BTA. Any helpful hint, piece of advice, or alike would be greatly appreciated.
I'm attaching some pictures of the BTA.
Thanks in advance
sincerely
David Bulnes Abundis
<Allelopathy is the most likely trouble here, though there are a few other possibilities. Read:
http://wetwebmedia.com/BTADis8.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

BTA Demise pictures 5/13/10
Hi, I just wrote about 10 minutes ago, my laptop was crashing and to avoid losing all the long email I had written I sent the email without the attached pictures. By the way, the BTA has just moved up and now is more in front of a current. Hope the pictures are all right and my anemone can get healthy but it really looks bad. Thank you
again WWM.
<... this animal has been artificially dyed... and appears to not be an Entacmaea, but a Heteractis crispa... The likelihood of it living is about zip. I'd siphon it out to waste now. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>
Has recibido 3 imágenes.

Re: BTA Demise pictures 5/13/10
Just did that about 1 hour ago (siphon it out) really sorry for the poor thing, IÃ'´ve been reading the links you stated, how can you tell from the picture it is a dyed animal, I mean, when it was all opened up and "happy" (if it ever was), it had this tan color nothing very
colorful I even though It was lacking zooxanthellae owed to lack of lighting, jut this slight green hue on the tips, but when it started shrinking the green color started to appear more intense as in the photos.
<... this fluorescent green is due to Rit dye applied in the orient... One of a few stock phony colours>
IÃ'´ve seen this tan colour, not the super green, in a very healthy Condylactis so
<There is a lighter, more pale green of this hue that occurs in C. passiflora; true>
It made me not suspicious of a dyed animal. I would love to learn to distinguish these specimens as I know the people of the LFS and I highly doubt they even know they are trading dyed specimens, I would love to do something to stop this practice, at least at a local level. I've read and own lots of literature including your book, the conscientious marine aquarist, coral propagation from Calfo, Julian SprungÃ'´s the reef aquarium series, Sea Anemones as a hobby of TFH, and the like, in fact I think I have a very good
reference book collection. I used to have a little LFS but my PhD consumed all my time and never started with saltwater trade.
<Ahh! I salute your efforts at educating yourself, and doing what can be done to improve practices in our trade, interest>
Really big thanks for your time and the time of all WWM crew, great site in deed. Sorry for my English and lack of good use of punctuation marks. IÃ'´m just really bad at writing English or Spanish in fact, my GF always corrects my research papers.
<No worries. I understand you perfectamente>
Sincerely,
David Bulnes Abundis
<Nos vemos. Roberto Fenner>

Pictures of the "BTA" 5/14/10
IÃ'´m attaching more pictures of my poor anemone, I wanted to know if by this pictures it is possible to tell it is not E. quadricolor and it is H. crispa,
<This is almost assuredly Heteractis crispa... judging by the shape, position of tentacles and their red tips... See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/CnidIndex2.htm
scroll down to the articles by myself re all Actinarians, this species...>
and more important to me, not that knowing the species isnÃ'´t, but I find disturbing that I couldn't spot a dyed animal. Any piece of advice will be very welcome. Hope I'm not being too insistent with this new email. Thanks for your quick responses. Saludos y gracias.
Sincerely,
David Bulnes Abundis
<And the article and FAQs file on Dyed Anemones. BobF>

RBTA Question, env. "dis." 2/28/10
I have had my RBTA for about a month, he has been very happy and looking great. He lives in a 29G biocube
<Is really too small a volume for a healthy Entacmaea...>
and is about 4" across when open.
<Get to about a foot across when happy...>
My water was last tested about 3 days ago and all was as it has been just like every weekly water test, right where it should be, but my calcium is a little low this time 325 but my Mag. still tests ok, so who knows what that's about.
<... I do>
Anyway, I was sitting watching my tank with my morning cup of coffee as I do very Saturday, and my RBTA started shrinking up, which I was ok with, I fed him a silverside last night.
<Not a complete, steady diet>
This time though, nothing came out except white stringy looking stuff that I have not seen before. See attached pictures. He has been sitting like this for over an hour now.
Any ideas? Am I just freaking over nothing?
<Looks like a "hull breach"... this animal and system is in trouble; read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Dyed and dying. B

Possible Dyed Anemone 9-12-09
Hello! This is James Miller in Japan. I recently purchased a crispa online and was told the coloring was natural. What arrived was an anemone with a hot pink column,
<Ah, no... Heteractis, Actinarians period do not "do" pink>
but the standard brown tentacles. I have read in the past that dyed anemones are colored evenly, so the brown tentacles would mean that it is natural. Is this true?
<Likely the specimen was dipped, pedicle down>
Sorry for so many questions, but when in doubt, I feel confident in your response rather than from an LFS with ulterior motives.
Regards,
James Miller
Okayama, Japan
<Something is stenchy in Detroit here. Bob Fenner>

Re: Dyed anemone update 09/14/09
Bob,
<O'hio!>
The anemone melted away in a tank with zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and .005ppm phosphates at a temp of 24C. The other anemones in the tank are fine
<Yikes! Actinarians are best not to mix... or at least to do "what can and should be done" to make their blending easier... Acclimating each to each through water mixing over month's time, having a large volume... placing distal to each other...>
though the dyed one filled my Beckett skimmer cup with strawberry jam before I could get him out. The wholesaler claims that it came from Okinawa which is alarming as Thailand and Indonesia are known to dye, but Okinawa was considered safe....
<Mmmm>
Oh well, live and learn. The wholesaler has been warned and returned my funds, but I will have to be weary
<Mmm, leery?>
of his good deals from now on. The weather in Japan this year has been unusually cold and the fish are small and 2 months behind schedule. Sargassum anglerfish are a May fish, but I was getting them last month... Weird...
Again, I thank you for your advice.
Regards,
James Miller
Okayama, Japan
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

My Bright Yellow Anemone - 10/31/08 Here is my yellow anemone; it is much brighter than the picture shows. The base is also yellow. <<Wowza! And even in the pic it is glowing neon yellow! This looks to be a Heteractis/Sebae Anemone…and is undoubtedly a "dyed specimen">> It is in a 72 gallon tank with just under 200 watts of light. My local saltwater store who I have known for yeas swears it's not dyed, <<Mmm…looking again at the picture, one must wonder how they can "swear" this is not a dyed specimen>> and says my lights are strong enough. <<Much more than just "lighting" required keeping these animals (and this one with strikes against it already)>> He says the old rule of watts per gallon isn't accurate as new style bulbs and reflectors have made lighting more efficient. <<This "rule" is indeed of little use…but for more reasons than this. Water clarity, water depth, feeding, "quality" of the system, et al contributes here>> What do you think? <<I think you have purchased a dyed animal…and am concerned that your LFS would "swear" otherwise>> How long would it take for color to fade if it was dyed, and how long to die if my lights are really too weak? <<You have much to worry about other than just lighting with this (any) anemone...and a need to read about/research the animals under your care. Please start reading here and among the associated links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm And be sure to continue here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm >> Thanks
<<Happy to share. EricR>>
Whoa!

R2: My Bright Yellow Anemone... dyed Heteractis crispa 11/23/08 Just wanted to let you know 3 weeks later and my bright yellow anemone has faded, <<Mmm, not surprising like we discussed>> It still yellow, buy fairly pale at the tips. I'd say its lost 40% of its color. Ironically I bought a pink one just as bright the same day, and within 3 days it was pretty much all white. <<You stated previously that your LFS owner swears he knows the source of these animals and that they are not dyed. It would seem this retailer is indeed trafficking in dyed animals?>> It has been white for the last 3 weeks and has bright purple dot on the tip of each tentacle. <<Perhaps you will be lucky and it will recover>> My clowns play in both of them all day long; hopefully this will give them added stimulation. <<It is, but is only adding to the stress of these animals at this point>> Do you think this white with purple tip is now normal, or should it change to brownish? <<White anemones are NOT normal? The animal is bleached as a result of being dyed, and may or may not recover. You need to reduce the stress on these animals, provide optimum water quality and proper feeding for now, and wait>> The faded yellow has no dot on the tips and I was told they are the same species. <<By your own words you were also assured these animals were not dyed by your LFS? Tell me, who do you believe/trust now?>> Thanks again,
Trevor
<<Regards, EricR>>

Re: My Bright Yellow Anemone 11/01/08 Thanks for the quick feedback, <<Quite welcome>> I have read all the articles on your site (great site, use it all the time) before I purchased it, and my tank conditions, equipment, etc are all pristine. So I was ready for the challenge of the anemone. I have a good relationship with my local saltwater guy and I questioned him on the dying before I bought it, he spends lots of time in Bali, and picks a lot of the stuff. <<Okay>> So I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he assured me they're not dyed. <<I hope he's right>> I guess only time will tell, <<Indeed>> I'll keep you posted as to the coloring fade if and when it happens. <<Ah, yes? please do>> So if it's dyed, the true healthy color should be a brown? <<Likely a shade of tan or brown, yes? though this specimen will probably bleach to white before it returns to its "natural" color? if it survives the process at all. EricR>> Trevor

H. malu changing colors, possibly dyed. - 4/28/07 Hello! <Hi Nicole, Brenda here> I purchased a H. malu anemone about 3 weeks ago and I'm still trying to figure out whether it is healthy or not. I believe it is, but upon doing research, I've come across somewhat conflicting info. I hope you can help me sort this out. <I will try.> Color: My anemone currently has a pinky-peach column with magenta splotches and a yellowish tinge toward the top. It also has magenta stripes radiating from its mouth and magenta rings around its pinky-peach tentacles. That sounds OK, however, the very tip of its tentacles are white and there are about 5 inner tentacles with the bottom half stark white and the top half pinky-peach. Also, some of the outer tentacles have a yellowish tinge to them. Does this sound normal or is it recovering from a bleaching? <I would really need to see a picture. The different color is making me believe you may have a dyed anemone. There is more information on dyed anemones here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedanemfaqs.htm > Waste or Zooxanthellae: I've come across info regarding the gunk that anemones expel. I've seen the nasty, crusty looking white stuff coming from its mouth as well as a transparent sack. I also noticed a couple days ago long dark brown stringy stuff coming from its mouth. Again, I've read that the brown stuff is waste but I've also read that it is the anemone losing its zooxanthellae. Which is it? <I have seen anemones expel waste that is white, black and brown. If your anemone is loosing color and turning white, it is loosing its zooxanthellae.> Feeding: Because I was concerned by its coloration (white and yellow areas) and felt it was a recovering bleached anemone, I read that it is important to feed it every 2-3 days until it is healthy again. (I've been feeding it silversides and scallops. Sometimes I soak the food in Zoe). I also read that healthy anemones can be fed from 2-3 times per week to once a month. What is the appropriate feeding frequency for a healthy H. Malu. (BTW, mine is still small with a column about 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter. <I recommend feeding 2 to 3 times per week.> Is it correct to determine its size by the diameter of its column or the spread of its tentacles? <I have always measured by the spread of the tentacles. However, I am not sure that is correct.> Will an anemone always take food that's offered or will it refuse if it is not hungry? <A healthy anemone should always grab onto the food. However it may not eat it if it is not hungry. It may also eat it and regurgitate it later.> Location: When I first put the anemone in my tank, it buried its column into the sand and then it realized it wasn't happy and walked for a second and tipped over and leaned on a rock. <That doesn't sound good.> During a water change, the current floated it toward a cave and it eventually placed itself between the rocks and that's where it has been for about 2 weeks, though its column is not buried in the substrate. I was happy because I read that an unhappy anemone wanders around the tank and a happy one stays put. <Some anemones are just too sick to wander.> But then I read that happy and healthy anemones like to be in the light and are on rocks or buried in the substrate in the current to catch food. And unhappy/ unhealthy anemones put themselves between rocks and hide from the light. Well, which one is it? Is my guy happy but shy or sick and sensitive to light? <It sounds like you have a sick anemone.> Last question(s): It turned green! Recently I noticed that its tentacles were turning green, were shriveled up and its column scrunched down. <It is not uncommon for an anemone to become darker in color when it shrivels up. This is typically when the anemone is expelling waste.> I changed the water thinking it was giving me a clear sign that the water was getting too dirty and it did open up a little bit immediately after the water change. But after a little while it shriveled up again, still green. The only thing I could think to do was to turn off the power head assuming it was the current irritating it. Well, sure enough, it opened up again after I turned off the power head. Its tentacles retained the greenish color for a little while and then went back to being pinky-peach. <I have not heard of this. I don't recommend the use of power heads with anemones. Many anemones have lost their lives to them.> The thing is, I hadn't changed the position or strength of the current so why did it suddenly begin to bother the anemone? And why/how on earth did it turn green? <I don't know. I would love to see pictures of this.> I look forward to your responses and suggestions. BTW, great website! <Thank you!> Nicole <Brenda>

Blue Anemone... Is It Real? - 10/02/06 Dyed Anem., Cpt. FAQs f's Crew- <<CJ>> Just to double check, can blue-colored carpets be 'healthy', or are these always bleached/injected/doomed? <<There are "blue" carpet anemones in the wild>> For example, do the specimens offered for sale @ http://www.gofishdirect.com/commerce.cgi?cart_id=1156027517.18607&product=Anemone&pid=1431&log_pid=yes appear to your eye to be specimens that conscientious hobbyists should avoid? <<Possibly, but more due to the fact these anemones "may" have been rough-handled, they ship poorly, and can be difficult to acclimate to captive systems...but not because it is blue>> Some research published on your site and by others in print have led me to be wary of such vivid specimens, knowing that organisms that host zooxanthellae favor browns, creams, oranges, greens.... such an intense blue makes me think twice. <<Indeed... As stated, there "are" blue anemones (Bob posted a picture of a wild specimen in Sulawesi not long ago), and it is my experience and belief that most pictures of "vividly" colored corals posted for sale are...shall we say...less than accurate representations. I'm not saying these particular anemones haven't been dye injected...there's always that chance. Your best bet is to research the vendor as best you can (query the message boards) to try to determine if they are known for passing dyed or otherwise tainted livestock>> Your thoughts on purchasing afore referenced specimen? <<Hmm…how many blue anemones have you seen thriving in hobbyist's tanks?>> As always, I appreciate your opinion, time. Cj <<As always, is a pleasure to share. EricR>>

New sebae... anemone... along with two others, one dyed, in a tank filtered by a canister... 7/7/05 Hello, I have a few questions about an anemone that I rushed into buying and will probably regret. <You do already> first off... I have a 75 gallon tank with 265watt pc 50/50, a Fluval 404, a remora pro skimmer , 75 lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock. <You need more filtration> all of my levels are at 0, calcium-400, ph a little low at 8.0 right now... the tank has been established for 7 months and has been stocked with many crabs, snails, and shrimp. Fish include a flame Hawkfish, 2 fairy wrasses, 2 Perculas, and a flame clownfish. as far as corals, I have a Candycane coral, frogspawn, green star polyps, many leathers, xenia, and tons of Zoanthids.-Q1- (( I also have a green BTA that is growing huge and is already about a foot across, he is being used as a host by the fire clown. a small question with him is, he is pretty much brown and ugly... he has really dark color and sometimes has green or purple hues but how do I get some real color out of him? <Time, feeding> I feed all of my anemones formula 1 frozen food, phyto with invertebrate smorgasbord, and krill)) -Q2- ((next I have a small rose BTA that is about the size of a golf ball, I have had him for about 4 months, and he is about six inches from the top, but he has been bleached since the day I got him. it is white with hot pink color <Dyed> in the tentacles and it hasn't gotten any color or size in the last 4 months since I got him. it eats a lot and seems healthy otherwise and it even split about a week ago..... any advise)) -Q3-(( yesterday, I saw an awesome anemone at the pet store and I bought it. <... three anemones in a seventy five... trouble> it has a slightly green base, and the tentacles are a deep pink with purple tips, I was told it is a sebae after I bought it I found out about its aggressive nature and high light requirements. I placed it at the top of the rockwork and learned that they like their base in the sand... it hasn't moved yet and looks ok and is opened pretty good. will this anemone work in my system? why or why not? is it going to have problems with my BTA? thanks for any help you could give me. <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemcompfaqs.htm and the linked files above, look into better filtration... stop buying livestock till you know what you're doing. Bob Fenner> Dyed long tentacle 6/31/05 I was just at my LFS and I saw a long tentacle anemone that was a deep purple. Do you think there is a high possibility of it being dyed? the worker at the LFS said he wanted it......I was about to say you're selling a dyed anemone for a higher price than the healthy ones! how dumb are you?... I would appreciate your opinion. Thanks a lot- Aaron <Could be dyed... but there are LTAs that are this color naturally. Bob Fenner>

Anemone Conundrum, lack of knowledge Hi Gang, <Hello> First, let me describe my setup. I've got a 125G SPS tank with about 9 watts per gallon of 20K MH and actinic PCs. I am collecting the rarest frags I can get, making it somewhat of a collector's tank. <Okay> The reason for the email is that a lady has stolen my heart, and she is a beautiful bright yellow sebae anemone. <Mmm, she's a phony... a dyed animal> They call her the 'flaming sun' sebae. I have heard conflicting reports of anemones stinging SPS corals, and LPS for that matter. On the other hand, I've seen lots of successful reefs with a mixture of SPS, LPS, and an anemone or two. Thoughts on adding a sebae in particular, or is their a better choice? Thanks, Brandon Wilson <Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm and the other archived materials on Heteractis crispa/Sebae anemones... And don't perpetuate the practice by endorsing it (buying such doomed animals). Bob Fenner> HELP!! Yellow <Dyed> Sebae Anemone James, Okay, I understand the feeding issue. But I was wondering if there IS a such thing as a yellow sebae? <I've heard of them> Like I said his foot is yellow too. <<No... this is a dyed specimen... RMF>> I put him in a 3 gallon bowl with bubbler, live rock (which he attached to right away) and sand. <He will not be with you very long in a three gallon bowl. They need much larger quarters and plenty of moving water and intense lighting to survive.> I put him in the sun in my daughters room and when we got home last night he looked a lot happier. This morning her room was chilly and the water was 76, so we currently have him back in the sun on the patio with a thermometer to watch the temp. I noticed a clear slime that is coming out of his pursed little mouth (not gaping like yesterday) I have a gallon of fresh salt water to swap out when he is done "sliming". What is that? <Please do a google search on the Wet Web, keyword "sebae anemones". You should know what their requirements are.> Also, in an unrelated question, what else do spotted snake eels eat besides ghost shrimp? He will eat out of my hand, but does not like Mysis or brine soaked in Zo? <Read here. http://search.hp.netscape.com/hp/boomframe.jsp?query=Spotted+Snake+eel&page=1&offset=1&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D3ea67cb9c10fc109%26clickedItemRank%3D9%26userQuery%3DSpotted%2BSnake%2Beel%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wetwebmedia.com%252Fophichthidae.htm%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSISPTop%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wetwebmedia.com%2Fophichthidae.htm > Also, I tripped across a blurb about not having anemones with coral?? <It's not a good idea but people do it.> I have a peppermint and 1 zoo, and 1 Ricordea mushroom (who will NOT attached to anything to save its life! Dumb Mush!)<Not unusual> Thanks, <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Carrie :) PS; Is indirect or direct sunlight better for the sebae? And for how long? <10-12 hours direct>

Yellow <Dyed> Sebae Anemone Hi Bob, <James, today> Boy am I mad at myself!!! But I don't have hours to search for answers! Now, for each of my new purchases, I do a crazy amount of reading to ensure my pet's survival. I knew I wanted an anemone and was told the bubble tip was my best first kind. Then many of the shops here in Vegas swear that the Sebae is just as hardy. SOOOOOO.......After my gravity is 1.023 and parameters are good (78-80 degrees) Alk approx 8 to 8.4 and ph 8.1, I purchase a Yellow Sebae (the foot was yellow as well) I put the little darling in my tank after acclimating it in the drip method and it attached right where I put it (I have 55 gallon sand/LR and 260w) I shot some Zoe (Kent) into it and it seemed to love it. The next day, 2/3 of the tentacles are "shriveled up", so I am buggin' out here! Yesterday morning, oddly enough, it was more like only 1/3 shriveled up. Some of the purple tips came back, but still some tentacles are shriveled and his bottom part slightly curled up near those tentacles. I fed some brine soaked in Zoe (Kent) and it almost seemed to want it and after 30 seconds, let it go. Then it balled up and opened again to have the body of it full of water but most of the tentacles thin. I am SURE if I wanted to, the LFS I go to would take it back, they are pretty cool and generally informative. In fact they had a fluorescent-ish green sebae I almost got instead (at least the green would be better from what I read) Anyhow, I want this little guy to be happy. I was told to try some "silver backs" frozen fish chunks. What do you think? Is the Bubbletip better? Also, do they dye these as well? What color is better for a bubble tip? I have read a ton of articles on your site about sebae, but my time is short this weekend and I need an answer before he/she dies! Thanks and have a great one! <I think the biggest problem you encountered was feeding the anemone too soon. Let it get adjusted and tacked down good and bloom out before feeding. I would not feed it anymore, at least for a week. Anemones do produce a lot of their own food providing your lighting is sufficient. James (Salty Dog)><<Not dyed ones... RMF>>

HELP!! Yellow Sebae Anemone - Follow-up James, Hi, thanks for your reply, I wanted to mention, putting the sebae anemone in the 3 gallon bowl thing? That was only a 1 day thing to get him in the sun, as a 55 gallon would be a little hard to carry! lol! I'm sorry if you thought I was a complete idiot as if I was going to house the anemone in a 3 gallon! That is funny! I did that while I did a 30% water change. He is back in the tank in the middle height area, and I gave him some diced silver side, and he kept it in his mouth. This morning he looked TONS better, with a smidge more "tan" color. My other LFS guy who has been in the business for 30 years only has the very light tan Sebaes, and he was aware of bleaching. His look great! I bought 3 baby ocellaris yesterday and so far they don't go near the anemone. I may throw in some baby tank/aquacultured sebae clowns to help the anemone. They are all babies, and I will be moving to a 125 as they age. Thanks for all the help, just thought you would like to know. BTW, I DO spent HOURS of time on your sight looking for answers, but when I have spent 3 to 4 hours and I cannot find the answer, I email, so please do not think I just email on a whim. Oh, by the way, 2 or 3 halves of silver backs, and the spotted snake eel chows it!!! Saves me buying those stupid ghost shrimp!! Take care! Carrie :) <Carrie, we wish more people would be like yourself and make the effort to find the answer before writing. Many questions we receive have the answers available on the Wet Web Media. Good luck with the anemone. James (Salty Dog)>

Dyed rose anemone? How can I tell if my rose Anemone has been dyed or not. <there is no sure fire way to tell if an anemone has been dyed except for time. The anemone in a couple of months if dyed will turn back to its original color most of the time brown) or will die.> Bought from a guy on e-bay who sells lots of splits and had excellent feedback. My rose is pretty good color but has some green color at the base of his tentacles <normal on most> and red seems to be darker at top. <you will get many color morphs in rose anemones. I have one that is bright red all over and one that is hot pink.> Color seems to be in little dots when you look up close. The foot is pink. Tips look fluorescent orange. From what I am told dying different colors is a common scam throughout the industry. <It is but I have never heard or dying Rose anemones before.> If it is dyed how long before you think all the dye will have worn off? <couple months> I have hesitated giving this guy any feedback until I know for sure whether it has been dyed or not. If it has I want to be sure to alert others to his scam. $56 for a 3.5" Rose and $38 shipping. $56 seems too good to be true for a true rose don't you think? <YES> The pictures he puts on the web are not as dark red as the actual. You can see one of his auctions here. Check out his feedback. If it is a scam he is good. The dye lasts long enough for customers to post positive feedback? <If the guy has good feed back, I would say they are real. Only time will tell. MikeH> Thanks, Rob

Dyed BTAs? 11/26/03 I bought 3 rose anemones they were deep red we got them in the tank 3 weeks later they turned bright white with hot pink tips a we think maybe they were dyed could you email to tell me your thoughts <I doubt these anemones were dyed... not heard of with BTAs. Seems much more likely they bleached from stress from poor acclimation. If you feed them well (necessary) for the next few months, they will likely recover their color and survive. Anthony>

Yellow sebae anemones (see continuation: Heteractis crispa FAQs 2)Hi, Anthony, <cheers, mate> I wanted to bug you about your anti-yellow sebae anemone comment included below. While bleached Sebaes are certainly a challenge, I've kept a yellow one with blue tips for several years now without any trouble and see no harm in healthy light yellow specimens. <please understand my friend the context of my advice/comment. Here at Wet Web Media we answer queries for the benefit of so many more folks than the sole person proffering the question. On any given day, around 6,000 people (unique ISPs) read our answers to these posts on the FAQ page... the very place that you read my response. After the one day it is posted, it is archived for many more thousands of folks to read. Not all of which have the same experience or good fortune that you have enjoyed. The fact of the matter is, that of the thousands of "yellow" sebae anemones imported any given year... almost all are bleached or dyed specimens. Very few are naturally occurring. Of the few that are naturally occurring, even fewer of them actually make it into the hands of a competent aquarist with reef grade lighting. I have a mere 10+ years of witness to this reality... Bob has about 30, my friend. We are talking near 100% mortality for white/yellow specimens 1 year after collection with over 90% failing within 6 weeks of import. And so... advice like this is quite easy to proffer. What serves the greater good is apparent. I truly appreciate your input, but cannot in my position and in good faith encourage folks to pursue and support the trade of a specimen when the majority will die just because a fraction of the population succeed. A favorite saying of mine... "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes." I respect that act that you are a competent aquarist and I'm grateful that this anemone has found its way into your hands. As a test to see if you are truly a rare exception... let me ask if this was your first anemone, and if not... how long did the other specimens or species live?> I'm pretty sure the anemone is not in decline as its color has never changed and it has grown from about 4-5 inches to well over 12 inches (I sent you a picture last month ;-) I'm assuming you mean an Heteractis crispa by Sebae, BTW. <actually growth is extremely slow in most anemones (decades slow!)... most swell in captivity as light bulbs age (decline in light, so the it swells to spread zooxanthellae to pan in effect)> These anemones do seem to prefer the strongest light, stronger than BTAs but they also eat quite well when established, picking Mysis, brine, formula I and II from fish feeds with gusto as well as taking larger supplement feeding. <I'll believe that>> Anyway, I'm a big fan of the yellow-ish ones and don't think they should be rejected out of hand. Marc <I must stand by the wisdom that serves the greater good at the expense of success like your. With kind regards, Antony> sebae anemone Hi, I have a 125 tank with LR,300 Watts (HQI MH) it has white color. Is that good? <if the lamps are between 6500K and 10,000K in color, yes> I will add a sebae anemone next week . <brown with dark purple tips only... not white or yellow specimens (very unhealthy).> I was wondering is it possible to feed him a frozen dried food (brine shrimp). <not at all recommended... ideal foods are very finely minced meaty foods of marine origin mysids, shrimp, krill, etc. Please do research more about this anemone in the FAQs and articles on this our site www.wetwebmedia.com> I have a very good water condition. Is there any thing else I should worry about? Thank you. <so much info here on this anemone... read articles on feeding, lighting, dyed specimens, etc. best regards, Anthony>

Re: Yellow sebae anemones Hi, Anthony, <cheers, Marc> I can appreciate the concern on the lighter anemones. I'm not sure I've come across dyed ones but I do admit that mine may be the only healthy yellow one I've seen. <agreed... more in the trade are simply bleached and not so many dyed although the dreadful practice seems to be resurging with dyed corals too: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm> If you are trying to steer people to greater success with anemones, though, I'd suggest sending them to BTAs. <Marc... I have no intent to steer anybody towards anemones for anything but species specific displays where they get necessary and direct attention. With the reality of poor shipping and collecting techniques, aquarists need to take the position as good stewards of the reef resources they admire so much and not contribute significantly to their further demise. Countless divers have observed that areas where many corals were collected heavily or damaged by storms have recovered in as little a one year. However, regions where anemones have been collected heavily are still barren even 10yrs later. We simply do not know enough about the physiology and reproduction of these animals to carte blanche recommend anemones for the masses of casual aquarists in tanks with unprotected overflows and powerhead intakes, other cnidarians (anemones and coral, etc).> These can be killed too, course, but seem to be a bit more tolerant and like lower light. They can be harder to feed and can sting and wander about more, though. <I feel comfortable recommending brown malu/sebae anemones and BTAs indeed to any aquarists willing to just do enough research to understand their basic needs in captivity> I've killed a few Sebaes in my day, mostly 10 years ago with poorer lighting. Within the last three years, this was my only sebae but I did recently kill two BTAs before having success with 4 BTAs after that. <good heavens, my friend... this is my point exactly. You are indeed part of the same statistics. So we have 3+ (a few) Sebaes and 2 BTA dead and five that have lived. 50/50 at best unless there were more... horrible odds. And how do we define success/living in an animal with a theoretical infinite lifespan (they have no defined senescence)? Many corals and anemones can hang in for 2 years operating near their compensation point but still dying ever so slowly by missing it slightly (as in approaching their compensation point though photosynthesis and feeding combined at say even 98% efficiency, but still dying unnoticeably slow due to the 2% daily deficit). The proof is in the pudding. I have seen corals that were nearly 20 years captive... many more over 15 and 10 years... yet you and I will be hard pressed to find an anemone that is even 5 years captive. Sure... they exist, but how many have to die in the hands of casual aquarists to get those few to survive. To be clear... I don't want to see the collection of anemones halted at all... I'd like to see more aquarists research and care for them adequately. And I do my part in the meantime to educate those that are receptive to providing for those needs and dissuade those that don't appear to be> (Per D&S, I didn't feed the first two BTAs at first because they had clowns; by the time I realized my mistake, they were in irreversible decline although they took six months to actually die.) I'm not sure how you measure true anemone size. Counting tentacles, my healthy BTAs and sebae don't seem to have too many more than the smaller ones although they do fork new ones all the time. However, their deflated mass is definitely more. <I'll take your word for it and am glad to hear it> The BTAs less so (i.e., much of their size seems to be extension) but the sebae is much heavier when squeezed down than he used to be (had to move him twice in the last year). I think his increased growth is mostly more tissue mass. But short of drying him out and weighing him, it seems hard to establish. I think he'd prefer not to be dried out. <agreed <smile>> While the BTAs seem easier to establish, once established the Sebaes are great: they don't move, they feed very easily, east almost anything (can't say the same for BTAs which often spit their food out or let someone else steal it) and they don't seem to sting their neighbors as much. <alas... as many aquarists have had contrary experience. We cannot fairly make such generalizations> I have tried a BTA and a sebae in the same tank. <this honestly bothers be... "silent" chemical aggression/allelopathy between popular anemones seems to be as potent or more severe than what we commonly ascribe to coral> In a large tank they did fine. <defined how... they live together without dying for 12 months...24 months? Still, I suspect they were battling and tolerating each other supported by your good skills as an aquarist and good water quality> In a smaller tank they stung each other too much. <the common demise of many coral> I've read the WWM warning about anemone chemical warfare and I've got to confess I'm a little suspicious of that. <good heavens my friend!... you and I could be buried in the data on this topic. I'll take the advice of the experts in the field, stay impressed by the bible length citations and spare my eyes of most> I'm sure they do try to poison each other but most soft corals are trying to poison each other as well and I'm sure anemones are trying to poison soft corals. <agreed> Doesn't good skimming pretty much take care of that? <not at all... browse analyses of skimmate. Indeed, skimming is tremendously helpful, but the quality of skimmate is highly variable and none take out enough or all such noxious element. Responsible husbandry is the key instead (and water changes <G>)> What is this comment based on and how was the normal risk of anemone decline eliminated as a cause? <the biggest wholesalers in LA (the primary and almost sole port of entry for all such animals into the US) track mortalities and the numbers are staggering. If you have any doubts, take a stroll down 104th street: you'll find the fine folks at Quality Marine counting every single damsel mortality, etc. The numbers don't lie. I realize that you are passionate about anemones my friend... but I'm not sure if you are looking for data, which I will help you secure as time allows, or just what the follow-up to your follow-up is for.> Anyway, anemones can be challenging but with good water quality, good lighting and the right tank mates they can be pretty easy as well. <all a matter of perspective, Marc. You are a fine aquarist but most of the new and still inexperienced folk that we counsel will kill 5 of their first six anemones just like you did by your own admission above ("before having success with 4 BTAs"). > Once established, I've yet to have one died and I can't say that about hard corals and some soft corals. <then you aren't doing it right ;) > I will say that I don't have anemones in a large, mixed reef tank anymore nor would I do it again (it can work but too much trouble). <much agreed> Currently I have my sebae in a 45G tank and it's the center piece with some Zoanthids and mushrooms to fill in the odds and ends. <Ughhh> Lighting is that 2x150W MH and 2 VHOs you were aghast about earlier ;-) <again... "even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes". Heehee... you are sure one lucky AND talented squirrel> Always enjoy the chats, Marc <yikes... it feels more like sparring. Maybe you can try the Vulcan mind-meld to get me to promote the continued wholesale slaughter of anemones? In all seriousness, Marc... if you get a good 10 (or 30!) year look behind the scenes of the industry, you will see and agree that the promotion of these animals to casual aquarists does not serve the greater good. I think we can all agree that we would rather self-police and limit their collection to prevent that they are always legal for us to keep in aquaria and so that there really are some left in the ocean for our grandchildren to see. Anthony>

Re: Yellow sebae anemones Hi, Anthony, <cheers, my friend> I must confess I do like a good argument from time to time; keeps the brain exercised. <heehee... I would have to agree. I've got a strange dichotomy of my own: the older I get the less fight I have in me yet I'm just as inclined to embrace "grumpy old man" syndrome early :)> I'll defer to your data from the wholesalers; that sounds like a good source of information. <yes my friend... by sheer volume of the sample> I questioned the original assertion for reasons you gave yourself: anemones tend to die anyway in captivity. That then makes it hard to separate cause and effect. <agreed> We have probably all be guilty of grasping for a cause when a specimen dies and "warring anemones" sounded to me like such a supposed cause. But, with a large sample size like an importer gets, that is statistically relevant data. Can't blame me for challenging you to the point that you revealed your data, though ;-) <true <VBG>> If you have them, I'd love to see the numbers but if not, I'll defer to your judgment on them. <actually, I don't think it would take much to dig relevant data/reports. As an aquarist (and especially the industry professionals) one of the best investments in your education is a trip to LA to visit the big wholesalers. You can walk into almost any facility and browse... you/we can arrange to chat with folks sometimes too. Fantastic to hear their reports/experiences and to see the inner workings of the industry. Many of the very biggest are all together within walking distance (industrial strip on 104th street by the airport). If you ever get the chance do check them out... a wild experience. Plus you get to see all of our dream toys! $15K skimmers.... tanks with 50 Goldflake angels, etc :P > What's the "ugh" part about the anemone mixed with mushrooms and Zoanthids? <Corallimorphs and Zoantharians are categorically 2 of the top 10 noxious cnidarians. Zoanthidea has the most complex and arguably most potent toxin known (I've been poisoned by it before and lost my sense of taste for a full day). I suppose I have concern that they will contribute significantly to toxic soup> My experience is the BTAs will sting Zoanthids and mushrooms. <agreed... but its not a one sided battle. The "losers" may be kept at bay but still will shed defensive compounds that degrade the water quality for all... all to concentrate in time and perhaps lead to a "mysterious" death that is not so mysterious> Both because they have a potent sting and because they just seem to get around more (a little shifting of the base creates a large sting zone). Dead, dying and warring corals are most certainly not a good thing; lots of bad chemicals released. I tried it, watched it carefully for a few weeks and having observed a bad response, sold my BTA to someone who has good success with BTAs. The sebae on the other hand, doesn't appear to be stressed nor stressing anyone. If everything is happy and growing, what's the harm? <I do agree until we learn otherwise. I fully respect and value a trained eye of an aquarist... knowing ones charges> From my own experience and from what I've read in multiple sources, I got the impression that BTAs are hardier. Also, since some strains clone so much, it is possible to stock entirely from tank clones which is why, if someone asks me, I tend to steer people to BTAs rather than Sebaes. I take it they doesn't jive with your experience? <no my friend... in fact, I personally do like BTAs better for many reasons... especially the ease of cloning> Just for the clones, it seems BTAs are a better anemone to recommend, assuming one is recommending anemones at all (which I take it you aren't). <The truth is I simply hate to recommend any anemones to most people and if I have to, a brown sebae/malu anemone is less demanding for light than most BTAs. Since poor lighting is the most common problem we see... brown anemones get the nod for beginners just like brown corals do.> As to my mortality rates, nothing to be proud of but I do try to learn. <agreed, my friend... I have certainly learned the same way with some... sorry to say. Through our (you/me/all) articles and advice proffered to new aquarists we can hopefully teach them to avoid our mistakes> We'll see how long this one lasts and I am curious about my Zoanthid/mushroom question (two paragraphs up) because if you can convince me it is a bad idea, I'll remove them. <I could live with it in a system with aggressive nutrient export: small weekly water changes, heavy carbon, efficient skimming... perhaps a larger tank> The anemone is my prize specimen and it trumps everything. However, all I have to go on is the apparent health of the tank which I watch closely (it's right beside my computer ;-) and with the corals reproducing well and the anemone getting bigger all the time, eating well and fully extended, it is hard to see a risk here. <awesome> Definitely not interested in killing the anemones so I support your and the rest of WWM's efforts to improve their lot. ... <thank you kindly> but what about advocating only tank-raised BTA clones? At the very least the doomed anemone isn't coming from the ocean. <although not all would, I agree with this idea and sentiment in essence fully> They aren't that easy to come by but there also isn't harm in making aquarist wait and think about their purchase longer. <yes> Most aquarist prefer tank stock any way since it tends to be hardier. <very much so> Anyway, I'll keep myself in the blind squirrel category until I can keep the anemone alive for a few more years... Marc Q <a wise squirrel at that! Likely wiser than I am :) Thanks for the good humor and stimulating discussion... many aquarists will benefit from our dialogue. Kindly, Anthony Calfo>

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