New Print and eBook on Amazon:   Anemone Success Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Bubble Trouble? (Bubble Tip Anemone) Hey, <Hey there! Scott F. with you today!> My question is about a Bubble Tip Anemone. I have had it in my tank for about a month and a half. For about two weeks I have noticed that food will not stick to it anymore. I have to use my feeding stick and place the food on the mouth and it will open and take it but nothing will stick to the tentacles. The lighting is PC 2x55 and I have the Anemone about six to seven inches from the surface. What would make it become non sticky? <Really hard to say...Perhaps a reaction to some unfavorable environmental condition or other stress...Check water quality and other environmental parameters> My clownfish really helps me out too, the bigger pieces of food I put in the clownfish will bring them to the anemone. But lately the food eventually falls out and I have to keep putting it in until it is swallowed. The Anemone has lost a little color, but that was when it was close to the bottom so I moved it as close as I could to the surface, to where it is now. I have not seen any differences since it has been at the top. What would be the best thing to do? I just hope that the Anemone is not going to die. I hope you guys know something to help my Anemone. Thanks, Chris Hepburn <Well, Chris- I think that you really don't want to be moving the anemone any more. Changes have to be done gradually to avoid shocking the animal. The lighting may be insufficient for long-term maintenance of the animal, but don't do too much too fast! On the other hand, I'd keep up your persistent attempts to feed the animal. Make sure that your water quality is as high as possible, and continue your efforts...Basically, keep doing what you're doing...Be patient, be consistent...Hang in there! Regards, Scott F>

BTA Good Morning! Yesterday I brought home 3 bubble tip anemone's and the clown that called them home.  This morning one of he anemone's appeared "deflated" (not closed like at night).  Is it dead?  Although the store gave me the whole rock the guy did mention trying to get one off previously and having a "hard time".   If it's not dead should I try to feed it?  Thanks Jeff  <Check the foot for any tears, if there is any there is little chance of him surviving.  Otherwise just provide a proper environment and he should come around in time.  I would also try feeding him with some krill or Mysis shrimp.  Cody>

Leaping before looking with a BTA >Hello, >>Hello Alex. >I got a BTA yesterday and he opens and closes many times is that normal???   >>Difficult to say without actually seeing it.  Something may be bothering it, but since it's a new addition then it could just be acclimating. >And can you give me advice on how to feed my Bubble tip anemone, some say that you don't even have to feed them, and if I do, do they feed slow??? >>Ok, Alex, I am going to assume that you made a purchase without doing any research first.  Please, do not continue to do this.  I know that no harm is meant, but many of these animals have very specialized requirements, and I've seen far too many hobbyists make purchase after purchase only to fail (and lose much money).  My goal is to ensure success.  Now I'm going to link you to much information on anemones.  Yes, your BTA (bubble tip anemone) will need to be fed, small bits of shrimp (peeled), squid, or other marine foods should suffice.  Lighting is of larger concern, as it's far more difficult (and expensive) to provide suitable lighting than it is to feed. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcoralslight.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemoneselfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm >>Ok, now, when you link to these pages you'll see that there are MANY more links to information about anemones, please read as much as you can, and I'm positive that with the right knowledge, you'll have much success.  Good luck!  Marina >Thanks for your time     

Shrinking BTA >Hello, >>Hi Alex. >I bought a BTA 3 days ago, and at night time it opens up all the way at least 4 inches. But when the lights go on she shrinks to 1 inch. Is that normal??? is she still acclimating to her new surroundings???  Also how much should I wait to buy my 2 tank  percula clowns???  Thank you so much for your time!!! >>Alex, I thought for sure I'd answered your questions from yesterday AND given you two or three links, all of which also had links to all sorts of information on your new bubble tip anemone.  If you didn't get the email back, let me know and I'll link you again.  If you did get the email, please read through the links, as the information you need I simply cannot cover here, it's just too vast.  Marina

There's A New Anemone In Town... I just have one quick question concerning my bubble tip anemone that I purchased yesterday. I have done a lot of reading about these anemones before I bought this one. It seems to be doing well, it has moved from one side of the rock to the other. It has full color, it is brown with a slight hint of green on the tips. The foot is a reddish color so I assume that it has not lost any of its zooxanthellae. Well I read that they are ferocious eaters. I tried feeding mine a little piece of shrimp, at first it look as if the tentacles stuck to it but after a sec it let go and would not take it in. I figured I would give it some time since it was just introduced in the system. Should it have taken the piece of shrimp or is it just not hungry? <Hard to say, actually...A feeding response doesn't always happen when you dangle food in front of it...most of the time, but not always. I'd try smaller foods in the future, and give it a little more time to get established in your tank> My pair of Tomato Clowns sure do love it, but really did not like my hand when I was putting it in there. The one kept on biting me and in a few spots actually drew a little blood, things are aggressive!!! They were actually swimming in the anemone while it was in my hand. I set the anemone in a spot were there is a good crevice in the rock but it has moved to the other side but has its foot down in a hole. <Yep! The clowns in the anemone are basically defending their new home! They can be quite aggressive at this, too!> It seems to not be as sticky as it should be, I made a mixture of Formula 1, Vita Chem, Zooplankton, and some other Marine flake and squirted the mixture into the anemone and it stuck but then kind of got brushed off by the clowns. I tried to keep them out but it still would not bring the food to its mouth. Is this something to be worried about or just give it a little time and it will begin to eat? I really appreciate the help guys and gals (Marina). Thanks, Chris <Yep- I'd give it a little more time to settle in...Anemones are remarkably adaptable animals, but, like any other creature added to our tanks, they do need to acclimate and adjust to their new environment. This process is just as stressful to them as it is to fishes, so I'd let the anemone establish itself a little longer before attempting feeding again...Should be fine, if the anemone was properly acclimated...Hang in there! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Stressed BTA 3/27/03 okay.. so I have a curiosity question... I received a green BTA the other day and when I received it (it was shipped for about 12 hours) it was attached to the plastic inside the bag and was a bit deflated.. I went through a 90 minute acclimation process of temp and water and then dropped him in the tank (a 30 gallon with a rose BTA that's more than healthy) the first day he expanded a little and then second day he expanded even more. but by the end of the second day he had (what looked to like to me) turned himself inside-out and deflated all his tentacles and base.  by this morning he's no longer inside out, but he hasn't inflated at all.. so what I was wondering is if this is a total lost cause or if there's any possibility of a recovery of this one.. at the moment I think he's attached to the rock in which he's hiding.. so I figured that might actually be a plus as compared to not being attached.. any info greatly appreciated Jonathan <the anemone really should have been put in QT first like all new additions. Had it been so, we could safely sit back in observation and with hope of recovery without fear of a sudden death wiping out the whole display tank. I really can't emphasize strongly enough the need to QT all new livestock. Now that it is in the tank, however, a move to QT after shipping and then the display water will take a serious toll on the poor creature if it doesn't finish it off altogether. I still have hope of it surviving. Leave it in place and watch it closely for the next 48 hours in particular. Be prepared to remove it quickly if it slimes over. Otherwise, it will take some days/weeks to slowly acclimate to the new water quality and lighting scheme. Please do read thought the archives on for articles and FAQs on QT protocol and BTAs. Best of luck. Anthony>
Re: stressed BTA 3/27/03 ok.. well here's a slight update..  the anemone is in the QT tank.. that's what I use my 30 gallon for.. I do frags and new shipments and the like in there.. it's just that the other anemone in the tank is still in QT as I just received it about 1-1/2 weeks ago. <excellent to hear... wrong assumption on my part... my bad <G> here's the odd thing though.. the anemone seems to have flipped onto it's side and is still responsive so I know he's alive (I can see slight shifts in the deflated tentacles, or movements in the base).. so, on his side I noticed it looks as if something came along and bit a hole in the side of the animal.. so could he possibly be splitting? <it could... but it is much more likely that it is simply in a state of duress.> I don't know how clean the whole fission reproduction thing is, but it's the only positive thing I can think of for the situation that he seems to be in.. <it is admittedly an ugly process> but you can see his insides.. almost what appear to be intestines that are outlining the edge of his "wound" <alas, it is much more common that it sustained an injury (often when bagged for shipping)> okay.. so I know these pictures probably won't help, but I figured it couldn't hurt.. if you look carefully the anemone is in a horseshoe position, and at the bend in the horseshoe is where the divide began on the anemone.  the more pronounced area where you can see the fluorescent green tentacles is the bottom half of the anemone and if you look directly above that you can see the base portion of the other half.. hope all this makes sense. :/ <understood but not clear from the photo bud> thanks again Jonathan (by now you guys are probably wishing you could just delete my emails, but I really appreciate all the help your crew has given me :) <no worries... and thanks for your efforts too. Hang in there with this anemone. Simply focus on water quality and do have patience. Not much else to be done at present. Best regards, Anthony>

E. quadricolor anemone behavior... hiding? 3/22/03 I have recently added a small E. quadricolor to a 55g with 70lbs live rock and 4 small False Perculas, two 402 powerheads, a 300 Aquaclear power filter and an AquaC Remora skimmer.  The tank is fairly well established with lots of copepods et al.  The anemone has been in the tank for only four days, seems to be doing fine so far.  Opens up and extends for much of the time, readily eats 1/4 inches piece of thawed frozen krill each morning.  My concern is that he stays in a large open cave the entire time.  Very little light enters his home and I'm wondering if this is symptomatic of a problem. <many possibilities... excess light is not one of them though. Shock of acclimation at best. Do you know what kind of light it came from? Had it been in transit long/dark? Was it quarantined first, etc?> I have a 130W Power Compact (daylight only) on top which was suggested to me be someone who has kept this species of anemone for some time. <Yikes! Very low light for most any Cnidarian. It only works here (perhaps) with this anemone because of the feeding which compensates for the lack of light> Apparently they need less light than other anemones?   <not a correct/fair conclusion... other influences> Is this behavior normal?  I'm just trying to find out if I have any reason to worry so I can fix any potential problems early on.  Many thanks, as always!! Michael <See more info here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm and do follow the many links and FAQs at the top of this page. kind regards, Anthony>

BTA hiding from light! 3/22/03 Hey guys! <cheers, bub> Back again with the same problem. I've watched my BTA over the last few days and have noticed a weird pattern. At night (when the lights are off) the BTA looks normal, completely full and full of color. But when I turn the lights on, it will start to retract and will eventually turn blue (normally pink/brown). <the darker color is simply from the deflated tentacles and concentration of mass/pigments> Have you ever heard of this? That it will shrivel up and deflate when the lights are turned on, but become normal when the lights go out? I have enclosed two pics to show what I'm talking about. Thanks. Chad <it is not indicative of a specific event or problem. This species however does clone (fission) easily and often. When such acts are impending, they often creep into a crevice in the reef for protection during the vulnerable split by day. See more info here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm and do follow the many links and FAQs at the top of this page. Anthony>
morning	afternoon

Anemone On The Run? Chad here and am a first time WWM reader. <Glad to have you with us, Chad! Scott F. with you today!> I must say, you guys have got a fantastic site! I just spent the last two hours reading all your FAQs on the BTAs and must say that those two hours were well spent! <Cool!> But after all that searching I still have one question (you answered everything else already!). But first, I will bring you up to date. I recently bought a BTA a little over week ago. As soon as I put it in the tank (29 gallon with Ecosystem filter) the Maroon Clownfish instantly took up base! But because the BTA was stressed out, he wandered to the back of the tank under some live rock. <A fairly common occurrence, actually> After a few days back there, I just flipped the rock around so he would get better light. When I moved the rock I noticed that he has buried himself in really good in a deep crevice. Lately some of the tentacles on the outside have shriveled up and turned a light blue color (The BTA is a light pink color). Now my question is, why do the tentacles deflate? And what causes this? I read that they get swollen from the water. is that right? <Hard to say what caused him to go into a crevice...Usually a reaction to a new environment and lighting regime. The shriveling may or may not be  good sign. It is caused by fluid expanding or contracting within the anemone's body cavity.> If that is the case then could it be because he has buried himself deep in that crevice that he his cutting of circulation to some arms? <Possible, but not likely...I'd sort of leave the animal alone for a while, and see how it responds in the next few days. Often, the animal will work its way back out into an area that it finds comfortable. Keep a close eye on things, and be patient!> Looking for any help! Keep up the fantastic work! <And thank you for stopping by! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

- Reach out and find Jim Black - Hello, <Hello, JasonC here...> I was reading some of the bubble-tip articles on the site and was wondering if you could put me in contact with Jim Black?  I would like to purchase a pair of his Bubble Tip Anemones for my tank when he does his next split. <I'll do what I can to forward this message to him.> Many thanks, Norm <Cheers, J -- >

BTA anemone splitting - 2/13/03 Howdy Guys, <cheers, bub> I don't know if you remember, but I e-mailed you a week or two about my bubble anemone dividing. It seems that about the time the two separated almost completely, one of the daughters started dividing again. <excellent!> I read the bubble anemone section on your site, as well as most of the FAQ's in that section. I have been feeding them every three days, like mentioned in the article, but have made no water change to trigger division. <there are many possible reasons as catalysts> My ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all zero. The only change I made was adding one hour to the metal halide's on time. I used to run it 3 hrs, now 4 because in my previous tank I only had fluorescents. Could this have triggered the split? <doesn't seem likely, a simple tear or simply the "right time"> Also, do know where I could find some "Pocillopora damicornis", aka "Bird nest Coral" or "Lace Coral"? I would of course buy some, but would like to trade an anemone for a cutting. <do seek a local or regional aquarium society to you. A great venue for fellowship and trades. We have a list of aquarium societies in our links section, and many message boards have links contacts or forums (like reefcentral.com)> Thanks, John Jordan Oh Yeah, in one of the FAQ's someone said you didn't have many photos of a bubble anemone dividing. I've got some if you are interested. <I am very interested in some new pictures, my friend. Please e-mail me at readingtrees@yahoo.com  I'd like to use some for a new article. Best regards, Anthony>

BTA CLOSED UP 2/6/03 I have had this BTA for a couple of months. It is attached to a piece of coral. It exists with a percula in it. Yesterday while performing a 20% water change a small piece of evaporated salt fell into the BTA. Since then it immediately closed up and has stayed this way. I realize it cannot eat like this. <indeed... just irritated> I also understand if it dies it will detach and float. <not correct necessarily. May just sink and stink> Is there anything to do other than wait?? <for the time past now... the damage, if any, is done> It is closed up tight like a fist. Thanks Paul <Paul... please do browse our WetWebMedia.Com archives specifically for the FAQs (many pages here) just on BTAs. I suspect that you would learn a lot and perhaps be surprised about its needs, reproductive tendencies, feeding requirements, and the irritation from that clownfish. Anthony>

Satisfying An Anemone's Appetite! Hi Bob + Crew, <Scott F. with you today!> I have read articles and I'm not sure as to the amount of food to give a Bubbletip anemone ( size approx. 3").   I read that food should be 1/4" or less, currently I feed one 1/4" piece of silverside, once a week. Is that enough? <Well, some species of anemones feed daily in nature, and can ingest an amount of food that makes up a percentage of their body weight! I'd try feeding small quantities of food every other day.> If not how many 1/4" pieces? I just fed one piece yesterday, should I wait to give more if needed? <I'd start with two or three pieces, and see if the anemone ingests it all> I am also thinking of including Mysis shrimp and clams. Once again how much? <Both of these foods are just fine, IMO. Once again, I'd try small amounts of food several times a week, and see if the anemone appears to be responding well. If the animal will consume more food, then by all means, I'd give it some more!> Also I would like to get your advice as far as mail ordering livestock, I am very concerned with doing the right thing environmentally and I have always purchased through a store but I have been told mail ordering will eliminate two acclimations. What's the scoop? If so any recommendations (LiveAquaria.com, FFExpress, etc)? <Well, regardless of where the fish is ordered from, the animals will endure several acclimations, from the collector to the transhipper to the retailer (or e-tailer). The journey from reef to store to tank is a difficult one, and the mortality rate among fishes along the way can be horrific! That's why it pays to buy your animals from a dealer who selects properly collected and handled animals. The places that you mentioned all have good reputations. My favorite etailer for rare marines is Marine Center. The people there select and handle their fishes very well, and make sure that the animals are eating before they are sold. You can't ask for much more than that. In the end, you have to give credit to the fishes themselves. They're tough!> Thanks for the help. This website along with the book " The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" is great. Looking forward to the new book. Rich <We all are, too, Rich! Thanks for writing! Feel free to contact us any time! Regards, Scott F>

29 Gallon Small Reef Hi!   <Hello! Ananda here, answering the small reef questions...> I set up my first saltwater tank last September (after several freshwater endeavors, two of which are still thriving) and have found your website to be very helpful in the care and maintenance of my aquatic friends.  I work at a pet store and frequently direct my customers to your website and books due to the amount of good information I've been able to glean.   <Thanks! Glad we can help.> My latest tank is a 29 gallon small reef tank.  The system is lit by a 110 watt pc unit (1 bulb 6400K, the other actinic 03) and contains 35 lbs of liverock, 20 lbs of live sand and 15 lbs of a slightly larger grade aragonite.  I have an Aqua-C remora protein skimmer with a surface skim box and bubble reducer and an Aquafuge refugium (approx 2.5 gallons) lit by a 13-watt 50/50 PC.  There is also a penguin 170 for mechanical filtration.  Two sponge-filter equipped penguin powerheads provide 320 gph of circulation with the protein skimmer, filter and refugium adding to the flow as well.   <Very nice setup, very similar to the one I'm planning.> Right now the tank has a red hermit (not sure of species, but it's not the large variety), a 6 blue hermit crabs, one Ocellaris clown and a small Bubble Tip Anemone (located on an isolated stand of rock to prevent movement around the tank). <Ack! I'm not a fan of keeping anemones in tanks this small or this new. And I suspect the anemone might still be able to move around. Read here, and follow the links to related articles: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm> My eventual plan is to maintain a few soft corals in the tank along with a single Mandarin, the Ocellaris and the small cleanup crew. <Please skip the mandarin! Your tank is not large enough, even with the refugium, to sustain a sufficient pod population for a mandarin. Please use the WWM search tool and read the mandarin pages (there are several).> The refugium is aimed at sustaining colonies copepods and amphipods (which abounded in the smaller tank (a 10 gallon micro-tank w/ a twin lamp eclipse hood and regular harvesting of macroalgae as nutrient export that this is an upgrade for).   <I am also upgrading from a 10 gallon nano.> Now the questions.  What are some hardy soft corals that would work in this setup? <I have a Sinularia dura aka flower/cabbage leather that has tripled in size in less than a year (in the 10 gallon tank). Green star polyps work well, as do zoanthids and most types of mushrooms. Come to think of it, most photosynthetic soft corals should be "relatively hardy". Just avoid the non-photosynthetic varieties.> In addition, are there any other small fish that may work in this setup? <Yes, several. Smaller gobies, some of the Dottybacks, blennies, grammas, *some* of the small wrasses... a much bigger selection compared to a 10 gallon tank.> And, would it be ok to not run the Penguin all of the time and instead use it as a mechanical filter during water changes or other events that might disturb the sandbed and cause debris to enter the water column? <I would suggest that you keep it running, with carbon. Your softies are going to wage some chemical warfare, and the carbon will help alleviate this.> Let me know what you think and any comments/suggestions!  Thank you very much for your time and all of the helpful advice in your publications! -Christopher Fulkerson <You're quite welcome. Do wander over to http://www.nano-reef.com and its forums. The people there specialize in smaller tanks (generally less than 30 gallons). I have learned a lot from them. --Ananda>

- Tank Raised Anemone Placement - Hello at Wet Web, <Hello, JasonC here...> I have a tank-raised Bubble Tip anemone coming in on Saturday, along with an immature mated pair of Yellow-Striped Maroon Clowns, and I've read that placement for the Bubble Tip is best accomplished by putting it either on or under a piece of live rock with a good crevice in it. <That helps, but doesn't always work.> I know they prefer to attach to rock, so in an effort to place him the best I can when he arrives, I'd appreciate your ideas on doing just that. <I think your stated plan is probably your best shot. Perhaps turn down the flow in the tank, remove a power head or two until it is attached - that way it isn't blown about the tank.> I know he may wander a bit until he's happy--just thought you may have some helpful ideas. Also, knowing how the clowns will protect their anemone, any ideas on feeding the anemone without being attacked by the Maroons? <With a turkey baster or large syringe.> Many thanks, Peggy <Cheers, J -- >

Bubble Tip anemone splitting: articles and link to slide show (Entacmaea quadricolor- BTA) <welcome, my friend!> yes hello my English is not so good but I would like to ask a question please.   <no worries... it is good to hear from you> I'm at a friends house and he will help me a little bit with my English grammar so hopefully this will be correct for you to read.  he doesn't speak my language too well and I'm not speaking English too well so should be enjoy to read!   <actually, you communicate in English very fine> he has asked this for me elsewhere but no one knows and says you are the experts and best of best to ask any kind of question. I have 1 Entacmaea quadricolor.  It is violet kind of color a little bit of rust color and some green too.  it is not too big maybe 13cm oral disc sometimes.  it picked a rock to sit on with vertical side so that oral disc is perpendicular to bottom of tank.  one side of disc seems to stretched some.  the part closest to the sand is stretched out some.  the other side is kind of shrink some.  the disc now is lopsided with the tentacles on shrunken side short and getting longer as you go around to the stretched side and mouth now look not in the middle.  it eat shrimps and clam well I feed once or twice a week.  it almost always extended.  it stays in tank with some current I have plenty of lighting for it too.  he looks healthy just do not know about the stretched part and shrunken part.  also it likes to extend very long its body part like a tree looking.   <it sounds like it may be going through reproduction... a fissionary split. Do read these articles: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm and check out this slide show on a BTA split: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/reefslides/index.htm best regards, Anthony>

Anemone- thanks! Ok my Entacmaea quadricolor did not split but it is better now.  thank you for advice on it!   <our great pleasure, my friend> also it is color is much darker now and it eats a lot.   <excellent... regular feeding with very finely minced foods is so important> I might get a percula for it who knows!   <if you like... but know that the anemone will fare as well or better without the clownfish. More than half in the wild, some say, don't even host clownfish> the websites you have given me were very good! I also have a clam but not sure what kind.  it brown and cream coloring.   <have you read the sample chapter we have posted from our new upcoming book here (link to sample is in center of the page): http://wetwebfotos.com/store/nma-ri.html I have read a book by Mr. Daniel Knop and it isn't answering a question I have.  when placing my clam in tank should a part touching the bottom of tank where the sand exists be a byssal part or a hinge part? The byssal opening should be resting squarely on a flat rock that can be buried in the sand... this protects this port (opening) from invasion through the sand by worms, crabs, snails or other predators. Never simply place a clam on the sand bottom without at least a small flat rock underneath. Best regards, Anthony>

BTA Hello everyone!   <Hello someone!> Hope all is well with the crew of WWM.  I also hope all of you have a very happy holiday season and a very merry Christmas! <with thanks and hope for you in kind> I purchased another BTA yesterday, but with much more knowledge than I did last time.  :)  It's large, expanding to about 8" across at maximum, and is about an average of 5".  It's got a very deep, rich color, very purplish with a reddish/purple foot/body.  no tears, no abrasions, good "earthy/fishy" smell, long expanded tentacles etc.  Was directly under a 175w MH at the LFS.  They'd only had it a week though.   <hmmm... that part sucks a little... would have been nice to watch it longer> It responds well and quickly to any stimulation, whether it be touching, lighting...  It moves fast too.  After it attached it had moved the equivalent of about 4 feet around my tank in 2 hours.  Here is where the question is...  it concerns circulation.  I have a 20gal long (pretty much anemone only tank... a few corals on the right well separated from the anemones).   <not enough in such a small tank with regard for allelopathy. This will be a problem in 6-12 months and alone will cause frequent moving of the BTA from sensation of competitive cnidarians within inches of it> Anyway, for main circulation I have two Rio 180s in the top back corners, both aimed at the center with diffusers.  I think this is too much current, <I highly doubt it> as the anemone moved away behind the rocks where the current is much weaker.   <as or more likely that the sensation of corals so nearby caused it> Since I obviously don't want the anemone there, where it isn't getting light and is hard to feed, I simply turned the rock around so it is facing the front under good lighting.  I turned down the powerhead flow and it hasn't moved in several hours (we'll see about that tonight when the lights go out).  Question is, is there another way to set up circulation in my tank without a laminar flow?   <converging as you had it to produce random turbulent flow is fine... circulation is not the problem here at any rate. Even in a larger aquarium, it is inappropriate to mix motile anemones with sessile corals. A recipe for disaster in the long run... especially in a small tank> Even with the powerheads aimed at the center of the tank, the flow still seems somewhat laminar and actually quite abusive to the anemones (it blows them around like palm trees in a tornado, that is almost literally what it looks like).   <then aim back left to front right and vice versa instead of converging in the middle> I have tried to assemble two spray bars, but cannot find any pieces of plastic piping of any kind, pvc, acrylic etc. that will fit to make them.   <spray bars are generally a waster of time (too diffusive)> So I am lost as for circulation.  Any advice here would be very much appreciated! <as per above> Oh, as an update, the first anemone I bought is now almost completely bleached.  However, a few of its tentacles have started regaining color.   <reassuring to hear> It doesn't look perfectly healthy, but it isn't dead either...  not yet.  I feed it Sweetwater zooplankton religiously every other day, and it eats it quite voraciously.   <excellent!> I'm going to do my best to keep it alive, but any advice other than what I'm doing?   <small frequent feedings are the key until it colors and can feed itself better> I noticed that clams don't seem to be stung/affected by anemones.  Is this true?   <correct> My LFS has a 12" Rose BTA with half of its tentacles wrapped around a crocea and squamosa, and neither clam cares.  They've been like that for months, and the clams and anemone have both grown a lot.  I wouldn't mind making this a clam/anemone tank and removing the other corals to a 34gal tall I have.   <that is a VERY good idea my friend> Well, once again thank you for the time you spend in answering e-mail!  The "crew" is the most reliable source of frank, honest and expedient answers I have ever encountered.   <thank you kindly> You guys could put together a consulting company :) <Hmmm... but who would pay us for our expertise on Mexican food, flatulent harmonics and silicone implant sonar?> RVM <Happy holidays, Anthony>>

Tank bowing and BTA Anthony, Oh boy you're gonna love this tank. It is slightly larger than 1/8".   <Doh! that's not a tank... that's an aquatic hand-grenade. Don't stand too close to it :) Ahhh... what I mean to say is... Wow... thin glass.> I don't have a 1/16 ruler on hand but it appears to be constructed of 3/16" glass panes.   <indeed... commonly used to make 5 and 10 gallon aquariums. This is even a bit too thin here and better manufacturers offer a "thick-walled" ten gallon aquarium option> I re-measured the bow (deflection) and it is right about 1/8"-1/4", so approximately the thickness of the glass.   <again... likely not a big deal. But still thin... no worries> My father has been keeping fish tanks since 1970, and doesn't think it's a concern, <people also used to use leeches to cure diseases... er, wait a minute... they still do! That solves it... the tank is fine <G>> but I don't trust it.  Admittedly, he's put tanks through some rough treatment.  Real rough.  Even moving some while they were full.   <that is dangerous indeed... a good way to torque a seam and cause a leak> None were ever really name brand types.  So I tend to trust his experience, but at the same time I don't trust the tank.   <agreed on both counts> Very annoying... It was only a $30 tank, but that's still $30 to me, and I've had it too long to exchange it.   <still... you really can keep it and it will be fine. Just know for the next tank that thicker walled tanks are available... no biggie> I'm trying to get the money for an engagement ring, house down payment and more university, so I don't have a lot to through around, <kudos and best of luck across the board here> though I will if necessary. All that anecdotal stuff being said, is this a genuine cause for concern? <nope> Real quick BTA question too while I'm thinking of it... I've had my BTA about two weeks, and it was in the LFS for two weeks.  At the LFS it was doing well, except for being a creamy color which I thought was its normal coloration (I've read a lot but nothing on what to look for color wise in inverts...  after a big duh concerning color indicating health in inverts that use zooxanthellae I've learned my lesson, and thankfully without a large expenditure of money or the needless loss of life).  It had no tears or abrasions and within an hour of having it home I fed it and it gulped down the zooplankton.   <cool> Since then it still eats when I feed, unless the clown pulls it all out thinking it is garbage or what have you, and still opens up, but its mouth kinda gapes open sometimes and during the day it opens up a lot less than at night.   <hmmm...> Normally at night it is wide open, fully extended etc.   <should be for feeding on zooplankton... but not always> Its color *seems* to be coming back, but it is hard to tell.  Just wondering what your opinion on this animal is. <recovery of "color"/zooxanthellae takes many months. The anemone will take on a patchy or blotchy appearance in the interim. Know in the future too that they shrivel and look bad just before they reproduce/split. Do read these articles in the archives> So sorry for the extended e-mail to you - I know you are busy.  I relish the service you guys at WWM provide and since I already know you will answer (your reputation is such that I would never doubt receiving a reply and the best answers possible) I want to thank you with full sincerity. Happy holidays to you! Robert <and to you as well my friend. Thanks kindly. Anthony>

Anemone Won't Stay Open... Hello, <Hi there! Scott F. with you today> I have a 60 gallon marine tank. Its been set up for 3 months and is doing alright. I have about 60 lbs of live rock, 1green tip Goniopora, 1 bubble tip anemone, 1 gold striped maroon clown, 1 true percula clown, 1 electric blue damsel, and a 4 inch yellow tang. When I purchased the BTA a month ago he was opened all the way in the store, but ever since I had him he really only opens up when the maroon clown feeds him. The same with my Goniopora, on some days radiant, but mostly he's inside all day. I have 2 48'' strip lights with 2 12'' bulbs in each one. I have 2 actinic blue lights in one and 2 20watt bulbs in the other. My ph 8.4,ammonia .25, nitrites 0,nitrates 10., temp. 83 degrees and salinity at 1.020. I know I need more lighting, what would you prefer? <Okay...Are you sure that you have .25ppm ammonia? There should be no detectable ammonia in an established system! Something is definitely not right here. Do re-check...Revisit your husbandry techniques if this reading is correct. I'll bet that's a big part of why the anemone and coral are not opening. As far as lighting- I'd look into a metal halide or metal halide/VHO combo for this tank. Many good ones to choose from out there! The proper lighting, along with careful maintenance and observation, can go a long way towards helping these animals prosper. Do check the many FAQs on the WetWebMedia.Com site regarding maintenance of these animals for more information. Keep studying and learning- you'll see a big improvement in your animal's. You can do it! Good luck!>

Interesting event (E. quadricolor Anemone and Maroon Clown) Hey there!  Hope all is well with everyone from WWM.   <thanks kindly with hope for you as well> I have an experience I'd like to share that you and others might find interesting and hopefully informative. <much appreciated... will post> Today I purchased a small E. quadricolor.  In full lighting it is a creamy white color with some brown in the tentacles and pink tips.  It had been there for a week and has been healthy the whole time.   <hmmm... not healthy at all.. the color indicates a typical import: stressed and bleached> I've kept an eye on it since they acquired it and since it was doing well voila, I've got it at home now.  Anyway, the interesting part is what my Premnas biaculeatus did.  After about an hour it joined the anemone and is now very much living with it.  Before I put the anemone in, the clown had intermittent bits of ich on him, and a cut from swimming around rocks on his left flank had not completely healed.  Within 5 hours of joining the anemone, he has no white salt dots at all (he had two or three this afternoon), the wound on his flank is almost totally healed, his color is brighter, his personality is more "buoyant" and strangely his fins are losing their black coloration, going from almost totally black to nearly matching the rest of his body in the 5 hours he's been with the anemone.  He was healthy before, eating voraciously and being quite active, but I can say with complete confidence he is twice as healthy now and probably happier to the tenth power. So to those who underestimate the effects of stress on livestock, don't!  I hope that this might help to really bring out the importance of proper handling of livestock to anyone who might be less than careful. Sincerely, R. Vincent McCarthy <appreciated, my friend. But please look into the needs and natural pigmentation of a healthy E. quadricolor. No such thing as white (other than the bleached and soon to be dead). To save this anemone, you will need to feed it very fine meaty foods (never more than 1/4" although they will take it). Never feed adult frozen brine... but do offer mysids, Gammarus and plankton/krill. If your anemone survives, it will turn solid, rich colored brown, green or rose colored most likely. Best regards, Anthony>

E. quadricolor Anthony I did read Bobs book (CMA) and FAQ and must have missed something as far as the coloration goes.   <hmmm... truth be told, we are deficient in field survey information here. But, to some extent, common sense also tells us that a symbiotic Cnidarian cannot have any significant degree of white color: the lack of pigmentation. As such, bleached or partially bleached anemones are starving for lack of zooxanthellate symbiotic activity (feeding/translocation of carbon). There really is no such thing as a white anemone... at least not a healthy one. No worries though... you sound sincere and dedicated. Continue to feed and care for this specimen well... it will get greener in time as you have noticed.> It ate well at the LFS and was fully expanded there, for the whole week.   <heehee... and then another 4 weeks at home in  proper quarantine and we have a responsibly imported and held animal <G>> No tears, no abrasions etc.   <all good> It is fully expanded here as well most of the time (generally right after it eats it stays scrunched up for awhile).   <understood my friend> Well it is starting to turn more brownish-green, and in straight actinic is very, very green.  Also it eats very well - it is taking the Sweetwater zooplankton I feed it with gusto. <excellent to hear!> I hope all will be well with it! <I wish you the very best! Anthony>

Pale Anemone Anthony, Thank you for the prompt replies and honest advice!  The common sense regarding coloring of creatures containing zooxanthellae is true, and makes me go DUH. <no worries... I/we have had many of those moments <G>. We learn in time> I appreciate the frankness and the courtesy!   <its our trademark here at WetWebMedia. Oh, ya... and some sarcasm disguised as wit sometimes too :)  > Often frankness and advice is given in a scoffing manner to those newer to the hobby. <understood and agreed my friend... we appreciated the sharing of your story very much. It made a great point and we posted it promptly the next day. Just the mention of the color of your anemone and this common problem prompted me to mention it to you> Thank you for the encouragement! One short question, while it is recovering from being kept at the LFS, how often should I feed it?  I was planning on 3x per week, but want to know if more or less often right now would be better. Cheers! RVM <actually... 3X weekly with very fine foods (minced 1/4 or smaller) sounds very fine to me. There is a fine line to walk here. No feeding will kill an anemone in 6-12 months for most. But overfeeding (especially with large chunks of krill or silversides/feederfish) will kill it just as fast. Never feed adult frozen brine shrimp (to anything!) but offer tiny high protein ocean meats/plankton. Shell on is best. Mysis and Pacifica plankton top the list. Best regards, Anthony>

Anemone Hi. I have a quick question about my new sea anemone. It is a green bubble tip and I've had it for about two weeks. I have been told by some that I don't have to feed it and by some that I should feed it about twice a week. <I think Eric Borneman said (paraphrasing) that corals are animals, not plants, and therefore need to be fed and I totally agree. What you feed them is the big question.> Well, I've decided that it can't be good not to feed it, so I bought a raw snapper filet that I cut into little pieces and I've fed it twice with this. Does this sound like a good thing or should I feed it something else and how often should I feed it? <The fish is ok as long as it is tiny pieces, nothing larger than a quarter inch. I would also vary the diet, too. Try some Mysis shrimp and plankton. Both would be excellent. I would feed it small amounts two to three times per week.> Any advise would be most welcome. <There is a lot more information on www.WetWebMedia.com regarding the appropriate care of these creatures.> Thanks a lot, Laura Stalls <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Splitting bubble tip anemone Hello, and if this is Anthony, thanks for speaking in Cleveland, you gave us lots of valuable information. <thank you my friend!> Anyhow, I have a bubble tip anemone I want to split.  It went from 1" disk to a 12" disk in 8 months.   <outstanding> I started feeding it 4 months ago, and only fed it for 3 weeks, and that is when most of the growth took place.   <indeed... this is a common realization with corals and anemones. Most are literally starved in captivity> I stopped feeding it when it got too big.  I realized it continued to grow after I stopped feeding, it just grew slower, so I started feeding it again - no sense delaying the inevitable. <very wise> From my understanding, there are 2 types of BTA, <some say three> colonial and solitary.  The colonial ones split, the solitary ones don't.   <I would essentially agree> But it has to eventually split or stop getting bigger - right?   <at some point yes> Is there any definite way to tell the 2 types apart?   <you almost certainly have the colonial one. The solitary variety is not encountered much in the trade as of late> Is there a limit to how big these guys can get?   <yep... but that limit is still way too big for most aquariums> Can anything be done to propagate a solitary bubble tip?   <BTAs do respond favorably to cutting/fissionary splits imposed on them> I have only recently found reports of 12" BTAs online - I thought they only got about half that big. <good heavens, no... even larger in the wild> I have heard people talk about "encouraging" these to split. <yep... after Cleveland I showed Michigan a series of slides on how to do this (This was their second presentation from me this year... had to give them something different <G>)> Most of this discussion (cutting directly in half, constricting with fishing line, wounding, etc) sounds like really bad ideas. <actually quite as simple as it sounds and relatively safe with a healthy established animal> You mentioned a German article about cutting anemones, and I wondered if this meant cutting it in half, or just cutting off a small piece.   <from Daniel Knop... and yes, literally cutting it clean in half with a scalpel> Has the article made its way onto WetWebMedia yet (I can't find it)?   <nope... we just got it... in German (!)... from Koralle magazine. No formal permission to reprint yet> Would cutting off a tentacle, or small section of disk, do any real damage to a large, healthy anemone? <little damage or help here> Is there any truth to a large water change helping these split? <it clearly is not the primary catalyst... such an event it not defined in the wild. I suspect that it is the vehicle used for stressing or manipulating water chemistry to induce the animal. I'm sure it can be replicated another way. For now, its a great idea> If so, any ideas on why it works? <as above> >I would love to try propagating it, with proper feeding and care, I think these could grow as fast as Xenia. <agreed my friend. But do not attempt this in a full reef display. A cut and stressed anemone forced to deal with the concentrated toxins of corals and other cnidarians in the water just is not sensible. Cut your anemone once it is established in a proper isolation tank of its own.> Brad Bellomo <best regards, Anthony>

BTA color Hello there! <cheers> I wanted to thank you all for this great resource.  Being a novice at reef keeping, your site has been and continues to be invaluable. <great to hear... pass along a good word to others about us when you can> I have a 75 gal. setup that's well on it's way to being a reef tank.  It has been up and running for about two months now with the following: 90 # of LR 20 # of LS Wet/dry trickle Hang on skimmer Two power sweep heads 1 96w SmartLamp (10000k and actinic) PC for 9 hours 1 40w actinic for 13 hours 2 55w 9300k PC for 5 hours small clean up crew minimal fish load <lose the wet dry filter after you get a deep sand bed, or better yet... another 20-40# of live rock. Concern here for nitrate accumulation> All readings are in line with nitrates hanging around 4ppm. I recently purchased a Green BTA to compliment a very healthy Maroon Clown that seemed kinda lost.   <please know that less than 50% of all clownfish in the wild naturally find/choose a host. <<Mmm, actually there are no Clownfish in the wild not in close association with anemones. RMF>> And I assure you that the anemone in captivity will fare much better and live longer without the repetitive contact of the clown. This is all well documented. You may still enjoy the two together... but your work as an aquarist is harder for it and they do not need each other. Case in point... no clownfish are bred commercially with a single anemone. <<Actually, there are. RMF>> They both appear to be doing quite well, <time will be the true test... years of lifespan to be had (decades for the anemone)> the Clown took about two days to find him but now loves frolicking in the BTA's tentacles and the anemone always appears to be fully expanded (full of water).  My main concern is the Anemone's coloring, when the Clown will give him a rest, <exactly the problem in captivity...> he settles down to a light maroon foot and light brownish-green tentacles.  When he is fully expanded he goes to a quite pale tan.   <my be panning for light. Too low intensity or there may be a lens between the lamps and water restricting light... another common problem is fluorescent lights being mounted more than 3" off water surface. This can be fatal for anemones and coral and they will respond by panning for light (pale color in evidence)>> Is this just a function of the anemone containing more water or a sign of expelling his zooxanthellae?   <the former> Should I place more concern on his coloring or rest on the fact that he expands frequently? <neither... do examine the light source first. 150 watts of 9-10K light is weak for corals and anemones... the extra actinic is of little help to symbiosis here. Cnidarians mostly need daylight illumination for adequate photosynthesis. 300-400 watts of daylight like a typical reef aquarium is order. It is very common for folks to buy anemones that require more light than most coral only to find that their lights were not reef-ready. Compensate with small daily feedings until the lights upgrade. Adding 2 four foot 110 watt VHO daylights would be excellent here and > Thanks in advance and keep up the good work, Brian <best regards, my friend. Anthony>

Anemones What are the safest (as far as not eating my fish/cleaner shrimp) anemones for keeping in the home aquaria, <E. quadricolor> and what is the average light per gallon for anemones? <Please refer to our extensive coverage of lighting issues and anemones on www.WetWebMedia.com. -Steven Pro>

Entacmaea quadricolor for a Beginner? Hi, About a month ago my husband and I started setting up my 125-gallon reef tank. After adding live rock and letting it hang out for two weeks or so we decided to add our first critters to get the system cycling. We brought home a pair of Yellowstripe maroon clownfish with an associated bubble tip anemone. Everything looked great but our female clown (Eve) is much too hard on the anemone and our aquarium store owner told us to add another so she will go between the two and not stress out the one so much. So we added another much bigger bubble tip. The anemone (Big Bertha) looks excellent but doesn't seem to be attaching anywhere, I fear that it isn't stoked on any of our aquascape. Also its foot looks all swollen and I couldn't find any information on why this would be. Eve has gone to visit it a couple times but no big connection. It's only been two days. Am I being too impatient? I just want to make sure everyone is happy. Please respond soon!  Thanks, Sarah Bredensteiner   <Unfortunately, it seems like you have received some rather poor advice. Anemones in general are poor candidates for captivity. While the Bubble-Tip is one of the best, I could still not recommend it in good conscience to a beginner. They require very bright lighting, excellent water quality, and regular feedings to prosper and even then should not be recommended to be kept with other stinging animals/corals because they will wander around and damage or be damaged too easily. Please see all we have to offer regarding these animals here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/e_quadfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/e_quadfaq2.htm And also many of the other FAQ files. -Steven Pro>

E. quadricolor Hello All, Thanks for the good advice in the past! <You are welcome.> I bought a green tipped bubble anemone yesterday and put him in my FOWLR tank (50 gallon). My nitrates tested around 20. Too high? <Closer to zero would be better.> What do I need to watch for in the animal to see if it is affecting him? <Once you see symptoms, it will be too late.> I plan to do water changes to get this level down. <This will help if your new water is free of nitrates (RO or DI water with a good salt mix).> Would a refugium setup be a good idea here to keep it very low in nitrates? <Yes, another part of the equation along with the water changes, other nutrient export processes, proper feeding, and all other aspects of good husbandry.> My lighting is 2 55-watt Custom Sea Life Smartlamps. The tank is only 16" deep and the tallest live rock is 10" from the bottom. Is the lighting adequate? <It does not sound like it. I would ballpark this as about half to three quarters of needed light.> I plan to feed him Formula One and Mysis a few times a week. Let me know if there is anything else I need to know. I have read through the website and some of the FAQ regarding this animal. Thanks again for your services. Michael <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Clams, Mandarin & Anemone We have a 40 gallon tank with a 20 gallon aquarium for a sump, an oversize protein skimmer, a large loosely formed live rock structure (very stable) just lots of passageways for greater circulation, three small pumps in the 40 for on a wave timer for circulation, 2-96 watt power compacts, one 6700k and one blue actinic. The system is up and running for almost three months. Is this a satisfactory set up for a clam? <It does not seem like enough light for the smaller species, Croceas and maximas, and too small for a derasa or squamosa.> We would like to have a vivid blue color like the derasa maxima, but would like to keep the size down. What would you suggest? <You maybe able to keep one up high, in the top third of the tank, but I would not recommend it. The best clam tanks are shallow and designed so you can look down on the clam. That is how they are best viewed for color. I am betting your 40 is a 3 foot long tank, about 12 inches wide, and kind of tall. This is really not the best kind of set up.> Or is this not the appropriate set up? <See notes above> By the way we have a pair of maroon clowns in a bubble tip anemone, a cleaner shrimp, a mandarin dragonette, two very small yellow cucumbers, a few mushrooms, open brain, frogspawn, Pocillopora (sp?), small hermits, and small snails. <Be sure to feed that bubble tip anemone and I would definitely get a refugium going now for the dragonette. This tank is too small and too immature to provide enough food for the Mandarin to survive. The refugium will help, as will keeping other fish competitors to a minimum.> Thank you, Mike & Melody <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Sea anemone  hi  <cheers, Marc!>  I have an odd situation going on with my large solitary cloning variety rose bubble-tipped anemone which appears to be healthy. it eats when fed and will expand by day and contract at night yet over the past month it has been dropping tentacles at @ 1- 2 a day followed by days when it does not loose any . To look at the anemone it seems o.k. the lost tentacles are not even missed , it almost looks as if they are being replaced by new ones although I can not be& sure as the smaller ones may just be contracted but perhaps not because they are shaped and lack the "flat tire deflated look" . <understood.. I have seen this before. Not uncommon at all. Not clearly understood either. Often ascribed to allelopathic duress (chemical poisoning of the self or from other cnidarians in the display)> the dropped tentacles are all intact and usually somewhat inflated looking and look to have had a tunicate tied around the base ( point of detachment ) . The anemone does not appear to be torn& or show scaring . The tank does contain H. crispa which is fine and has a A. nigripes clownfish which would not use the E. quadricolor when I isolated the H. crispa in a basket at the other end of the six foot long aquarium ( 72"x18"x18" ) . when I had met you in Lancaster at the that fish place seminar we discussed my system and you recommended that I remove the H .crispa as the E . quad. may eventually kill it could this or the opposite be what is happening ?  <I would have to agree that it is possible. At the very least the anemone seems to be responding to the presence of its competitor by sending our aggressive noxious aborted tentacles (powerful stinging "weapons" sent out into the drift upon the sensation of a competitive neighbor)> I have read of other's who keep the two together ( the latest being an article in f.a.m.a. on bubble tips and another on the web . )  <not exactly, my friend... while it is true that many people do mix species together for a year or two... it is extremely rare to find someone that succeeds in doing it for more than two years. And are you/we willing to play the odds that you will be the one person in a hundred that succeeds while 99 others own dead anemones <G>? Ha!> The only other fish is a springeri Pseudochromis . It would not appear to be a predator as the dropped tentacles do not get consumed by anything , not even by the small bristle worms .  <understood and agreed... they are noxious and potent for having been imparted with stinging mechanisms.. a defensive strategy most likely>  Someone had suggested that this may be a normal part of E. quad's lifecycle.  <I strongly disagree... few reef animals abort viable tissue on a nutrient starved reef. They only abort when necessary (necrosis, defense, reproduction)... the contrary is RARE. If the tissue was unnecessary it would likely be reabsorbed or eaten (as arthropods do with molts). >  The only thing different to my set-up since we met and before this started was that I reassumed use of the protein skimmer and add another 2-2.5" of sand ( @ 4.5" total depth.  <both excellent moves :) >  Thanks for the sand tip I found it packaged as Caribbean play sand.  <quite welcome!>  Every thing else in the tank is doing fine ( tank does not contain soft corals ) . I am wondering what you think , any info would be of interest . thanks  <indeed... the tank is maturing and noxious compounds accumulate inevitably. Any way you slice it, it sounds defensive to me. Have you noticed that the people that acknowledge shedding of tentacles from anemones commonly (always!) have other anemones or aggressive corals in the tank ;) There's a common thread here <G>. I'd pull one anemone on the assumption and for the greater good of both and watch to see if the shedding doesn't slow down or stop. Do extra water changes and skim/carbon to dilute the noxious elements. I'll be back at That Fish Place (Lancaster) April 6th by the way! Best regards, Anthony>

Bubble Tip Anemone Hi Bob and gang: I have a 300 gallon reef tank with a variety of corals under MH lighting and a great deal of live rock. I have a number of fish, including various tangs, a shoal of purple Firefish, and a mated pair of maroon clowns. I want to add a bubble tip anemone for the clowns. <They really do not need one.> But, I also have two large scooter blennies that have been with me for over a year, and a dozen huge-size cleaner shrimp. I have no desire whatsoever to jeopardize the scooters or the shrimp (or anyone else, for that matter). What do you think, is the bubble tip a bad idea? <Well, I do not like to mix anemones with corals. There is too much of a risk of the anemones wandering around and getting stung or stinging the corals. I prefer to see anemones in display designed for their needs above all other things. All that said, BTA's are not known for eating fish like many of the carpet anemones are. Please see the articles and FAQ files on www.WetWebMedia.com regarding anemone care. Their is also some good information on the chat forum from people who have breeding/cloning BTA's.> Regards, Dale M. <Have a nice weekend. -Steven Pro>

E. Quad turning brown? Greetings <Anthony Calfo in your service> First off, I must commend you and your staff for doing such a fine job / service to our hobby. It's difficult to be an electrician, plumber, chemist, doctor and mother,  <did you just call me a Mother? <G> Some appreciation... sheesh! :) > but your site has made it much easier. thanks :) <you are very welcome... I think> I have experienced freshwater for the last 15 years and recently plunged into saltwater. I purchased a BTA about three months ago with a pair of false Percs. The anemone seemed healthy when I purchased it...... med. in size, green in color with pink tips, brown base, sticky to touch, and attached to a rock. I feed it every two to three days (turkey baster) with a full spectrum cube containing a mixture of minced clams, krill, fish, fish roe, mussels, kelp and zooplankton. Over the last two weeks I have noticed some of the tentacles turning a brownish color. It still has it's bubbles but where the brown is, the bubbles are smaller. I have heard of this occurring but I'm not sure if its good, bad or something that just is.  <two different issues here... color change and waning "bubbles". Waning bubbles are common and unclear to cause. Some theories include lack of dynamic water flow which I subscribe to in part. Another theory is a lack of stimulation from fish guests, which I do not subscribe to. The color change is an entirely different matter. It is most often inadequate light (common) or aging/dirty lamps that reduce otherwise "good" light. Your lighting system below is rather modest for anemones and hard corals. If the lamps are more than 3" off the surface of the water then this color change was inevitable with any amount of fluorescent bulbs (NO or PC). Such bulbs need to be VERY close to the water to be effective at all. Furthermore, if you anemone is more than 8-10" deep in the tank...again, no surprise. UI suspect that some or all of these things are involved. Most anemones die within 6-12 months from slow starvation because they fail to reach their compensation point for survival even with heavy feeding. These are VERY demanding photosynthetic animals requiring hardcore reef lighting as a rule. If not the above, the next likely cause is excess nitrates/nutrients. If your skimmer does not produce dark skimmate every day then the zooxanthellae are being "over-fertilized" and the color change is a masking population of symbiotic algae. Get a better skimmer then :)> It hasn't wandered since I placed it in the tank in a crevice and overall appears normal (still eating, sticky, attached.) Here are my tank stats: 10 gal. 6 months old 15# live rock (Fiji) 1 in, sand bed aqua clear mini - foam insert, sometimes carbon bubble wand across back of tank for aeration and circulation 2 x 13 watt power compacts 50/50 (bulbs 4 months old) 1 15watt NO 18,000k (bulb 2 months old) <beyond the above... your lights may have too much blue to be useful (attractive color though). Most coral and anemone need full daylight illumination. Just add blue or 50/50 for cosmetic effect for the more demanding animals> -if this isn't sufficient, I have a 40 gal long with 4 x 55watt power compacts but I didn't want to stress it until I find out what's going on.  <yes my friend... the 41 watts of light over this anemone are staggeringly weak... but do acclimate the anemone slowly to the new/brighter lights. see here: http://www.WetWebMedia.com/acclimcoralslight.htm> Plus there are some pests in there that I need to remove. Also, I was afraid it would eat my royal Gramma or bat heads with the 2 Florida sea cucumbers (bad, I know. -came as part of a "package" from you know who in Florida.  <ughhh! don't get me started...heehee. Fascists with little respect for life/animals> haven't had a problem yet but you'll be the first to know. hehe -in the meantime keeping fingers crossed, saying prayers, knocking on wood and throwing salt over my shoulder.) salinity 1.025 ph 8.4 ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates 0 calcium 380 temp 80 - 82 weekly water change of 3 gallons. top off with ro/di water -Kalk every other day or so tank friends: the e. quad 2 false Percs 3 blue legged hermits 1 Astrea snail 1 silver dollar sized brittle star <all fine> thanks so much for your advice / time. Denise <best regards my friend. Anthony>