FAQs on Anemones of the Caribbean/West Atlantic 1 Related Articles: Anemones of the Tropical West Atlantic, Condylactis Anemones, Anemones, LTAs,  Colored/Dyed Anemones,  Related FAQs: Atlantic Anemones 2, Condylactis, Tropical West Atlantic (TWA) Anemone Identification, TWA Anemone Behavior, TWA Anemone Compatibility, TWA Anemone Selection, TWA Anemone Systems, TWA Anemone Feeding, TWA Anemone Disease, TWA Anemone Reproduction, FAQs by Genus: Actinoporus, Arachnanthus, Bartholomea, Condylactis (see below), Epicystis, Lebrunia, Sticholdactyla helianthus, Viatrix, Others/Unknowns, Anemones, Anemones 2, Clownfishes & Anemones, Anemone Systems, Anemone Lighting, Anemone Reproduction, Anemone Identification, Anemone Compatibility, Anemone Selection, Anemone Behavior, Anemone Health, Anemone Placement, Anemone Feeding,

Arachnanthus nocturnus, the Banded Tube-Dwelling Anemone

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

E. crucifer, formerly Phymanthus crucifer Hi Bob/Anthony/Steven/Whoever was shanghaied into answering this. PF here, <Antoine here> I've decided to take the plunge into the world of keeping anemones, but since I don't want to orphan clownfish I've decided to try my hand w/E. crucifers since they are: A: locally available, B: pretty darn cheap, and C: have aesthetic appeal.  <agreed... a good choice among many/most bad anemone choices> The tank is now 8 months old, the lighting is high powered (175w MH & 2 VHO Actinic03's), parameters are good (nitrates are at 3-4), ph is 8.3-8.5 depending on the time of day, salinity is 1.024-1.025 and everybody is looking much happier now that the dog days of summer have passed. Using a Prizm skimmer part time (6 hrs a day)  <heehee... I won't even go there :)> with an Ecosystem 40 as the primary filtration (with carbon in the return chamber). From what I've read, this sounds like a good setup for them.  <agreed> I'd like to know what they eat so I can include it into the general reef diet I feed the tank,  <I'm not familiar with a specific fare of delicate parameter of their diet. They are very successful photosynthetically (shallow water and high light). Dissolved organics are no doubt a measurable nutritional need (if nitrates are too low, consider this)... still: very finely minced meats of marine origin get my vote. Most or all I suspect you have already (Gammarus, Mysids, Pacifica plankton, etc> what a reasonable stocking level would be (there's room for roughly 4 of the ones I've seen on sale, and that would leave them in a very roomy situation).  <the seem to be VERY tolerant of each other unlike many other anemones> Are they known to breed in marine aquariums, and is it vegetative reproduction or is it sexual? <no knowledge here... some fissionary mode would not be a surprise> Cnidarian tank mates would be: 2 Sarcophyton colonies, an unknown species of brown/green Zoanthids from the Gulf LR in the tank, xenia elongata, a chili coral (not in contact w/anything else, it's hanging form an arch), and a species of red epizoanthids from GARF (http://www.garf.org/baja1/500red.html), and a species of cup coral that came in on the Gulf LR. <I believe you are good about water changes and this reassures me of concerns that I have with the poor skimming and accumulating compounds of the cnidarians> inverts are some peppermint shrimp, red legged hermits, a queen conch (a very small queen conch), several brittle stars, snails, pods, worms, etc. (sand bed critters & small inverts from the LR) currently 1 false Perc clown is in the tank, along with a lawnmower blenny. I plan on getting another clown or two to get a breeding pair going. I was also considering picking up a pair of Pseudochromis fridmani. <gorgeous and peaceful Pseudochromis> Thanks again for your time, <Best regards, Anthony> PF
Re: E. crucifer, formerly Phymanthus crucifer thanks Antoine! (is that kind of like me going by Miguel or Miesh at home?) those buggers go quick. came in on TH, gone yesterday. <no worries... they will come again. My favorite color is the metallic peach> hopefully, I'll be able to pick some up soon. going to sweet-talk the wife into photoshopping a pic of a clown in one (from pg 158 of CMA) to convince it to host. we shall see what we see, I'll let you know how it turns out. <I have heard some zany tricks for this... have you heard the spotlight on the anemone at night one? Seriously... sort of a larval trigger mechanism. Do consider> water changes are every 2 to 3 weeks, leaning towards the 3 week mark. depends though, if I spend a fair amount of time in the tank (cleaning powerheads, algae scraping, the war with Caulerpa, etc), I'll usually pull off 1/2 a gallon and replace it. <I can't knock it if it works. Extra cnidarians and a weakly performing skimmer concerned me for the long term effects of silent chemical aggression> Thanks again! PF <ciao, bub>

Stichodactyla helianthus I have read your book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist". I have posted to WetWeb, Reef Central and Saltwaterfish.com. I need information specific to this type of carpet anemone so that I can create a microhabitat in which it will thrive AND figure out what to feed it. I got it as a gift and really want to do it justice. <I understand, and agree> Do you know anything about this species? Can you point me in a direction where I can find the info I need? Thanks - Jeanne <You can find what little we have posted on the species by going here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ and posting the scientific name in the search tool at the bottom... This is a shallow (a meter or two generally) tropical West Atlantic species. Easy to care for (relatively for Actinarians). Bob Fenner>

Anemone ID Hi Steve  <Anthony with the follow up> I wrote to you about the black spot on my deceased yellow tangs . Well since their demise I purchased a Fireball Angel , half orange and half blue horizontally . I had the fish for three days and it died . The pet shop had the fish for a month prior with no problems . I will give you a run down of my tested parameters after the death . PH - 8.31 at 7:00 PM Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - < 10ppm CA - 480 ppm "a little high" Temp - 78 Salinity - 1.024 Alkalinity - 3.5 meg/L Borate - 1.5 meg/L Carbonate - 2.0 meg/l Magnesium - 1300 ppm The tank has no other fish inhabitants other than two blue Chromis . I also have 110 lbs of live rock . The rock has many mushroom corals and feather dusters , I also noticed a small anemone , not a aphasia , the base is red and the tentacles are white . Any idea on I.D.?  <it reminds me of some Atlantic/Gulf species... is your rock aquacultured Atlantic in origin?> Also I have about a dozen large snails and a dozen large blue leg hermits . I refuse to purchase any more fish, because soon I will be known as Dr. Death . Any help would be appreciated . Richard <do keep and medicate all new fish in a quarantine tank for 4 weeks before adding them to your display. Even though the pet store had the fish for a month... was it in a system that never had a new fish added to it? Or cold there have been a new shipment of fish that were added to that system within two weeks prior and could have carried a disease that didn't express itself yet. No exceptions to the quarantine rule! All new fish QT in your home regardless before adding to the display. Best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Lighting/skimming/anemones Hello Bob Jen here from Logan Utah. First of all, here is my set up: I have a 75 gallon tank (fish only for now), a wet/dry filter, a protein skimmer (the Berlin triple pass brand), about 20 pounds of live rock, crushed coral as the substrate (about 1/2 inch thick), 1 actinic, and 2 full spectrum lights (48"), and a "penguin"(350 Mag) canister filter. I'm sort of a beginner at saltwater and I've had my tank set up as a marine tank for a year now. I am thinking about introducing a anemone. Is my lighting sufficient? <Mmm, for some species, yes... but for the larger, naturally symbiotic (with Clownfishes) ones no> If not, what do you recommend? <About three times the amount of light intensity that you now have... for this size, shape, type system either cramming in more normal output to boosted types of fluorescents, T-12's (compact fluorescents), or at least some metal halide (over the anemones area) illumination> I've had my eye on a Epicystis crucifer (pet store calls it a flower anemone). So far, I haven't found any info. on this species. Is it a hard one to keep? what does it require? What do you recommend? <Oh... this is an "easier" type of anemone for captive use... needs some lighting, feeding (twice a week or so, meaty, chunky foods)... S.O.P. in water quality, upkeep. My image, input on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/twaanemones.htm> Also, as for the protein skimmer, I keep reading everywhere that most people don't use a protein skimmer properly, yet the articles I read don't bother to explain the right way to use one, or to explain what most people are apparently doing wrong! <Mmm... some skimming is better than none... there is such a thing as "over-skimming"... Please see the marine index on WetWebMedia.com or the search feature/tool there re skimming...> I was told to run it for a few days every month. Could you please help me to clarify this? Thank you for all your time and commitment to this wonderful hobby! Jen M. <Run it continuously my friend. Bob Fenner>

Atlantic Carpet Anemone Possibly? Hello Robert, I purchased what I thought was a Stichodactyla gigantea. I now believe it is a Stichodactyla helianthus.  <Mmm, an Atlantic Carpet Anemone...> It is yellow in color and the ?base? is very light yellowish tan to white... a real pretty specimen. If I did purchase the helianthus variety, how should I care for it? Placement? Lighting requirements? How can I know for sure it is a helianthus and not a gigantea. <These are very different animals... S. helianthus is pictured, described here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/twaanemones.htm Their tentacles are green, brown... never seen one with a yellow/white base... and this species is much smaller... 4-6 inches in diameter max.> I've read a lot about the care of the carpet anemones but I have never seen any info. about this particular anemone. Any response would be great. <S. gigantea is found here on our site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemones.htm Its "face is deeply folded, tentacles much longer... Care for both about the same. Bob Fenner> Terry Teutsch

Re: Daily Pix Email out from WWM (Lebrunia anemones) Yikes - don't ever touch one of those! If I'm not mistaken that's the same thing that stung me a few years ago - it took weeks to completely heal (and hurt like hell too). <Thanks for this input James. Will post along with the pic. Bob Fenner> j

What is it? (Odd Blob (no not me) next to a new TWA anemone) Robert, Thanks for the info. on the neon wrasse and other info on all your other articles. Though I've read through most of your recent writings on anemones I've come across something you will have to help me with . Recently after purchasing a "Haitian Anemone" (white with pink tips on a orange stalk), <Oh, have recently redone the "Anemones of the Caribbean" section: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/twaanemones.htm> placing into my year old reef tank on cured and developing live rock, I noticed a clear ball 1" in diameter lying next to the base of my new arrival. The currents in the tank caused it to travel down to the floor of the tank where it has been for a month or so now. All chemical readings are where they should be and the livestock and other invertebrates are not messing with it. What is it? And what should I do with it? Thanks again for the info in advance. <I do like these sorts of mysteries... this ball might be a "waste product" from the anemone itself (they make these sorts of things and eject them from their mouth/anus periodically)... might be a colonial algae that is bleached out/dead... could be a sponge remnant... At any length, though I do not know what this is, I would gingerly net or siphon it out and toss it... just to be sure and avoid pollution. Bob Fenner> Mike