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today's meeting, anemones


treesprite

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I enjoyed the meeting today. Thank you to our officers, sponsors, speaker Bob Fenner, and everyone who attended.

 

I had not been planning on getting an anemone any time in probably forever, because the last ones ended up big messes in power heads (it was several years ago). However, after hearing the lecture from Bob, I feel kind of like I might change my mind, and maybe get one in a few months or sometime in the next year. I especially was interested in the subject of the acclimation to tanks that have other livestock which release chemicals in the water.

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I'd never heard the acclimation thing.  It was really interesting to hear and good to know for if I try for a nicer nem than I typically keep. 

 

I admit I kind of just bung them into the water on a rock with the flow off until they attach, but I've never kept anything other than a bubble tip, which are the easiest.  I figured they needed even less acclimation than a fish and haven't ever had trouble keeping one.  Fingers crossed, I've never had one detach and hit the powerhead.  They do move around a bit killing coral, though.

 

I don't acclimate coral either.  I just dip and drop them into QT and eventually into display.  

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I wasn't able to make the meeting - can someone do a quick cliff notes of what I missed? I'm bummed because I'm quite interested in anemones.

 

I did a write-up a number of years ago on my thoughts on why BTA's move around in our tanks - I'll have to see if I can dig it up from reefcentral.....

 

 

 

I found what I'd written - how does it compare with the expert?

 

On the topic of a BTA moving "all the time" as some say...I would argue strongly against this statement. In my experience, from reading, and discussions with other people with far more expertise than me, a BTA will remain in its spot if all of its living conditions are being met satisfactorily. There is no benefit to the anemone (risk of being stung/sliced by corals, risk of not finding another rock in the ocean, predatory animals, etc) to "just move around" IF all conditions are appropriate. 

Water quality, light, food, flow, and foot - the five conditions that must be satisfactorily met for all anemones. 

Water quality: In the ocean, if local currents drastically change after storms, rivers dump crap into the ocean etc, the nem may want to move to conditions which better suit its liking. In our tanks, however, there are no other areas which have better water - but the anemone doesn't know that. This is my #1 pick for why anemones move without apparent reason. It may even be something in your water which you do not test for - or it may be BECAUSE you just did a water change and didn't match tank water close enough. The anemone is searching for something it just can not find inside a glass box, hence the so called "anemone's just sometimes walk around for no reason". We can't see the reason - so we assume there isn't one.

Light: Lighting in the ocean is quite strong. Far more than our little electrical lights we use. Even on a cloudy day the par is very high - ever had a sunburn on a cloudy day? When you introduce a BTA, you may have a spot picked out that you really want it to go, but it may decide it is too bright or too dim and promptly move. As it gets light-acclimated to your tank, it may move to a spot that is "just right" for its health in the long term. This acclimating and moving to a new home may also cause confusion to BTA's "moving a lot".

Food: Yikes! There is a lot of misconceptions about the "proper" diet for anemones. I did a write-up a while back about the topic: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1835320 A basic summary of that thread is.....assuming a healthy nem, food is likely unnecessary. If you would like to feed, feed small (pencil eraser max) meaty, raw, SW-found foods. Unhealthy nems need more food to gain energy and should be fed more. Feeding leads to faster growth. Feeding can also in some cases overcome less-than-ideal lighting because the food is supplementing the light source. More in-depth information can be found at that link.

Flow: You need to determine the flow requirements of the species of nem you want, and make it match in order to decrease the likelihood of movement. BTA's will like moderate flow, but not too high or too low. Either of those may cause it to move around. Some can be very picky. I know someone who's Haddoni moved across the sandbed after he cleaned a powerhead and he thought replaced it in the exact same spot (Todd). Apparently it wasn't quite exact. Haddoni's like low flow - if their oral disk is being moved by the current, it's too much and will cause it to move. 

Foot: This is my #2 reason why BTA's apparently move without known cause. The foot of most anemones also requires special concern. Some anemones like to bury in the sand, some at the sand/rock interface, and some directly onto rocks. BTA's like to have their foot in a deep crevice, hole, or cave. Basically, it's a safe zone for them to hide in if they need to retract. It's also a way for them to regulate the amount of sun it gets. These deep holes are key to keeping a BTA happy with it's current spot. They like their foot shaded, and head out in the sun.

Edited by bues0022
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Basically what you've written about is largely what we heard about and what my experience has been. In the end, though, BTA's move because of an unsuitability or an irritant, and they're looking for someplace more suitable. The factors can include all that you've listed, but also stinging from an adjacent coral, allelopathy (chemical warfare), or other environmental stresses. Bob did stress that healthy anemones need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium sources (as all life does) and that feeding your anemone small chunks of food (after feeding your fish) can improve their health. He said that this is even more necessary in ultra-low nutrient tanks, and that anemones can wither over a suprisingly long period of time (years, even) as they starve from such low nutrient conditions. (Feeding your fish so that the waste they produce also feeds your anemones.)  He also advised removing the waste that an anemone expels a couple of hours after feeding (if the current doesn't blow it away, that is).

 

He talked a little bit about selecting an anemone, including which species are better suited for experts; and to be aware that there are cool- and cold-water species of anemones that are unsuitable for our reef tanks; and that some anemones available to hobbyists will readily eat your tank inhabitants. The bottom line of all this is to do your research.

 

He also advised caution against buying bleached or dyed anemones. (On the latter, he was understandably genuinely offended by anybody that would do that to make a buck.)

 

He talked to inspection of an anemone in the store for foot damage, and mentioned that if it doesn't come free easily from whatever it's attached to in the store, to buy the substrate, too. 

 

And Alan, during the intro, relayed why it is that a retired guy like Bob still goes around the country talking to clubs and such about the hobby: Not only does he have a passion for it, but his life is enriched if if he can bring a little joy into your life, appreciating nature and the world around you. So your joy adds to his joy.

 

I didn't take notes, but that's what I remember from the talk. 

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