Anemone growth rate?

[Anonymous]

I was just wondering if anyone out there had experience with the growth rate of the long tentacle anemone. I don't have mine under halide lights, just power compacts, but I feed it a silverside every other day and I don't see any excretion. I suppose that is good in that it is healthy enough to eat well, but it seems that it would grow very quickly that way. Any thoughts?

 

[GSchiemer]

Both Heteractis crispa and Macrodactyla doreensis are commonly called long-tentacled anemones. Without a good picture, I can't say which one you have. They're similar in habit and habitat. Both burrow into the sediment and host clownfish. Both will grow very quickly if they're healthy and well-fed. Oral disc diamter can reach 20 inches! I had a purple H. crispa anemone for many years that hosted a pair of Amphiprion percula clownfish. It outgrew a 40 gallon breeder aquarium and I had to give it away. I fed it a few times each week. It was lit with a 175 MH watt pendant along with two 28 watt PC actinic lamps.

 

[jiml77]

I have one that went from 2" across to about 18" in 8-10 months. It took over the whole right side of my 100 gallon. It is under about 500 watts of VHO and PC's. I finally stopped feeding it and it has gotten a little smaller over the last year. I feed it aboutonce a month with a couple of silversides. When they get big, they kill any coral that is near them. So think it through before buying one.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

This one is Macrodactyla doreensis. Thanks for the replies.