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Long Tentacle Anemone Question

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Anonymous

Guest
I just got my first anemone today. It is a Purple Long Tentacle Anemone and it really looks great. It has been in my tank for about 4 hours and I've notice it is retracting back into itself and then the tentacles come back out. Is this normal?? Also, when should i start to feed the anemone and what??
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
It is normal for it to retract and comeback out like that for a little while. You may notice brown 'poop' coming out the mouth, it is regulating its zooanthellae. Seeing alot of this is bad.

I would try to feed it right away. Feed it a hunk seafood, I use frozen krill, prawn, silversides (as hunks of meat), and I also baste them a little with bloodworms and brine shrimp.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Rigby,
The long tentacle anemone MUST put it's foot in the sand to be truly happy. If you do not have deep enough substrate (at least 2 inches) it will have a tendency to roam and eventually find the intake of a pump. Feed it at least once a week. I find they prefer regular old table shrimp from the grocery store. Feed it to them with the shell on.



------------------
Bruce Davidson
Louisville, KY
><((((º>..><((((º>
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
This may seem to be obvious...but please tell me the benefits of leaving the shell on the shrimp when feeding pieces to the anenome??
confused.gif
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
There are some bad things associated with long-tenacled anemones in particular that you might want to keep in mind...I don't mean to discourage you but I have learned this the hard way already...although I do have a purple long-tenacle now. Most of these long tenacle anemones are dyed before they reach the "for sale" department. This is done to make them more colorful and appealing. It also poisons them and rarely do these anemones live more than three months. I have had the one in my tank for three months already and it is ok so far...but I'm getting worried about now. The "shrinking" behavior is the anemone's way of doing a water change...similar to how we do tank water changes. It is trying to regulate to some change in the water quality which may not even be evident to you. This will occur once in awhile no matter what water quality you have, but if it becomes very frequent (like once or more than once a day), your anemone is declining. Once an anemone begins to decline...it is RARE to save it. They die very slowly...and watch it and get it OUT of your tank just before it actually dies or your tank could very easily be ruined from a dead anemone...everything could easily die from toxins. And anemone's like LOTS and LOTS of light. Mine roams all over the tank...I've had a couple of long tenacles and they all did that...and I had a huge carpet anemone also who never moved anywhere...they are all different. Sorry this is so long, but just beware of all the things to look for and you might have success with your anemone...sure hope so. They are beautiful and especially with clownfish peeping in and out of the tenacles! Good luck
smile.gif


To keep up with me: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hub/4898/Saltwater.html
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rigby

I had a brown long tenicle anemone and it
does very well, if the water quality is good
also lighting needs to be much the same as
a reef setup, Go get a clown my anemone did
even better after the clown moved in,he fed
and took care of it and it has grown to about
the size of a basketball.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rigby,

What type of lighting do you have? Just curious, and hoping we can help if you don't have enough.



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E >< () !) !_! S
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rigby,

I have had a LTA for a year now and I am happy with it, even though I would not purchase an anemonie if I had to do it again. Mine has a couple of mated tomato clowns living in it. Fun to watch!

Anyways, they need good water quality, enough light, lots of substrate, and good water current (otherwise they will move alot!) Also, make sure that you have no fish nor invert that will pick on them, especially during feeding time!

Hope this helps!

------------------
<b>Carlos</b>
<url>www.ntsource.com/~cchaco2</url>
********************
<i>Please, take care of the oceans and its creatures. They are all we've got!!!</i>
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Carlos and others, how often do you feed your anemone? Where have they settled, and what type of lighting?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
UCF4,

I feed my anemonie krill about once every 2 weeks. Now, sometimes I have gone without feeding it for 3 and even 4 weeks without any problems. As long as it has good lighting, it will get all nutrition from photosynthesis.

Location: My LTA is located in the substrate. I placed a rock which has a small u-shape at the bottom (forming a crevice between the rock and the sand) and it has made it its home. One time I had to move the rock and the LTA was just glued to the rock and was unable to move it without doing any damage so I had to move the rock with it)

Lighting: At first, I had the anemonie in a 30 gal with 2x96 PC's. I know, small tank but it was a beginners mistake. Now, I have it in a 75 gal tank with 2x250 65000k iwasakis and never looked better.

------------------
Carlos
www.ntsource.com/~cchaco2
********************
Please, take care of the oceans and its creatures. They are all we've got!!!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hey all, thanks for the info on the LTA. At first i had him sitting on a ledge and the first night he was in the tank he moved to the bottom of the tank underneath the ledge. As some of you stated i did see a little brown poop but after a week i no longer see this. He has spread wide open and is filling the area under the ledge and seems to be happy. Looks like the space was made for him. I have a 175/10K MH and two vhos(one 50/50 and one actinic) all on seperate timers. The only time I see him stretch now is when that lights start going out. I have between three and four inches of special reef floor and some fine grain sand. he has buried about 3/4 to 1" in the substrate. I've tried to feed him silver sides and he takes them in his tentacles but eventually lets them go. I fed some feeder guppies and the clown (yes i bought a maroon gold banded clown who immediately took up residence) took one to him and i think he ate it. My tank parameters are perfect except my alk. is only 2.5 but is coming up using the esv b-ionic. Based on the additional info does this all sound ok
glen

[This message has been edited by Rigby (edited 20 January 2000).]
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I'm curious to find out how much, and how long it took for your anemone's to grow. Thanks
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have a carpet and LTA- both are prospering, at the 2 year mark - I feed them more frequently- small peice of forzen krill every 3 days- they seem to like it.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have a LTA and it is doing great but I feed it at least every other day with peeled shrimp pieces. Most anemones need a lot of food.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
One more question, cherub angel was nipping a little bit at the LTA, is this going to be a problem?
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Another question, which Clownfish use a LTA anemone as a host? I've read, Clakii, Tomato?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
flounder and others, what if I added a clownfish that would use the anemone as a host, wouldn't the clown protect the anemone?
 
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