Rose Anemone problem ?

[Ginzo]

Hi, I have a really nice (medium to large) Rose Anemone, with a pair of true percula clown fish that live in it. When I first introduced my anemone in my tank (a BB tank), I needed to squeeze the anemone between 3 rocks, so that it would fly up everywhere's because of the flow. Now the anemone is firmly set on my bare bottom tank. The anemone looks great during the day..except that every now and then it completly shrinks to very small (my clownfish go crazy when this happens) ??? It normally comes back to it's normal size once the lights come back on, the next day.

I'm wondering why it shrinks ??? Is it because it's having problems with it's emplacement ?
So far, I have never fed my anemone, because I read it doesn't need feeding if it host a couple of clown fish. I do feed Cycloop-Eze and Coral Frenzy every 2-3 days, but I don't feed directly to the anemone chucks of it. Does it shrink because it's hungry ??

Also, maybe it shrinks because it doesn't like it's place in the tank ? I always think it's trying to get out of the rocks it's surronded by..but it doesn't seem to move.

Anybody can help ?
Thanks

[bcbaker]

I have a Rose BTA, - and a LTA. Both of them rooted firmly against and in some live rock crevices. The LTA, doesn't do too much, just sits there, dark or light, and does not change shape or anything. The BTA however, has a real personality. I feed frozen silversides (melted for feeding obviously) to both Anenomes, and they both love a 1/2 inch segment, every two days.

Back to the BTA's personality. She (we think because she has a white circle around her mouth/stomach opening. Anyway, when she grabs her silverside, she'll close up around it for a period of 10-15 minutes, and then open back up, full and beautiful. Other times (no matter light or dark), she'll get 'greenish' tips, sometimes she collapses almost into nothing, inside the live rock. And then a couple of hours later, she's back. Normal color, and beautiful.

Here is a picture of my Rose BTA, after turning on the lights.


I can take another picture tonight, once she's been fed too.

brian

[Purple Penguins]

it sounds like your anemone is just going to the bathroom/expelling waste, they shrink up rather small when this happens and doesnt look very pretty however I think since your anemone is new you should feed it, and even though mine is hosted I still feed it a bit of food once a week. If your anemone doesnt like where its at in the tank it will move and find its happy spot, also a bit confused at your wording, is it shrinking at night and then puffs back up when the lights are on? because this is also normal, mine shrink at night and puff in the morning unless expelling waste

bcbaker
your anemone doesnt look like a rose to me, it just looks like a quadricolor bta

[bcbaker]

Purple Penguins:

I personally think you're right. The LFS I bought it from was sure that it was a Rose. I thought differently, but it looked so healthy, I didn't really care.

Interesting that they share behaviors. I had forgotten to mention the 'going to the bathroom' scenario. The stringy stuff that emerges is just a litle nasty.

brian

[ssavader]

I would suggest feeding it small pieces of fish, shrimp, scallop, etc. It is doubtful that your Clowns wil be able to sustain it on waste and morsels indefinitely- remeber wild conditions and tank conditions are far different than we like to believe.

[Purple Penguins]

bcbaker
regardless of it being a rose it is as you said a healthy looking happy anemone, also wanted to point out I love the markings on your clown, I have a weakness for misbars

[bcbaker]

Thanks Purple Penguins, when I found a tank full of baby false percs, in a lfs, I found two that were identically marked. Couldn't resist, and they became the sole inhabitants in a BC14. Along with a cleaner crew of snails, crabs, etc.

brian

[Purple Penguins]

would love to see a tank shot

[raleej337]

www.karensroseanemones.com

[bcbaker]

This is a larger expanded view. It's only been up and running for 12 weeks or so.



brian

[Eklikewhoa]

What's that box in your tank? is that the BC?

Trade that MJ for the NanoKoralia...much less space and better looking too.


With the clowns I though the young slowly get their stripes? I have two baby onyx's that recently got stripes but are still lacking their third stripe.....the breeder said they get the third stripe later on and that looks like what is going on with yours.

[Purple Penguins]

very nice, looks like an intank refugium was it a diy?

[bcbaker]

Eklikewhoa, and Purple Penguins

Purple had it, it's an in-tank refugium. Yes, DIY. I got the idea from CPR Aquatics, theirs is almost exactly the same, but I had a hard time paying $40 for a small acrylic box with holes.

Anyway, I looked at converting the in-the-box 3 chamber filter into a refugium, but I opted to put a heater, live rock rubble, and keep a mechanical carbon/sponge in place. I started with a soap dish keeping chaeto in the tank, but when it grew, it kept spilling out. The jury is still out on keeping the 'big' ugly box of calaerpa, this may change sometime in the future. I'm setting up a larger 45 gallon tank, with 30 gallon sump, and my resources right now are dedicated to that project.

The MJ 400 with a Hydor rotator do take up too much space, that's probably the first change that will take place.

On the point of the young false perc's and their stripes, yes, these I purchased 8 weeks ago. They've grown pretty quickly, one is still pretty small, and has not grown it's last dorsal stripe yet, it's there, but not much coloring yet. The larger one grew larger quickly, and developed it's last dorsal stripe nicely.

brian

[Purple Penguins]

the one that is growing faster is has probably become female, my pair the female is about 2.5" but my male is only about 3/4"

[bcbaker]

I thought it might be interesting to see a BTA, after "it's gone to the bathroom".



I'll post another shot later, after she returns to normal operating conditions.

brian

[bcbaker]

It's now a couple of hours later. She's almost back to normal again.



brian

[Purple Penguins]

nice shots

[Eklikewhoa]

Mine dumped this morning....pretty gross looking and the clowns look like they were panicking over it.

about hour later though it was up and bubbly.