How to feed anemone?
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15130
Printed Date: July 02 2026 at 11:19pm
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Topic: How to feed anemone?
Posted By: dallan07
Subject: How to feed anemone?
Date Posted: November 13 2006 at 10:32pm
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I have a carpet anemone and I have put krill and mysis by it and it initially grabs it but after a couple minutes lets it go. I don't believe it has eaten since I bought it 3 months ago. It still is the same size and looks healthy. Anyone know how much it should be eating or the reason it doesn't eat what I feed it.
If anyone has any experience let me know
Thanks in advance,
Dallan
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Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 12:44am
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Anyone with any experience? hmmm, I'll give it a go. You might also ask, "
 What does an anemone eat?"In actual fact, anemones do not require any supplemental feeding. You may have heard the term "Filter feeders"? This describes the feeding function of most coral, anemones, feather duster worms, and etc. But in the case of anemones, they should take pieces of seafood and in fact this is what leads most Bubbletip anemones to grow and split. Discarding a morsel of food could mean problems in the tank itself.
Getting back to your Carpet, it would be helpful to know a little about the aquarium as the basis for providing more accurate assistance in this matter. Please give answers to the fiollowing:
Tank size?
Age?
Filtration?
Lighting?
Circulation?
Alkalinity level?
Calcium level?
Nitrate level? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Rhine Lenhart
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 7:23am
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on ocasion i fed mine a live gold fish. I know when mine didnt take to krill or mysis, i would put it in his mouth and then wave water at him( like your saying goodbye) once i did this he thought it was live and took it then.
Do answer Marks questions. A few of those answers could help to identify another issue, if there is one. ------------- 55 Gal Reef. 30 Gal Fuge. 957-9197 2007 presidency |
Posted By: Lyscer
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 10:10am
| I feed mine silversides occansionaly. |
Posted By: dallan07
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 10:38am
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First of all. Mark I appreciate all of your input you have really helped me out in the past. Usually after you have given advice about a sick fish or something I don't respond because the fish is already dead. (I usually don't notice the sick fish in time.)
Thanks to everyone elses suggestions as well. I actually thought about feeding a live gold fish being that it is live I thought it would actually eat it.
Mark the system is
125g
FOWLR
400wmh
tank circulates at least 1500g per hour
protein skimmer always
carbon once in a while
filter sock always( cleaned weakly)
Calcium 450ppm
I haven't tested alkalinity for awhile or nitrates
All the other specimens seem to be doing especially well
One thought is that I do have a ton of fish (borderline too many)
I check for ammonia often and haven't had a problem in months
I need to check my other parameters.
Is anything wrong with what I have mentioned so far? ------------- Harrisville |
Posted By: Lyscer
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 11:03am
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I re-read the title of the thread "How to feed an anemone" and realized I may not have answered your question. I take the frozen silverside and let it sit in a cup of tank water so it can thaw, I then hold it above the anemone and wait for 3 or so tenticles to touch/grab it. Then I let go and it will put the food in its mouth and do its thing. My anemone is near the surface of my tank so I only have to put like 1/2 my hand in so I don't consider it a big deal, now if it was at the bottom of the tank I would probably rig something up to get the fish to the anemone without sticking my entire arm in. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 2:50pm
I didn't know this, obviously, because I feed my long tenacle anemones twice a week and they seem healthy and happy. I feed them 1/3 of a raw cocktail shrimp (bought from the grocery store). I set it on the tenacles and they grab it and it takes about 5 minutes for them to 'consume' it.
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Mark Peterson wrote:Posted By: Lyscer
Date Posted: November 14 2006 at 3:00pm
| They get a lot of food from their light source. I feed mine in hopes that it will grow faster and split sooner. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: November 15 2006 at 3:53am
You said it. Not knowing Alkalinity and Nitrate is a major problem. They are more important than Ammonia. Don't waste time with Ammonia, it gets handled quickly if the tank is set up right. That's a concern here. Is the tank set up right?
Have you read this? http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
It explains the importance of Alk and Ca and how to adjust those values. You may think you have a FOWLR tank, but you don't. Just one anemone or one polyp on a rock makes it a tank with all the requirements of a full reef tank.
Lyscer, A long 3/8" dowel with a straight pin stuck through the end works great for all kinds of stuff, including moving things around, grabbing macroalgae, popping valonia, spot feeding Anemones, etc. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: November 15 2006 at 12:45pm
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I think your problem may not be related to water parameters (but may be). As Mark said it is important to know your alkalinity and I would also check your nitrates, especially with all the fish. It is never a bad idea to do a water change, even if everything look okay. Anemones prefer a certain type of food. Depending on the species, area collected, size, etc. Many anemones will grab a piece of food only to let go because it is not to their "liking". Try some silversides or anchovies (you can get these at fishing or sporting good stores). Many anemones only like fish flesh and prefer not to digest crustaceans (some are just the opposite). ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Firefish
Date Posted: November 16 2006 at 2:25am
I have a very large Haddoni Carpet anemone, probably the same one you have. I have had it for almost 6 years, and I only feed it when a fish dies, or it lucks up and gets an unexpected live catch. Mine has done very very well, in the sand on the bottom with good bright lighting. If your carpet moves around a lot, then its not getting the light it wants. Also in the wild, and in my aquarium they like to bury their foot in the sand. This is true with a few anemones, lots of anemones like anchoring to rocks. My carpet never liked krill or mysis either, and I wouldn't try goldfish just because I really think that they would prefer something they might really eat in the wild. They don't HAVE to eat at all, just soak up some sun. But if you really want to feed them something for fun buy a chromis  or get some uncooked shrimp from the grocery store. I would suggest you don't feed them much though. They often times regurgitate undigested matter that can foul up your tank.------------- 5 gal fluval spec v http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65727&KW=&PID=531710&title=my-new-little-one#531710 12 gallon jbj nanocube reef Stansbury Park (Tooele Area) |