Re: FYI, Anemone species   11/11/09
My oversight, same family, different species.
Thanks,
James
<Even congeners (same genus! From the Gk meaning "kind"). Cheers! B>
Re: FYI
I'm thinking I need a chart of some kind so I get these things sorted out correctly.
<Taxa? Just Anemones/Actinarians?>
Never really got too involved with that before, normally just being able to place the Latin name like Heteractis Crispa with the common name.
Thank you,
James
<Gets even more complicated when trying to keep all straight internationally. Many differing namings about. B>
Re: ? 2 anemones, H. magnifica incomp., use
Ooooh, maybe I will give the Ritteri another try as they are 'cousins'.
Thanks,
N
<Mmm, do please read here re this species use as an ornamental:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm
And the linked files above.
Not easily kept; and a very poor candidate for candidate for mixing with other Actinarians. Bob Fenner>

Compatibility of Picasso and anemones.  8/29/2009
Hello again WWM Crew,
<Ter>
I have been considering getting a bubble tip or long tentacle anemone for my 150 gallon tank, and I was wondering if a Picasso trigger, or blue angelfish would bother them?
<Distinct possibility>
I was also wondering if a Montipora, pulsia xenia, starburst polyps, mushroom polyps would be bothered.
<Ditto>
Thanks in advance,
Terry
<Please learn to/use the search tool, indices on WWM... Bob Fenner>

important faq about anemone toxins.   7/16/09
hi,
<... where are your capital letters?>
i want to tell you about an important faq.
120 gallons
Deltec MCE 600
4 pumps 1200
1 gold rim
tomato clown
1 purple tang
mushs corals and anemone magnifica 10 inches
120 lbs live rocks.
i read that post above and the person who is looking for answer is true.
the writer ( answerer is wrong!)
2 days ago , i went to the pet shop for water test. everything was fine.
late night i did a water change and at the same time the anemone magnifica didn't like it and began to move.
next morning ( today) , i went home for lunch. i looked at the anemone , its stuck in the power head.
<...>
my gold rim when to see me when he saw me , (at the corner where i was watching the anemone in the pump). the gold rim began to violently step to the top canopy and 2 minutes later, something was really wrong. he begin to swim on the side of the belly. i toughout he was dying in 2 minutes. i looked at the bottom of the tank and my purple tang was lying hardly to breathe. i look at my clown fish , he was just fine. the day before , i had made some salt water ( d/o water ). i but the purple and the gold rim in it and i went to my pet store were Henry (the pet shop owner)handle the 2 fishes for a while.
return a my job. at 4:30 pm, i call the pet shop dealer ( Henry ) , he said to me... your gold rim is out of trouble , he's fine. about he purple tang, he's not dead but he is on the bottom of tank and hardly breathing, call me later tomorrow.
how can my parameters was fine the day before and suddenly every fishes started to dead?. the anemone was remove and its not dead.
the theory is : the anemone when its had a part of her body in the pump, its feel threat and its began to release toxins in the water.
<Possibly... or just general ammonia et al. release...>
how come, my 2 x 6 inches tangs are nearly death and the clown is fine. the clown is immunate to the poison toxin of the anemone.
<They are more immune... live with them...>
also, my Deltec 600 when mad, a big , huge amount of skim like a had never see that. i don't know if its because of its toxin or the toxin when the system biotic to zero ( more info needed on toxin in the water ). my gold rim was fine and then he approach the anemone corner , he went mad and its gills was red.
so in my opinion, yes! an anemone can realise toxin that will kill your entire fishes in the aquarium , if its feel treat.
<Agreed>
so, the guy in the new letter was right. the answerer was wrong. the anemone wasn't dying , no parts of the anemone was retrieve and anemone is fine ( with 4 tentacles less ). sorry for my bad English , my primary
language is French.
<Ahh, I see>
i thing that we know less that we thing about anemone toxins and what can it do to the water chemistry.
benoit
<Thank you for writing in (merci) and sharing. Bob Fenner>
"Anemone Disaster 7/6/05
Hi Guys! <<Hello Carrie>>
Love the site as always... Its been very helpful. <<Thank you>>
My tank is a 38 gal FOWLR and Live sand.
Inhabitants were:
2 BTA's
(originally had one, but it split smaller one was about 1 inch)
1 tomato
clown, 10 yrs old
1 yellow tail damsel, same
1 very small lionfish
(purchased a few months ago)
1 banded shrimp
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
6 hermits (blue leg and scarlet)
3 snails (unknown)
Yesterday, I came home to discover the smaller anemone had died so I scooped it up and removed it from the tank. Did a water test: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, ph 8.4, salinity .25 Did a 50% water change although the water seemed to be fairly clear. Changed half of my carbon cartridges in my power filters.
Within hours my fish started breathing hard, so I did another 25% water change (I had run out of salt mix and not a pet store was open).
Woke up this morning to everything dead BUT the large anemone (looks horrible though, but is still sticking to things) and the hermits/snails.
Funny, the water still tests normal, 0 on everything.
They water is terribly cloudy.
I removed the hermits & snails and put them in my quarantine tank. They seem to be doing fine. Fighting as usually and tearing up the place ;0)
I put the anemone in a bucket with a power filter... I'm sure its on the decline and didn't want to add it to my QT tank since it had copper safe in it at one time.
My question is how do I go about starting over? I have read a few conflicting opinions on the site and really couldn't find a whole lot of specifics about what to do. If anything what should I toss? Will a 100% water change alone be enough? Is it possible that the large anemone released the toxins into my tank to kill
everything or could the little one alone be responsible? <<Not a good idea to keep an anemone in a small tank for just that reason...if the anemone dies it very quickly pollutes the tank. My suggestion is to get some
Chemi-Pure in place of the carbon, and let the tank go fallow for about 30 days. I like to base stocking levels at one cubic inch of fish per five gallons of water. Something to keep in mind on the future set up. Full grown sizes must also be taken into consideration when selecting fish. James (Salty Dog)>>
Thanks for any input...
Carrie

Anemone Looks Sick 3/18/09 I added a clownfish and anenome <anemone> over the weekend, and after 2 days, the clownfish has been really swimming hard in the anenome. Last night, the tentacles in the anenome have gone inward and the foot/stem is laying on it's side...but tentacles are still moving. I think the anenome <anemone> may be dying from all the rough treatment from the clownfish. <I'm going to forward this to Sylvia Browne, maybe she can help me with useful information I need to attempt to answer this, such as, tank size, water parameters, lighting, filtration, tankmates, etc. Please provide. James (Salty Dog)> Re Anemone Looks Sick 3/18/09 90 gallon tank, HO T5 lights <How many, 2, 3, 4, what size?? Depending on the anemone you have, may not be enough lighting.> ...trickle sump filtration.....water test done a few days ago...prior to adding fish....all levels OK. Anenome <anemone> was fine until clownfish was swimming roughly on it for 8 hours on and off... <Is natural for the clown to do this. Better to keep the clown separated until the anemone acclimates and attaches. What kind of anemone is it? Might be better for you to read here and related articles/FAQ's. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm James (Salty Dog)> Re Anemone Looks Sick 3/19/09 Here's a photo of my anenome with the clown nearby. The lighting was recommended by a trusted professional who set up my tank. He is very knowledgeable. Please advise. I love my anenome, and don't want to lose him. <I did advise, re-read below. I never get a straight answer from you as to my questions in this thread, all I hear "is by a trusted/knowledgeable professional". If that's the case, why are you writing? Since you will not tell me about your lighting system other than was recommended by a trusted professional, I will tell you that anemones are shallow water photosynthetic invertebrates. They all require bright lighting to survive. A few species (E. quadricolor, S. haddoni) can thrive under bright VHO lighting, but for the most part, all require bright lighting including metal halide/HQI, to survive, especially the Condylactis anemone which is what you have. <<Mmmmm.>>  The anemone in your pic appears to have an inverted mouth, generally a sign of stress, illness or both. Anemones also require high water quality, in some cases, even more so than corals. So, hash this over with your professional and get his input and do read where you were directed below. James (Salty Dog)>

"I was in the wrong place, but it must have been the right time".... This Premnas needs to be separated from the Anemone.

More Anemones, incomp.  1/5/09
Hi, and thanks in advance for your help. I am thinking about adding 2 more anemones (1 Flower and 1 Pink Tipped Bulb Tip) to my 120g reef tank and wanted to get advice on whether or not my system can handle them. Here is what I have: 1 Rose Bulb Tip, 1 Green Bulb Tip, 3 Flower Anemones, assorted Paly's, Zoos and Mushrooms, Bird's Nest, Pink Tipped Acro, 2 kinds of Frogspawn, 2 kinds of Torch, Wall Hammer, Green and Orange Ricordeas, Toadstool Leather, Star Polyps, Sun Polyps, 2 types of Candy, 1 Feather Duster, Pink Encino, Goniopora, 1 unknown Clam, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, 1 Anemone Crab, 2 Serpent Stars, 1 Tiger Jawfish, 1 Jewel Jawfish, 1 Niger Trigger, 1 Purple Firefish, 1 Christmas Tree Wrasse, 1 Neon Cleaner Goby, 1 Chalk Basslet, 1 Sailfin Tang, 1 Diamond Goby, a pair of Perc Clowns (1 Black and 1 Orange) and also thinking about 2 more Black Percs, 1 Tuxedo Urchin, some Hermits and misc Snails. I have 175w MH and everything seems to be doing just fine and growing like crazy. I add Iodine, Alkaline and Calcium 2 times per week and run a calcium hydroxide drip every other night. Is this too many anemones for my tank? I am mostly concerned about the bulb tip moving around and stinging corals or overload on the tank.
<I would not add any more, you're just increasing the present risk of the anemones moving and stinging/killing any corals in their path. It sounds like everything is going great for you and I would keep it that way. Is not a good idea mixing anemones with corals to begin with for the aforementioned reason.>
Thanks!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Brian

Dead Volitans Lion 12/27/08 Good Morning Crew... First with basic parameters and set up: Tank: 55gal SWFO, T5 HO light 36" 2 bulb 39w 18k, Crushed Coral, Eheim 2026,RO/DI...Water at tap( well) 448ppm after RO/DI 000 Livestock: 1 Volitans Lionfish, 2 Florida Condi Anemone- <Mmmm> (55 is temp tank until larger DIY tank is finished) Water before death:0 ammonia- 0 nitrite- >10 nitrate- PH 8.3- SG 1.021- O28 Water after death: 0 ammonia- 0 nitrite > 05 nitrate- PH 8 SG 1.021-O2 8 I use Salifert test kits.... I need your opinion...My lionfish died this morning and I was wondering if you can offer an opinion as to why...I do not want this to happen again, if the cause is in fact due to my ignorance...I purchased him approx. 3 months ago, acclimated for approx. 3 hours (drip method) into my quarantine tank...he stayed there for about three weeks while I tried to get him to eat... I live on the coast, so I managed to get hold of live saltwater minnows...After a few days of feeding these and silversides, I had him eating all frozen...I then placed him into my main tank with the 2 Anemones...Things have been fine with him eating silvers, frozen krill, small whole shrimp, and occasional chunk of scallop, 2-3 times a week... XMAS day, after much prodding from the visiting kids to see him "eat", I let them feed him 3 live wild caught minnows...The next morning, I noticed him laying on the bottom with his left eye cloudy...I placed him in the quarantine tank and began to start researching the net...Over the period of yesterday and today, both eyes clouded, one of his horns broke, his face became bright red, skin began falling off of eyes-face-gill area....Late this morning I noticed him darting around the tank, and he died.... I have seen several possible causes by reading ALOT of your FAQs area, but I simply can't nail it down to a cause other than poison...Maybe it is simply coincidence that this happened after eating those minnows, and he was already sick, but I have NOTHING in my tank but him and those 2 Anemones, <These are likely the root cause here> I test the water weekly, and he has been on the same diet.... I have attached 2 pictures, one from each side of his head....I would sincerely appreciate your opinion.... Thank you. Richard Gulf Coast, MS <Thank you for writing so clearly, thoroughly... the cloudy eyes, the reddening of the face. It is likely your Lionfish had a bad run-in with the Condylactis. Bob Fenner>

Re: Dead Volitans Lion 12/27/08 Mr. Fenner...Thank you for the quick response...So, basically it was my ignorance that killed this fish...He should never have been placed in the tank w/the Condi's...? <Yes... does happen. These Lions aren't very "careful" in their movements, and in the small confines or our tanks, do get "caught" cruising around in the dark...> I thought I had covered all my bases when deciding to purchase this fish...It goes to show just how much there is to learn... <Much more than a lifetime> I understand you are going to lose fish due to natural causes, but I simply don't condone losing them to ignorance, or lack of care.. <Ahh! We are definitely in agreement here. Hence my efforts with friends here to share our experiences, thoughts, speculations and accumulated facts from others> I am disabled, and therefore have a lot of free time...I have very much enjoyed reading your site since finding it the other day...I have been unable to "put it down" so to speak... <Am glad to find the work of interest, use> As for writing clearly and thoroughly, you are welcome...I consider that a simple matter of respect, especially since you are providing an invaluable FREE service... Regards, Richard Scearce <Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Anemone: friend or foe? Talmatactis sp. care 12/11/08
Hi. I have been feeding and growing a hitchhiker anemone for over a year now. It seems happy, but I'm wondering if anyone there knows about such a creature. I believe it in the family Isophellidae and perhaps of the genus
Telmatactis. It looks a lot like the anemone pictured here:
http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=905862
<<An impressive site for sure... Take a look at the Poppe's efforts here... some 53k images, MUCH diving, photography about the Philippines. RMF>>
I found nothing on WWM about it and only photos on-line, which makes me think I might want to rethink keeping it. Do any of you know about Telmatactis care?
<Hmm, interesting. I assume they have the same general care requirements as most other anemones (though it might be from colder water-- tough to say without a proper ID and origin). But honestly, all I know about Telmatactis sp. anemones is that they generally stay *relatively* small and are the type sometimes picked up by crabs (carried on their shells for protection and such).>
Honestly, he's going great, but if he's going to grow to be huge or eat my hand off one day, I'd rather find him a new home while he's still small.
<Again, if it is a Telmatactis sp., I highly doubt it will get big enough for that! :-)>
Pete
<Best,
Sara M.>

AEB Algae Eating Blenny Death, Actinarian kiss  11/15/08 (quite long tried to be informative about everything) <Good> Good afternoon, First off I'd like to say thanks for all the time and effort your team puts into making this site the best information data base I have found on the web, and for taking your time to deal with my problem. I have searched to find a reason for my mysterious blenny death and cant come up with anything other than the quite possible obvious. After adding a rather large healthy 2.5"+ blenny to my 50 gallon tank he did well for a full day, the only thing i noticed was some rapid breathing 3 beats per 2 seconds. I kept an eye on the fish and the breathing returned to a reasonable rate of 1per second. this morning i woke up and peered into my tank the blenny had moved under some rock at the bottom of my tank and my very large (3") cleaner shrimp wanted to get further acquainted, so, he jumped down and sprung into action cleaning the blenny (not the first time cleaned), now there is a decent sized long tentacle anemone on the bottom a few inches away. <Mmmm> The shrimp must have scared the blenny a bit and he barely tapped into the LTA <Ditto> after this happened it was 2minutes before blenny was not breathing. I watched the LTA only tap maybe 1 tentacle to this large blenny. Is this what killed my fish? <Could be> or could it have been the stress from getting switched from quarantine to the tank combined with a light zap giving him a heart attack? <As well> I noticed a white patch that started to get bigger after his death that was also there before the LTA it just looked like a calico cat spot. blenny also had plenty of food choices - algae on rocks, Caulerpa, Chaeto, + my daily feedings * I have attached 3 pictures the first two are under 150w 14k SunPod 1 of each side, the last is a view under ambient light from the sun* (the first the light is a little blue it was warming.) My tank is a 50gallon with built in the back filtration (wet/dry, sodium, refugium, then carbon, -> return) lighting is current usa 6x39 t5, 3 pumps at about 600gph + a return at around 350(shoots along the back and out the side through tiny holes). Livestock is 1 maroon clown hosted to BTA large and very healthy, 1 BTA , 1 skunk cleaner, 2 LTA, <I do hope/trust these anemone species/specimens are well-used to each other...> 80lbs live rock, 80lbs live sand, lots of snails, and 2 blue leg hermits, and corals (leathers, Zoa, mushroom, polyps, and a purple feather Gorgonia). <Mmm... a dangerous mix here, of Cnidarians> water parameters are 8.2ph 10nitrate 0nitrate 1.23-1.25 I use red sea success calcium +3 once per week 10gallon water changes with ro/di water ever 10 days or less only use quality no additive salt - feed with flake, 2 frozen shrimps, and sinking NLS pellet food as well as the phytoplankton supplement once per day. and each member gets some frozen Sally's krill off the chopsticks if they like every few days. This tank is about 2+ months old however the fish rock and corals are closer to 3-4yr range and the LTA's are 2+months - However the LTA's, growing rapidly extending and, eating krill off chopsticks 3 times per week - skunk cleaner likes to as well ha. <I do think the anemone (LTA) touch was trouble... and that you might benefit from reading: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm and the linked files above re reducing the poss., effects of negative Cnidarian interaction. Bob Fenner>