Anemone Identification and Over skimming? Hi there, <Hello> Great site, Just want help in identifying my anemone. Since I bought it it has been this colour but I got if from a display tank at my LFS in Singapore. It was already with a Golden Maroon Clown and so I bought it too. <This is a bleached out Heteractis crispa, most often called a Sebae Anemone in the trade in the west> The clownfish has grown but the Anemone has begun to not open fully and its tentacles are not fully extended. This started to occur after I bought a much larger skimmer. Is it related? <Not likely. Take a read over the Anemone FAQs on WetWebMedia.com... very common for bleached out (lacking endosymbiotic zooxanthellae due to mishandling, being kept w/o adequate light...) Sebaes to perish slowly> My green button polyps and mushrooms are doing fine and I have had them for a year now. I feed the anemone squid and occasionally target feed it with Liquifry Marine. Heard its good stuff. Anyway it takes the food and it seems to open a bit larger then resumes its previous smaller state. I have read that it is common for anemones to occasionally deflate and this is the first time mine has done this apart from when it was first introduced into my tank. Should I worry? <Yes. What you state is so, but in this case, these specimens rarely "rally", but this is not altogether the case. Some crispas reincorporate flagellated algae, regain color, health> My clown is about 2 inches long and it spends the better part of the day trying to force itself into the Anemone using his snout to pry it open. <Yes, likely not adding to the health of the anemone either> The anemone was white since the day I saw it but after a month or so in my tank, the tips became brownish but have since become white again. Is there a way to aid it in replenishing its zooxanthellae? Or is this creature on its way out? <Ahh, I see you know of the situation already. If your system is otherwise "healthy" and you have other zooxanthellate animals present, enough light... maybe> My pH is 8.2 - 8.3 My temperature is approx 29 Degrees Celsius -  Is this too high for softies? <Not most that folks keep> My nitrates are undetectable Tank is a 15 gallon <Fifteen gallons? This is quite small... much greater chances of success, disaster-proofedness with larger volumes> Regular water changes New oversized skimmer My copepods cannot be seen anymore on the glass or LR 2 fish are doing fine Clown and fire goby Turbo snail does his daily rounds. Lighting is 36 Watts 1 marine white 1 marine blue, both from arcadia <Your anemone needs much more light, by more than twice> 1 sweeping wave maker 3 stalks of mangroves <In this 15 gallon system?> My 2 shrimp (1 blood, 1 skunk) died while molting, heads were semi detached - or could be clownfish. I do regular weekly water changes ~ 10% I add calcium, trace elements and buffer on a weekly basis. Please help me! <Mmm, is there a chance you might be getting a larger system... perhaps to match your skimmer? You really need this foremost. Bob Fenner>

Anemone id... yep, Aiptasia 7/29/04 I found this in my tank not too long ago. Looks like an anemone but I have never seen one like that. Can you tell me what it is? It is growing pretty fast. Is it safe for my tank or should I get rid of it. If I need to get rid of it how should I do this. Thanks for the help <Nice pix of a Glass Anemone, genus Aiptasia. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm and all those blue links at the top... Bob Fenner>

Why are my anemone's tentacles elongating?
Hey guys,
I just can not figure out why this is happening. I have a bubble tip anemone, about 5 inches across the disc. Anyways, what is happening is the tentacles are getting longer and longer. Some of the tentacles are about six inches long. Does anyone one happen to know what causes the tentacles to elongate like that? I asked the guy at my LFS and he had read the most of the time it was due to low lighting. In my case I am certain that is not it. I have a 25 gallon tall with 175 watt MH mounted 6-8" off the water. << I now have three 150 watt halides 4 inches above my 29 gal. >> The water all tests ok, Temp 79-80, pH 8.4, Calcium close to 400, Nitrates are around 12.5 mg/l. I feed it Mysis, squid, and other types of meaty foods, also cut up into pretty small chunks. Would the spectrum of the light be causing this? The MH I have is a 10k,<< That isn't a problem, but I would also add some actinic lights to that. >> I was thinking about hooking up my twin 55w PC and putting them back in. << Yes, good idea. >> I have a 12k and Actinic light I could use to put some light higher in the spectrum into the tank. Do you think this is worth a shot or would not make a difference. I wish I had a pic of what it looks like. I had a smaller one in the tank and when it got to big I brought it to my LFS and he did not believe me that it was a BTA, he kept telling me that it was a long tentacle. Well I hope I have given you all of the needed information to help identify what is happening to my BTA. I look forward to hearing from you guys. << I would do a water change, and add those lights.  It may really help out. Keep me posted. >>
Thanks,
Chris Hepburn
<<  Blundell  >>

More Anemonia majano? 6/17/04
Hello, I have tried a few times today to send you a couple pics of my anenomes, but the email keeps bouncing back. You must have some sort of email attachment blocker.
<I've actually been having the same problem trying to send Bob a pic today. We'll see>
I emailed Bob a few weeks ago with a pic and it worked fine. Oh well, I'll try to explain. I have a bubble tip Anenome (brown) that I acquired about 7 months ago. It was about 3 inches across when I got him, and now he/she is almost the size of a softball :)
<very nice>
Anyway, a few weeks ago or so, not far from where the Anenome is perched, I noticed (3) very small, what looks to me, like bubble tip anenomes. I am quite sure they are, but what intrigues me is how on earth they got there?
<I'm not so sure they are baby BTAs... please do search our site and the web for pics of the common nuisance anemone (that looks like baby BTAs) called Anemonia majano>
I have read into the splitting of anenomes, but mine looks like it had 3 babies, although I don't think this is possible?
<possible but not likely>
The (3) anenomes are of the same color, maybe slightly greener especially under actinics),
<oh, yeah... these are Anemonia my friend. Not too much to worry about. But if they flare, know that you have a nutrient issue in the tank. Be careful not to overfeed and be sure to tune/tweak your husbandry (skimming, water changes, etc.) to keep such nuisance growths in check>
but my large Anenome has a slight green tinge to it also, so they look very much alike. They are also about the size of a nickel, one being slightly smaller. Can you help me out with this one?
<best regards, Anthony>

ID Please (anemone?)
I can not find an ID on this guy anywhere. I am assuming he is an anemone of some sort. He was about the size of a penny and in just a couple of months has grown to the size of a fifty cent piece. (See attached file: Tank 004.jpg)
<I agree with your guess, but can't be more specific. Do keep an eye on it for splitting. Some anemone species like anemone and Aiptasia can multiply to pest proportions. Also, if it gets very large, it could present a risk to fish or motile invertebrates. Until it becomes a problem, just enjoy it for the amazing diversity of marine life that it represents. Best Regards. Adam>