cold water anemones 7/21/09
Bob,
<Kim>
In an email from David(?) many years ago, he asked you about some cold water anemones he saw in a elementary classroom in Las Vegas. He said the teacher referred to them a large aggregating anemones and
commented that this was "vague". I am the teacher to whom he was referring. You told him they may be Anthopleura xanthogrammica.
Since David's visit, all my anemones have died--the last three died just last year. I still have the tank set up just as it was and am looking to replace those anemones. When I came to the school, I was told they were collected off the coast of Oregon. I would like to know if you are familiar with anyone who I may get in touch with that could possibly help me get more of these anemones for my tank?
<Have just checked Carolina Biol. Supply on line... and a generic search for the species... You might try a college with a bio. program on the coast>
Also, I'm still not sure exactly what kind they were. I would appreciate any help you could give.
<Perhaps the above, or A. elegantissima>
Just a little background on my classroom--It is in an elementary school. We have eight large saltwater tanks
including a shark tank, a coral reef tank and a tide pool. Each house organisms representing the various ocean habitats. The cold-water tank is the oldest, but unfortunately it's the empty one. Help?
Thanks, Kim
<Good hunting! Bob Fenner>

Anemone ID, and a note re the death biz    4/11/09 Hello, <Howsit?> Just a quick question. I recently got stationed at Vandenberg AFB on the central coast of California. There are a few beaches that are actually on the base and while exploring one of them at low tide i happened to stumble upon about a thousand or more of these anemones. Sorry about the quality of the pic it was taken with my blackberry. I never thought that such cold water would hold such a variety of different colored anemones. There were green, orange, blue, purple, red, and others that i cant remember right now. Anyway to the question what type of anemone are these and would it be possible to keep them in a central California coast themed tank? <Is... and are Anthopleura xanthogrammica... The "giant" (larger with ecoclinal variation toward the north) "California" (except when elsewhere) Green Sea Anemone> Not that I'm actually thinking of removing them straight from the ocean just curious. Thanks, Kris <Watch that curiosity... Bureaucracies like the military destroy such that leads to innovation... makes the folks at the top look inept (they are), and who wants to appear inept. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Crown of Thorns Seastar, and coldwater anemone species searching...   5/19/07
         Hi Bob,
Please tell me where I can buy some Crown of Thorns Seastars.
<For... research?>
I would also like to buy some Frilled Anemones (Metridium senile). Where can I find these?
<Have your dealer contact Quality Marine in Los Angeles re. Bob Fenner>                                                                              
                                Thanks, Marc Chatham

Cold marine tank question- anenomes and lighting – 03/18/07
Dear WWM denizens,
<Of the deep?>
I've enjoyed your FAQs quite a bit, but am finding it tricky to find information on setting up a cold marine tank.
<We don't have much... yet. Do a search about for the written works of Dave Wrobel here...>
  I have found the wonderful people at coldwaterfish (a yahoo group) and the occasional lurker on saltwaterfish.com knows something about cold marine tanks, but still am encountering difficulties.
<Okay...>
I have a 1/6 hp chiller, protein skimmer, and powerhead, in my 29 gallon tank.  I'm writing today to ask you about anenomes.  My tank is going to be a sea star dominated tank-
<It's kind of small...>
I'll have 1 bat star and probably two ochre stars,
<Patiria and Pisaster? Know them well...>
but I'd also like to have a couple of anenomes.  No (or maybe 1) fish, a couple of hermits, a couple of snails, that's it.
<Mmm, again... wish this tank were bigger>
Does anyone on WWM know about lighting requirements and Pacific NW anenomes?
My initial research indicates that they need less light than tropical anenomes, and indeed, that even fluorescent lighting would be sufficient for a couple of small anenomes.
<Do need some of the same requirements... of temp., CRI as other Actinarians from the tropics... not as much intensity...>
Your response is most appreciated.  Thanks again for being there on the web.
Rachel
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm
Scroll down to the Anemone tray, the bits on lighting... And do consider penning an article or twenty on this field! Bob Fenner>

More with temperate water anemones...
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for your reply.  In the meantime we purchased coral lighting and placed it over the tank along with a regular bulb. <I assume that your store suggested simply adding a blue actinic lamp to the setup. If that was the case it's still in trouble. I hope this lighting was at least power compact fluorescents.> We feed it tropical fish food flakes. <I apologize for not recommending it a food. You can feed it pieces of fresh shrimp, or one of the many frozen meaty seafoods available at your local fish store.> For two days it was splendid, now it is shriveling up and has white stuff dangling from it. <It is likely dying.> I believe it is on its last breath.  Was it the wrong food? <Likely, unless it was marine flake> I may want to replace this with a store bought Anenome before my daughter gets home from camp. <Please don't!!!> There may have been too many changes while we figured out what was going on. <It is dying because it's not in the right environment. It's sort of like bringing a penguin to the jungle, feeding it bananas, and expecting it to live.>  Still, if there is a way to save it, that would be fantastic.  We were advised to put the temp up to 76 degrees <I'm assuming that you've researched what the water temperature where it's found is at and this is not a recommendation from your local fish store. This anemone cannot be treated as a Caribbean anemone.> , the salinity and chemistry was supposedly perfect.  If I replace this, is there an Anenome that is easy to keep. <Caribbean Condylactis anemones are very easy to keep provided with lighting of adequate intensity. Please let me know the brand, wattage, and color of the "reef lighting" that you bought so I can make further recommendations. -Kevin>

Actinia tenebrosa anemone 3/3/03
Hi, I am interested in a Australian waratah anemone.  Can you tell me anything about them.  
<Yikes... it is intertidal and cool tropical to temperate! If you live in the USA, you are very unlikely to get it and will need a specialized tidal display tank with a chiller at any rate. This is not a tropical community species by any definition>
I have some reef fish gobies and such along with Long tentacle anemone, polyps and leathers.  Will they
bother any tank mates?  Thanks for your time Jbug
<good heavens, no my friend. Not only will it not mix with your tropical species... but mixing two or more anemones is dangerous. Not at all sensible. It is already unnatural enough to mix most any anemone like your long tentacle in a reef aquarium with corals. Few are actually found on the reef with stony corals and all will fight when mixed in time (takes months or a couple years for the slow poisoning to effect some). If you do acquire a waratah anemone, please know that it needs bright light... likely metal halide will be necessary. Anthony>  

Cold Pacific Coast Anemones
Bob...I have recently encountered a new kind of anemone that I can't find
a
scientific name for. These 6 anemones have been housed at an elementary
school in Las Vegas for more than 10 years! The anemones are of the cold
water variety (temp is constant at 58F), were caught off the coast of
Oregon, and are gorgeous colors: mint green, and hot pink. The lighting is
very low.  They are also quite large and have been spawning/reproducing
regularly. If needed, I will try to get a snapshot. The teacher refers to
these critters as "large, aggregating anemones." How's that for vague? Any
ideas or places where I could find such information?
Thanks.
David
<Pink? If it weren't for the color I'd say Anthopleura xanthogrammica (the large green anemone)... but maybe a Metridium or Italia species. Use your search engines with these genera. Bob Fenner>

Anemone (id, California coast, husbandry)
Hello,
In the tide pools by La Jolla I noticed a large amount of anemones (looked
like ?rock anemones?). Could you identify this type of anemone for me? 
<Yes, these are Giant Green Anemones, Anthopleura xanthogrammica (much more "giant" as you go north up the coast to Washington...>
What
does it eat (I suspect crustaceans ? but what type and what size per size of
anemone crown when opened, e.g. a two in long crustacean for a four inch in
diameter crown)?
<They're photosynthetic (notice the whitish ones that are more in the shade, as well as "meaty" eaters... fish, invertebrates, most anything they can/do get their tentacles on. Put the common and scientific name in your search engines to learn much more. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Kevin