Carpet anenome and clown fish

[giermo]

Hello everyone. I am new to the whole aquarium hobby, but have had my tank running for a little over a month now. I just added in a white carpet anenome, and quite often during the day/night it looks as if it collapses, are loses all of its structure, only to come normal looking again. is this Healthy?

Also how often and what do i need to feed it and how?

Lastly my tomato clownfish that ipurchased does not seem to want to house in the anemone. Is there anyway to persuade it/ bring the enamone to its attention?

Thanks alot to all who respond.

 

[spongebob lover]

Welcome to RF dood !!!.
sometimes when the lights go off anemones (shrink/close a little) as they go into sort of sleeping time which is normal.

feeding hmmm... you can go from Krill, mysis, table shrimp (not the one already cooked but the one with legs and face and stuff ) scallops etc.
when you're about to feed it, you don't push it in the anemones mouth... just put it around the tenticles and it'll retract and eat it.

one thing about carpets is that...sometimes they can eat other fishes ... or at least from what i have heard.

Clowns usually don't host right away anemones.... it can take from a month to years or it can be the next day...it depends .

 

[returnofsid]

The behavior of your anemone is totally normal. You'll have to be real studious about water quality since adding an anemone to a tank that's only a month old is fairly risky. They need very mature tanks that have been established for a good amount of time. Most recommend 6-12 months AFTER your cycle is complete. If your tank is only a month old, there's a good chance your cycle isn't even completed yet.

As for feeding....it's not required to feed anemones. However, you can feed it small pieces of shrimp or fish once or twice a week.

As for your Clown, sometimes they go right to the anemone, sometimes it takes awhile and every once in awhile, they never do. I'd give it some time and I think your Tomato will eventually host. If after awhile, it hasn't hosted, there are some things you can do to encourage it. This will sound crazy but supposedly it works quite well....Since yours is a Carpet and a Tomato Clown, go online and find a pic of a Carpet and Tomato hosting together. Print it out and tape it to the outside of your tank where the Tomato will see it. Right about now, you're thinking I'm nuts aren't you? lol. I thought so to the first time I heard it. I've read of a lot of people trying this and it working. I never had to as my clowns always hosted right away.

 

[mmkeeper]

With that young of a tank you need to be right on top of your water quality. Anemones are know to not take nitrates very well.

 

[giermo]

thanks alot for all the comments they have been more than helpfull

 

[btuck]

I thought I read or heard somewhere that there was no such thing as a white anemone, but rather anemones that had expelled their zooxanthellae due to extreme temp swings or water parameter changes. I believe if this is the case the only way now for the anemone to get nutrients will be through regular feeding as it has no zooxanthellae to support it. If it has not expelled all of the algae, it will come back over time and the anemone may start to color up (probably a brownish color) but if it never colors up then regular feedings will have to continue in order for it to survive.
Please double check this because I may be thinking of another type of anemone and it's 6:45 in the morning and I've been awake all night. I would think Anthony would be a good person to ask.

 

[spongebob lover]

I thought I read or heard somewhere that there was no such thing as a white anemone, but rather anemones that had expelled their zooxanthellae due to extreme temp swings or water parameter changes. I believe if this is the case the only way now for the anemone to get nutrients will be through regular feeding as it has no zooxanthellae to support it. If it has not expelled all of the algae, it will come back over time and the anemone may start to color up (probably a brownish color) but if it never colors up then regular feedings will have to continue in order for it to survive.
Please double check this because I may be thinking of another type of anemone and it's 6:45 in the morning and I've been awake all night. I would think Anthony would be a good person to ask.

you're right dood ....there's no such a thing as white anemone, they're usually bleached .
can you post a pic?
i'd say feed it 3 times a week ...if its bleached and then, slowly lower it to 1 per week.

 

[giermo]

anemone shrivel

HEre is a pic of my anemone, it has yet to accept any food (raw shrimp cut up) that i give it. It just lets it fall off of it etc. Lately the anemone seems to have some shrivels,and does not look as plump as the rest of this, what does that mean? The carpet has also been excreting a white fluid, and this has been going of for a couple days. The mouth has also inicreased dramatically in sized, but it still won't eat. I hope the picture helps. Thanks

 

[spongebob lover]

omg dood !! your carpet is not only bleached but it looks like it's almost a goner .
your tank is very new for the anemone (they like to be in more of an older tank) ...i'd say don't let your clown host it (i know it's sounds weird ) because it'd only stress the anemone.
my only good advice is... good light (mh), water changes (be on top of that dood) specially since your tank is young, don't force it to eat... and make sure it's still alive ... if it goes floating in your tank and the foot is not sticking on to something .... it's a goner .... good luck dood.

 

[giermo]

Yeah no its never floated, and i check water every day and its completely fine, no spikes no nothing. I have a T5 2 x 24watts, 24inch life glo and marine glo bulb. Anything i can do to help the anemone out??

 

[lavenderfish]

I don't know much about anemones but that seems like a very low light situation for one. I am sure an expert will be along to correct if I'm wrong on that.

 

[giermo]

its only a 20gal aquarium though

 

[spongebob lover]

Yeah no its never floated, and i check water every day and its completely fine, no spikes no nothing. I have a T5 2 x 24watts, 24inch life glo and marine glo bulb. Anything i can do to help the anemone out??

anemones need strong lighting in this case MH .
is there a way you can return it? the anemone seems like it wasn't to healthy right from the beggining ( you said it was white... not good) .
Also what are your water params? .
it's gonna be hard to bring this anemone back to what it used to be but not impossible ... keep feeding (make the food really really tiny also mix it with formula one (the red kind) that's what i feed mine .. it helped me a lot(LTA) but don't force it... i'd say at least 3 times per day.

here is a link, i think it'd help you .

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemdisfaqs.htm

 

[spongebob lover]

its only a 20gal aquarium though

it doesn't matter they need strong light dood.

 

[TxCadillaC]

Hello everyone. I am new to the whole aquarium hobby, but have had my tank running for a little over a month now. I just added in a white carpet anenome, and quite often during the day/night it looks as if it collapses, are loses all of its structure, only to come normal looking again. is this Healthy?

Also how often and what do i need to feed it and how?

Lastly my tomato clownfish that ipurchased does not seem to want to house in the anemone. Is there anyway to persuade it/ bring the enamone to its attention?

Thanks alot to all who respond.

What size is your tank, carpets need lots of room