All6fish
Member
We have a RBTA and it split about 3 months ago, unfortunatley the smaller of the two floated into our wave maker. It appears to be splitting again and I've heard you shouldn't feed it during the process, does this hold true?
RBTA
- Thread starter All6fish
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
It would seem to be that a portion of the digestive must divide as well to make two complete Anemones when all is said and done.
That is my rational any way, add to that the slow nature of an Anemones digestive process.
Any time a reasonable amount of organic matter is decaying (slowly digested Anemone food) you increase the risk of bacterial infections and blooms.
I have never knowingly feed an Anemone just recently split or in the process. In a tank with sufficient lighting they do not need routine feedings.
That is my rational any way, add to that the slow nature of an Anemones digestive process.
Any time a reasonable amount of organic matter is decaying (slowly digested Anemone food) you increase the risk of bacterial infections and blooms.
I have never knowingly feed an Anemone just recently split or in the process. In a tank with sufficient lighting they do not need routine feedings.
pandora32
Well-known member
Dont feed it. Wait a week or so till it heals up. The anemone splits right through the mouth and all so it becomes 2. Also, an anemone splits when its stressed from my understanding.
NC2WA
Well-known member
pandora is correct..when it splits there is no mouth, so it worthless to try and feed it..you are just polluting your tank.
All6fish
Member
Actually anenomes split when constant food sources are available and when tank conditions stay at optimum parameters. I just wasn't sure on the feeding during the process.
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 2,935
Yes and no.
The only clownfish hosting anemones that are recorded as reproducing via fission are:
H.magnifica (Mangificent or Ritteri anemones)
E. quadricolor, (Bubble Tip Anemones)
S.gigantea, (true Carpet anemone)
S.helianthus, (Antlantic Sun Carpet anemone. Not a true clownfish host, but one that will on ocassion be used by clowns in the aquarium if no other more suitable anemones are available)
Alledgedly, M.doreensis, (Long Tentacled Anemone) reproduces via fission as well, but this has never been documented.
Of the above listed anemones, E.quadricolor is the most frequent/notorious for splitting when conditions are optimum.
H.magnifica is one that will ocassionally split.
S.gigantea, (true carpet)
and
S.mertensii are reported to possibly reproduce via pedal laceration, but this has never actually been documented.
BTA's will split when conditions are optimum and they have a constant supply food...and they will split when stressed or injured.
I've never seen or heard of a case where an H.magnifica or S.helianthus anemone has split due to stress.
S.gigantea has only been recorded as splitting via fission in "The Reef Aqaurium Vol 2" by Delbeek and Sprung back in 1997.
They were able locate one in All Seas Fisheries that had two mouths and two pedal discs. To my knowledge there is no further documentation of this anemone beyond a short side bar in the stating that the anemone remained in that condition for approximately 30 days and then within 48 hours split fully. I have not heard of any followups on how those anemones survived, nor have I heard of any other similar S.gigantea reproductions via fission since then.
Seeing as how there are hobbyists who have kept S.gigantea for well over a decade, (Rod Buehler of Rod's Reef, Rod's Food, and Rod's Onyx has been keeping an S.Gigantea for going on 14 years or more by now) and the reef keeping hobby has come a significant distance in the 16 years since that book was published, and there are no further documented cases of S.gigantea reproducing via fission....I'm a little skeptical that S.gigantea actually reproduces via fission.
I could be wrong and its important to note that S.gigantea is arguably the hardest to acclimate/most delicate of the clownfish hosting anemones in the hobby.
Nick
ETA- after all of that....
Dont feed it while its splitting or for quite awhile afterwards.
Wait until you can clearly see a mouth and then begin feeding it small portions and check to see if it digests it all or regurgitates any.
All6fish
Member
-
- Invalid File
Gazbo
Well-known member
I am just curious how often do you feed your anenome's. I never feed mine they seem to do fine my bubble tip has split and my condy has just split or think its a condy. Dont feed them due to I am scared of it will spit out the food and just pollute my tank.
All6fish
Member
I have three, one RBTA and two north atlantic (1 pink 1 purple ) I feed them once or twice a week. I switch off from squid and shrimp and they love it. It's awesome to see them take it in to thier mouth with thier tenticles. I also feed our Duncan ( whisker coral ) and it's amazing how many heads it has grown in the last few months. We have a frog spawn and we haven't fed it yet, weve had it for about two months but my wife was doing some research the other day and it appears they like meaty foods also. If your not feeding them and they're doing ok I guess they must be getting a food source from somewhere ?
Zooxanthellae and photosynthesis.
Personally I believe it's a good idea to occasionally feed anemones, especially the larger carpet anemones. With that said I have kept healthy BTA's for years with less than frequent feedings. Water quality and appropriate lighting are far more important in my opinion.
In the wild an anemone hosting clowns probably rarely receives a meal because the clowns or other damsels are too busy defending their territory and chasing off all other fish and some inverts. The difference is the sun, the anemone is able to meet it's nutritional needs via photosynthesis carried out by the zooxanthellae.
vlangel
Well-known member
I used to have an enormous (14" diameter) sabea anemone. I rarely fed it and that tank only had VHO lighting. I put it near the top of the tank but it moved to the bottom third. Apparently it was getting all it needed tho because I had it for almost 6 yes when I sold it. I don't use RO/DI water and our water is fairly high in phosphates but I read that anemones can use phosphates so maybe that's where some of its nutrition was coming from. For me it was a win win. The anemone and softies use the phosphates and my aquarium never had an algae bloom, (I guess because the phosphates were being used). It probably helped that I didn't have the most intense lighting.
vlangel
Well-known member
Ahh, I miss Absalom (that was my anemone's name) now that I looked at the pic of your anemone.
vlangel
Well-known member
Yeap, that's how Absalom was. He took up the entire center of my 90 gallon tank. I didn't want to sell him but caring 24/7 for my bedridden mom in law necessitated it. WCs were becoming more difficult and I needed to save my energy for Mom so I decided to downsize before my animals suffered. He settled in well in his new tank,( his new owner sent me a pic) so its all good.
