Carpet Anemone question

[Myanth]

I have a heteractis magnifica with two powerheads constantly whipping the tentacles around. It lives about three inches below the surface under a Giessman 250W MH. It stays put as long as I remember to feed it. I give it a couple of krill every few days and it stays happy. It's about ten inches across right now with three false percs living in it and spawning right below it. It has taken a couple of trips over to the drain and once all the way down it into the sump, but each time I attribute it to lack of feedings. The clowns seem to corral it into place since they started spawning as well, actually biting the tentacles as they reach for other rocks.

Just info but I hope it helps.
Mike

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by Snappy

In a nano they could do a lap around the tank and be back close to where they started when you see them in the morning and never know they went for a walk. In my experience they (BTA"s)will eventually wander. I have had some sit still for months and then one day they just decide they are going for a walk. Then they usually seem to either trash some corals or get stuck in a powerhead.

Any species of anemone will wander if their criteria they're looking for is not met. The parameters/variables are in terms of light, flow conditions, substrate, feeding and overall stress level (i.e., recently imported). If met, they won't wander. It really is almost as simple as a function of math i.e., y = f(x) -- but each species has it's own mix and there is no "one size fits all" approach.

[danny zubot]

Man, the more thought I put into this the more I think I should just hold on to the Seabae. It hasn't moved since the day I put it into the tank, even when I forget to feed it. Perhaps I need to find a food source for it that won't polute my tank as much.

What does everyone feed their anemone's? And how often?

[OCDP]

I feed my BTA's mysis, flakes, reef-roids, silversides, shrimp... and that's about it. I only feed about once every two weeks. It gets roids twice weekly, and flakes usually once or twice a week (clown feeds it's host)

[albert_dao]

My RBTA's get mysis and only mysis. I use to feed them chopped tiger tail shrimp, but later decided that I'm better off eating the shrimp myself.

Edit: THe RBTA's that I DID have up until a month ago. Gave them to a friend where they were promptly eaten by his SEIO. It was awesome. Three hours of cleanup work, I helped... God... Cause life is just that great, haha.

[Aquaholic]

I have a carpet and 2-3 spot damsels hosting, it hasent grown too much and hasent wandered since the first 2 days. People say it is not neccisary to feed them but I do, about once every week. All and all a good addition to my tank.

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by Aquaholic

People say it is not neccisary to feed them but I do, about once every week.

It is most definitely necessary to feed anemones. They do require feedings in order to thrive and stay healthy. Lighting alone may seem like enough but anemones do require frequent feedings.

[Delphinus]

I thought I read somewhere that the energy that can be derived from zooxanthellae is more like quick-release sugars, whereas the energy derived from feeding can be more like slow-release proteins. So it's like a candy bar diet. Sure, you can subsist on it and have loads of energy, but it's hardly a healthy long-term diet thing.

Having said that, if you feed the tank anyhow, odds are good anemones will be catching something. Probably depends on the species though. I know my carpets eat anything and everything that I feed the fish, and they're surprisingly adept at catching any stray morsel the fish don't snap up right away. Whereas some other species that are probably less quick on the draw and probably should be target fed. I do feed my BTA's shrimp and mysis, but I find once per week or thereabouts tends to be plenty.

[OCDP]

I find that if I feed my BTA's more than twice a week the growth rate is just insane, and they usually split soon after. Just my experience though (this is BTA's too of course..)