Long tentacle... sick... or part chameleon?

doch · #1 02-16-2010, 03:36 AM

SO, I fairly recently picked up a couple of anemones... one LTA, and one BTA... the BTA got caught in a power head (damnit) lasted for a few days and went out... in the mean time, the LTA has gone from mostly brown with a little bit of green to mostly white with an almost purple hue. Still nice and firm and fairly sticky, seems to want to eat, but I'm not 100% sure if it is actually taking in the mysis that I squirt its way. If I give it a large chunk of shrimp, it holds onto it but eventually lets them go. Overall, it looks healthy, just changed colours. Up until this weekend, I didn't have enough light on the tank... that has now been fixed. Any thoughts?

banditpowdercoat · #2 02-16-2010, 03:47 AM

Mine is tinge of green/purp on ocasions. There are different hues. IIt could be that hes feeing happy now where he is? Mine loves frozen Kryll.

#3 02-16-2010, 05:34 AM

Mine is Mine is tinge of green/purp right now I feed it myisis and raw prons I break in half and give larger piece to Carpet Nem and smaller piece to Long tentacle Pink tip.

Bill

doch · #4 02-16-2010, 03:57 PM

Yeah, I know there are different colours... and I know that nems can change colour over time... I'm just hoping this is normal... not that I've had him very long, but he was one colour the whole time, then suddenly changed.... just wondering.

#5 02-16-2010, 05:55 PM

Just make sure you feed him once a week I use pacific prawns I buy from the Stevenson docks once or twice a year. but you can use any raw shrimp with or without head if it has the head it will contain more nutrients. I think as long as it eats and gets good light it will be OK, it may change to a white color but if it stays that way then some thing is wrong it has lost its photosynthetic cells. This is a bad thing get some zoo plankton this will help as the zoathoid cells in the plankton will be Incorporated into the nems system.

Bill

doch · #6 02-16-2010, 06:50 PM

So, fully open it is only about 3 inches across the disc... should it be able to take a frozen shrimp? Like I said before, it grabbed onto it a couple of times, and then let go after a couple minutes. Firts atempt was a full shrimp (about 1 inch diameter), second attempt was broken into a third and tried again... same result.

ponokareefer · #7 02-16-2010, 07:24 PM

I have read on numerous places that you should feed smaller items, like Mysis. to anemones. I just use a turkey baster and spray it in their direction. They catch a bunch and eat it. And unlike LPS corals, nothing takes things from anemones, with the exception of host clownfish, but that is rare. My cleaner shrimp have tried, and just about become food themselves.
As bvlester pointed out though, it probably lost its photosynthetic cells if the color doesn't come back right away. This was probably due to stress. Give it good light and feed it at least once per week. I target feed mine mysis 3 times/week, and they catch other food during feedings as well. My 2 large anemones started out around 2 inches and are now over 6 inches since the summer.

#8 02-16-2010, 10:47 PM

thawed shrimp only and table sized on the big ones break it up if you think it is to big they are very nutritional for the Nem as they have a bit of iodine in them. Myisis shrimp are cold fresh water shrimp not salt water and do not have the same properties in them you can feed them to the Nem they are higher in protien value if they are the PC myisis shrimp. Cleaner shrimp will take stuff from Long tenetical Nems Mine do all the time.

Bill