What factors would affect anemone colour?

[Quinn]

Obviously, lighting levels, feeding, etc. My M. doreensis is an odd case, however. When I bought it, it had some beige striping on its tentacles. At this time, these have faded to the same colour as the rest of the animal, a rather earthwormy pink colour. Any ideas? Should I be at all concerned? Remember, this is an animal which has never accepted food from me during the time I have owned it.

[EmilyB]

A LTA that doesn't eat? What are you trying to feed it?

[BCOrchidGuy]

Quinn, do you have any clowns hosting in it or anything? any chance food is getting to it somehow?

Doug

[Quinn]

I have two black saddlebacks hosting in it. I have never seen them take it any food, although the other day I dropped a pebble into the tank while I was doing some work and the female took it to the anemone. They don't do that with anything else that I know of.

I have tried feeding it two types of mysis, as well as raw prawn. It accepts neither. Yesterday I tried a piece of frozen mysis again and it looked like it was slowly moving to eat it when the female clown started banging the anemone, thereby causing the mysis to begin coming apart. As soon as my tang saw this it was in there and suddenly all my fish were going all out on the mysis magically emanating from the anemone. The anemone doesn't go for the food as fast as I understand it is supposed to.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Wow Quinn that's to bad, I've watched clowns grab food and take it to the anemone, I wasn't sure if they were trying to feed the anemone or trying to keep the food safe from other fish and the anemone was just being a parasitic feeder (IE taking advantage of the clowns)

Doug

[robbyville]

Hey Quinn,

While this does not answer the coloring question it should be mentioned that if you have clowns hosting in the anemone there should not really be a need to feed it. Mine certainly don't refuse food, but I have not directly fed my anemones in almost a year (and they still grow more than I would like). My understanding is that this is a part of the symbiotic relationship. Remember that the anemone is also eating the waste from the clown (I believe).

Good luck,

Rob