anenome question

Seamonkey · #1 02-13-2003, 12:40 AM

I purchased a really nice LTA a few months ago. I was told it would be small, Ha. It is pinkish beige mostly with green at the tips which look really nice under the blue atinic light. My concern is this sucker really grew fast. It is gorgeous, seems healthy and happy and my two common clownfish love it. I do not know what type it is and don't have a picture but it might be a condy or malu. Any idea's how big these dude's get. My tank is 20 gallon and has numerous other corals. So far I have given it as much space as I can muster. Plus how on earth would I ever move it, it has a large foot wedged into the sand,
Thanks in advance for any info
PS this is my 1st post, no longer a virgin!

Jack · #2 02-13-2003, 01:26 AM

Hey, welcome to the board!

About your question, I would asume it is only going to get bigger, but I don't know for sure. I had a condy anemone once and it grew and grew up untill the last day I had it. I really don't have much of an answer but I just wanted to say hey cause it was your first post. I'm up in Comox, it's good to see another Island reef keeper.

I'm sure on of the other members will say hey and give you an answer real quick.

Delphinus · #3 02-13-2003, 04:35 AM

Hi and Welcome to Canreef!

Well from your description it does kind of sound like an LTA, Macrodactyla doreensis, but when you say it could also be a H. malu or a Condy ... those are rather completely different species. Got a picture you could share? That might help solidify the ID a bit.

LTA's do get rather large. Well ... frankly, all of the Pacific hosting species can get large if well cared for. So if it's getting big on you, you might be doing something right.

I think BTA's are probably the smallest of the bunch, most of the time they seem to stay at the 6" to 8" size, but then again I have personally seen morphs of that species that are well over 12"-14" in size, so even the small guys can get pretty impressive.

I don't have any experience with LTA other than I've seen and admired them in other people's tanks... but I know several people on this board who do have good experience with the species, so hopefully somebody else can jump in here and fill in the blanks for us. 8)

Once again, Welcome, and cheers.

mike miles · #4 02-13-2003, 04:37 AM

They grow very fast. how much do you feed you also might want to think about a larger tank.I have a fairly large anemome and it seems to be a bit of a pain some times but you cannot just get rid of it.they are neat to watch and the clowns need a place to play.you can see mine www.reefaquariumguide.com look in members tanks reefer mike. 8)

Mike

Doug · #5 02-13-2003, 12:53 PM

Welcome to Canreef Toni.

Seamonkey · #6 02-13-2003, 11:49 PM

Thanks Delphinus for your respose, everyone else to! After reading your reply I found a book at LFS on clowns and anenome's and I'm almost sure that is what it is. So anyone have any experience with one of these.
Toni

sumpfinfishe · #7 02-14-2003, 12:33 AM

Hey Toni, welcome aboard :!:
A few years back I kept a brown LTA, at first the LTA was about 4". I had two skunks that made it there host. I would feed it about once evey two weeks, and it had no problems eating a loonie size piece of frozen brine. If I didn't feed it, it would close up and retreat into the rocks-which really peed off the clowns. After 16 months it eventually outgrew my tank, reaching a whopping 14" in diameter. The trick I had to use to export this massive sucker out of my reef was a slow process that took about a week-but it really worked, and saved me tearing apart my entire reef. I used frozen tiger shrimp tied to a piece of plexi rod, then I would tease the LTA by waving the meat and brushing it against it's tentacle's. After doing this two or three times a day for almost a week. I had finally lured out the anenome enough that I could remove it from my reef without disturbing to much. I used rubber gloves so I could slowly peel it's foot off the bottom of the glass.When I finally got a hold of it, It took both hands to lift it out of my tank. The only problem I had was that I forgot that it would expel water once lifted out, so it ended up spraying me and my bedroom with about two cups of water.
A LFS had no problem selling it to a another happy customer. My advice I guess is to monitor you LTA because it seems like they can almost double in size "overnight". If you want something that stay's under control then I would suggest a BTA. Goodluck! and Happy Reefing

Seamonkey · #8 02-14-2003, 01:07 AM

Thanks sumpfinfishe for relaying you experiences with this beauty. I have enough room for more growth yet, but better to be ready. This guy is probably about 6 inches across his disk/mouth but is usually curled up a bit so does not spread out that much. His tentacles can sure reach though. I had to use a ornamental jar (for aquarium use ) to make some space between him and a real nice sea pen which is also attached into the sediment by a foot.
Thanks again everyone, this is fun.

StirCrazy · #9 02-14-2003, 01:34 AM

Hey toni, welcome to Canreef, always good to see more local people showing up on the board.

Steve

EmilyB · #10 02-14-2003, 02:08 AM

Welcome Seamonkey

I presume then you have identified your anemone as Macrodactyla doreensis.

I have kept one of these for almost four years now, and mine has been a hardy specimen, moving from NO, to PC, to MH over time, with good feeding of raw shrimp, etc. It is probably about 12-14" across when fully expanded. Not too huge an issue in a 155g....

It is a popular host anemone, I have had several clown species take to it, currently it is a second home for a pair of ocellaris.

The LTA will host bangaii cardinalfish as well, and my pair has gone into the anemone at times, however the clownfish do not really allow them, or the porcelain crab, much access.

IME, the LTA is not as aggressive to corals as many other species, nor does it have the inclination to move once settled (providing conditions remain constant).