Purple Tube Anemone

[aadair22]

My LFS has one and like them a lot, just can't find a lot of information on keeping them.. does anyone have experience with them?

looks identical to this one Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den® - Cerianthus membranaceus

 

[Sniperhank]

They aren't photosynthetic and need fed daily. There is a stigma that they are fish eaters, but I highly doubt it can catch a healthy fish and eat shrimp like we feed them.

 

[aadair22]

Yes I knew they were nps, I was kind of worried about it stinging a killing fish, but you don't think that would be a problem?

Any idea if they can move around like other nems?

 

[obscurereef]

They're no photosynthetic and like a shaded spot. Ideally, a 6" sand bed is best for them, but they can survive with less. Mine does fine in a 3" sand bed. It's I'm too much light though so it only comes out at night. I have numerous gobies that have come near it and my cleaner shrimp who went in its tentacles many times to steal food and was never captured/consumed. I feed my tue anemone cyclops, Rotifers, freeze dried Copepods, and sometimes mini mysis about every other day. You should have an established reef tank and a deep enough sandbed.

 

[obscurereef]

Yes I knew they were nps, I was kind of worried about it stinging a killing fish, but you don't think that would be a problem?

Any idea if they can move around like other nems?

They aren't considered anemones so they don't move around.

 

[aadair22]

They aren't considered anemones so they don't move around.

What are they considered? A tube worm of sorts? While googling info about them I saw a lfs had sold one as a tube worm

 

[aadair22]

Thank you for the info btw

 

[obscurereef]

A coral I believe. Ill have to check that, but anemones are inverts and this tube "anemone" is a nps coral.

 

[Budda619]

Anemone only needs to be fed once a week. Yes there is such a thing as over feeding, as they will never turn down a free meal. I would pick one that is a little easier to care for if its your first anemone.

 

[aadair22]

Anemone only needs to be fed once a week. Yes there is such a thing as over feeding, as they will never turn down a free meal. I would pick one that is a little easier to care for if its your first anemone.

I would love to have an bta but worried about it moving around.. That's what makes this one attractive.. Aside from its nice flowy purple tentacles of course

 

[aadair22]

A coral I believe. Ill have to check that, but anemones are inverts and this tube "anemone" is a nps coral.

After a google search, it is an anemone, just a different genus of them.

 

[obscurereef]

Sorry for the wrong info. I just looked and they belong to an entirely different subclass of Anthozoans (based on what Wikipedia said).

 

[obscurereef]

This was the website I looked at before I got mine: http://scienceblogs.com/photosynthesis/2009/08/24/when-most-people-think-of/

 

[Budda619]

You will never know unless you try. I would say go for it!

 

[aadair22]

Interesting article obscurereef. Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Sniperhank]

If I was in your shoes, and I just was at my LFS actually, I would skip on him until your tank is more established (thinking that 2-3 weeks ago you had some sort of issue in your tank I had chimed in on). There were 2 small sebae anemone there, and I've always wanted a sebae. But I thought to this post and passed on it to role model, not because my tank is new but because it is beyond full.

 

[aadair22]

If I was in your shoes, and I just was at my LFS actually, I would skip on him until your tank is more established (thinking that 2-3 weeks ago you had some sort of issue in your tank I had chimed in on). There were 2 small sebae anemone there, and I've always wanted a sebae. But I thought to this post and passed on it to role model, not because my tank is new but because it is beyond full.

Mmm... Only issues I've had was a little bit of hair algae popping up, and that's under control.. Sure it was me? Either way though, I'm not 100% set on it, just wanted some info on it since I've been looking at them for a while

 

[Sniperhank]

I understand that. I'd like one of these guys too, just no room for it. But, if the issue feeding the hair algae is solved then you should be in the clear.

 

[aadair22]

I understand that. I'd like one of these guys too, just no room for it. But, if the issue feeding the hair algae is solved then you should be in the clear.

I had picked up some phycopure and used it a couple of times and it started popping up.. Never had any issues till I used it, and now that I stopped using it, the algae is going away.. Imagine that.. Haha.

 

[Sniperhank]

Which is why I advocate minimal feeding. I have tons of different foods for things, but it usually leads to algae creeping up.