New White Sand Anemone

[gkleyer]

So I bought a white send anemone and he seems to be doing great but I have a question regarding care/feeding and movement. Do I actually feed the anemone and if so what do I feed him and how often. I am also curious to know if they are supposed to be moving. He seems to moving about the tank at his leisure. Is he looking for a better place to hang out at or is the associated with feeding? Any ideas would be helpful.

Jerry

[MacDracor]

All anemones can move, some do so more than others. Can you provide a picture? I am assuming you are referring to the Sebae Anemone Heteractis malu, but I can't be sure. Common names can be misleading.
Short answer though is that anemones will move around the tank until they find a place they find suitable. Be forewarned, they can damage corals in the process.

[Holygral]

if he is new and not settled in, hard your power heads as he will get sucked into one

[gkleyer]

Mac,

You are correct it is a Sebae Anemone and is about three inches across. It's a new tank with only live rock, one clown fish and several turbo snails. I wanted to buy something my clown would like hanging out in, but as of now the clown hovers mid to high in the tank and the anemone is on the bottom. Perhaps I was hoping for too much for the Percula clown and anemone to pair up. Is there anything I can do to help this happen? I bought a few raw tiger prawns from the local market and cut a small piece and fed it to the anemone. I ensured it was small in order to digest it before it went bad. The little guy seemed to like it because it wet right to the center and down it went. I have read that if the anemone and clown pair up, that I won't have to feed the anemone much but if they don't I should feed it a small piece of shrimp once a week.

I have another question regarding my tank. Since it's a 55gal, would I be OK to buy another clown or two and put them in the tank? I read Maroon clowns can be more aggressive than other types. Would I be OK with buying a couple of black Percula clowns? Any suggestions?

[Cantareadio]

I just got a sebae, hes about 5 inches across

Why do you have to feed them less if they have a clown fish?

[gkleyer]

Cantareadio,

It is my understanding that if the anemone isn't paired with a clown, he receives very little nutrients. The Anemone is a living organism and needs to feed just like anything else. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Leighton79]

If the nem is receiving plenty of light, feeding isn't required. It will get all the energy it requires from photosynthesis. It will more than likely perish due to unstable parameters due to the immature tank.

Good luck.

[Cantareadio]

Originally Posted by gkleyer

Cantareadio,

It is my understanding that if the anemone isn't paired with a clown, he receives very little nutrients. The Anemone is a living organism and needs to feed just like anything else. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Yes they need to feed. What I meant was why would having a clown fish cause it to be more nurished?

[gkleyer]

Because the anemone feeds off what the clown doesn't eat and it's poop...haha...No better way to say it

[Cantareadio]

Originally Posted by gkleyer

Because the anemone feeds off what the clown doesn't eat and it's poop...haha...No better way to say it

Just sounds odd to me I guess...that the clown would bring back food to the anemone. But mine havent paired yet so idk

[Starchar]

The bigger issue here is the maturity of the tank. Most nems will not do well in a tank that will likely be swinging parameters. As far as the feeding is concerned there is a large contingency that believe that feeding a nem is only likely to decrease its life expectancy and that it should receive almost all of its nourishment from photosynthesis. I am no expert but I have read articles that go both ways on feeding and I am sure it varies largely by species.

[Leighton79]

Originally Posted by Starchar

The bigger issue here is the maturity of the tank. Most nems will not do well in a tank that will likely be swinging parameters. As far as the feeding is concerned there is a large contingency that believe that feeding a nem is only likely to decrease its life expectancy and that it should receive almost all of its nourishment from photosynthesis. I am no expert but I have read articles that go both ways on feeding and I am sure it varies largely by species.

Just said that 8 hours previously.....