What is the proper way to handle coral and anemones?

[Nick48]

What is the proper way to handle coral and anemones? I understand alot of them sting. I would like to add some to the tank in a few months. I just dont want to hurt them or myself.

 

[thincat]

First off, welcome to AA. What kind of tank do you have? What lights do you have, How old is you setup. All these things need to be answered first before I can help you.

 

[melosu58]

Moved to SW Reef discussion forum.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Handling corals will really depend on the type of coral. My opinion is that it's best to always handle them with rubber/latex gloves, just to be safe. Everyone has different allergies and sensitivities to chemicals, and there's really no way to know how someone will react to a coral "sting". Then again, it's not often I do that myself anymore.

Zoanthids.... ALWAYS handle with some type of protection - Google "palytoxin" and you'll understand.

There's also different ways of actually holding/handling them, but that depends on the type of coral. Best thing is to ask your LFS, or post up a specific type of coral here for advice. A generic bit of advice for LPS corals... don't touch the living tissue, and try and hold it by the exposed skeleton.

Can't help ya with anemones... never had one.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

With anemones. Don't try to hold it by it's base. He will try to stick to you. Hold him from the top since generally they will be closed up when you bring one home. Find a spot that's generally away from other corals. Maybe close to a hole bc generally they will move and hide bc they are kinda skiddish until they get used to the water movement and lighting. Beware they will move and you may have to move coral away from them. As said, get some rubber gloves to avoid the toxins and stings that corals use.

I think I'm pretty safe. I handled my hammer coral and my frog spawn with bare hands but used a glove for my anemone. Honestly. I was a bit more scared of having a reaction to the stings.

 

[cmor1701d]

Please tell all about your tank, size lighting, filtration, substrate, water change schedule, current water parameters for SG, pH, Ca, Alk, Mg, PO4, and anything else you can tell us.
How long has the tank been set up and cycled and what's in it.

I also believe that anemones belong in the oceans and not in our tanks. Too many of them die within a year in our tanks while their lifespan in the wild is so long that it is unknown.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

Please tell all about your tank, size lighting, filtration, substrate, water change schedule, current water parameters for SG, pH, Ca, Alk, Mg, PO4, and anything else you can tell us.
How long has the tank been set up and cycled and what's in it.

I also believe that anemones belong in the oceans and not in our tanks. Too many of them die within a year in our tanks while their lifespan in the wild is so long that it is unknown.

This....

I believe this is the best answer. I honestly wish I hadn't put mine in my tank. But my uncle has been successful with them. He ha had a tank for 17 years and has tons of them that he's constantly giving them away to keep the population down.

 

[cmor1701d]

If they are constantly splitting there may be a problem in his tank. Anemones split when stressed as a method of self preservation.

 

[Idaho-Tank]

Zoanthids.... ALWAYS handle with some type of protection - Google "palytoxin" and you'll understand..

Great advice. People really need to be careful with Zoas & Palys - getting exposed to palytoxin is not fun - ask me how I know.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

If they are constantly splitting there may be a problem in his tank. Anemones split when stressed as a method of self preservation.

I just recently was told this as well. Now I was talkin to my uncle ad he said he was having problems getting his nitrates down. They were up but not extreme. He then started doing a VODKA TREATMENT. have any of you heard of this? Keep in mind this tank is 17 years old and fully stocked....as shown!....

And they aren't dying or anything. Obviously there isn't a lot of movement out of them either. Also. With the vodka treatment the nitrates have gone down. Just helped him move a 180 gallon into his house yesterday so he is getting rid of his 75.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm not seeing tons of anemones in that tank. Or did you mean mushrooms? I definitely see tons of those!

 

[mr_X]

i would use gloves whenever possible. not so much so you don't get stung, but so you don't harm the coral. we pick up lots of things on our hands in a day, and even soap isn't the best thing to be touching to the surface of a coral.
i had a large sps colony that i grew from a tiny frag that i touched one day, just to snip a tiny piece off (which i've done many times before), and the next day it was completely dead.
i believe this was from something that was present on my hands. i never removed it from the water.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

I'm not seeing tons of anemones in that tank. Or did you mean mushrooms? I definitely see tons of those!

No there all small anemones. I bet there are close to 20 in there. Not aiptaisia either. He gave me a couple. And now one of the stupid things are on the glass but before that he sat in the same spot for over a month.

 

[Nick48]

First off, welcome to AA. What kind of tank do you have? What lights do you have, How old is you setup. All these things need to be answered first before I can help you.

I have a 20 gal, its very new. I have 50/50 floresent lighting. As you can see, im very new

 

[mr_X]

you most likely need stronger lighting to sustain those creatures.

 

[Sharkbait_Ls1]

How long have you had the tank? Is everything brand new? If so your going to need to let it Cycle first. Definitely look into better lights. Some T5 bulbs would work great since you have a smaller tank.

 

[Soundtrigger]

Not bad dude lots of mushrooms