Sabae Yellow with Purple tips....now Brown but mine isn't?

[xxnonamexx]

I bought a yellow Sabae anenome with purple tips and it is still yellow with purple tipes. My friend bought one the same type same day etc. and it is now turning brown. I heard brown is healthy but mine is nice and full bloom if it turns brown it will look ugly.

 

[Brisc0]

It is not uncommon for anemones to be sold "bleached" to provide a more unique looking appearance to the end buyer. Could be coloring back up to its true color (brown) or could be that your friend isn't providing it with enough light to keep its color.

 

[xxnonamexx]

People on this board have told me that the brown means it is getting healthy? Mine is still a nice bright white color. So it is possible that mine can stay this nice color?

 

[ZoozFishMaster]

If the anemone is pure white, it could be an inidication that it has lost its symbiotic zooxanthellae algae (which through photosynthesis provides the anemone with some nutrition). This is also called "bleaching." If the anemone has sinced turned brown I would assume that is has regained its zooxanthellae. HTH

 

[xxnonamexx]

so mine isn't good then? It looks healthy? It is fully opened. The clownfish loive it.

 

[oyf709]

as long as u still see yellow, it is fine, once u see the yellow fading to white, then its kinda over for its life.

 

[xxnonamexx]

But it looks healthy it is in full bloom well attached. I don't understand. What can I do to help it?

 

[Brisc0]

I have a feeling you were sold a bleached anemone. I suggest starting here with this example from Bob Fenner and researching further into what you need to do to try and save your Crispa

*adding the link would help*

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm

 

[Fluff]

It's not impossible for a bleached anemone to survive, but it's not the best thing for them. If the anemone is healthy then I'd leave it alone. It will get food from you feeding the tank and with good water and light, it will eventually recover and regain it's coloring. It will take some time though. And, while the white is nice to look at, for the health of the anemone I wouldn't want it to stay that way.

 

[ZoozFishMaster]

as long as u still see yellow, it is fine, once u see the yellow fading to white, then its kinda over for its life.

I do not believe this is true. About 5 months ago, I was given a pure white purple tipped sebae anemone as well as a clark's clown. Knowing that this anemone was bleached I could only be hopeful for its future. The anemone also was not "sticky" to the touch and didn't react when I touched it (which worried me). However, it looked stunningly beautiful and the clownfish absolutely loved it. I acclimated it and threw it in my tank. It wasn't long before the anemone wedged itself behind a rock, receiving absolutely no direct lighting at all. Within a short time, the condition of the anemone seemed to worsen: it took on an almost transparent coloration, not white but clear.

Knowing that the anemone was not being nourished by any zooxanthellae, I had been trying to feed it heavily. Every day I was offering it krill, silversides, squid, etc with no luck at all. The anemone seemed to have no interest in any food. The clownfish was also diligent in trying to feed it but it seemed that the food was simply blown off of the "non sticky" tentacles. I was expecting the worse.

However a few weeks ago the anemone once again relocated. This time it came right out in the center front of the tank (receiving direct lighting). I inspected the anemone and was happy to see little brown dots starting the cover the tentacles of the anemone. I was glad to learn that the zooxanthellae algae was returning. I quickly grabbed a piece of krill and placed it within the anemone's tentacles. It quickly and voraciously pulled it to its mouth. I was very excited! Since then, the anemone is becoming more and more brown spots and covering the anemone. I am fortunate and very excited that it has recovered.

However, as Fluff mentioned, apparently it is not totally impossible for an anemone to survive without its zooxanthellae. I read an article posted on another webpage which explained how someone had been keeping anemones for years with little to no light at all. Fortunately anemones are able to receive nutrition in more than one way: zooanthellae algae, plankton, unexpecting fish or invertebrate, nitrogeneous waste of the clownfish. The author of the article insisted that if the anemone is fed heavily enough, it does not need any zooxanthellae to survive. He explained that the anemone could be as white as snow and still be receiving all of the nutrition it needs. Just something to think about. HTH.