Anemone down after eating - okay or not ?

[Idech]

I fed my BTA a piece of shrimp and a few hours later, that’s how I found it.

Did I give it too big of piece ? Is this normal or something to worry about ?

Thanks !

 

[Seancj]

That is odd behavior after feeding, but give it time. Smaller pieces are better than larger pieces. A nem that size, maybe a pinky nail size piece, or smaller, once a week or every other week.

 

[Idech]

That is odd behavior after feeding, but give it time. Smaller pieces are better than larger pieces. A nem that size, maybe a pinky nail size piece, or smaller, once a week or every other week.

I gave it maybe the size of a small thumb nail. I’ll go smaller next time.

The thing is it has stringy, long polyps, except after being fed. Then the polyps get fatter, and even one or two polyps recover their bubble tips. So I thought it needed more food to keep the bubble tip fat shape on the polyps.

 

[Seancj]

I gave it maybe the size of a small thumb nail. I’ll go smaller next time.

The thing is it has stringy, long polyps, except after being fed. Then the polyps get fatter, and even one or two polyps recover their bubble tips. So I thought it needed more food to keep the bubble tip fat shape on the polyps.

Nope, feeding should have no impact on its tentacle/polyp shape, except during actual feeding when it grasps the food item. We still are not certain why some BTA's keep the bubble tips and others the long skinny shape tentacles/polyps. I have several clones of the same rainbow BTA in my tank, some have the nice bubble tips, others right next to them have the long thin tips.

 

[Idech]

Nope, feeding should have no impact on its tentacle/polyp shape, except during actual feeding when it grasps the food item.

Mine must be special then. Whenever it eats, the polyps become thicker, shorter and a few bubble tips appear. This lasts maybe 24-48 hours. After that it becomes more and more stringy until it eats again.

I’ll take a picture tomorrow to show you.

 

[D-Nak]

If you still have the package, check the ingredients in your shrimp. It may have an additive/preservative called STPP. Anemones act strangely after ingesting shrimp with STPP but often bounce back a few days later.

 

[Idech]

If you still have the package, check the ingredients in your shrimp. It may have an additive/preservative called STPP. Anemones act strangely after ingesting shrimp with STPP but often bounce back a few days later.

I don’t have a package. It was from a homemade pokebowl I bought (no dressing of course).

Thanks for the info though, I’ll make sure there is no STPP if I buy frozen shrimps.

 

[D-Nak]

I don’t have a package. It was from a homemade pokebowl I bought (no dressing of course).

Thanks for the info though, I’ll make sure there is no STPP if I buy frozen shrimps.

You'll want to feed only raw, uncooked shrimp (so nothing out of our poke bowl).

 

[Idech]

You'll want to feed only raw, uncooked shrimp (so nothing out of our poke bowl).

I realized after giving it that it wasn’t raw. I usually give it raw salmon.

Here it is the next day.

 

[D-Nak]

It's already looking better. It should make a full recovery.