Feeding your Nem? Stop and read this first.

[laverda]

According to some very respected sources, anomones can up take nutrients directlyy from the water column. Specifically nitrates. I have also heard they can up take amonia directly. That does not mean they will tolerate measurable amounts with hobbiest test kits of ammonia. I know Anthony Gallo used to recommend dosing nitrates to people propagating anemones. I think the need for nitrate may be one of the reasons they do so poorly in new tanks.

 

[davocean]

Like I said, no one that I can see, certainly not me, are trying to tell anyone what to do.
It's a discussion site sharing experiences and information, that's how we learn, and most of us are just trying to help others.

I've been keeping sea anemone's 33 years now, I'm just sharing my years of observation and all that I've read on reef sites over the years, but again, take the information for what it's worth and do as you wish, no arm twisting here.

 

[davocean]

According to some very respected sources, anomones can up take nutrients directlyy from the water column. Specifically nitrates. I have also heard they can up take amonia directly. That does not mean they will tolerate measurable amounts with hobbiest test kits of ammonia. I know Anthony Gallo used to recommend dosing nitrates to people propagating anemones. I think the need for nitrate may be one of the reasons they do so poorly in new tanks.

Actually high nitrates are something we try to avoid, and if someone is advising adding nitrates for the purpose of propagation it is probably just inducing a stress split due to less than optimal conditions.
Many seem fooled that continuous splitting is a sign of success...

 

[mta_morrow]

I have had a rose bubble and clowns in each of my 2 tanks. Both nems went in a month after cycle completed. Neither moved more than a couple inches as long as I owned them.

I feed them randomly. Mysis, chopped oyster or mussels, even salmon.

My avatar was my 1st nem.

This is my current nem. It was given to me maybe a bit smaller than a quarter when it first opened up. It’s now quadrupled in size in less than 2 months.

It resides on the top of the rock work at about 210 par as measured with a seneye.

Just sharing my 2 experiences, not promoting anything.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

What is a bad silverside? Didn’t know there was such a thing.

Could be a batch with a bad preservative. There has been many a seafood recall because of it, and that’s seafood for human consumption not something meant for the pet trade. Not saying that’s what he had happen but it’s certainly possible.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Actually high nitrates are something we try to avoid, and if someone is advising adding nitrates for the purpose of propagation it is probably just inducing a stress split due to less than optimal conditions.
Many seem fooled that continuous splitting is a sign of success...

Splitting ime occurs when the nem is stressed to the max or is gigantic. If your 4” bta is splitting i would be checking everything for a problem. If your dinner plate sized nem is splitting it may just be time for a split.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I have had a rose bubble and clowns in each of my 2 tanks. Both nems went in a month after cycle completed. Neither moved more than a couple inches as long as I owned them.

I feed them randomly. Mysis, chopped oyster or mussels, even salmon.

My avatar was my 1st nem.

This is my current nem. It was given tom maybe a bit smaller than a quarter when it first opened up. It’s now quadrupled in dive in less than 2 months.

It resides on the top of the rock work at about 210 par as measured with a seneye.

Just sharing my 2 experiences, not promoting anything.

My nem from my last system. I’m sad I had to break that tank down [emoji24].

 

[Orcus Varuna]

My nem from my last system. I’m sad I had to break that tank down [emoji24].

But with new tanks come new anemones [emoji23]

 

[Amoo]

I didn't realize 30 years changed science. We'll have to give that gravity thing another look if that's the case....

 

[pajin]

It actually changed a lot. Now we have a lot more information, understanding and techniques. Does eating eggs cause high cholesterol? Now it seems not, but several years ago scientists claimed it does. One paper doesn't prove a thing. I'm not saying the data it the article are not right, I just don't see there any relevance to feeding anemones.

I didn't realize 30 years changed science. We'll have to give that gravity thing another look if that's the case....

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I didn't realize 30 years changed science. We'll have to give that gravity thing another look if that's the case....

In all three domains of marine science (Biology, Chemistry, Geology) the understanding of our oceans hasn’t just changed it’s been revolutionized over the half century since those articles were written. Hell the theory of plate tectonics was considered radical and wasn’t validated until the 60’s. As for marine biology we didn’t even have modern classifications for most marine life let alone a true understanding of the anatomical structures and their uses in soft bodied cnidarians. What I’m trying to say is the 60’s was the Wild West for Marine Science and I would take any study from that period with a grain of salt.

 

[laverda]

Actually high nitrates are something we try to avoid, and if someone is advising adding nitrates for the purpose of propagation it is probably just inducing a stress split due to less than optimal conditions.
Many seem fooled that continuous splitting is a sign of success...

I did not say anything about high nitrates. I said a well respected authority and breader of anemones recommends nitrate as a food source for them.
Although in my experience high nitrates (60-120) do not bother them at all. I have found they were very unhappy when I got my nitrates close to zero. I currently have 9 BTAs that are 10-14 across and 2 smaller ones. I have been keeping BTAs for 24 plus years.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I did not say anything about high nitrates. I said a well respected authority and breader of anemones recommends nitrate as a food source for them.
Although in my experience high nitrates (60-120) do not bother them at all. I have found they were very unhappy when I got my nitrates close to zero. I currently have 9 BTAs that are 10-14 across and 2 smaller ones. I have been keeping BTAs for 24 plus years.

My experience as well. I’ll add that in addition to near zero nutrients high alkalinity and alkalinity spikes in particular will do a number on nems as well.

 

[laverda]

My experience as well. I’ll add that in addition to near zero nutrients high alkalinity and alkalinity spikes in particular will do a number on nems as well.

I agree. Alk spikes typically cause them to split in my experience.

 

[jack220]

My Clarkii clown fish feed their bubble tip and a long tentacle anemones every time I feed the tank. The big female is so aggressive she actually takes food from other fish and brings it to her anemone. Now the male learned to copy her! They feed the nems a lot. Anyone know what to do about that? This is in my 220 lps tank, I have quite a few fish in there. I will post some pics next week

 

[OrionN]

I keep Magnifica, Haddoni, Malu and Gigantea for many years. I keep other species too but these four are my favorites. Good clean water condition (nitrates and phosphate not detectable by hobby test kits) and appropriate amount of current for the species keep them looking their best. Feeding or not really depends on if I want them to grow. If I am happy with the size of the anemone, where they are, I don't spot feed them. If this is the case they grow very slowly. Otherwise, I feed them every 3rd day or so. I have got Gigantea for 4-5 inches size to 16 inches in 8 months with feeding.
There is no question that feeding anemones will get them to grow faster. I chose every 3 days because when my anemone happen to eat one of the medium size fish, they regurgitate the cleaned bone in 2 days or so. This is, IMO, sign that they finish digesting the fish. It really does not mater how often we feed if we feed small food. However, if the food is sizable, it will take time to process.
I don't have any study to back up what I do, but I spend a lot of time observing my animals. What I do is reasonable and certainly works. While it may not be the fastest way to grow anemone, they certainly seem healthy and grow well when I want them to. I am not in a race to see how fast I can grow my animal.
Given appropriate condition for the species, not feeding is fine. A veteran reefer will not be able to tell if my anemone have been feed regularly or no spot feed for years.

Two of my Giganteas

Magnifica and Gigantea

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I keep Magnifica, Haddoni, Malu and Gigantea for many years. I keep other species too but these four are my favorites. Good clean water condition (nitrates and phosphate not detectable by hobby test kits) and appropriate amount of current for the species keep them looking their best. Feeding or not really depends on if I want them to grow. If I am happy with the size of the anemone, where they are, I don't spot feed them. If this is the case they grow very slowly. Otherwise, I feed them every 3rd day or so. I have got Gigantea for 4-5 inches size to 16 inches in 8 months with feeding.
There is no question that feeding anemones will get them to grow faster. I chose every 3 days because when my anemone happen to eat one of the medium size fish, they regurgitate the cleaned bone in 2 days or so. This is, IMO, sign that they finish digesting the fish. It really does not mater how often we feed if we feed small food. However, if the food is sizable, it will take time to process.
I don't have any study to back up what I do, but I spend a lot of time observing my animals. What I do is reasonable and certainly works. While it may not be the fastest way to grow anemone, they certainly seem healthy and grow well when I want them to. I am not in a race to see how fast I can grow my animal.
Given appropriate condition for the species, not feeding is fine. A veteran reefer will not be able to tell if my anemone have been feed regularly or no spot feed for years.

Two of my Giganteas

Magnifica and Gigantea

Beautiful specimens, getting multiple healthy gigantea and a mag is truly a feat.

 

[Initialr]

those look amazing

 

[oceanrider]

, I would read the article with caution so as not to extrapolate it too much.

All tests done on Anemones are rather limited, since it if very hard to exactly measure each metabolism process, and see how it affects the anemone in the long run. With that said, it is great that Nems have alternate source of energy intake in the form of its symbiotic algae. .

Evolution made the anemones have tentacles for a reason.............to capture and ingest plankton and other prey items in the water column and wave actions. The frequency of prey capture depends on each location where the Nem chooses as its home, and varies widely, which is one reason why they have zooxanthalae algae as backup food generator.

I think that since most people do not expect nor want their Nems to reproduce, and since there is less predation or environmental factors that may kill the Nems, then there is less need to feed them.

Overall, I agree with once a week feeding to maybe once a month.


Anemones have cells that are constantly replaced, which means that they technically do NOT have any old cells, and do not age. IN theory at least, they can live forever, unlike humans, whom have many parts , many organs, and many systems that cannot regenerate nor be replaced. As the older cells gain years, they age, and become less functional and lose their adaptability.
In order to have a healtheir Nem, I still believe that some limited feeding is beneficial.

 

[oceanrider]

This article seems to be about aptasia, while I realize they are anemones, would all this info remain true for say quadricolor, mags, or condys?

Yes, I think it is fair to say that some of the data can be applied to similar Anemones, since they are overall all very simple organisms. But paradoxically, you are also correct to assume that other anemones may respond differently to food limitations, food quality, and rate of metabolism, as well as particular needs. Some cold water anemones have lower metabolism, while warm tropical Nems may operate at higher metabolism, and thus may require more food ? It is my guess.

Best to feed at your schedule,and gradually wean them off food slowly, by slowly increasing time between feedings, and actually feed when they seem unhappy and not extended