Feeding an Anemone

[gumboil]

I've recently bought a pink Condylactis gigantea anemone for my marine aquarium and I'm a novice on keeping anemones.

I'm having difficulty figuring out what I can use to drop food on to the anemone. Small pieces of fish or cockle cannot be dropped down on to the anemone as the current in the tank blows them "off course" and I don't feel it's accurate enough ( I don't want to have to switch the powerhead off every time I feed it). I've tried a tweezers but I think there could be something better - I don't want to put my hand anywhere near the anemone!

I also want to try to feed it brine shrimp and I can't begin to imagine what to use to hold the mush long enough to place it on the anemone.

[hammerman]

Right....all anemones get 90% of their food scource from the symbiotic algea that lives within the anemone. The algea needs very bright light to photosynthesize and therefore produce the sugars and starches needed for the anemone.

However, the occasional bulk feed of a bit of mussell or cockle does no harm. I always use my fingers to place the food directly into the tenticles. failing that, a set of aquarium tongs should do the trick.

You shouldn't have to feed brine shrimp....but if you do, defrost some in tank water in a little plastic tub and then use a turkey baster to blow them at the anem.

You shouldn't worry about turning powerheads off for feeding. It won't cause any problems at all.

[gumboil]

Thanks hammerman for the advice - you've obviously been at it longer than I have.

I'm a bit wary of putting my fingers near the tentacles because I don't want to get stung by the nematocysts which I understand can either sting or induce an allergic reaction. I think I'll get aquarium tongs as you suggest although I was trying to think of something to improvise for the job that I already have at home.

Most of the brine shrimp I sprinkle on the water surface once each day is eaten by the fish. I think the anemone does manage to catch the odd one or two all the same. I defrost the brine shrimp using exactly the method you suggest - I use an old plastic tablet container. The turkey baster is a good idea.

I think what I find difficult to accept is that really speaking, I don't have to feed it all because its so self-sustaining given the right conditions. I feel I'm depriving it of food.

How much of its food does it obtain by filter feeding and how often would you advise me to feed it cockle or mussel? The fishkeeper in the Maidenhead Aquatics branch I bought it from told me he had fed it a whole cockle the day before I bought it and it would not need feeding for a week. Is a whole cockle too much at a time?

[hammerman]

Condylactis are one of the hardiest anems you can keep. They are also one of the quickest growing and the only way to control their growth is to limit their food....in this case bulk feeding.

My malu got fed twice a week but it was the size of a dinner plate....maybe you should be feeding yours once a week with a single cockle or mussell.

I'd personally forget the brineshrimp. Anmens are not filter feeders but as mentioned, bulk feeders. You can use the brineshrimp/turkey baster method for feeding things like yellow polyps and some LPS corals (bubble coral being a good example)

Anmens won't sting you pr bring you out in a rash....even the aggressive ones such as stoichatis (carpet anems) only feel sticky....they won't hurt i promise.

Get yourself on to http://www.uk-aquarist.com/index.php?act=idx ......lots of helpful people on there who will answer any questions you have

[gumboil]

That's great information hammerman.

Thank you again.