I bought live rock for my salt water tank and I found a sea anemone on it. It is about 1.5-2″ big, green with white tips. I have no idea how to care for it or feed it. Does it need special light? How much light per day (hours)? What do I feed it? I saw stuff online that says zoo plankton but other stuff says phyto plankton. Which is it? Will they eat brine shrimp? Copepods? Amphipods? Rotifers? I am confused because I saw so many things online but most articles said food is different for different sea anemones & I have no clue what type this is. It looks like the kind I see often here in California tide pools. Also, I have brittle stars & turbo snails. Is this a problem (as I also saw online that some starfish & snails eat anemones)? The more info. the better as I am clueless how to keep him alive & well. Any supplements I should buy that are natural foods or minerals they need?
From what I have seen online it does not look like aiptasia.
This one has a golden beige base (which disappears into the rock) & face, pink raised spot in middle of the round “face”. Tentacles are very short (about just 1/4 inch) & bit fat. They are mint green color and have white on the very end of the tips.
I now believe it is a Anthopleura elegantissima Sea Anemone. How do I feed, care for it? Will it be a problem in my tank? What fish, inverts. will it kill? What kill it?
I would kill it. It might probably be aiptasia anemone, which is a big problem on live rock. if you get an infestation, it will destroy your tank.
Report Spam/Abuse
You can buy special food for anemones, something like marine snow. Its liquid with tiny particles in it. The best way to feed it is using a syringe and squirting some of the chosen product slowly towards the anemone. You could also try brine shrimp etc. They usually like a lot of light. When you start to add fish, mention to the seller that you have an anemone and they will tell you if a certain fish is suitable or not. The best thing to do is buy an encyclopedia of marine fish and it will tell you if a fish is a risk to your anemones/ corals etc. Hope this helps!
Report Spam/Abuse
Anthopleura elegantissima is a carnivore, feeding on small crustacians such as copepods, isopods, amphipods, and other small animals that contact the tentacles.
Report Spam/Abuse