Sebae Anemone Problem??

dravenx · 03-26-2006, 03:49 PM

Hello,
Let me give you the tank setup first:

55 gal, fish only (dual filters, plenty of water flow, 2 bulbs - 1 18K Hi Intensity, 1 9K)
3 damsels (1 yellow - 1+ yrs, 1 yellow tailed blue 1+ yrs, 1 indigo - 10 mos)
1 small percula clown (not true) - 10 mos
1 camel back shrimp - 8 mos
1 purple tipped sebae anemone - 8 to 9 mos

I feed the anemone ZooPlex or Invertebrate Smorgasbord weekly. It has been very well, moving about, expanding, contracting. Just recently, it has contracted into a very small tight ball and almost looks as if it is turning inside out. I am concerned and wonder if I need to be worried. BTW, his color is white, no discoloration with bright purple tips and has been since I bought him. Any help would be appreciated.

coral reefer · 03-26-2006, 04:32 PM

Sometimes anemone's go intoa socalled ball as mine is doing now. It is nothing to be worried about at least for now and in the short period of time. I am not to familiar with anemone anatomy etc. so don't know why they do this. Maybe it is a way of getting ready to excrete the waste from their digestive system. Maybe it is a natural defense as it seems to do this mostly after I turn my lights off.

dravenx · 03-26-2006, 08:39 PM

I think you may have missed my meaning. I have seen mine "ball" up like an egg many times and it did not bother me. This time, it has turned the opposite way (inside out) and looks like an opened cactus. All its tips are also shrunk down as well.

Brandon1023 · 03-26-2006, 09:10 PM

any way we can see a pic? it doesnt sound good...inside out is never good. how long has it been like this? does it look like its "melting?" how many lights/bulbs? watts? type of light (VHO? PC? MH?)? "55 gal, fish only (dual filters, plenty of water flow, 2 bulbs - 1 18K Hi Intensity, 1 9K)" doesnt tell us much about ur lighting.....however you've had the seabae for about 9 months? thats a long time to thrive if your lighting isnt optimal (im not saying it isnt, but I cant tell with the info you gave)...........also how long has the tank been up and running? aren't seabaes just about one of the most difficult anemones to keep alive anyways? they dont do well in aquariums as it is....might not be anything you did, just that it cant live in captivity.

rayjay · 03-27-2006, 09:33 AM

First of all, let's debunk that myth that the sebae needs a lot of light.
You can keep them under lower light conditions but have to feed them more frequently. (Dr. Ron Shimeck posting when he was on RC)
My sebaes have been living under NO lighting for 12 years, AND THAT'S WITHOUT FEEDING THEM.
However, that being said, the sebae being white, has expelled it's zooxanthellae, and to regain that beige color it should have requires good health and sufficient light for the zooxanthellae to regrow. It can live without the zooxanthellae, but it requires, again, that good health I mentioned, and proper food for it's survival.
Rather than feed it large chunks of food, just feed smaller sized pieces and much more of it. (mysis, brine shrimp, similar sized chopped pieces of various uncooked sea food)(cyclopeeze and other fine sized foods work but need a lot to make up for the small particle sizes) Feeding multiple types of food with varying particle size will work much better than feeding just one or two different things.
For your sebae, it looks like the odds are against it living much longer as I have only seen one sebae come back after turning itself inside out.

dravenx · 03-27-2006, 04:41 PM

Picture: I don't really have a good picture of it.

Lighting: It is a standard bulb like you buy with the aquarium hoods, it is just 18000 lumens as opposed to the 9000 lumen that come in standard kits.

Feeding: I feed the anemone ZooPlex or Invertebrate Smorgasbord weekly.