zooxanthellae concentration

muecyl · 03-15-2007, 01:25 PM

I adventured out and bought a Haitian pink tip anemone (Condylactis). I stuck with a cheep one until I feel confident to purchase a nicer one. I have read on the forum here that the zooxanthellae can deplete and slowly kill the anemone. How do I know if the zooxanthellae are low in population, can you tell by less pigment in the tentacles? If the zoos are depleting is there a specific diet ( shrimp vs. krill, etc) that can boost the growth of zoos?

Also has anyone ever lost any fish to a condylactis anemone?

Any imput would be much appreciated!

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coral reefer · 03-15-2007, 02:16 PM

The pigment found in Condylactis Anemone's is not Zooxanthellae! Zooxanthellae is a green/brownish color appearance in many corals and anemone's tissue! All other colorations are due to different pigmentations responsible for the protecting of the animal from intense light and damaging UV rays associated with bright light!
Most times you can tell when a coral or Anemone is expelling its Zooxanthellae because you can actually see it being expelled as brownish strands-thus a bleaching reaction will take place. If a symbiotic animal expells its zooxanthellae, something is wrong and if not corrected quicky, it will die!
For Anemones, intense light for most of them, ideal water parameters, constant temperature and a tank free of red-legged hermits(they eat Condy anemone's) with target feedings once or twice a week! Be careful also as they pack a punch and move around alot and will sting and injure other corals, anemones, and fish!

muecyl · 03-15-2007, 03:41 PM

I have mainly focused my first year of my tank on just learning the basics and establishing lots of nice algae on my live rock. I agree fully that you should go slow and let it grow advice from Matt. I have been very sparely when adding anything new to my tank. I have two damsels and one cardinal (not as nice as the one coral reefer posted the other day) and a few inverts and mushrooms.

In reference to your comment on the excrement’s: My Condylactis bunches into a ball often and when it opens back up it lets out stringy shtuff, not sure if it is what you are speaking of...??? its poo I read come out the same hole as it eats due to the fact in has only one orphus. How do I tell the differences of poo vs. zoo's?

I might just be paranoid, I just like knowing what is going on...

I read your(coral reefer) article and did not know your preferred choice on adding trace elements?

I have lots of coralline algae growth so I think my water quality is somewhat good, however I need to get a test kit that test: iodine, zinc, bromide and copper.

The Condylactis has not really moved more that 4 inches so I don’t think it is avoiding or searching for better light...

Thanks again...

mm2002 · 03-15-2007, 05:14 PM

I'm not a reef pro, and I'm not sure about the particular makeup of Condys, but in the past I've had several of them (and they lived a LONG time). They all seemed to migrate towards brighter light, but they did move around the tank a LOT. I hand fed mine minnows from the local bait shop and they loved them! One minnow a week worked out great. Once I got the pattern down, about two to three days after a feeding, they would shrivel up, and squirt out the brown stringy stuff. Then by the next day they were full and ready to eat again. I never had a single one die off, and I kept them for a few years.
I don't know about them stinging corals, because I never kept any, but I had tons of mushrooms and rock anemones, and they never bothered them. I also had a tomato clown which lived in one of them, and another with a pair of percs. They were a lot of fun, and a great bang for the buck.

Tangster · 03-15-2007, 05:40 PM

If you have the needed lighting it will darken in color even change colors depending how long it was in a holding situation. Its the Zoo's that are increasing in numbers producing the colors under the stronger lights that cause this change Like a sun tan (: If they are expelled then it will be a white pale color..

coral reefer · 03-15-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muecyl

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I read your(coral reefer) article and did not know your preferred choice on adding trace elements?

...

I don't know if I understand your question about choice on adding trace elements, but I will try to answer it as I think your asking:
I dose iodine(Lugol's), strontium, calcium(kalkwasser), iron, alkalinity buffer, vitamin c and garlic+ occassionally I dose vitamins and trace elements as well. I however do water changes weekly to also add the trace elements as I know that they get consumed through absorbtion and adsorbtion either by livestock or my skimmer and carbon addition!
Some of these I will drip in a dosing chamber, while other times I jusr add it to my water in the sump or add additional amounts of these commodities in my RO/DI water for water changes each week!

muecyl · 03-16-2007, 04:59 PM

Thank you CR!, yes that answered my question.

Condylactis behavior- On the issue of retracting to a bulb and opening up of the Condylactis- behaviorally how many times a week or day is considered healthy???