Anenome - Holy Catfish Batman!

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by Craig Manoukian, May 13, 2003.

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  1. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

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    Location:
    Marina del Rey, California
    [glow=red, 2, 100%]WOW!  Just got my new Green BTA.  Here is the story:

    8/1/02
    Maroon Clown - 1" Petco. refugee $15.  Medium BTA from liveaqaria.com $55 including shipping, 4" across.  These two lived happily together for 8 months until I dropped a cup of salt on the BTA and nuked it. >:(  

    Ordered a replacement BTA from my LFS.  I picked it up when the LFS got their shipment, so it went into my tank from the shipper.  They said it was a large and charged me $49.  It opened beautifully and was 8" across.  The only problem was it would not eat.  It wouldn't take target fed krill or mysis from the Maroon.  Unfortunately it starved to death about a month ago. :(

    My Maroon sulked for a couple three weeks and then started lightly hosting my button and green star polyps.  This last week he got serious about hosting my metalic green wellsophyllia.  He did such as good job, he was killing my coral.  It was now a Moron Clown fish! :p

    On Saturday, with good counsel from Wrassman, I decided I needed a new BTA and quick.  My LFS couldn't get one in until this coming Friday 5/16/03, and no guarantee on size.  After a review of on-line livestock suppliers, I decided on a medium tank raised BTA from MarineDepotLive.com.  The delivered price was $53 with a 5/13/03 delivery.  The fact that this anenome is already conditioned to target feeding was a big factor in my decision.  They were the lowest delivered price for a medium BTA that I found on-line.  Gotta watch that shipping fee.

    My BTA left Hawthorne, CA yesterday at 5:10 PM and I picked up the package at 9:30 AM this morning here in Reno, NV.  I dripped tank water to acclimate after floating to temp.  By 11:00 AM the BTA was in my tank and the Maroon found it in less than a minute.

    Upon returning home at 5:00 PM, I was delighted to find that the medium Green BTA is a whopping 10 - 12" across and fully open with engorged tentacles.  I'd like to see their large BTA!  My Maroon is hosting away and things are once again right in my tank.  Will wait a week to report more as this is the critical acclimation period for new livestock. [smiley=anxious.gif]

    The morals of the story are:

    1. Never get a cup of salt within one zillion miles from your open tank.

    2. Always check with MarineDepotLive for your livestock needs.  They get an A+ in my book! [smiley=victory.gif][/glow]

    :) ;) :D ;D 8)
     
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  3. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

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    Just upstairs to feed the crew mysis and the BTA is fully open and spans 12" across.  The Maroon is in hog heaven.

    Will call MarineDepotLive to see what the target feeding schedule was for this bad boy and get some krill ready for it!


    :) ;) :D ;D 8)
     
  4. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    Berkeley, CA
    Wow!! That's a big one! 8)

    Sounds like you got a deal Craig. Post pics.

    You should ask them what they fed it too. ;)
     
  5. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

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    No digital here, can I borrow yours?

    Will do on the menu question! Thanks for the tip!


    :) ;) :D ;D 8)
     
  6. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    No prob. I think just about everything benefits from a varied diet. My old anemone got chunks of just about everything I put it there. It wasn't always because of me as my Percula helped by grabbing food and giving it to the anemone.

    Usually it was Formula I or II. Formula I has krill and other meats in it. May be easier to digest than straight krill that isn't ground. But krill is pretty standard. When you use it, maybe dose it with liquid vitamins before giving it to the anemone.

    As for the camera, you are on your own pal. ;) ;D It's the only one I have. hehe.
     
  7. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

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    Just spoke to James Newman the MarineDepotLive Livestock Operations Manager. He has over twenty years experience in the wholesale retail end of this business in addition to diving in manty of the waters of origin for the livestock we keep in our reefs. A truly helpful and enthusiastic professional who I very much enjoyed visiting with.

    He says that they target feed their aqucultured anenomes silversides and raw shrimp twice per week. Uncooked shrimp or krill is fine as well as, I suppose, slices of raw halibut.

    Will be e-mailing James on another matter and will include a link to this thread!


    :) ;) :D ;D 8)
     
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  9. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    Cool. That's nice customer support.
     
  10. Wrassman

    Wrassman Peppermint Shrimp

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    [glow=Teal, 3, 80%]Wow !! Wow !! Wow !! That is an awesome anenome !!! Craig, you have to get a digital camera soon, man. You are KILLIN' me !!!

    I'm so glad you called the good people at MarineDepot. They are, IME, one of the best in the business at getting quality livestock to your front door at a reasonable price, ALIVE. Another very good online company that does this is TheMarineCenter. They are a little more expensive, but they do have wonderful livestock.[/glow]

    [glow=Brown, 3, 80%]Craig, I would leave that Wellsophylia sp. covered for a few days even though the Maroon seems to have forgotten all about him. Let's make sure that the Maroon's brain is flushed completely free of anything but his fantastic new buddy!!!

    And as far as feeding your BTA, I feed mine just about everything meaty (shrimp, fish, crabmeat, etc.). Mine had no symbiotic algae when I first got it (several months ago) and target feeding is the ONLY way to save a BTA that has been mistreated like that (totally bleached out, long stringy tentacles).[/glow]

    [glow=Maroon, 3, 80%]I'm happy to say now that my Maroon, BoBo, just loves his BTA. It is smaller than I would like; but it is doing well, considering that it was nearly dead when I got it. I just can't help posting a pic:[/glow]
    [​IMG]

    [glow=Red, 4, 60%]Keep us posted Craig!!! Everyone is interested now in your new anenome!!! Borrow a camera and get us a picture of it. Can't you see we are dying here??[/glow]
    [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif] [smiley=wave.gif]​
     
  11. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

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    JUST BEGGED A BUDDY OF MINE THAT HAS A COOL SONY DIGITAL AND HE SAYS HE'LL LOAN IT TO ME WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS!
     
  12. karlas

    karlas Fire Goby

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    id let ya borrow my camera

    but u really really need to get one so we can see this stuff [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]