Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog
tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1846807
2010-08-25T00:31:14-05:00
A freshwater, saltwater, reef aquarium and aquatic ecology blog with beginner and advanced articles, led reef aquarium lighting info, aquarium product reviews, and more!
TypePad
The Smithsonian Grows Two Anemone Species from Larvae!
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535f11c3d970c0133f34e2bde970b
2010-08-25T00:31:14-05:00
2010-08-25T16:13:29-05:00
The Smithsonian Museum's Invertebrate Exhibit has succesfully sexually propagated Urticina anemones! Unlike 'splitting' or 'fragging', the sexual propagation involves the fertilization of gametes and the successful growout of the anemone from larvae stage to adult stage, something that's much more difficult to do. I performed some research at A&M University that involved the study of Metridium anemone larvae, and let me tell you that raising them to adulthood hasn't been done! From the Smithsonian: "Washington, DC - The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has become the first in the zoo and aquarium community to use coral larvae settling techniques to successfully grow two species of anemones—an accomplishment that will provide the Zoo a unique opportunity to learn how anemones grow. We have many questions about how to care for these animals as they grow from larvae to adults,” said Mike Henley, an animal keeper at the Zoo’s Invertebrate Exhibit who applied the technique to the anemones after they had spawned. “The oceans are not an infinite resource and so anything that we can learn about the captive management of coral and anemones will go far in our ability to conserve them.” The anemones—both of which are commonly called Tealia red anemones under...
Merritt Adkins
Mike Maddox Appears in Advanced Aquarist
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535f11c3d970c01310f27765d970c
2010-02-21T19:12:34-06:00
2010-02-21T19:17:17-06:00
Fellow CA blog author Mike Maddox appears in Advanced Aquarist once again; and printed this time is his guide to caring for the challenging and large carpet anemones. For those of you unfamiliar with the publication, Advanced Aquarist is literally the best saltwater and reef aquarium publication for those that have progressed beyond the beginner stage, and has even been cited and mentioned in National Geographic. Second only to WetWebMedia in terms of sheer quantity of information, and arguably tied for quality, I can't recommend this (free!) publication enough! Want to catch up on back issues? Order the Advanced Aquarist book today! Like this? Please bookmark via the social bookmarking buttons below, subscribe to our free RSS feed, and sign up for our free weekly newsletter on the right! Share | © Captive Aquatics™ | CA Blog | Sponsor Info | Review Info
Merritt Adkins
Rare Carpet Anemone!
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535f11c3d970c0120a64d1b3d970c
2009-10-19T13:00:05-05:00
2010-07-21T02:13:48-05:00
Here is a video of a really neat purple/blue S. haddoni carpet anemone in one of our holding tanks in our small showroom. The anemone's color changes from purple to blue, depending on the angle at which you look at it. Very cool, I've never seen anything like it, so I thought I'd record a video - keep in mind, this is under 10k halide bulbs with NO actinics! For more information about these deadly giants, read all about carpet anemones here. Like this? Please bookmark via the social bookmarking buttons below, subscribe to our free RSS feed, and sign up for our free weekly newsletter on the right! Share | © Captive Aquatics™ | CA Blog | Sponsor Info | Review Info
Captive Aquatics
Four Anemone Tips
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535f11c3d970c0120a5b85e56970b
2009-10-03T05:00:02-05:00
2009-10-04T01:18:00-05:00
The author's purple S. haddoni carpet anemone, in a species biotope aquarium 1. Anemones are not reef crest animals, meaning they do not live in the same area as most corals. Anemones fare much better in species aquariums than they do in a reef aquarium. Anemones will move around, sting and/or kill corals, and can consume your fish! 2. Koralia pumps, powerheads, overflows, and other areas of high water flow can and will kill your anemone at some point. Cover anything with a high rate of flow with sponge, or be prepared for shredded anemone, killing everything in your aquarium. 3. Anemones in the wild do not die of old age, and can live for tens of centuries. Do not purchase one lightly, without taking the time to educate yourself regarding proper care, and setting up an aquarium specifically for your anemone. I highly recommend Wet Web Media as an excellent source of information for anemones (and other aquatic animals). You can also read my article about carpet anemone care. 4. Clownfish do not need an anemone to survive, thrive, or breed. They'll be perfectly happy without one! Like this? Please bookmark via the social bookmarking buttons below, subscribe to...
Captive Aquatics
Five Anemone Care Tips
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a010535f11c3d970c0120a59e4f04970c
2009-09-04T03:47:51-05:00
2012-05-14T03:16:19-05:00
Anemones are fascinating creatures, but have a poor survival record in captivity, are difficult to care for, and are not recommended for the beginner. However, for the dedicated aquarist, here are a few tips and tidbits for mastering the care of these amazing creatures! 1. Don't buy an anemone casually. Take the time to research the particular species you're interested in ahead of time, and have an appropriate home prepared. In the wild, anemones do not often occur in the same areas as corals, and need different requirements. The typical garden-reef style reef aquarium is not an ideal home for any anemone, especially in the long term. Anemones can live a long time, and in fact, do not die of 'old age', and can live for hundreds or thousands of years. Remember this when purchasing one of these animals, and do your best to provide an ideal, long term home. I cannot stress enough the importance of setting up a species-specific display aquarium enough, rather than simply adding it to an existing menagerie of coral and/or other reef invertebrates. 2. Ensure no pump intakes, powerheads, or prop-type pumps are left unprotected in your anemone tank. If it takes ten weeks,...
Captive Aquatics
How to Care for Carpet Anemones
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-66428119
2009-05-06T03:10:48-05:00
2012-09-09T07:40:18-05:00
Stichodactyla spp anemones, otherwise known as carpet anemones, are fascinating creatures, and are highly sought after by hobbyists but have very specific care requirements. Carpet anemones are very challenging to maintain in the home aquarium, and few hobbyists are able to attain long term success. After caring for my own carpet anemones for the last few years, I’d like to offer my insight into these fascinating and beautiful anemones, and try to point out why aquarists so often fail to maintain these animals in the long (and short) term, and better prepare you for success. Are you willing and ready to care for a large carpet anemone? Carpet anemones should not be purchased by the inexperienced aquarist! Carpet anemones need very large, stable systems preferably designed specifically with the anemone in mind. A minimum of 125 gallons (larger is always better) will be required for all large Stichodactyla, as these monster anemones can obtain up to a meter in diameter! Equal to their size is their appetite: carpet anemones are deceptive but effective predators, stinging and killing anything that gets too close to their sticky tentacles. Most fish will fall prey to a carpet anemone at some point or another...
Captive Aquatics
Should Anemones Be Illegal to Import for our Hobby?
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-65022785
2009-04-03T01:10:17-06:00
2010-09-26T02:52:38-05:00
P. yucatanicus engaged in a commensal relationship with C. gigantae on the Drowned Cayes, Belize. Mike Maddox How do you think the public would react if they were told that cats and dogs, rather than being bred, were taken from the wild (and often injured in the process) before being placed in an oft-inappropriate home? How about if the public were told that 90% of the cats and dogs they bought would die in the first year? Do you suppose it would still be legal to own them? While this scenario is just an example, anemones in the home aquarium have a dismal survival rate ("more than 90% die within a year " - WetWebMedia)! Should anemones continue to be imported? What about other animals with incredibly poor survival records in captivity (Dendronepthea & Goniopora species come to mind)? Sure, everyone seems to "knows someone who knows someone" who's had great success with this, that or the other "difficult" species, but does that mean 900+ should perish for every 1000 animals imported? 'Picasso' clown in an H. magnifica 'Ritteri' anemone - this anemone species has a mortality rate of virtually 100% in captivity. Sarah Beggerly Anemones don't die of old...
Captive Aquatics
The Garden Reef: A Detrimental Trend?
tag:typepad.com,2003:post-64927025
2009-04-01T00:58:46-06:00
2009-04-06T18:50:20-05:00
Coral in shallow water, Belize barrier reef. Notice the lack of species variety; all coral present is scleractinian in origin and requires intense lighting. An aquarium simulating these conditions would be a poor environment for 'LPS' or 'soft' corals. Mike Maddox A current trend in the hobby as of late seems to be the 'conglomerate' or 'garden' reef aquarium, with many coral speces being crammed (for lack of a better word) into a reef aquarium with little to no consideration for the individual coral species' requirements. This tendency towards an "all-in-one" approach detracts from the health of the animals within, beacuse the aquarium conditions cannot possibly replicate the ideal habitat for such a variety of animals. A common example of hobbyists combining animals that require wildly different conditions would be the trend of placing shallow water Acropora spp. species and Acanthastrea spp. animals in the same aquarium. Shallow water Acropora occurs on reef crests, in areas of extreme water motion and incredibly intense lighting. Acanthastrea corals hail from the outer areas of the reef, which are calmer and deeper, with higher turbidity. Replicating both of these conditions in one aquarium would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. Both of these...
Captive Aquatics