Rock Flower Anemone Information and Appreciation Thread

[tofer]

20 hours ago, ChristopherDido said:

Had the same happen to one of mine in my classroom tank. Only thing I've found that different between that tank, my home tank and my Pico is that there are fireworms in my classroom tank. I've read someone else on here had the same problem, fireworms and RFAs don't mix IME. Do you have fireworms?

I do not have fireworks that know of and I would think the other RFA I have would be affected .

 

12 hours ago, SeaFurn said:

I know you got your latest RFAs from your LFS. My guess is their foot got damaged when they were removed from the LFS tank. Once a foot is damaged there is little you can do to stop its demise and I don't think it's readily apparent there is a problem at first. 

I know @BulkRate has opted out of purchases at his LFS when he saw how the employee removed the nem and after he inspected the foot. 

 I've lost a couple with every on-line ordered I've placed but I believe and have been told that shipping is very tough on them. So now I would almost expect to lose a couple on an order. 

 Maybe that was it  .  

 

 My other new seems to be doing good eating and nice and open and the 2 I already had doing very nice and happy . Im hoping that i have a male and female  time will tell . 

[rsucre]

The sand in my tank is too fine (powder), not ideal for my RFAs.  They often get covered in sand.   I would like to replace it with a larger grain sand.  Do you have any recommendations on how to replace it with the least effort/issues?  I thought about siphoning out as much as I can.  Any thoughts?  Also, what sand do you recommend?

[seabass]

Fiji Pink is commonly used:

https://www.marinedepot.com/CaribSea_Dry_Aragonite_Fiji_Pink_Reef_Sand_15_lb_Dry_Sand_for_Saltwater_Reef_Aquariums-CaribSea-CS0022-FISSDS-vi.html

 

Special Grade is even larger:

https://www.marinedepot.com/CaribSea_Dry_Aragonite_Special_Grade_Reef_Sand_Dry_Sand_for_Saltwater_Reef_Aquariums-CaribSea-CS0020-FISSDS-vi.html

 

There are a couple of schools of thought about removing sand.  It kind of depends on how old and how deep the bed is.

 

For newer and shallow sand beds, you can usually carefully siphon it out with everything still in your tank.  For deep and/or mature beds, you might consider removing everything (livestock, water, and rock) without disturbing the substrate.  Then remove the old sand and replace it.

[rsucre]

On 12/9/2017 at 3:23 AM, seabass said:

For newer and shallow sand beds, you can usually carefully siphon it out with everything still in your tank.

Thanks Seabass.

 

The sandbed is not new but it is shallow, and I did a major tank reshuffling about 3 months ago that disturbed it a lot, so I think that it may fall into the "new" and shallow category.  Perhaps I can do it in 2 phases.  First the front, which is shallower and is where the RFA go and leave the back for later.  I think that my LFS carries the Fiji Pink (not special grade).  Will take a look into it.

[Noinoi24]

Since I got my RFA, at least 4 of them keep moving. Hiding at daytime and out at night. Also I see they shrink every now and then. I try to feed them with bits and pieces of small shrim but they don’t eat it. I have ReeF Roids for all the corals. I’m wondering what could help them stay in one position and not shrink.

[SeaFurn]

I don't there's there's much you can do to keep them from moving. They will be less likely to move if they like where they are. 

 

I cleaned my return pump yesterday and it's output increased quite a bit. The RFA that had been getting the most direct hit from its flow decided to move last night - after being in the same spot since April. I'm guessing I didn't put the return nozzle back to the exact position it was in and so it was taking even more of a direct hit. It has moved itself to the back side of the rock where there is less flow. If it doesn't like it there it will move again.

 

I'm also thinking that maybe your lights are too bright for them if they are hiding/closed during the day. 

Mine do shrink down in size at night and occasionally close up altogether but during they day they are open. 

 

As far as feeding goes, are you placing the small bits of shrimp on their tentacles? Mine grab it with their tentacles and curl up around the food instantly. 

 

[SeaFurn]

On 12/8/2017 at 4:42 PM, rsucre said:

The sand in my tank is too fine (powder), not ideal for my RFAs.  They often get covered in sand.   I would like to replace it with a larger grain sand.  Do you have any recommendations on how to replace it with the least effort/issues?  I thought about siphoning out as much as I can.  Any thoughts?  Also, what sand do you recommend?

I'm using CaribSea Special Grade Seabass mentioned above. I like it. It doesn't get blown around (I'm not using a secondary pump for flow though) and the RFAs can dig into it with no problem.  

[LongPig]

I'm too lazy to look through this thread and find out the answer butI'm assuming no small slow moving gobies with RFA.s?

[seabass]

13 minutes ago, LongPig said:

I'm too lazy to look through this thread and find out the answer butI'm assuming no small slow moving gobies with RFA.s?

I'm not saying they are "100%" safe with gobies; However, I've kept gobies along with RFAs and had no problems.  I suggest that you have several other places for the gobies to perch (like corals or even bare rock).

[revolution1925]

What do u guys feed your rfa? 

I feed them fauna marin lps pellet but i Want to try something different. What do u recomend? 

[seabass]

They'll eat just about anything.  However, I try to feed them something small, soft, and easy to digest.  I just feed them what I feed my fish (primarily flake food and mysis shrimp).  They really don't require regular feedings.  Just a little food once a week is plenty for them.  Often they will get enough food without ever target feeding.  I've gone over a year without target feeding them before.

[Noinoi24]

I think my tail spot blenny killed one of my RFA. Came home yesterday with a dislodged Anemones and mostly covered with white dead flesh, I took it out of the tank and smelled it, it smelled rotten. So disappointed and heartbroken as there were no signs of them being sick either. 

[seabass]

2 hours ago, Noinoi24 said:

I think my tail spot blenny killed one of my RFA.

I don't think that's very likely.  Not sure what killed it, but probably not your fish.

[Noinoi24]

30 minutes ago, seabass said:

I don't think that's very likely.  Not sure what killed it, but probably not your fish.

I have 2 bullet clowns, 1 tail spot blenny, 1 purple fire fish, 1 goby, cleaner shrimp, sexy shrimp, 1 fighting conch and bass nassarius  snails..

[seabass]

Was this a new anemone?

[Noinoi24]

5 minutes ago, seabass said:

Was this a new anemone?

Relatively new. About 11 days old in my tank.

[seabass]

For some reason, most deaths happen shortly after receiving them.  After they acclimate for a few weeks, they seem almost indestructible.  Unless you have a non-reef safe predator, I would attribute the loss to shipping stress.

[kimberbee]

55 minutes ago, Noinoi24 said:

Relatively new. About 11 days old in my tank.

I agree with @seabass that it likely was not another fish that caused it's death.

 

Maybe... mayyyybe... your female clown got upset if the RFA got too close to her "home" and tried to make it move. But with how slow RFA's move, I doubt it. I get tail slapped by my girl if I move a rock or coral somewhere she doesn't like. 

[Noinoi24]

My clown doesn’t host anything. So I don’t think it would be the culprit. Or maybe its the shipping stress. I’m just sad.

[Noinoi24]

I wonder if too much light or flow would kill them?

[tofer]

This is what the  surviving RFA  from my last purchase looks like in its favorite spot  . 

[Noinoi24]

I’m down to 4 now. And my nitrite is up due to having all that die off in my tank.... just feeling so frustrated.

[tofer]

19 minutes ago, Noinoi24 said:

I’m down to 4 now. And my nitrite is up due to having all that die off in my tank.... just feeling so frustrated.

I was frustrated as well when 2 out of 3 died ,but happy still had one new one to go with the other 2 I have.   You have to try  take the positive out of it .

On 12/11/2017 at 2:11 AM, Noinoi24 said:

Since I got my RFA, at least 4 of them keep moving. Hiding at daytime and out at night. Also I see they shrink every now and then. I try to feed them with bits and pieces of small shrim but they don’t eat it. I have ReeF Roids for all the corals. I’m wondering what could help them stay in one position and not shrink.

Are all the ones left moving  around still  or staying put  ? Mine have ate LRS nano and new spectrum pellets . 

 

On 12/13/2017 at 7:29 PM, Noinoi24 said:

I wonder if too much light or flow would kill them?

Im not an expert but I would think if they don't like the flow or lighting  they would move as that seems like what mine have done .

[Noinoi24]

They have stayed. At least the 4 I have left. Even the 5th one that just died has been on that spot for 8 days and still died.

[tofer]

Are the staying open all the time ?  When you try to target feed do they eat ?