Karkadannspiral Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Heya, I just got a bit more lr for my tank the other day, and I got a free shell with 3 little anemones on it. The base of the anemone spreads out to about a quarter size, and with tentacles full out the top doesnt spread to more than a nickle. The base is a mottled pink brown, and under the light it shines a bit neon pink. There is a single row about 1/4 inch in of small white dots, and the color shifts to a uniform brown for the trunk. The tentacles look like a featherdusters - alternating brown-pink and white-pink. Color may not help much in the id, but they are cute. The first day I gave them bits of shrimp pellet the crabs hadnt finished and they ate readily. They also flattened out to look like a mushroom when in the bag on the car ride home. I looked arround and the closest I could find was a pic of a Heteractis malu- delicate anemone. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/ebooks/ch1.html#malu Basically, can anyone confirm/does anyone know what they are? The way they are on the shell makes it so that 2 are getting tentacles in the sand, and I could put them on a higher place in the aquarium that would let all float free, but on the page as well as a few others says they like to live in the sand. Should I let them find their own spots? Also, could they act aggressively to other corals? I dont have any yet, but I plan on getting a few low light ones like mushrooms and zoos and whatnot. I have a picture, but my camera is a cheep one so it prolly wont help. Link to comment
Karkadannspiral Posted February 24, 2003 Author Share Posted February 24, 2003 Oops, tank specs- Up for about 1 month 10 gal glass 30 wats light - 15w power-glo (white) 15w marine-glo (blue) Might be able to squeez in another 15 wat on the top if I get a power strip - ran out of plugs *grin* (any suggestions on light - another marine or power glo?) Powerhead and 10-20 gal cheep hob filter for water movement. 11lbs live rock ?lbs sand/crush coral mix (3/1 mix aprox) put in in drifts - varies from 1-4 inches accrost tank. 11(?) blue leg hermits 3(?) nass snails (one blue leg sporting a beaten up nass shell, cant remember if one came with it or not) 2 orange mexican turbos (pondering removal- they love coraline algae) 1 pistol shrimp (thinking of getting a yellow watchman buddy) 2 unknown crabs 2 tiny brittle stars many tiny featherdusters tiny shell w barnicles and spaghetti worms (hoping worms will spread) And the anemone shell. Link to comment
Karkadannspiral Posted February 26, 2003 Author Share Posted February 26, 2003 Can anyone tell from the desc/pic if it will safe in my tank? Or if it might be some kind of heteractis? Or its definately not any heteractis? The biggest had a bubble on it a few days ago, then the next day it looked like there was an indentation in the base, and now there is a little disc with a mouth-looking spot hanging off the side of it. It would just be helpful to know before the pretty little anemone takes over the entire tank and makes war on what I would like for future occupants if its spreading this fast... If its spreading at all, though thats what I would guess it is doing. Link to comment
sjpresley Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 I think the lack of response is because no one can tell what the heck you've got there. It really doesn't look much like an anemone at all. Are you sure it isn't a stoney coral? Could you get some pics that are in better focus with it open and closed? How big is it? When is it open? Any other behavioral info would be helpful. Link to comment
Karkadannspiral Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 Itl prolly be something common and harmless like a rock anemone and Ile have been worried over nothing. I found one thread that mentions white bands arround the tentacles means its not an apista, and hopefully common and harmless. If I am reading it right anyways. http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...ht=rock+anemone Mine doesnt look much like that one though - many more tentacles, and much smaller tentacles. There is atleast 4 rows, the largest tents in the center and the smallest allong the outside edge. The white/brown bands are about 2x the with of the letters here ( I or l wise). In the center there is a space, and the mouth looks like it has day-glo orange/pink lipstick. They could however be babies. On the anemone itself- the base of the anemone spreads out to about a quarter size, and with tentacles full out the top doesnt spread to more than a nickle. Its also about as tall as its wide at the base. It pulls inside and flattens out to look almoast like a mushroom when disturbed (cant see tentacles), and almoast that far when it gets a bit of shrimp pellet. It appears to stay open day and night, although the sudden change in light sometimes scares it. One of the crabs has decided to take up residence under the shell, but other than twitching occasionally they dont seem to do much else. It has not moved from the shell sence I brought it home. The bit hanging off the side was gone this morning, and the base returned to normal. It was no bigger than a pencil eraser last I saw of it. I have been feeding bits of shrimp pellets every other day or so, and they seem to like it so-far, except once. I noticed they seemed much more open and took much more notice of whats floating in the water after being fed, so I guessed it might still be hungry. I gave the biggest one a larger piece of shrimp pellet, and he let his tents wilt after eating. Later he spit most if not all of it out. Back to normal today. Ive got a few pics taken on a regular (good) camera (not auto-focus) but only 10 of 24 have been taken so it could take a little time to finish the roll off and get it developed at a place that wont ruin the film. If theres anything else I can add, let me know Link to comment
technoshaman Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 That looks suspiciously like the shell my crazy non reef safe hermit crab wears and the anemones. The anemomes he wears are usually classified as Calliactis polypus. He is some kind of Dardanus crab species possibly Dardanus deformis - a.k.a. rock hermit. I'll snap a pic of him when I get home and post it here as a reply. In the meantime look at this link to WWM and look down the page to the Dardanus hermit they have and the anemones he has on his shell/ http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/...hermitcrabs.htm Also take a look at the pics on this page for UFL they may help: http://www.whitney.ufl.edu/species/tri-colo.htm Edit: After scrutinizing your photo's I'd bet my junior cnidarian taxonomist club badge that's the Calliactis anemones that you have. No idea on harm / etc. My hermit will actually occasionally pull up a worm and stuff it in the anemones mouth - they also will move the anemones to their new shell and will try to steal neighboring hermits anemones. I'll still post a pic just to compare. Link to comment
Crakeur Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 agreed. we had a huge anemone wearing hermit in our office tank and it had about 6 of those anemones on it's shell. Closed up they looked like bumps on the shell but when they opened they looked somewhat like the blurry, hangover pictures you posted. Sadly, the hermit died at some point and the anemones are now in various locations in the tank. Link to comment
Karkadannspiral Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 That looks like it! Thankyou very much I didnt think to look for a relationship between the hermit and anemone. Its good to know what Ive got now, and hopefully I wont have to dump it. Now to go and find out more about them Link to comment
technoshaman Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 I was trying to get some good pics of Manson (my Dardanus sp. hermit crab) and thought I'd post a pic so you can see the anemones he has on his shell. Manson (because he's frickin' insane and dangerous) Link to comment
deacon hemp Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 techno,omg that is the feakin craziest looking thing i have seen.is he in a penalty box tank? Link to comment
technoshaman Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 deacon - he rules the penalty box. He stays quiet during daylight but as soon as the lights go down or food is dropped in his eyes pop out and he starts waving his claws around like mad. There are 3 other largish crabs in the tank (a giant emerald, huge hermit and some big black hitchhiker) and as soon as Manson wakes up and starts moving they all run for cover it's hilarious. Yeah he's about as non reef safe as you can get - I tried keeping some leftover saltwater mollies in there as feeders and he killed 2 within minutes of them being released in tank (they were acclimated to salt) and fed them to his anemones. Psycho crab. Link to comment
ajroahkni Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 That looks like a decapitated soldier from "The Muppets Storm Omaha Beach" Link to comment
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