THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[hypostatic]

Ok albert, I need this settled once and for all. Can you try to ID this species of anemone?

 

 

There are many on the forum that claim they are majano pest anemones, and you should burn them with fire as fast as you can. If not they'll quickly reproduce out of control and sting your corals with a deadly/potent sting.

 

My experience with this anemone is much different however. I has split once over the course of a year (and this is with supplemental an intentional feeding), and it does not sting nearby corals.

 

So, any idea what the genus and/or species might be?

[ndrobey]

That's a nice looking nem. You should propagate it and sell them.

[albertthiel]

Ok albert, I need this settled once and for all. Can you try to ID this species of anemone?

 

 

 

There are many on the forum that claim they are majano pest anemones, and you should burn them with fire as fast as you can. If not they'll quickly reproduce out of control and sting your corals with a deadly/potent sting.

 

My experience with this anemone is much different however. I has split once over the course of a year (and this is with supplemental an intentional feeding), and it does not sting nearby corals.

 

So, any idea what the genus and/or species might be?

 

Looks more like a mini-max than a Majano .... or a Sunburst Anemone

 

Here is a typical view of a Majano

 

 

Mind you those Mini-maxes can inflict serious stings to anything nearby and even to fishes that venture too close to it.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

It seems that there are several denitrifying bacteria. The reason I asked is that I developed a denitrifying filter for my tank. I am considering making these for sale and I would like it to work in both FW and SW tanks. Reef tank people need a denitrifying filter the most. Fish only and FW tanks don't have the same nitrate issues.

 

If the information requested is to be used for producing a possibly commercial product then I can unfortunately in all fairness not help.

 

Asking someone who also manufactures for help in developing products is just not what I would call a normal procedure or what is normally done.

 

I suggest you do some research and purchase a few academic articles on the subject so you can find the answers you are looking for.

 

It is not that I do not want to help others, I do help when I can, but when it comes to giving advice and information that is to assist someone to produce a commercial product possibly then unfortunately I cannot give you assistance ... I checked with a friend of mine who is a Lawyer and she said that the main reason has to do with then being part and parcel of a product offered for sale and if anyone decides that they do not like it or feel that it does not meet the specs, I would be a party to whatever action they took.

 

My apologies

 

Albert

[farkwar]

Well,

 

It would be my intuition only (I do have a microscope in my Amazon cart), that SW and FW nitrifying bacteria are different species.

 

And its been a few years since I plated bacteria out, but I think its within reason, and a reasonable budget to find out.

[albertthiel]

Well,

 

It would be my intuition only (I do have a microscope in my Amazon cart), that SW and FW nitrifying bacteria are different species.

 

And its been a few years since I plated bacteria out, but I think its within reason, and a reasonable budget to find out.

 

Yes indeed, and IMO when it comes to producing commercial products a sizable research budget is a must, especially for a topic as complex as the one that is being looked into.

 

Albert

[farkwar]

Yes indeed, and IMO when it comes to producing commercial products a sizable research budget is a must, especially for a topic as complex as the one that is being looked into.

 

Albert

 

Well thats true.

 

But the board has had a few hobbyists turn their passions into entrepreneurial endeavors. Some successful, others not so much.

 

I look at my future investment in a microscope as a photography one. Increasing my knowledge base would be the cream.

 

I would love to see with my own aided eyes (and camera) all the little beasties in my tank and sump.

 

 

Anyway, I am reminded of a time back in the early 90s, reading your books. And being inspired by your suggestion that alternating flow in a mini reef would be advantageous. I made my own prototype back then, with radioshack parts, based on a relay and a 555 timer chip. And made my WaveMaster 2000. As far as I knew at the time they were not yet commercially available. It worked fine and well, but the power heads at the time made this terrible clacking noise when powered on and off. I thought no one would find this acceptable in their homes, and I dropped the project. A few years later visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, there was I remember a little display with alternating wave current in the tank. One could hear the alternating clacking powerheads from beneath the thick acrylic.

 

Just a little trivial anecdote.

[albertthiel]

Well thats true. But the board has had a few hobbyists turn their passions into entrepreneurial endeavors. Some successful, others not so much. I look at my future investment in a microscope as a photography one. Increasing my knowledge base would be the cream. I would love to see with my own aided eyes (and camera) all the little beasties in my tank and sump. Anyway, I am reminded of a time back in the early 90s, reading your books. And being inspired by your suggestion that alternating flow in a mini reef would be advantageous. I made my own prototype back then, with radioshack parts, based on a relay and a 555 timer chip. And made my WaveMaster 2000. As far as I knew at the time they were not yet commercially available. It worked fine and well, but the power heads at the time made this terrible clacking noise when powered on and off. I thought no one would find this acceptable in their homes, and I dropped the project. A few years later visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, there was I remember a little display with alternating wave current in the tank. One could hear the alternating clacking powerheads from beneath the thick acrylic. Just a little trivial anecdote.

 

Indeed some on here have turned their passion into a business and have invented a number of products or contracted some and then sold them successfully .. I can think of one in particular : Paul ...

 

And yes a powerful microscope is definitely a great device to have .... and yes you will see the water drop you analyze and look at teeming with little monsters, so look in the morning and not before going to bed so you ddi not have nightmares :)

 

Glad to read that what I wrote in those days inspired you to make that alternating water flow device ... and yes those original PH's were noisy indeed way too noisy ...

 

Thanks for the reminder about that fact and suggestion I wrote ... I appreciate it.

 

Albert

[hypostatic]

Looks more like a mini-max than a Majano .... or a Sunburst Anemone

 

Yeah, I think it looks more like a BTA. They diffinitely are majano-sized though. The biggest they get is about the size of a silver dollar, before they split, and they are about the size of a quarter after splitting.

 

It's a bit frustrating because (as with most things in the hobby, it seems) there is a lack of factual data on the subject, and there is a vast perpetuation of misinformation.

 

The most common thing I've read about these anemones is that they have a super powerful sting and will kill your corals and eat your fish, and that they'll spread like wildfire -- none of which I've found to be true.

 

And on a related note, I've been doing some digging through the Anemonia genus (which is the majano genus and where I think this anemone might classified), and I've found some pretty nice looking species..

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But BEFORE that, I seem to have stumbled upon the correct ID I think!

 

Anemonia gracilis (The Graceful Anemone)

 

Yes?? Yes?? I think so!

 

And here are some other pretty members of the genus:

 

Anemonia alicemartinae

 

Anemonia melanaster

 

Anemonia natalensis

 

Anemonia sulcata/viridis

[albertthiel]

Yeah, I think it looks more like a BTA. They diffinitely are majano-sized though. The biggest they get is about the size of a silver dollar, before they split, and they are about the size of a quarter after splitting.

 

It's a bit frustrating because (as with most things in the hobby, it seems) there is a lack of factual data on the subject, and there is a vast perpetuation of misinformation.

 

The most common thing I've read about these anemones is that they have a super powerful sting and will kill your corals and eat your fish, and that they'll spread like wildfire -- none of which I've found to be true.

 

And on a related note, I've been doing some digging through the Anemonia genus (which is the majano genus and where I think this anemone might classified), and I've found some pretty nice looking species..

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But BEFORE that, I seem to have stumbled upon the correct ID I think!

 

Anemonia gracilis (The Graceful Anemone)

 

 

 

Yes?? Yes?? I think so!

 

And here are some other pretty members of the genus:

 

Anemonia alicemartinae

 

 

Anemonia melanaster

 

Anemonia natalensis

 

 

Anemonia sulcata/viridis

 

Well you sure have done a lot of research but of course there are plenty more anemones some that will harm small fish and some that will not and host them ...

 

And yes unfortunately there is not much information available on a lot of anemones, as most of what one can find deals with the more common ones and not with the not so common ones.

 

In fact information on mini carpet ones from Vietnam mainly only became available quite recently whereas info or say RBTA's has been available for as long as I can remember.

 

Whereas what you have may not be a dangerous one to other life forms, Urticina piscivora for instance will sting small fish and consume them. Oddly enough some fish can host it e.g. a so-called Painted Greenling. But it is unlikely that U piscivora ends up in a reef tank as it is a cold water one. U. mcpeaki and U. lofotensis are other ones.

 

Some Bunodactis anemones can cause problems too ... so indeed as you state not only are there plenty more anemones, and a lot of information is not available or not easy to find. and often what one finds may be misdiagnosed or ID'ed

 

Thanks for all the research you did ...

 

Albert

[hypostatic]

Ah, I can't really emphasize the satisfaction of finally being able to positively identify something that has always been wrongly ID'd in the hobby

[albertthiel]

Ah, I can't really emphasize the satisfaction of finally being able to positively identify something that has always been wrongly ID'd in the hobby

 

Very true indeed ... and glad you did

 

And thanks for posting all the images

 

 

Albert

[ndrobey]

Yes indeed, and IMO when it comes to producing commercial products a sizable research budget is a must, especially for a topic as complex as the one that is being looked into.

 

Albert

I have a good microscope (with the camera attachment), slides, and tanks with bacteria to look at. I don't think a huge research budget is necessary. A universal FW/SW denitrifying filter would be nice, but I am willing to work on separate product lines. Freshwater doesn't have the nitrate issues of a coral tank, so I am going to concentrate on saltwater.

[albertthiel]

I have a good microscope (with the camera attachment), slides, and tanks with bacteria to look at. I don't think a huge research budget is necessary. A universal FW/SW denitrifying filter would be nice, but I am willing to work on separate product lines. Freshwater doesn't have the nitrate issues of a coral tank, so I am going to concentrate on saltwater.

 

The key of course will be to ID the bacteria and microbes you find but with some research you should be able to do so... and yes separate units is indeed a much better idea ...

 

Best of luck wit it.

 

Albert

[hypostatic]

Very true indeed ... and glad you did

 

And thanks for posting all the images

 

 

Albert

 

Now I just need to get my hands on this beauty

 

 

And because I love science, here's some literature for y'all!

 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1439609204700185

http://d-nb.info/971454736/34#page=67 (in german and english)

http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/rchnat/v86n3/art14.pdf

[albertthiel]

Now I just need to get my hands on this beauty

 

 

And because I love science, here's some literature for y'all!

 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1439609204700185

http://d-nb.info/971454736/34#page=67 (in german and english)

http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/rchnat/v86n3/art14.pdf

 

Yes indeed and not sure where you can purchase it from ...

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

We just came home from the hospital. of course Teddy and my Daughter are still there. We got the call about 2:30 this morning and rushed in to Manhattan, we waited until 8:00am. Meet Teddy about 30 minutes old.

(Oh Wow, the picture thing is working again)

[albertthiel]

We just came home from the hospital. of course Teddy and my Daughter are still there. We got the call about 2:30 this morning and rushed in to Manhattan, we waited until 8:00am. Meet Teddy about 30 minutes old.

(Oh Wow, the picture thing is working again)

 

 

Congratulations to the New Grand Dad (twice now I gather unless there are some grand children you did not tell us about

 

All the best to Teddy and the Mom and the Dad .... and to your wife ....

 

Albert

[hypostatic]

he has your hair

 

Yes indeed and not sure where you can purchase it from ...

 

Albert

 

Well, it's from the coasts of Chile. According to the papers, the population has dramatically increased in size and expanded its range in the last 50 years due to climate change or something, so it sounds like over-collection wouldn't be an issue for this species

[albertthiel]

he has your hair

 

 

Well, it's from the coasts of Chile. According to the papers, the population has dramatically increased in size and expanded its range in the last 50 years due to climate change or something, so it sounds like over-collection wouldn't be an issue for this species

 

Not sure if you have seen this :

 

http://www.athiel.net/313-313-1-PB.pdf

 

Albert

[hypostatic]

Interesting. It's funny how these papers usually start off by saying that there are few published papers/studies for them to go off of

[albertthiel]

Interesting. It's funny how these papers usually start off by saying that there are few published papers/studies for them to go off of

 

Yes that is often indeed how many start .. not sure why though ...

 

There were more where I looked but most where only available at a cost ... some fairly high actually and the Abstracts did not tell me much detail ...

 

Interesting that the paper I posted mentions that they found a number they had not identified ...

 

Albert

[dougm]

We just came home from the hospital. of course Teddy and my Daughter are still there. We got the call about 2:30 this morning and rushed in to Manhattan, we waited until 8:00am. Meet Teddy about 30 minutes old.

 

 

Congrats, Grandpa Paul!

[hypostatic]

yeah, 10 of the 16 species are new/unidentified

[Paul.b]

Thanks, this is all the Grand Children I have that I know about.

 

 

OK, the picture thing isn't working again. I guess it only works once a week