sea anemone not looking so good

[glarior]

I would suggest taking a meat food...just a little and place it on a tenticle. If he moves it to his mouth...that is good. Should go in the mouth for a couple of hours then spit out what he doesn't digest.

Meat food? Like steak, hamburger, bacon? This is 100% new to me... may you please elaborate a little more... thank you very much for the help!

[StevenSeas]

Here hope this little bit of light reading helps
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ltafdgfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonefdgfaqs.htm

another quick quote from Bob Ferner

Macrodactyla doreensis feeds on small/er particles than many anemone species; from almost microscopic to a quarter inch across at most... The species is best fed with having a large, healthy refugium incorporated with its main display, or barring this, the few-times-weekly baster feeding of a mash of marine protein based foods, squirted onto its tentacles with your circulation temporarily (use a timer...) shut off. Regurgitated foods are usually indicative of too-large size offerings...

[glarior]

Here hope this little bit of light reading helps
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ltafdgfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonefdgfaqs.htm

another quick quote from Bob Ferner

Perfect information!!!! I can now find what I need to know! Yeaaa!!!!! Thank you very very much.

[Bill S]

My $0.02. Take it for what it's worth...

That anemone, if real in color, is insane. And, therein lies the problem. I'm not sure where you got it, but that anemone has been artificially bleached/colored. I really thought the hobby was beyond this, but apparently not.

In my opinion, it has little chance of survival. But, if it's going to live, it needs to be 1) left alone (it will decide where it wants to live - don't try and force it into a place it doesn't like), and 2) give it some decent lighting - it needs to re-develop it's photosynthetic properties, if it is to survive.

BTW, my opinion is that feeding it, other than lightly, isn't going to help things. A bit of brine/mysis or whatever it can manage to catch on its own is fine. Don't try and make it eat - it is WAY stressed at this point in time.

[StevenSeas]

Bill im curious as to why you advocate to not feed? you stated it needs to re-develop its photosynthetic properties (zooanthelle) but i always thought this is why secondary feedings were even more important when it becomes bleached and then when it has its zooanthelle at full capacity its not so much needed.

[Bill S]

OK, again, just my opinion...

The very first anemone I tried was in... gulp ... 1971. It was INSANE. A beautiful bright yellow anemone. You can guess how long it lived...

I've had anemones continuously living in my tanks since 2001. And I just about NEVER feed them directly. Yes, they manage to grab a bit of food as it comes by. In my 55, the RBTA which is about 11" across when fully inflated, hasn't gotten ANYTHING except pellet food that managed to make it's way into it, for at least 90 days. These critters are about 99% water - and don't need to be fed at the level folks typically feed them. They puke almost all of it up anyway. Feeding them heavily, IMHO, just puts additional stress on them. A light feeding - what they would get from casual feeding - is much easier on them.

Again, this is just my opinion. If I had taken that anemone as a rescue, that's what I would do with it. I certainly wouldn't do ANYTHING that might stress it out more. It needs a chance to recover - as slight at I think that chance might be. A light feeding of mysis or whatever would be the max I'd do - at the same time the rest of the tank was fed.

And, I could be completely wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.