Neptune Aquatics

RBTA shedding tentacles??

So...there are some anemone tentacles floating around in my tank. This is very weird. Anyone know anything about this? The anemone looks very healthy and extended. My water quality is as good as its ever been. I know of no crabs/shrimp/other predators that would pick on it.

The only thing that has changed is that my clowns laid eggs near it a couple days ago. Could they be ripping tentacles off of it?

I'll try to take some pics with my camera phone; update coming soon.

Thanks,
Tom
 
Here are some pics of what I've found. If it's just clowns doing it (and that's okay), then okay. Before I posted I did some research and anytime anyone had tentacles floating around their tank, it was a sign that something was very wrong. Thanks for the feedback.

What I think is a pretty content anemone
IMG00129-20100607-2148.jpg


Acan eating an anemone tentacle
IMG00125-20100607-2146.jpg


Another coral munching on one as well (free food!)
IMG00131-20100607-2219.jpg


In this picture you can see a two-headed tentacle (just below the anemone's mouth). My anemone is a mutant! But seriously, you can see some damage to that tentacle. It's like a balloon animal balloon--twisted and bent. Not ideal, I don't think...
IMG00128-20100607-2147.jpg


Here, just to the right of the clownfish, you can see a mauled tentacle. Is this the clowns' doing? (And don't be deceived, the clown really is this large. He's about 8" long.
IMG00130-20100607-2157.jpg


Another picture of mauled tentacles, probably right before it detaches? (There's a couple if you look around. They look twisted and/or beaten.)
IMG00127-20100607-2147.jpg


That's it. Thanks for feedback. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed your stay. :)
 
I suspect the clowns. They get ornery when they are taking care of eggs, or thinking of taking care of eggs.
 
Well, we all know those RC people are a bunch of hoodlums and such, and one should only trust comments on the BAR website.
(Unless, of course, the RC poster is the honorable Mr. Gresham!) (Or a few others...) :)
 
Great photos! When I introduced a BTA into my system, my large gold striped maroon clown bit off the edges of the tentacles. Sounds like your giant egg-laying clown is biting off the tentacles. My BTA has recovered, and grown quite a bit larger.
 
earthboy17 said:
Well, we all know those RC people are a bunch of hoodlums and such, and one should only trust comments on the BAR website.
(Unless, of course, the RC poster is the honorable Mr. Gresham!) (Or a few others...) :)

OK not so sure how to take that? Plenty of the people that replied on your RC post are far from hoodlums and their opinion is just as valid as mine.

And that's Mr H ;)
 
100% in jest and with great respect to all who have replied to help me.

Sometimes I struggle in the "BAR Forums" vs "RC Forums" posting (there was a thread that touched on this a while back, which commented on many BAR members withdrawing from the RC forums, and the RC forums becoming more of a marketplace). I say that with no judgment, only to show why I posted both in BAR and RC: to get more exposure to different reefing minds, especially if the division between the two forums has grown.

I think this
GreshamH said:
yup, just like on the others said on RC and such :D
made me feel silly for posting in both places? So I tried to use humor as a defense mechanism.

Anyway, thanks all for the help. I saw a couple more tentacles but the anemone still looks very healthy.

Some people mentioned how the anemone really seems to be stretching toward the light? I think it was that he was stretching toward the return from my UV/Carbon filters. Wherever I've placed the return, the anemone has moved towards it. In these pictures, the return was right above it dropping down onto the anemone, and the anemone was stretching up to it. I've relocated the nozzle underwater, and the anemone was already more submerged and moving toward it again. Crazy anemone.

tb
 
I don't buy that stretching theory. Mine looks like that and has ever since I got it. It's about 5" under the water and directly under my 150w DE MH. It gets the most PAR out of everything I have. It looked the same under PC's years back.
 
99sf said:
Great photos! When I introduced a BTA into my system, my large gold striped maroon clown bit off the edges of the tentacles. Sounds like your giant egg-laying clown is biting off the tentacles. My BTA has recovered, and grown quite a bit larger.

+1 on the maroon clown bully. When I added a BTA, it lost a lot of tentacles and I highly suspect the clown. Almost killed the incumbent GBTA too.
 
Back
Top