tube anemone color

[uminac]

I bought a tube anemone at Skipton's about a month (maybe more?) ago, when I got it home, it was pretty well bleached but I figured it would get its color back soon enough.

Anyway, it's very healthy looking, reaching for the light, eating very well, etc... But it hasn't gained any color back at all.

I hope I didn't cause it to get perm bleached

I've seen others on here saying it could take a few weeks to get back to color, but nobody ever says how long it actually took.

Any insight would be helpful, thank you.

 

[ReeferMedic]

They aren't photosynthetic that I know of.

Here's some info on them


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2004/invert.htm

 

[JD46]

not a photosynthetic anemone.

 

[uminac]

i'm not very good at these things...

what exactly does this mean ?

 

[wbrodeur]

nonphotosynthetic means that they can't survive just on light to produce their own nutrients. They have to be fed regular feedings of live or frozen foods several times a week. You can target feed it with a turkey baster. Good luck!

 

[ReeferMedic]

I've had mine for about 10 years, maybe a bit less. I fed it meaty foods every few days in the beginning, but don't ever intentionally feed it any more. I tend to over feed my fish, so it gets the occasional mysis that way. It has been under everything from PCs to 400 watt MH as far as light goes and has always been healthy.

Photosynthetic means that the coral/anemone needs light to thrive and contains zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) that produce sugars the animal can then feed from. Corals/anemones that lack this algae are non photosynthetic.

 

[uminac]

right, but i was asking when the color would come back.

i've been feeding it raw shrimp, and it is definitely eating fine, and is very healthy looking.

 

[ReeferMedic]

It depends on why it bleached in the first place. Since it doesn't have symbiotic algae, it may not get it's color back no matter what you do imo. I would try feeding it for a month or so and see what happens. Just don't over feed it. It will expell any food it can't digest.

 

[JD46]

Generally, bleaching occurs in photosynthetic animals that have not been provided an adequate environment, such as poor lighting. Once an appropriate light source is provided, their color will return. This situation would not be the case with your anemone.

Tube anemone's come in a range of colors. The color that it has now may be its natural color. Did Skipton's tell you that it's color had faded? I also have kept a tube anemone (for about 6 years) under a range of different lighting and it has always kept its color independent of the lighting types.

JD

 

[uminac]

it was a bright pink color in the store when i picked it up, when i got home it had bleached, it still had and still has a slight slight pink tint to it, but the color has not come back fully.

the reason for the bleaching was probably stress due to the ride.

i really hope the color CAN come back.