Caring for Rose Anemones the right way

 
Saving them from the Pet Shops

I have a large soft spot in my heart for Rose Anemones
and so when I visit any "Pet Shop" and see a Rose in need I purchase it.
I have acquired many of my prize Roses this way and have lost just a few of them
do to them being to far gone to save.
But I have had very good luck in saving the majority of them and bringing them
back to health and adding them to my collection.
I decided to start a new page on these unfortunate Roses and show you some of the ones that
 I have purchased in hopes of saving them from a life of half survival in Pet Shops
that have no idea what they need for their care.
The lighting in most fish stores are terrible. They usually are not fed and survive
only on the system itself in hopes of it catching what the fish are fed to survive.

Here is the latest Rose that I found sitting in a corner of a BTA tank in a local fish store.
It had lost all of its Zooanthellae and was not being fed so I purchased it for its regular price of a whopping 64.00
I just couldn't leave it behind and I new that with its bubble tips and  it's firm anchor to the side of the glass I would have a good chance of saving it.

The most amazing thing about this Anemone is after acclimating it to my tank and it staying
right where I put it, it opened up with gorgeous bubbles and (TWO MOUTH'S).
Yes thats right, 2 mouth's.
I have not been able to tell if both take food , one does however  and it is on the road to recovery.
It opens to a whopping 8inches and is taking food every other day right now.
I would prefer it to eat daily but that will take some time.
Here are some pictures of this poor baby.
I have  posted pictures of it as it colored up and expands also.
I wanted to let everyone know that it is not usually a good idea to purchase
Anemones in this condition and pay full price for them but I have done this many times
and know that I can save them from a dreadful life at the Fish store so usually will
take a chance on them.
It is best to purchase one with their full color and eating well.
So just be careful when purchasing an Anemone in this condition.
Now the pictures of the day I purchased this poor baby.
I put him into a cave and placed a rock in front of him, that way he felt safe and
I had a better chance of him not moving. After the first day the rock was removed and
after I made sure he had a good foot hold deep in the rock behind it which he did.


Day two the rock was removed from in front of him.
Also, the little green Anemone rock in front was moved away because they have a powerful sting.
To which I can attest.



And it has two mouth's.
And something really cool is it eats with both of them I have found out.
I have fed it a part of a Silverside to each mouth and it takes it and swallows it with both.
It also poops from both mouth's.

As you can see in the picture below, it has started to bubble and has just started to regain
it's color. The picture shows a faint hint of red.


Watch for the recovery of this beautiful animal here on this page.

Here is an update as of 3-22-06.
It is regaining it's color slowly but doing well and as you can see in this  picture
it is eliminating waste.
The  color usually starts at the base or neck and moves up the Tentacles as
it comes back.
As you can see here, it has lost its bubbles but it is still getting it's color
back. And it is also pooping.

 
Picture below is one week later.





And on 4-20-2006 he looks like this.
His color is just a bit redder then in the picture.
He has made a full recovery and doing well
with both mouths. He eats with both of them also. Amazing.
I am happy to have saved this fella  from the brink of death and the SW store
that didn't care.


 5-21-06


5-27-06
A very happy gal today


Notice the bubble tips?
They are the size of a thumb on a person.
You can compare them with the polps on the left in the picture, they are about 1/4 inch across.
He has fully recovered and very happy.


So as you can see by the above pictures, it can be done.
With clean water and a lot of water movement around the Anemone
good food and constant feeding of Silversides they can recover from a life
of starvation.
So if you have a tank that is over a year old,stable and have kept Anemones
before and find yourself looking at a bleached BTA and want to try and save it
give it a try.
But don't pay full price if you can help it.
Most store owners when convinced that you know it is bleached (most will tell you that white
is a new color) tell them you know better.
BTA's are not white in nature but different variations of red and pink. Some even are dappled
and beautiful.
Here is an update on this beautiful Anemone.
The True Perculas have taken to it and abandoned their other home.
The anemone is now 9" across and doing terrific. It has never moved from it's original spot so it is very happy.


Update again, caught the Anemone in the perfect position to snap
a couple of great pictures of it's two mouth's.
I bet they talk to each other


I thought this was pretty of my baby.