Bubbletip ewww...

[Kwolf]

Hey everyone,
I just bought a Bubble Tip anemone. This is the first one I've owned of this kind so maybe this is normal but I really don't think so. I put it in last night and it opened up and started moving around on the rock I placed it on. All is well it seems. This morning it is hanging upside down and mostly closed which is still ok since its been sitting overnight. What is odd is it is expelling only what I can describe as a "cottage cheese" like substance. What in the world is that? Any info obviously appreciated.
Thanks.

[RazerCorals]

Well it's sort of throwing up it's gut. This is fairly common when you first introduce it. Make sure it's not harassed and gets plenty of light. Also try to feed it.

[Pineapple House]

This seems to be common with mushroom anemones, although I have to say i've never heard of an anemone (Not a colonial anemone) doing this.

A picture would greatly help though. It can be its left over food that it's expelling. Foods that contains scales, bones, or anything else it cannot digest, will not pass through the anemone. It will have to 'throw it up' by expelling it throughout its central mouth. This shows up as Brown gunk.

Another posibility, is that it's expelling its stomach. I know cucumbers will do it, same with mushrooms, but i've never heard of an anemone such as a bubble tip do this. Anemones from time to time will expel foods, but not its insides. I don't know the affects of this (I have a feeling i'm wrong), but I can tell you what causes it (as far as shrooms go). When stressed, harassed, or damaged, it will be forced to regurgatate it's foods as well as its stomach for defence. Most of the time, if requirements are right, it will be okay.

A last posibility, is this is damaged tissue. You will see 'white stuffing' coming out around its mouth, or a white slime (looks like 'smoke'). You will sometimes see little 'stringy' strands in the stuffing, this is its tissue, also caused with exess stress or harassment. It can be cured if requirements are met.

It would help to know about your aquarium first. Many anemones will not survive in captivity, therefor it's extremely common to see this. Tell me as much as you can about your tank, as well as exactly what the anemones symptoms are, to figure out exactly what is wrong.

PH =)

[Chryocon]

Every so often, the anemones will deflate for a couple of days. You might see its mouth open with purple or bown slim coming out

PH you typed this under Tips and Tricks, could this be what he is talking about....?

[Kwolf]

hey thanks for the replying....since this morning the "cottage cheese" has ceased for the most part and my Tomato Clown has now adopted it and is very happy. Whatever it was, the fish seemed to be very attracted to it and were eating it. :? not sure if this is good or bad for them but I would think they would avoid it if it was bad. I'll try to snap a pic of what is left.

[RazerCorals]

Maybe it did it to attract the fish. Never heard of it doing it to attract a fish though.

[anemoneman]

Whatever it was, the fish seemed to be very attracted to it and were eating it.
My guess then is undigested food. You will find this when you feed it inappropriate foods. The anemone will attempt to digest it but will poop it out prematurely. Good luck with this. As was posted earlier, anemones often do not survive more than a few months in captivity. If this is the case with yours, please do not attempt another one. A large hairy mushroom, frogspawn or other hardy coral will host a clownfish very well and most are tank raised.

Mark

[phistio]

in agreeance with PH. i doubt it is releasing holothuria...like a cucumber does. i've never heard of an anemones doing that, and i'm not sure they're capable.

my guess is that it's waste...

the white could be explained if the anemone was newly shipped. and i would suspect that it would be "bleached" from non-photosynthetic malnutrition in shipping.

just a guess...

[Kwolf]

well, I took a picture but I have no where to post it to since I can't actually post it here. Any suggestions?

[phistio]

why can't you post it here?

if you have problems posting, send it to me via email, and i'll post it for ya!

phistio@reeflounge.com

[Pineapple House]

As long as it's under 224k, you can easily post it under the attachments. Go click attachments when posting, wait for it to load. Then, click browse, find the picture you want, click it. Then, if you want, type a little message of what it is, and post it. If you want to post multiple pictures, click 'add an attachment' again, and do the same thing. If you would like to see your already posted attachments, click 'Posted Attachments.'

If worse comes to worse, email Phistio with the Pictures :)

PH =)

[Kwolf]

Cool...thanks for the tip...just never usually post pics on forums

[phistio]

actually i believe the attatchment cut-off is 256kb.

[phistio]

here is kwolf's anemone in question...

[Pineapple House]

One posibility, is that it's been damaged somehow (probably from handling). That is part of it's tissue, which is white. This can either spread throughout the whole anemone (if conditions aren't good), or, can quickly hea up within a week or so.

Usually the foods are brown, with a few exeptions of green :wink:

PH =)

[Pineapple House]

Also, this is JMO, but that doesn't look like a bubble tip, but more like an LTA (Long Tentacle Anemone). I could be wrong...

PH =)

[Kwolf]

Well, it does not illustrate it in the picture, but it does "bubble up" at the end on the tentacles from time to time. But you would know better than me ;) . Thanks for the help everyone.