A New Anemone and a Tang

6/18/04
The dealer emailed me a few days ago to say a customer had taken down his 150 gallon tank and she had bought the contents, which included two anemones and three tangs. These would arguably be a better buy, adjustment/health-wise, than a recently imported animal, and the anemone was actually a split so had been “bred” in captivity. (Anemones sometimes reproduce by splitting in half). So despite having a serious lack of free time lately, I went over to see them Thursday afternoon. When I got to the store I asked why the customer gave up, and learned that a float valve that feeds reverse osmosis water into his tank (to replace evaporation automatically, instead of manually like I do), had stuck in the “on” position while he was away for two days. This poured about 70 gallons of fresh water into the tank, overflowing onto the floor, of course, but also lowering the salinity to nothing. This was apparently his second crisis in a short time, and he was fed up.

The dealer took everything directly from his fresh water into her salt water and hoped things would survive. Most did, but all this happened only a week ago, so I wondered, were some creatures just slower to die, or were they really ok? The tangs seemed healthy, no sign of ich, and they were eating ok. I liked two of them, and the dealer urged me to get both; said that they had proven compatibility and having two in a tank is better for the fish. But my tank is small by marine standards, and everything else I have read says one tang only for 75 gallons, and even at that, you have to be really careful which kind of tang, to get one of the types (which these were) that doesn’t get too huge. Another factor is that my quarantine tank (yes, folks, I was really determined to use that tank this time!) is only 20 gallons, and I didn’t see how I could put two tangs in 20 gallons.

So I just bought one, a Scopus tang. Tangs have a razor-sharp, bony projection on either side of their tails with which they can slice another fish (or your finger), so one must approach with caution. This is why they are sometimes referred to as “surgeon” fish. I also bought the larger of the two anemones. This is the same variety as I tried before, but a darker color. It had its foot planted at the base of a rock about 10” across, and the dealer was unable to pry it loose, so she packaged it up rock and all, with instructions to bring the rock back when he let go.

Getting that big a rock into my reef was no small feat, but I managed to fit it in the back corner where the shell for the clownfish had been. The clownfish, since my last update, had abandoned that shell in favor of the trachyphyllia (open brain) coral. Their harassment of this coral was one reason I was eager to get another anemone, because the trachyphyllia could die from them pestering it.

By morning, the anemone had left the big rock, but had not gone the direction I hoped it would (of course) but instead climbed down the far side of the rock and wedged itself against the glass. I removed the rock this morning and we’ll see where it goes next. My latest reading on this subject has suggested that they are best left alone initially, and only moved if they go somewhere that just won’t do (from the keeper’s point of view--obviously if the animal went there, IT liked the spot just fine).

I also found two unusual goodies that I just couldn’t resist. One was a “Christmas Tree Worm” rock. Small worms, minute feather dusters about 4-5 mm high, often form a colony on a coral-coated rock. These are known in the trade as Christmas Tree worms since the rock looks like it is lit with little jewels, often multi-colored. This particular one was all blue, so you can see why I wouldn’t be able to resist it. They can only be kept in well-established reef tanks as they feed on the micro goodies that in theory are breeding prolifically in the refugium. If only I could see those goodies to satisfy myself they are there!

The final purchase was an “elegance” coral (catalaphyllia jardinei) that looks somewhat like a semi-open clam with small tentacles. These are seldom available for purchase because ambitious reefers can’t clone them. In fact, the dealer had been tempted to keep it herself, but had no more room in her own tank, so I snapped it up.