| Raising Anemones For Fun And Profit |
Possibly the most recognizable invertebrate
in the marine world is the anemone. This is
probably due to its symbiotic relationship
with the most famous marine fish, the
(various sp.) Clown. After being prominently
featured (arguably to its detriment) in the
movie Finding Nemo, it would be hard to
find a person on the street who couldn't
identify this famous invert.
As it turns out, the anemone is one of the
easiest inverts to "breed" in the marine
aquarium. I put "breed" in quotes because
anemones don't breed in the classic sense.
A better word would probably be
"reproduce". Anemones multiply by dividing,
which in addition to being a mathematical
paradox, positions them uniquely to
increase their numbers.
Splitting asexually means that there is no
gender. When choosing an animal for the
aquarium, the hobbyist needs not worry
about picking a "boy" or a "girl". Just pick a
healthy specimen, put it in a favorable
environment and wait for it to do its thing.
The process is quite rewarding and
observing the actual splitting process is truly
a privilege. In the days leading up to the
in the marine world is the anemone. This is
probably due to its symbiotic relationship
with the most famous marine fish, the
(various sp.) Clown. After being prominently
featured (arguably to its detriment) in the
movie Finding Nemo, it would be hard to
find a person on the street who couldn't
identify this famous invert.
As it turns out, the anemone is one of the
easiest inverts to "breed" in the marine
aquarium. I put "breed" in quotes because
anemones don't breed in the classic sense.
A better word would probably be
"reproduce". Anemones multiply by dividing,
which in addition to being a mathematical
paradox, positions them uniquely to
increase their numbers.
Splitting asexually means that there is no
gender. When choosing an animal for the
aquarium, the hobbyist needs not worry
about picking a "boy" or a "girl". Just pick a
healthy specimen, put it in a favorable
environment and wait for it to do its thing.
The process is quite rewarding and
observing the actual splitting process is truly
a privilege. In the days leading up to the
actual split, the animal begins to get very restless. I can't put the actual behavior into words, but when
you observe it daily you know the routine and this changes dramatically when the split in near. Of
course no intervention is needed and once the process begins it only takes a few hours to complete.
At the end you have two anemones, one more than you need...
This brings us to the profit part. I say profit mostly in jest, in reality there is not profit to be had but
selling the extra animal does offset some of the cost of maintaining your hobby. Plus it provides
another hobbyist with the animal they want without taking it from its natural habitat. So lets discuss the
chase, capture and relocation of your new-found invert.
In my experience anemones like to have their snail-foot-like base in a safe place. That is to say that
they are planted in a crevice where the base is inaccessible. When a threat presents, they can
withdraw to the safety of the crevice by reducing their size by up to 95%. Since an intervening
hobbyists hand is seen by the animal as a threat, it withdraws, making removing it from the rock
impossible without injuring it. There is only one solution to this quandary...patience! Immediately after
the split, both mother and baby will be sharing the crevice. But the baby will soon become restless and
journey out to find its own territory. This is your chance to capture it. Inevitably it will venture off the rock
and onto the smooth glass. Gently irritating it around the base of its foot while it is on the glass will
allow you to pop it loose. There is obviously a small window of time when this is possible and this
window usually doesn't coincide with when you can find another tank to put it in. So how do you keep it
from heading back to the rocks while you find its new home in another tank? Build a little anemone
prison!
you observe it daily you know the routine and this changes dramatically when the split in near. Of
course no intervention is needed and once the process begins it only takes a few hours to complete.
At the end you have two anemones, one more than you need...
This brings us to the profit part. I say profit mostly in jest, in reality there is not profit to be had but
selling the extra animal does offset some of the cost of maintaining your hobby. Plus it provides
another hobbyist with the animal they want without taking it from its natural habitat. So lets discuss the
chase, capture and relocation of your new-found invert.
In my experience anemones like to have their snail-foot-like base in a safe place. That is to say that
they are planted in a crevice where the base is inaccessible. When a threat presents, they can
withdraw to the safety of the crevice by reducing their size by up to 95%. Since an intervening
hobbyists hand is seen by the animal as a threat, it withdraws, making removing it from the rock
impossible without injuring it. There is only one solution to this quandary...patience! Immediately after
the split, both mother and baby will be sharing the crevice. But the baby will soon become restless and
journey out to find its own territory. This is your chance to capture it. Inevitably it will venture off the rock
and onto the smooth glass. Gently irritating it around the base of its foot while it is on the glass will
allow you to pop it loose. There is obviously a small window of time when this is possible and this
window usually doesn't coincide with when you can find another tank to put it in. So how do you keep it
from heading back to the rocks while you find its new home in another tank? Build a little anemone
prison!
A small betta bowl style enclosure is almost always sufficient. Put some window screen over the top and lock
'em down with a rubber band. *jail cell door slamming shut sound effect here*
So now the baby can get constant fresh (or in this case salt) water flow while always remaining on a smooth
surface from which it is easily removed. Someone calls to buy it and you can pop it out at will with no risk of
injuring the animal. Win-win! Many times, the anemone will actually split multiple times in close succession. I
have generally observed the mother maintaining about 60% of the original size. The babies then split up,
evenly or unevenly, the remaining 40%. I have had babies that were very small and sickly consisting of less
than 10% of the original size that still ended up doing very well. I lock them in the bowl and wait for them to
stabilize for at least two weeks, then relocate them. Average size babies only need to be locked up for 12-24
hours before they can be safely relocated. The biggest challenge with small babies is catching them before
they get sucked into your overflow. I had that happen once as well, the baby was injured during removal but
survived and ended up thriving. I have never lost a baby.
I personally just provide the best environment I can and wait for a natural split, but there are ways you can
"encourage" splitting if you choose to. Taking a pair of scissors or a razor and slicing the disc or foot of the
animal tends to speed up the splitting process. Be careful not to cut a tentacle and only make very small cuts
until you are confident that can gauge the amount of cut that is required to get the split done. Only cut one
slice no more than once a week until the split happens. Cutting multiple slices on consecutive days risks
permanent injury in my opinion. To be clear, you are not cutting a chunk off the animal, you are only slicing it.
Again, I personally don't do this and I don't recommend it but you may do it if you choose.
Hopefully you learned something you didn't know about how to breed and more easily trade anemones. When
you are sure you have the proper environment to keep one, give it a try. I think you will agree that it is one of
the most dynamic and interesting creatures available in today's marine aquarium!
'em down with a rubber band. *jail cell door slamming shut sound effect here*
So now the baby can get constant fresh (or in this case salt) water flow while always remaining on a smooth
surface from which it is easily removed. Someone calls to buy it and you can pop it out at will with no risk of
injuring the animal. Win-win! Many times, the anemone will actually split multiple times in close succession. I
have generally observed the mother maintaining about 60% of the original size. The babies then split up,
evenly or unevenly, the remaining 40%. I have had babies that were very small and sickly consisting of less
than 10% of the original size that still ended up doing very well. I lock them in the bowl and wait for them to
stabilize for at least two weeks, then relocate them. Average size babies only need to be locked up for 12-24
hours before they can be safely relocated. The biggest challenge with small babies is catching them before
they get sucked into your overflow. I had that happen once as well, the baby was injured during removal but
survived and ended up thriving. I have never lost a baby.
I personally just provide the best environment I can and wait for a natural split, but there are ways you can
"encourage" splitting if you choose to. Taking a pair of scissors or a razor and slicing the disc or foot of the
animal tends to speed up the splitting process. Be careful not to cut a tentacle and only make very small cuts
until you are confident that can gauge the amount of cut that is required to get the split done. Only cut one
slice no more than once a week until the split happens. Cutting multiple slices on consecutive days risks
permanent injury in my opinion. To be clear, you are not cutting a chunk off the animal, you are only slicing it.
Again, I personally don't do this and I don't recommend it but you may do it if you choose.
Hopefully you learned something you didn't know about how to breed and more easily trade anemones. When
you are sure you have the proper environment to keep one, give it a try. I think you will agree that it is one of
the most dynamic and interesting creatures available in today's marine aquarium!
| Anemones are happiest when living in harmony with a clownfish. |
| Solutions to the most complicated problems in the reef aquarium can often be found using the simplest tools. |