Feeding Rock/Flower Anemone

[Glasswalker]

Hey, so just got a Rock/Flower Anemone to eventually (possibly) host my Porcelain Anemone Crab...

It's a bit small right now, about 1" diameter total, but LFS said feeding it twice a week will grow it quickly.

He suggested target feeding, using a syringe and a long tube on the syringe. We're starting using misis shrimp which seem to be about right size for it's mouth.

Problem is... We also got 2 skunk cleaner shrimp... And as soon as that "feed stick" goes in there, they come running over to check it out, and trample the poor anemone (closed up right away)... To make it worse we shooed them away, and once it opened back up, we tried to feed again. We got some misis out, but it just kinda drifted around, we didn't want to poke the anemone with the stick, so weren't sure how to get the food to "land" on him so he could eat it...

AND as we were pulling the stick out, the shrimp came running back over and started poking at the anemone (I assume trying to dig the food out of it). We shooed it away again quickly, and the anemone was closed up on one side (maybe with some food) for an hour or so... It opened back up after that though.

So I hope it didn't hurt the anemone, but anyone have any suggestions on:
A) How to target feed these in a way that works?
B) How to protect it from the shrimp (way to distract them or something?)

Any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated... Our QT tank isn't fully up and running yet, so worse case I can move him to the QT and try and grow him up there then once he's more grown move him back... But QT and Fuge have much poorer lighting than the DT has... (Fuge has only white light, just enough to grow some chaeto, QT has a pair of small reef lights with blue/white spectrum, but not nearly as powerful as my main light on the DT, and the fuge lights have no actinic...)

Thoughts?

Thanks!

(oh and once I can get a pic of him, I'll post it up, where he is now is hard to photograph unfortunately, but he's quite nice, bright red under actinics, with white tentacles around the fringe)

 

[ngvu1]

I have similar issues but with my yellow tang. I have a coral feeder, long stick, and when I target feed any corals, anything come near the target will be hit with that same stick.... works for me

 

[Glasswalker]

Lol, teach them to fear the FOOD STICK OF DOOM!

 

[ngvu1]

The yellow tang, or at least the one I have, is really slow. He/she does not remember anything happens 10 second ago. I would guard, hit, guard, hit,......until the food is no longer steal-able. ; The yellow tang is like...oh food...oh no, run.....10 seconds later...oh food...oh no...run.....10 seconds later LOL

Lol, teach them to fear the FOOD STICK OF DOOM!

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Use a cut in half soda bottle place over the nem feed into it let it sit for a while then take it out also make sure all flow is cut off my rock nems eat small cut pieces of shrimp so mysis isn't the only thing it Will eat and they die eat alot

 

[Glasswalker]

Use a cut in half soda bottle place over the nem feed into it let it sit for a while then take it out also make sure all flow is cut off my rock nems eat small cut pieces of shrimp so mysis isn't the only thing it Will eat and they die eat alot

That pop bottle idea is a great one! I'll totally try that! The Anemone Feeding Forcefield of Doom! (everything is better with a little Doom!)

Can I assume by "die eat alot" you meant to type "don't eat alot"? or did you mean "do eat alot" lol

Thanks!

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Yes do eat a lot sorry stupid smart phone lol