Anemony change color

[Sergey Kashkin]

Hi,
I got mini reef for about year and two months. All water condition seems in
right parametres. But I worry about my purple tip anemony which getting
darker with red algae kind color. Before it was white with purple tips and
now much darker. I put carbon in a bag and using phosfates remoover also,
but nothing making my anemony lighter. Tenticles are skinny and looks right
and it's very active with one maroon clown and anemony crab in it. Eating
normal and about twice a week. Any body can sugest something?
Thanks

[KurtG]

Sergey Kashkin wrote:
> But I worry about my purple tip anemony which getting
> darker with red algae kind color.

Many stores sell anemones that are bleached which makes them look more
appealing, but it's very unhealthy for the anemone and probably
contributes to many anemone deaths within a few short months of purchase.

I suspect that your anemone is just recovering it's on board algae and
so is changing from white to more of a rusty red. This is completely
normal and a good indication that it's recovering it's health.

--Kurt

[Don Geddis]

"Sergey Kashkin" > wrote on Thu, 19 Apr 2007:
> But I worry about my purple tip anemony which getting darker with red algae
> kind color. Before it was white with purple tips and now much darker.

Congratulations! You are lucky to have recovered an anemone which was on
its way to death. Apparently, you've given it enough light and food (and
good quality water) that it is becoming healthy again, and returning to its
natural state.

> I put carbon in a bag and using phosfates remoover also, but nothing making
> my anemony lighter.

Where did you get the idea that the white tentacles were "healthy"? Why
do you want them to be "lighter"? Because you think it's more pretty that
way?

The truth is exactly the opposite. Your anemone, when you got it, was sickly
and dying. It is now recovering, reinserting colorful symbiotic zooxanthellae
into its tentacles, and becoming healthy again.

If you REALLY want it to have white tentacles with purple tips, like when you
originally got it, then you can keep all the lights off all the time in your
tank, and let the water quality degrade a little bit. Before too long, it'll
probably start getting sick again, and expel the zooxanthellae from its
tentacles (since they'll all die without the lights anyway), etc. And then
presto! You'll have your original colors back. Probably won't live too long
that way, though.

> Tenticles are skinny and looks right and it's very active with one maroon
> clown and anemony crab in it. Eating normal and about twice a week. Any
> body can sugest something?

Sounds like you're doing everything right, from the perspective of taking
care of the health of the anemone. The only problem is that you aren't
happy about it.

-- Don
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Don Geddis http://reef.geddis.org/
Tycho: I'm making wheatloaf. It's like meatloaf, only with wheat.
Gabe: Isn't that just ... bread?
-- Penny Arcade, 8/9/2004

[Sergey Kashkin]

Thank you guys! I'm happy now!

"Sergey Kashkin" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> Hi,
> I got mini reef for about year and two months. All water condition seems
> in right parametres. But I worry about my purple tip anemony which getting
> darker with red algae kind color. Before it was white with purple tips and
> now much darker. I put carbon in a bag and using phosfates remoover also,
> but nothing making my anemony lighter. Tenticles are skinny and looks
> right and it's very active with one maroon clown and anemony crab in it.
> Eating normal and about twice a week. Any body can sugest something?
> Thanks
>