Newbie questions about rock flower

Kamden Uelton

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well mine likes to eat so i'd feed it if you want some decent growth, I got a new one about 3 months ago that started about 1" and now it has to be around 6" feeding really helps with growth.
 
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mch1984

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Ok, so i received three rock flowers. I ordered two zebra's and one red, nothing special just simple plain colors. The zebra were listed as mixed color.

All three have settled in and opened but the two zebras are white. I know that usually can be a bad sign, and I'm sure right now it's because they are stressed from being shipped. Question is, how long before I start to worry about them? How long do you think i should give before they start to color up a little? Below is a pic, not a great one but better than nothing.

IMG_1070.JPG
 

tdileo

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Ok, so i received three rock flowers. I ordered two zebra's and one red, nothing special just simple plain colors. The zebra were listed as mixed color.

All three have settled in and opened but the two zebras are white. I know that usually can be a bad sign, and I'm sure right now it's because they are stressed from being shipped. Question is, how long before I start to worry about them? How long do you think i should give before they start to color up a little? Below is a pic, not a great one but better than nothing.

IMG_1070.JPG

Can you get a pic under more white lighting? Some just have white ruffles. Some of mine have them white.
 

tankstudy

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All three have settled in and opened but the two zebras are white. I know that usually can be a bad sign, and I'm sure right now it's because they are stressed from being shipped.

Rock Flower Anemones can come white. When your rock flower anemones turn transparent, that is usually a sick anemone. It doesn't necessarily mean too much light or too little from my experience. I keep about 40 specimens.

Question is, how long before I start to worry about them? How long do you think i should give before they start to color up a little? Below is a pic, not a great one but better than nothing.

They usually don't color up beyond what they are born with. You won't see a white zebra stripe RFA turn rainbow. Their are sick anemones that do lose their color. I received one from a friend last year that went black/brown and it took a year before the colors fully returned to a bright orange.

I usually wait a week before feeding new rock flower anemones. A healthy anemone will grab food very quickly while a sick anemone will respond extremely slow to food and at times may not respond at all.

Also, rock flower anemones do move but from my experience its because they over grow their crevice. I have several specimens near the 4" marker that I got at the size of a half dollar.
 
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mch1984

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Rock Flower Anemones can come white. When your rock flower anemones turn transparent, that is usually a sick anemone. It doesn't necessarily mean too much light or too little from my experience. I keep about 40 specimens.

OK, thanks that's good to know. In that case, these guys look pretty healthy right now lol. I wasn't expecting anything exotic in color, just wasn't sure if they would gain anything. I don't mind the white, I'm still a proud dad!



They usually don't color up beyond what they are born with. You won't see a white zebra stripe RFA turn rainbow. Their are sick anemones that do lose their color. I received one from a friend last year that went black/brown and it took a year before the colors fully returned to a bright orange. I usually wait a week before feeding new rock flower anemones. A healthy anemone will grab food very quickly while a sick anemone will respond extremely slow to food and at times may not respond at all. Also said:
My plan is to do a nano tank with nothing but rock anemones later, I still think they are the neatest looking creature ever. I did some research but there always seems to be more questions. That's why I didn't get anything exotic the first time. Thank you for the advice on the waiting a week, I will do just that. One question I've had the whole time is, how big a piece of food can they have? I have mysis and brine shrimp right now, but thought about getting regular shrimp and cutting them up for them. But I wasn't sure how small to cut the pieces.

thanks again for chiming in, these guys are awesome.
 
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mch1984

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My plan is to do a nano tank with nothing but rock anemones later, I still think they are the neatest looking creature ever. I did some research but there always seems to be more questions. That's why I didn't get anything exotic the first time. Thank you for the advice on the waiting a week, I will do just that. One question I've had the whole time is, how big a piece of food can they have? I have mysis and brine shrimp right now, but thought about getting regular shrimp and cutting them up for them. But I wasn't sure how small to cut the pieces.

thanks again for chiming in, these guys are awesome.

sorry screwed that double quote up on that.
 

Dsnakes

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Here are my three. I am going to order 5 more soon! I love their colors. They have moved a bit, but no more than 3-5" from where I placed. Stay put now. Mine get brine, mysis, and krill. The red tip one in the middle is getting big, almost 3" across.
IMG_8028.JPG
IMG_8073.JPG
IMG_8086.JPG
 

tdileo

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b2d56fe5ce1a936d9d740698a6144fd7.jpg

Here are two of mine. The one on the left has white-brown edges and the green one on the right has white mixed in with the green, as well as white, grey and green bubbles on the flat part.
 

tankstudy

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My plan is to do a nano tank with nothing but rock anemones later, I still think they are the neatest looking creature ever. I did some research but there always seems to be more questions. That's why I didn't get anything exotic the first time. Thank you for the advice on the waiting a week, I will do just that. One question I've had the whole time is, how big a piece of food can they have? I have mysis and brine shrimp right now, but thought about getting regular shrimp and cutting them up for them. But I wasn't sure how small to cut the pieces.

thanks again for chiming in, these guys are awesome.

sorry screwed that double quote up on that.

They can easily swallow really large things but from what I have seen, once they've consumed their fill, they will spit out the remaining. You'll wake up one morning finding a ton of white looking balls in your sandbed if you overfeed them. I just feed the super small mysis now with a pipet. I've witnessed my damsels diving in to them and getting eatten. They will get partially consumed overnight and spat out.
 
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mch1984

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Those are beautiful. Good advice on the food, I'll stick to mysis and brine. I'll take another pic tonight and post them.

I placed the smallest one in a hole in the middle of the rock and the two zebras buried their selves in between the rock and sand. I started looking into rock anemones because of the reputation of not moving much. Since then I've just really grown to like these guys.
 

tankstudy

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Those are beautiful. Good advice on the food, I'll stick to mysis and brine. I'll take another pic tonight and post them.

I placed the smallest one in a hole in the middle of the rock and the two zebras buried their selves in between the rock and sand. I started looking into rock anemones because of the reputation of not moving much. Since then I've just really grown to like these guys.

Colors and hardiness are what sold me. $20 can yield you a pretty specimen and $60-100 can yield a very very nice specimen.
 

tankstudy

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They look pretty healthy.

I need to get some white zebra ones. I have a lot of crazy colors but not the plain old white ones.
 
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mch1984

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My cleaner shrimp is going to get it one day if he doesn't quit messing with them lol. The two white ones are well over 2" when they are opened up, strange feeling they could snatch him up if they wanted to.
 

tankstudy

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My cleaner shrimp is going to get it one day if he doesn't quit messing with them lol. The two white ones are well over 2" when they are opened up, strange feeling they could snatch him up if they wanted to.

It only takes one small mistake and he'll be a goner. :D
 

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