What to feed baby Rock Flower Anemones?

[Cherry Bomb]

Hi all! One of my RFAs had babies a few weeks ago. Looking for good feeding ideas. Anyone have any successful tips? I would like to keep them healthy and happy. Currently adding Mini Mysis with Selcon every 3 days and Phyto Feast every 1-2 days. Is there something else I can feed? There must be about 40 I can count. They are very small and different colors.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Just feed the tank as usual and maybe add some reef roids or gorg food or similar plankton. I have babies and they are fine, I do not feed anything more than usual so far.

 

[Cherry Bomb]

Thanks! I have been adding reef roids too Forgot to add that. I’ll stick to my routine. Can’t wait for them to grow a bit!

Just feed the tank as usual and maybe add some reef roids or gorg food or similar plankton. I have babies and they are fine, I do not feed anything more than usual so far.

amks

 

[Katrina71]

@Ron Reefman has lots of experience with these little guys

 

[Ron Reefman]

40 babies surviving is about the best / biggest brood I've heard about. I think many get lost in the flow and filtration and others get eaten since they are so small. So congrats on a big haul. I hope the parents were pretty and colorful?

The advise you have already received is good. Any small food, even flake food that is ground up to almost dust, or any coral food.

So they take food pretty well if it's small. But the new ones can struggle holding on to it. Once or twice a week I shut off ALL my pumps that create any water movement and then spot feed with a turkey baster. You'll see the nems close up on the food. Leave the pumps off until the nems re-open. That's almost always less than 10 minutes. Then turn the pumps back on.

In my experience the baby RFA's don't grow real fast. I have some that are 2 years old now and they are still only 1/2 to 2/3 the size on my big adults which are 3" to 4" in diameter.

I hope that help?

 

[Daniel@R2R]

40 babies surviving is about the best / biggest brood I've heard about. I think many get lost in the flow and filtration and others get eaten since they are so small. So congrats on a big haul. I hope the parents were pretty and colorful?

The advise you have already received is good. Any small food, even flake food that is ground up to almost dust, or any coral food.

So they take food pretty well if it's small. But the new ones can struggle holding on to it. Once or twice a week I shut off ALL my pumps that create any water movement and then spot feed with a turkey baster. You'll see the nems close up on the food. Leave the pumps off until the nems re-open. That's almost always less than 10 minutes. Then turn the pumps back on.

In my experience the baby RFA's don't grow real fast. I have some that are 2 years old now and they are still only 1/2 to 2/3 the size on my big adults which are 3" to 4" in diameter.

I hope that help?

Great info here! Thanks!

 

[Cherry Bomb]

Thanks so much Ron! I have no fish in the tank, so not much to eat them. The mom is a red skirt with turquoise middle. Not sure who the dad is but I have mostly ultras in the tank, so hopefully get some nice colors. Some are growing a bit faster than others and some are pretty active moving around to find good spots. There are a bunch under different ones skirts. Crossing fingers they all survive!


QUOTE="Ron Reefman, post: 6186701, member: 23403"]40 babies surviving is about the best / biggest brood I've heard about. I think many get lost in the flow and filtration and others get eaten since they are so small. So congrats on a big haul. I hope the parents were pretty and colorful?

The advise you have already received is good. Any small food, even flake food that is ground up to almost dust, or any coral food.

So they take food pretty well if it's small. But the new ones can struggle holding on to it. Once or twice a week I shut off ALL my pumps that create any water movement and then spot feed with a turkey baster. You'll see the nems close up on the food. Leave the pumps off until the nems re-open. That's almost always less than 10 minutes. Then turn the pumps back on.

In my experience the baby RFA's don't grow real fast. I have some that are 2 years old now and they are still only 1/2 to 2/3 the size on my big adults which are 3" to 4" in diameter.

I hope that help?[/QUOTE]

 

[Cherry Bomb]

Here’s a picture of just a small patch of babies

 

[Cherry Bomb]

Baby Update- current count - 73 that I can see in the front. Babies are slowly growing. Some more than others. Some of them have climbed onto my rock work but a lot have stayed in the substrate and around the skirts of the older ones. Can’t wait to see the get a bit bigger.

 

[hart24601]

Whoa. 73!

I have a lot of babies everywhere too. I am concerned about them over taking the tank honestly.

 

[Cherry Bomb]

I’ve always wanted Rock Flowers everywhere. Be careful what you wish for. Lol! Might have to invest in a larger tank when they get bigger. I’ve heard they can grow to about 6 inches. My largest is only about 3.5 inches.

Whoa. 73!

I have a lot of babies everywhere too. I am concerned about them over taking the tank honestly.

 

[hart24601]

They are pretty no doubt but also seem good at killing sps where they touch it! Few recent pics just for fun.

 

[Cherry Bomb]

Gorgeous photos!!

They are pretty no doubt but also seem good at killing sps where they touch it! Few recent pics just for fun.

Go

 

[Will_WhatIsThis]

Any updates? Really curious about how all the babies did

 

[Cell]

I feed mine Benereef, AB+, and LRS nano juice with super small particles of food. They are growing pretty fast imo.

 

[liverock]

Bits of raw shrimp....unprocessed....is best...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Beautiful mix. With no fish you can suspend feed lightly
Otherwise in a reef setting they have their own means of feeding . Flower anemones don’t consume phytoplankton. In general, if you have decent lights they will survive without any feeding at all, however they will happily and quickly eat any meaty frozen foods you offer. Even very small pieces of raw table shrimp like you buy at the grocery store.

 

[hart24601]

Beautiful mix. With no fish you can suspend feed lightly
Otherwise in a reef setting they have their own means of feeding . Flower anemones don’t consume phytoplankton. In general, if you have decent lights they will survive without any feeding at all, however they will happily and quickly eat any meaty frozen foods you offer. Even very small pieces of raw table shrimp like you buy at the grocery store.

Funny enough I have not found this to be the case, while some seem to do ok with no feeding others seem to gradually shrink and disappear. I had a waterbox 100.3 with around 130 nems and orphek at full blast so lowest par in tank was over 200. Some did ok, but when I stopped spot feeding many shriveled up. I think Ron has had similar experiences.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Funny enough I have not found this to be the case, while some seem to do ok with no feeding others seem to gradually shrink and disappear. I had a waterbox 100.3 with around 130 nems and orphek at full blast so lowest par in tank was over 200. Some did ok, but when I stopped spot feeding many shriveled up. I think Ron has had similar experiences.

I have 5 well over a year and nice color yet still have never fed them

 

[hart24601]

I have 5 well over a year and nice color yet still have never fed them

Consider yourself lucky! If feed heavily they might be getting the occasional scrap too. With so many that I had those scraps and food would be pretty competitive and snagged quickly.