Force feeding?

[KyleP]

I have had my LTA for a month and a half now and it still will not attach and has not eaten anything since the first week I got it. I've had a clarkii in there for two weeks and he loves the crap out of the anemone, but I put a strawberry basket over the anemone soon after. I have tried to feed the anemone everything but the food just falls out. I read on karensroseanemones that she force fed a bta one time. Anyone know if this is possible? I have a syringe and I figure I could get it into the anemone's mouth and squirt some mysis in there. Any thoughts?

[KyleP]

bump

[redFishblue]

It seems from what people say here that force feeding is not a great idea.
If the anemone is too sick to feed itself, it may not have the energy to digest the food properly.The food would then just rot in the gut, and we know have fast mysis will rot in a tank. I personally have lost a rbta before due to feeding spoiled food before.

My sebae refused to eat for almost 2 months before it started accepting food.
I just made sure all the conditions such as lighting and flow were good and then
let nature takes it course. Force feeding would have probably just stressed it some more.

[DJM32189]

I agree, I have spent about 10 hours today just reading and reading about anemones (mine is a little odd acting right now!) and I have read nothing good about force feeding.

[Slakker]

Of all the research I've done, it sounds like force feeding is a resounding no from those in the know. Turns out not only can it cause the food to rot in the gut, but also there's a risk of tearing the tissue around the mouth.

[catdoc]

I think it depends on what you mean by force-feeding. Ramming it down the anemone's mouth doesn't sound like a good thing. However, I had a rbta that got so bad, it lost ALL of its stickiness and the tentacles had withered to teensy little bumps. Itabsolutely could NOT hold onto food. Once I worked up the guts to "force-feed" it, it immediately started recovering. I would take a little piece (1/8 to 1/4") of silverside and hold it with a pair of hemostats right at/barely touching the rbta's mouth. It would take several minutes for the rose to respond: the mouth would slowly swell and open, finally engulfing the silversides. I didn't poke the food in there but waited for it to take it on its own. Mine just couldn't hold the food so I had to stabilize the food for it. I've got some pics in this forum of the rose I saved this way. I really thought it was beyond help but it surprised me and is again in full glory!

[MarinaP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9093110#post9093110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
Of all the research I've done, it sounds like force feeding is a resounding no from those in the know.

Ditto

[KyleP]

That actually sounds like a good idea to try catdoc. I would be giving it a chance to eat, yet taking all the other advice and not hurting it. I figure if it is able to operate its mouth, then the digestive system will work also and the food won't rot. I hope this works, because there is really nothing else I can do. I think its basically surviving off the halides right now. Thanks for all the input!

[Slakker]

I wouldn't consider that "Force Feeding" catdoc, more like handfeeding...lol

Kinda like when you were a young child and your parents fed you that slop on a spoon. Didn't (always) force it on you, but simply helped you because you couldn't do it yourself yet.

[KyleP]

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just "spoon fed" it a small piece of shrimp and he ate it!!!!!! It took the mouth about 30 minutes to get it down, but its in his belly now. I used hemostats initially just to keep it on his mouth until the mouth began to swell, then I let go and kept guard until he was done. I'm hoping once he gets to eating, his foot will kick into action and actually plant some where. Thanks for the advice catdoc!!!!

[Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9095195#post9095195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by catdoc
I think it depends on what you mean by force-feeding. Ramming it down the anemone's mouth doesn't sound like a good thing. However, I had a rbta that got so bad, it lost ALL of its stickiness and the tentacles had withered to teensy little bumps. Itabsolutely could NOT hold onto food. Once I worked up the guts to "force-feed" it, it immediately started recovering. I would take a little piece (1/8 to 1/4") of silverside and hold it with a pair of hemostats right at/barely touching the rbta's mouth. It would take several minutes for the rose to respond: the mouth would slowly swell and open, finally engulfing the silversides. I didn't poke the food in there but waited for it to take it on its own. Mine just couldn't hold the food so I had to stabilize the food for it. I've got some pics in this forum of the rose I saved this way. I really thought it was beyond help but it surprised me and is again in full glory!

Yep, this is what I've done in the past with "finicky" anemones.

Kevin

[catdoc]

Kyle, I know the feeling! Good luck and hopefully from here on, it'll start recovering for you. :D