Do you guys ever have to force feed your anemone?

[inachu]

Just wondering.

Or do you just lay a few mysis shrimp at its mouth or do you
let your anemone do the work and just squirt its jelly arms?

[DougBushBC]

I feed mine pieces of silversides, and put them right into the tentacles with my claw and let it wrap around it. in a few seconds the food is entangled and GONE.

[bencozzy]

NEVER FORCE FEED A ANEMONE!!!!!!!

[robvdv]

What do you have in mind, inachu? Physically forcing food into their stomachs using a syringe or forceps or something? Is this for health reasons or to improve pace of growth?

My gut feel (sorry, couldn't resist) is that it's a bad idea.

[sunhair]

I have to agree force feeding a nem is a bad idea and a big no no

[inachu]

Mine are still healthy after being taken home from the store 6 days ago.

For me I think mine...... they are lazy and never move the mysis shrimp into their mouth and I sat there for 30 minutes watching.

weird..... I havent forced fed them yet...... I see nothing wrong it... this is how you feed Burmese pythons sometimes.

[bassist6108]

dude, a python is a little different than an anemone. It's like saying you should wash them in the bathtub b/c that's where you wash a dog.

[pitbull250r]

I have force fed lot of different pythons works great. But if all of these people say not to I would listen. It would not be worth it to wast the $40

[robvdv]

If the food you're trying to feed it isn't resulting in a feeding response, something's wrong.

Maybe the anemone doesn't like or isn't used to that kind of food.
Maybe it's predominantly photosynthetic and microparticle feeding
Maybe it's sick from poor/unfamiliar water conditions.

What species of anemone is it?

[phender]

First I have to say that you should give your anemone another week to acclimate to your tank before you try anything drastic.
I have saved a couple anemones from death by using a syringe to gently squirt mysis into its mouth. Sometimes anemones in ill health will lose the ability to sting or move food to their mouths, but they still need to eat. Don't try to force the mouth open and don't use chunks of food, but if the mouth is already a little open, it is OK to gently squirt some small food like mysis into its mouth.

[sk8rreefgeek]

shove a feeder mouse in it.







jk. I agree with above. What kind of light, filtration do you have?
It shouldn't take more than 30 seconds for the food to be taken in and devoured IMO

Also, how much/often have you been trying?

[Cope]

Have you tried live rats? Thats what I feed my anemone. Sometimes they need live food to trigger the feeding response.

EDIT NEVER wash your anemone in the bath tub......................
It's a waist of water, use the sink, Duh....
I agree with robvdv

[dc]

I use prime reef as it holds together. If the tentacles don't grab it, I remove it. Almost always ready to eat by the next time.