Bulb Tentacle Sea Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
| Bulb Tentacle Sea Anemone Entacmaea quadricolor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Bulb Tentacle Sea Anemone |
| Name Lat. | Entacmaea quadricolor |
| Family | Sea Anemones |
| Family lat. | Actiniidae |
| Order | Sea Anemones |
| Order lat. | Actiniaria |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific, Red Sea |
| Diet | Autotrophic, carnivore |
| pH | 8.1-8.4 |
| Hardness | 8-12 °KH |
| Lighting | Medium - high |
| Current | Moderate - strong |
| Behavior | Semi-aggressive |
| Keeping | Individual, group |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Life Span | N/A |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | < 30 cm |
| Temperature | 22-26 °C |
| Salinity | 33-36 ‰ |
| Aquarium | 400 l |
| US Units | |
| Size | < 12" |
| Temperature | 72-79 °F |
| Salinity | 1.020-1.025 sg |
| Aquarium | 100 gal |
Distribution and habitat
Entacmaea quadricolor are widely distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Australia and from southern Japan to Samoa and Tonga. They live singly or in dense groups on shallow coral reefs, where they attach themselves to crevices and holes in the coral rock, and they are often inhabited by anemonefish (symbiotic anemone).
Maintenance
They should be positioned in a bright spot among jagged rocks or coral branches in a medium, alternating current by gently pressing them there for a short time.
It is recommended to use live stones for setting up the aquarium. The bacteria living in the porous stones act as a biological filter. Only substrates rich in lime and free of heavy metals should be used as substrate. Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must match the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals
| Salinity: 33-36 ‰ | pH value: 8.1-8.4 |
| Carbonate hardness: 6-10 °KH | Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l |
| calcium content: 420-450 mg/l | Nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l |
| Magnesium content: 1.250-1.350 mg/l | phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l |
Regular addition of trace elements, especially iodine and strontium, is recommended. For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention shall be paid to consistently good water quality and water values.
Diet
Zooxanthellae, which are unicellular symbiotic algae, live in their tissue and provide them with assimilation products of their photosynthesis (high light requirement). The zooxanthellae promote growth and provide additional food to the plankton and small particles collected from the water current. Besides the food that accumulates in the aquarium when feeding fish (smelt, mysis, krill, Artemia, etc..) hardly needs to be fed
Regular and varied feeding promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.
Behaviour and compatibility
They can be kept singly or in a group and should be socialized with a symbiotic partner, such as some Amphiprion species, Premnas biaculeata or Dascyllus trimaculatus. Keeping them together with fish that do not consider them food is fine. A sufficiently large distance must be kept to corals and other anemones, in order to avoid a Vernesseln.
Reproduction and breeding
They are separately sexual. The larvae are part of the plankton for several weeks until they settle in a suitable place. But they can also reproduce by division, which is often observed in the aquarium.
Important
They come in different color forms, such as pink, beige, brown, orange and red, with red or green tentacle tips.
After being placed in the aquarium, they sometimes wander until they find a suitable place themselves. In doing so, they can endanger other anemones or corals with their nettles. The anemonefishes living in symbiosis with them are very helpful in the not unproblematic acclimation. Healthy animals have a closed oral disc, look "pumped up" and do not drift around. They are very sensitive and can be easily injured when handled
The additional lighting with actinic light (short-wave violet-blue light) is very beneficial for their growth (zooxanthellae).
Newly introduced animals must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium. If different species are kept together, make sure that fish and invertebrates match each other in terms of water quality and temperature requirements as well as their social behavior, and that the setup meets the ecological needs of all species kept together. Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak
Source: BAENSCH & DEBELIUS (2006): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 1, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch