Coloured Tube Anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus)
| Coloured Tube Anemone Cerianthus membranaceus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Coloured Tube Anemone |
| Name Lat. | Cerianthus membranaceus |
| Family | Cerianthid Anemones |
| Family lat. | Cerianthidae |
| Order | Tube-dwelling Anemones |
| Order lat. | Spirularia |
| Origin | Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| pH | 8.1-8.4 |
| Hardness | 8-10 °KH |
| Lighting | Low-medium |
| Current | Weak-moderate |
| Behavior | Semi-aggressive |
| Keeping | Individual |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Life Span | N/A |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | < 40 cm |
| Temperature | 15-24 °C |
| Salinity | 33-36 ‰ |
| Aquarium | 200 l |
| US Units | |
| Size | < 16" |
| Temperature | 57-75 °F |
| Salinity | 1.020-1.025 sg |
| Aquarium | 50 gal |
Distribution and habitat
Cerianthus membranaceus are widespread in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, as well as the Indo-Pacific. They live solitary in self-made tubes that they burrow and anchor in sandy or muddy bottoms. No colonies or sticks are formed.
Maintenance
They need an aquarium with a sandy substrate about 10 cm deep to burrow into and should be positioned in a shady spot, between rocks with a moderate, alternating current
The setup includes living stones, which act like a biological filter and with their porous structure provide settlement area and habitat for the purifying bacteria and microorganisms. Only substrates rich in lime and free of heavy metals may 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 be appropriate to the animals' species-appropriate day-night rhythm Lighting must be appropriate to the animals' species-appropriate day-night rhythm
| Salinity: 33-36 ‰ | pH value: 8.1-8.4 |
| Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °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, 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
They do not possess zooxanthellae, so they require food that is collected from the water current. In doing so, the outer tentacle ring forms a catch basket that is aligned with the plankton current. In addition to the food produced in the aquarium during fish feeding (mysis, krill, Artemia, etc.), commercially available phyto- and zooplankton, liquid or frozen, should also be offered regularly. Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.
Behaviour and compatibility
They are nocturnal and have very long, strongly nettling tentacles. Accordingly, a sufficiently large distance must be kept from each other and from other anemones and corals to avoid cnidation. Due to their strong nettling effect, sensitive fish, e.g. surgeonfish, can also suffer.
Reproduction and breeding
They are protandrous hermaphrodites, i.e. young animals are males that later become females. The sexual products are released into the open water where fertilization occurs. Development occurs through several planktonic larval stages
Important
They are very variable in their coloration, ranging from beige, pink, orange and red to purple often with a fluorescent green. The exact species identification of the cylinder roses is difficult and only possible by examining the cnidocytes
Special care should be taken when inserting them. If possible, they should be carefully placed with their living tube in a crevice between rocks, and covered with a thin layer of sand. They are semi-sessile and can change their position. In case of disturbance or danger they retreat into their living tube in a flash. The tentacles are sensitive to touch, strong light, and feeding with large pieces of food
If different species are kept together, care should be taken to match fish and invertebrates in terms of water quality and temperature requirements and social behavior, and to ensure that the setup meets the ecological needs of all species kept together. Newly introduced animals must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium
Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: petdata; Image: Franz Lowak
Source: ERHERDT & BAENSCH (1998): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 4, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch