Tube-dwelling Anemone (Pachycerianthus sp.)

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Tube-dwelling Anemone
Pachycerianthus sp.
Tube-dwelling Anemone (Pachycerianthus sp.)
Name Tube-dwelling Anemone
Name Lat. Pachycerianthus sp.
Family Cerianthid Anemones
Family lat. Cerianthidae
Order Tube-dwelling Anemones
Order lat. Ceriantharia
Origin Indo-Pacific
Diet Carnivore
pH 8.1-8.4
Hardness 8-12 °KH
Lighting Low
Current Moderate
Behavior Semi-aggressive
Keeping Individual
Care Level Moderate
Life Span N/A
Protection No
Metric Units
Size 20-30 cm
Temperature 22-27 °C
Salinity 33-36 ‰
Aquarium 200 l
US Units
Size 7.9"-12"
Temperature 72-81 °F
Salinity 1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium 50 gal

Distribution and habitat

Pachycerianthus sp. are widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific. They live solitarily in self-made tubes that they burrow and anchor in sandy or muddy bottoms. No colonies or sticks are formed. They are found at depths up to 50 m. There are numerous color varieties such as green, orange, red, purple to black-purple and combinations thereof

Maintenance

They require an aquarium with a sandy substrate about 10 cm deep in order to be able to burrow and should be positioned in a shady spot 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 match the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals.

Salinity: 33-36 ‰ pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-12 °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 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

The exact species identification of cylinder roses is difficult and only possible by examining the cnidocytes

Special care should be taken when placing them. If possible, they should be placed with their living tube in a channel in the sand and covered with a thin layer of sand so that the tube protrudes only a few centimeters. They are semi-sessile and can change their position. When disturbed or in danger, they retreat into their living tube with lightning speed. 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 ensure that fish and invertebrates are compatible in terms of water quality and temperature requirements and social behavior, and 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: ERHARDT & BAENSCH (2000): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 5, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch