Tropical sea anemones colonize coral reefs, while sea pink thrives in the cool North Sea. Cultivated in the seawater aquarium, the exotic flower animals attract everyone's attention. If you still have questions about the care of an actinia on your heart, you will find a tried and tested answer here.

Sea anemones aren't just popular with clownfish

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. Plant sea anemones properly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. Fertilize sea anemones properly
  7. propagate sea anemone
  8. How do I plant correctly?
  9. Is sea anemone poisonous?
  10. trivia
  11. Beautiful varieties

    12. Plant sea anemones properly

    In order to plant a sea anemone or other species of sea anemone properly, a substrate must be created that is as close as possible to the natural habitat. The flower animal is equipped with a strong muscle on its foot disk with which it anchors itself in the ground. However, that doesn't stop an actinia from wandering around the aquarium in search of prey or the perfect location. Therefore equip the floor of your water world with a suitable subsoil before you release the flower animals. The following suggestions may serve as inspiration:

    • Use high-quality aragonite sand as substrate
    • Lay out snail shells and small stones for the sea carnation
    • Establish standing species on a decorative reef pillar
    • Provide a bed of seaweed for small sea anemones to colonize

    Wood, collected flotsam and other hard substrates are also readily accepted as subsoil by sea anemones. In order to generate a lifelike soft flow, it is worth investing in a spherical flow pump. It is important to note that when setting up a new aquarium, you should use sea anemones as the first inhabitants, as they pose a danger to other species due to their nettles. Once they have established themselves at the site, settle the roommates at an appropriate safety distance.

    care tips

    If an actinia finds a species-appropriate habitat in the seawater aquarium with a temperature of 18 to 27 degrees for tropical species and cooler 2 to 20 degrees for European or Atlantic sea anemones, care is limited to the following measures:

    • Feed them daily with small shrimp, plankton, glass crabs or powdered food from specialist shops
    • Feed some species, like the sea pink, several times a day to keep them from shrinking

    In the event of a longer absence, automatic feeding devices ensure that sea anemones and other creatures in the aquarium are cared for properly. In order to ensure the supply of light to an actinia, the disks should be cleaned every 1-2 days. In addition, the amount of water consumed should be regularly replenished.

    Which location is suitable?

    The sea pink is flexible in terms of light and temperature conditions, as long as the aquarium is not exposed to blazing sunlight. In the wild, the actinia cavorts in the North Sea and the Atlantic as well as in the Pacific and the Mediterranean. Temperatures between 5 and 27 degrees Celsius are tolerated. The sea anemone also tolerates a different level of salinity in the water. When purchasing, ask the retailer about the dedicated requirements for your favorite stock line.

    The right planting distance

    With regard to the planting distance, the divergent sea anemones have widely differing requirements. Settlements of sea anemones have already been explored in the seas with 500 specimens per square meter. Other species prefer solitary settlements, such as the Atlantic zebra anemone. A safety distance is definitely recommended to non-species plant neighbors so that they are out of the reach of the tentacles and nettle threads.

    What soil does the plant need?

    The specialist trade has inexpensive sand from the Caribbean with a grain size of 0.25 to 1 mm available as an adequate substrate for the seawater aquarium. If you want to offer your sea pink a luxurious substrate, use high-quality aragonite sand with a grain size of 0.5 to 1.5 mm. Color variants in white, red and black enable a creative component in the design of the aquarium.

    Fertilize sea anemones properly

    Feeding is a more appropriate term for the nutrient supply of sea anemones. So that the flower animals do not starve, they are supplied daily with plankton, shrimp or similar frozen and powdered food from specialist shops.

    propagate sea anemone

    Depending on the species, an actinia reproduces independently with the help of free-swimming eggs or larvae, which look for a suitable location within the aquarium. Some sea anemones pinch off tissue parts in the form of self-sufficient vegetative reproduction. These sections also resettle in the appropriate place. In this notch beats the offspring by the hand of the hobby gardener. To grow more specimens of a sea pink or other sea anemone, cut the flower animal in half lengthwise. Each segment has the potential to become an independent actinia and is cared for like an adult specimen from the start.

    How do I plant correctly?

    Moving a sea anemone only goes smoothly if the flower animal agrees. Otherwise, the stubborn actinia will return to its original place within a short time. The flower pot method has proven itself to convince a sea pink or other species to move. A carefully cleaned flower pot is placed over the actinia. Since only light now comes through the bottom opening, she climbs into the pot and can be relocated to the new location without being damaged.

    Is sea anemone poisonous?

    An actinia's sticky tentacles and stinging filaments contain a nettle toxin that can cause you significant pain at the slightest touch. The degree of their toxicity varies within the different species and subspecies. If in doubt, you should therefore only approach your sea pink with protective gloves.

    trivia

    Anthozoa enter into fascinating partnerships with fish and other sea creatures. For example, the symbiosis that hermit crabs enter into with a small mantle actinia is spectacular. The crabs plant the actinia on their shell and are thus better protected from enemies. At the same time, the anemone benefits from optimized access to food due to mobility. Other sea anemone species even specialize in living together with fish, such as the tropical clownfish with the clownfish or the carpet anemone with the Clark's anemonefish.

    Beautiful varieties

    • Carpet Anemone: A gray, green, or yellow sea anemone that is considered among the most durable plants for aquariums
    • Purple rose: fantastically beautiful Actinia (Actinia equina) in rich red for aquaria up to 50 liters volume
    • Horse actinia: Atlantic actinia (Actinia fragacea) in bright red with yellow dots and a growth height of 10 cm
    • Shingles: Mediterranean sea anemone (Actinia cari), shimmering green, 8 cm high, for aquaria with a volume of up to 100 litres
    • Sea Pink: thrives in white or yellow, preferably in cooler water up to 20 degrees Celsius
    • Zebra anemone: the 3-6 cm small sea anemone is pleasing with its striped pattern in a 50 liter aquarium
    • Corkscrew anemone: large actinia with a height of 50 cm and 17 cm long tentacles in grey-brown with a red shimmer
    • Chilean sea anemone: magnificent actinia for the cold water aquarium in bright red and 10 cm tall

Category:

Vegetable garden