Pseudocorynactis - Ball tip anemones

[Nitro]

This thread is to share my experience in keeping the Pseudocorynactis, Ball-tip anemone in the home reef. The species mention herein is from the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from Indonesia to the Philippines. My sharing will includes their feeding habits, their stings, reproduction and also the ease of keeping one. From time to time, I'll updates info with pictures and also if possible, I'll be showing how to carry out a binary fission with photos from the ops to cleaning after the ops and the healing processes plus what are the steps to take for a successful fission.

Pseudocorynactis is under the category of Anemones...

Category Anemones

Phylum CNIDARIA

Class ANTHOZOA

Order CORALLIMORPHARIA

Family CORALLIMORPHIDAE

Species Pseudocorynactis species

Here are 3 of the links that states it's classification and also some basic info - It's classification, Some photo ID of it and Some very basic info

The first 2 pics shown below are the original mother broods(2 of 5 pcs) that I first bought. The 3rd pic shown some of the already multiplied ones, some are by it's own fission while some is fission carried out by me. The mother broods has been with me for abt 4-5 yrs and some of the new pcs had been sold too.

[Nitro]

Beside just feeding on "chucky" bits of meals, ie cut-up fresh market prawns with vits enhanced or "live" fish such as damsel and also "stranded" creatures such as marine snails and starfish, this species also fully extend it tentacles during night time(lights off). The initial observation is that most likely they're feeding on small marine creatures too, ie pods and plankton. The other reason is also to capture any fishes that are clumsy enough to sleep their life away, into the path of it's tentacles. This situation had been observed before in my previous tank where one Purple Tang and Algae Blenny had literally sleep and strayed into them. Furthermore the 2 fishes mentioned are not sick or injured in anyway.

This photo is taken with flash during the night time (lights off).

[Nitro]

1st 2 pics show the anemone in a "relax" non-feeding mode. Pics are taken more than 5 hrs after lights on. Last feeding of MP(market prawns) was more than 4 days ago. If they're healthy, they usually remains filled with water (puffed but not to it's max) with their tentacles in a stub-like position or hanging loose.

Next pic shows the anemone in a feeding mode with all tentacles extended. Pic is taken more than 5 hrs after lights off. Last feeding of MP was more than 4 days ago.

Some other observations. The Pseudocorynactis can host the Sexy shrimps(Thor Amboinensis) and the Cleaner shrimps(Lysmata Amboinensis), Maroon Clown (Gold Stripes) and the True Percs without doing any harm to them. However shd the mentioned LS be heavily injured or sick, the stings from the anemones' tentacles can do much damage and even consume them.

[bugattilambo]

Very interesting to read keep them coming bro!

[yikai]

thrad moved to soft coral thread.

[Nitro]

thrad moved to soft coral thread.

Thanx Lemon. Ya I juz realize that I've started it in the wrong thread

[Nitro]

As the Pseudocorynactis(Indo-Pacific region species) do not host any zooxanthellae(photosynthetic unicellular algae), strong lighting and long photo-period is not require. Although I've mentioned that they're suspected of being a filter feeder(zooplankton and particulate organic matter), prolong period(2mths and above) of not feeding it with "solid" food such as small fish, market prawns etc can lead to a "retard" growth. Observation includes shrunk in size(overall), reduced number of tentacles or tentacles size reduced(thinner) and also a lost in it's intensity of colour(from a dark brown/red to a pale brown on it's paddle disc).

Feeding of solid food should not be in large amount or size as this can posed a problem for it's digestion and cause it to regurgitate the meal. Regurgitated meal can foul up the water very fast(can be within half a day) and this can cause a major nitrate spike, which is very unforgiving for a small size marine tank. Regurgitated meals will not be consume by the anemone again even if it's place directly into it's mouth. The guiding principle(which I applied) for the size of food per meal is that the food should not be bigger than the size of the anemone (when fully puffed up). If feeding a whole fish, small damsel posed no problem for digestion but with bigger size fishes such as a 2" and above, it would best to feed it to a 4" and above size anemone. Each full meal will usually takes abt 3 to 5 days to digest after which the anemone will remain puffed up for another 4 to 7 days. The frequency of feeding can be once a week(which I dun really recommend unless it's a juz one) to fortnightly or even once a month.

The species mentioned within here is also able to tolerate a very drastic water condition changes. I've personally witness that they can survived through an ordeal of a "nuked", high nutrients and extreme temp fluctuation conditions and yet still able to multiply or split by fission. This is not surprising as this is a survival tactic, to multiply in bad water conditions so that at least the species stands a chance of survival(by the smaller anemones) and not perish as one whole big anemone should it succumb to the bad conditions.

[Gouldian]

Thanks for sharing bro.

[Nitro]

Thanks for sharing bro.

That's bcuz I still rem u've asked me to share my experience and have a write-up in keeping this species of anemone

[kueytoc]

Interesting Write-Up. Good Info.

[Nitro]

Juz a chk... any other reefer here keeping this spices of anemone?

Will try to start another phase of them soon and post updates once done.

[vagabond]

yup, having 2 whites and a baby brown. do you happen to have red ones?

[CFOh]

Juz a chk... any other reefer here keeping this spices of anemone?

Will try to start another phase of them soon and post updates once done.

Is yr clownfish hosting on them

[CFOh]

yup, having 2 whites and a baby brown. do you happen to have red ones?

Hi, u keeping them with other reef fishes or species tank? Cheers..

[Nitro]

yup, having 2 whites and a baby brown. do you happen to have red ones?

Kind of have an orangy one and also some dark brown/maroon ones but they're not as intense now due to a low feeding regime. Think that will caused them to loose some colors too.

[Nitro]

Hi, u keeping them with other reef fishes or species tank? Cheers..

Used to keep a pair of Golden-stripe Maroon clowns with them in my old tank. But now, they're kept in a compartment of my sump tank.

[CFOh]

Used to keep a pair of Golden-stripe Maroon clowns with them in my old tank. But now, they're kept in a compartment of my sump tank.

They host this anemone? Thanks

[Nitro]

They host this anemone? Thanks

Well def not in the nature but in my previous tank, that's what happened and they host it well too. No sting marks observed for as long as that tank was up and running. Oh the Sexy shrimps that I have in my sump also can move ard them without getting harm.

[CFOh]

Well def not in the nature but in my previous tank, that's what happened and they host it well too. No sting marks observed for as long as that tank was up and running. Oh the Sexy shrimps that I have in my sump also can move ard them without getting harm.

Thanks, cause I ever saw restaurant in my hometown keep one huge ball tip anemones with a school of normal clowns.. They look like hosting it.. But not sure how long will it last.. Will check again next visit... Keen to understand more about this fella.. One thing I like about it is no light requirement needed.. Thanks for sharing....

[Nitro]

Updates...

Last feeding of the Pseudocorynactis was abt 2 months ago. Observations were -

1) Reduction in size, shrank by 2/3 but from time to time size does balloon up to normal.

2) No obvious pigmentation or colour lose.

3) No fission or "splitting".

Fed today and immd observations were -

1) Tentacles are as "sticky" during feeding.

2) Size balloon up abit but can see that it'll balloon up some more (over the night).

3) Only of of them were slow in taking in the cut up fresh prawn meat (soaked with marine vits).