Do anenomes utilize phytoplankton or no.....? (1 Viewer)

[Guest]

A fellow coworker insists that anenomes can 'live' on entirely lighting and phytoplankton.

If I am correct, light serves only to manufacture the sugar part of the diet and offers no real sustanence as would say a piece of shrimp, krill, fish, etc.

So do they utilize phyto?

Chris

 

[jamesw]

Your co-worker is mistaken.

It's not "phytoplankton" that's inside anemones and corals, it's zooxanthellae - symbiotic dynoflagellates.

They do photosynthesis - which makes simple sugers - lots of energy. But that only contains carbon.

Growing and living things also need nitrogen and phosphorous and many other things. These can only be obtained by feeding.

Hope that is clear.

James

 

[Guest]

I think I probably worded it wrong. When I meant utilize phyto, I meant in do they feed on as a coral would. Hopefully that clarifies it better!

 

[Guest]

He's right. I've kept anemones and never fed them anything.

 

[Guest]

i've never actualy fed my anemones but ive found that just the natural detrus that blows into it and the chemicals in the water like iodine and other trace elements that i add for my corals are enough to keep them happy

 

[Guest]

If I am not mistaken, I don't think there exists a single coral or anemone that purely lives off of is symbiotic photosynthetic algae. I think I remember hearing Calfo mentioning that at MACNA once...

 

[HolyBanana]

I feed my anenomes shrimp from HEB. They seem to like it.