Anemone was white... Now its brown?!?

This anemone was white with purple tips when I bought it. But I think it was bleached cause the store I got it from was only keeping it under NO flourescent. Now it's under my 150W metal halide and it turned more brown looking. happened kinda slow, not overnight. But I also have been having algea problems in my tank. Just want to know if this guy looks healthy or not.

 

I had a condylactus anemone do the same 3 years ago. It is still alive, and defies all my attempts to make it go away. It has more lighting now than it had on the seafloor at 40 feet.

Jim

 

My guess is the anemone bleached as you said, due to improper lighting. The anemone expelled its zooxanthellae as a last ditch effort for survival! Under the more appropriate lighting conditions, your anemone has begun to reestablish its zooxanthellae, thus the brownish coloration.
If you dose iodine, it will help with coloration and the decreased chances of bleaching due to excess oxygen!

 

So where is the anemone picking up these new zooxanthellae?

 

That's a great question! The current schools of thought are that they regain it through repopulation of whatever zooxanthellae is left in the body of the anemone and/or that that they obtain new zooxanthellae from the water column.

 

I guess I've got some homework to do. Like I tell the kids in class, if you don't know.....look it up!

 

Thanks everyone. I was pretty sure that the coloring was a good thing. My wife thought it looked better white : I'm glad that its still healthy. It did look a little nicer white. But it was only $12 so I can get rid of it if I ever get tired of it. Thanks again guys. 3reef may not have the most members of any forum, but I can always count on some helpful info.

 

remember that their is more than one strain of Zooxanthellae as well, that is why many times you will see a coral or Clam with brown strands coming out or off of it. The reason for this are, I believe, two fold: your coral or clam is injured or sick therefore releasing Zooxanthellae from its system as a way of conserving energy for a last ditch effort for survival. The second is that the lighting in your tank has changed dramatically, causing your coral/clam to release on strain of zooxznthellae for another better able to cope and adapt to the different lighting in your tank.

 

I didn't realize that there were two kinds. It was a dramatic change for the anemone to go from NO flourescent to MH though i'm sure. I'll just assume this brown color works better for it. I don't think he needs more light.

 

I have an anemone who has done exactly the same colour change routine recently and he's under 4 T8 flourescents. (2 of which need replaced)

He seems happy none the less, although i owuld like to upgrade to MH for the aesthestic benefits if nothing else.

Chris