Bad Father

Hey, I am with you. Beating up a poor invertebrate is not the answer to it seeking a richer life somewhere across the ocean.

BUT...there was a guy way back when that said fish don't have any feelings, so what makes me feel better for the moment while not "hurting" a fish should be O.K., right?

Just FYI, it had planted it's foot for over a month, nearly two. Then it started moving up the stack a bit. It was too close for comfort to a few corals and I let it move onto a movable rock. That is the one I placed in the sand bed and could control it's wanderings by rotating so the LR stack was always out of reach.

Also, have you noticed that the responses have all addressed my behavior, yours included, and no one has touched on my original question of the health and long term effect of my admittidly over-the-top discipline?

I mean this in the most respectful of way. 007 and Elloit09, what is your experience with anemones?

 

I would completely disagree that fish don't have feelings. They do. I can tell when mine are excited, stressed, hungry, curious (my little watchman comes to the front and shakes / wags his tail fin excitedly like a dog when he sees me walk in), etc. You can also tell when an animal is in pain - including fish.

While an anemone may not have a central nervous system with advanced pain receptors, etc. it does have basic instincts - such as how to find food, know when it's in danger, and so forth. They react accordingly. It was fine for a month. Well, something changed.

I kept a BTA and condy for nearly 4 months before I moved. Both would move from time to time. I researched anemones and knew they moved. I moved corals around to compensate for having the anemone. They react primitively and violently (stinging) to defend their area so they don't get killed by a predator and have less competition for food. I never beat the anemones. It would have been wrong of me to do so. I fed them silversides and shrimp - once they finally settled on an area, they stayed there. Not my ideal locations, but hey, I'm not able to decide.

Whether or not the anemone will be OK, will be determined by your water qualities, treatment of the animal going forward, lighting, and feeding. I would not touch it again. Let it move. If it climbs your rocks, leave it alone. It wants to be there for a reason. Move corals. Pick up some frozen silversides and target feed once a week until you see it begin to heal. If you continue to move it, chances of survival will decrease because it will be stressed out.

 

I do not want to spark a theologian debate, not my aim. I find many of that guys suggestions flawed, the BIG TEN are O.K., but others...whoa!

The anemone has settled into a new location and seems to be doing just fine. He is not holding any grudges and seems rather sure of himself, not flinching when I walk by. Hopefully that will be the last of the percussive maintenance required.

 

I had to read your original post half a dozen times just to make sure I either hadn't missed anything, or that this wasn't a joke. Owning pets--dogs, cats, or fish and anemones, is a responsibility and privilege. Just as you wouldn't break the arm of an infant who messed up a brand new carpet or a leather seat in a car; nor do you have the right tear apart a living thing because you are having "a moment."

Irrespective of your opinion upon whether or not they have the ability to sense pain or have "feelings" what you did was a bit messed up-- and unless you feel some shame and remorse regarding what went down; it may be time to consider another hobby.

Since you're shocked that nobody has addressed your original question of "health and long term affect of your addmittedly over the top discipline," as you put it--I'll answer it. An anemone is like any other living thing you can think of that has the ability to "pack up and set off for better conditions." In their case, it's not an active thing where they up and move, but they simply dislodge, and hope for better conditions. If conditions aren't favorable to where it's put, it will move, and move again as many times as it deems appropriate--until it's satisfied with its surroundings. There's no advantage in putting an anemone where you'd like it to be. They're going to end up where they want to be, no matter how we feel about it.

 

:clapping:

Someone who shares my sentiments on the post. Relieved that someone else feels the same way.