Marine Depot Forums / TEAM Marine Depot / Marine Systems and Husbandry – by Anthony Calfo / Help with Cyclopeez / Latest Posts

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

thinthinlizzy — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:57:08 GMT

hi,

it's a pretty small tank (just 30 gallons); we don't have any wave boxes on it or power heads (i heard anemonies get sucked in by powerheads) but the filter we have moves the water around just a tiny bit. (very tiny bit). I change water twice a week; about 25% or a bit less of the total amount of water in the fishtank.

what do you use to have a water flow?

Also have a question about the slurry. Is it the paste that you add a little bit of in the water and they absorb it through their skin? If yes, how many days do you normally feed them with slurry before you can switch to raw shrimp for example? (I defrost a piece of a raw shrimp and give it to them one by one with my hand).

Thanks,

Liza

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

redsonja — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:45:48 GMT

[quote]thinthinlizzy (4/25/2007)

wow. that's amazing! I'll try doing the same with mine.

I just went through an interesting experience. Quite a few of the anemones were floating around for a few days having a hard time finding a spot to settle. (i have a 30 gallon tank with 80 watts shop lights over it). I thought maybe they want more light. So I added 40 watts more. At first they were very happy and actually stopped wondering around, but this morning I found most of them clung together under a filter hiding from light (i THINK that's what they were doing). So I turned off that extra lamp of 40 watts and waiting to see what will happen.

Does anyone know what the happy medium is for these guys as far as lighting?

Sonya, how often do you cut them?(they must be growing fast with that many meals! )

Thanks,

Liza[/quote]

I cut them when they get to be about 5 or 6" fully expanded. Some clones get there in two weeks (the ones I posted pictures of the day after I cut them, recently, have about half of those ready to cut again now). Some get there in two months. I don't go by a calendar schedule, I just cut them when they are large enough.

There are many possible reasons your clones won't settle into place, from water flow to water quality, and including light, and probably lots more I can't remember right now. I tend to keep the flow reduced on newly cut bta's for a few days to let them settle in and heal up. How much flow are they in? Also feeding them more may help them settle down, they may think they're in a place lacking in food and are looking for something better.

-Sonja

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

thinthinlizzy — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:36:32 GMT

wow. that's amazing! I'll try doing the same with mine.

I just went through an interesting experience. Quite a few of the anemones were floating around for a few days having a hard time finding a spot to settle. (i have a 30 gallon tank with 80 watts shop lights over it). I thought maybe they want more light. So I added 40 watts more. At first they were very happy and actually stopped wondering around, but this morning I found most of them clung together under a filter hiding from light (i THINK that's what they were doing). So I turned off that extra lamp of 40 watts and waiting to see what will happen.

Does anyone know what the happy medium is for these guys as far as lighting?

Sonya, how often do you cut them?(they must be growing fast with that many meals! )

Thanks,

Liza

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

redsonja — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:46:50 GMT

[quote]thinthinlizzy (4/24/2007)

also, i've read in these threads that people feed their anemones every day. Before I came across this website, I 've been told that it is the best to feed it 2-3 times a week. Considering the fact that I am trying to propagate a rose BTA, can I really feed it once a day?

thanks,

liza[/quote]

I feed my bta's twice a day most days. I withhold food for a day before I cut them, but start again offering slurry made of various shellfish and cyclopeeze and etc., a day or two after cutting.

Good luck.

-Sonja

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

thinthinlizzy — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:09:34 GMT

Thank you for answering me

liza

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Spracklcat — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:35:18 GMT

The shrimp juice is just the juice from the package of shrimp. The leftover stuff you usually drain and rinse off. Save abit and squirt it in the tank a little while before you feed. And the more feeding, the faster the growth--

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

thinthinlizzy — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:31:01 GMT

hi there!

i have a question about the shrimp juice Anthony mentioned before which trains an anemone to expect food at the same time and awakens its appetite. Can you buy this shrimp juice? I am new to this and not sure what it is...

thanks,

liza

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

NicoleC — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:20:04 GMT

My BTA's always took the shell, but I don't suppose there is anything wrong with not feeding it to them. I just tried to give them the most "natural" food I could -- veins and shell and all.

It's easier to chop frozen or semi-frozen. I usually used a food processor; faster and easier.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Marc Daniels — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:38:27 GMT

Nicole-

I'll try dicing them with the shell on. I never dice them, but noticed right away that they wouldn't take anything with a shell. Maybe mine just doesn't like it...and since the two are genetically identical (split bubble tip) that would expalin why neither will take it with the shell.

What species are you feeding?

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

NicoleC — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:31:39 GMT

Table shrimp is great for anemones; just be sure to mince it up. Don't feed big chunks; they have trouble digesting larger pieces.

(Mine always ate the shells, too, provided they were small pieces.)

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 19:23:40 GMT

I will give that a try. I am setting up some smaller tanks for anemones only tomorrow. That will completely eliminate my whole feeding competition issue.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Marc Daniels — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:48:35 GMT

Todd-

Another food item that you can try, and it may be easier for you to feed, is raw table shrimp. Just peel the shell before feeding, my anemones (Entacmaea quadricolor) will spit the food out undigested after 24hrs or so if the shell is on.

I feed my two anemones a loaded shrimp every week. The shrimp size I use is about a 1.5", and I load them with 1ml of Selco prior to feeding them. You can use an injection marinade syringe to load them up...the small ones that come in products such as Joe's Juice work really well to load the shrimp.

Just make sure that you keep any fish away until the anemone has a chance to ingest the food. I usually buy .25 pound and just freeze them whole, then thaw as needed.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Umm_fish — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:25:51 GMT

OK. Thanks!

That is the reason that I switch over to freeze dried. I was hurting myself trying to beat on the frozen brick enough to make chunks come off of it.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Spracklcat — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 06:01:13 GMT

One thaw-refreeze cycle is fine. You just don't want to do it repeatedly.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Umm_fish — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:55:37 GMT

A question, though: You thaw it out in order to pour it into the cube maker? How are you then avoiding the whole thaw and refreeze thing?

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

redsonja — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 09:30:11 GMT

[quote]Spracklcat (10/19/2006)

Let me share a neat trick I just learned for frozen CE:

Usually (by me at least) it comes in big bricks, which are difficult to use because you have to chip away what you want, then put the rest back in the freezer, risking freezer burn and general loss-of-freshness.So, take the whole brick, thaw it in the fridge, add about 1/2 volume of seawater, mix well. Get a piece of eggcrate, put it on a cookie sheet, then pour the thawed CE into the squares, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze. Instant cubes. You can pop them out and package them in separate freezer bags to keep them fresh, and it's a lot easier to feed--[/quote]

Good idea! I have a "brick" of it in the freezer and it is indeed a pain to try to scrape off enough to feed. We just received some things today that we ordered, including a jar of FD CE flake that I think will be a lot easier to deal with. But I dont want to just toss out the "brick" either. I'm going to try this soon. Thanks for the tip!

-Sonja

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 08:49:14 GMT

Thanks again. That is perfect!!!!!

Off to the dollar store for ice cube trays after work....

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Spracklcat — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 08:28:40 GMT

Thanks Todd--

For bigger cubes use an ice cube tray, and only fill it part way--you can make any size portions that way (I used to do this when I was making homemade babyfood--just make sure that your food has enough water to freeze well. If it's too thick it just freezes into a mushy glop that doesn't hold its shape well.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 07:58:26 GMT

Spracklcat (10/19/2006)

Let me share a neat trick I just learned for frozen CE:

Usually (by me at least) it comes in big bricks, which are difficult to use because you have to chip away what you want, then put the rest back in the freezer, risking freezer burn and general loss-of-freshness. So, take the whole brick, thaw it in the fridge, add about 1/2 volume of seawater, mix well. Get a piece of eggcrate, put it on a cookie sheet, then pour the thawed CE into the squares, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze. Instant cubes. You can pop them out and package them in separate freezer bags to keep them fresh, and it's a lot easier to feed--

Thanks for sharing. That is a great idea. I have been trying to figure out how to make cubes from Eric's recipe. I need bigger cubes than the egg crate, but with that idea I am sure I can find something with bigger squares that will work the same way.

And, Happy Birthday also.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Spracklcat — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 07:00:02 GMT

Let me share a neat trick I just learned for frozen CE:

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

NicoleC — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 22:11:50 GMT

Cyclopeeze (or CE, for short) is healthy but also very high in fat, so it shouldn't be an only food or even a "mostly" food for fishies -- maybe 20% of the diet at the most, with the other portion being a mix of seafoods or a high quality prepared food like the frozen Formula line.

CE is a very tasty food which is particularly good at getting picky eaters to switch to frozen foods. I'm not sure it has any particular virture for anemones, but they will certainly eat it!

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

southernstang — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:57:02 GMT

ohok, thanks for the very good info umm fishy and todd. Ok, just a few more questions about this stuff. One, if I were to get the FD could I soak like you said with the shrimp and silversides that I feed the BTA's with so where they would get a good amount of them or would it just be easier to just add the powder str8 to the tank? 2nd, if I were to add a cube of mysid and brine shrimp to a dish and add it to the tank would that be way too much and cause problems in a 55gal?

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Umm_fish — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:57:42 GMT

Cyclops are really, really small crustaceans (a type of copepod). They are really high in HUFAs and whatnot. Cyclopeeze is a brand name from the people who are culturing them, if I am not mistaken. It seems like everything in my tank with polyps or mouths large enough to grab them will eat them and look mighty happy about it afterward.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:50:33 GMT

Many places on and offline sell it as well as the host of this forum. Here is alink to it from Marine Depot.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_fish_food_argent_cyclop-eeze.asp?CartId=

I will give you what I know about it, but it is only about 1 weeks worth of experience with the product, so take it for what it's worth.

You can't soak something else in it. It comes freeze dried (coarse powder consistency) or frozen. I have only used the FD version and you can soak it in with whatever food you are feeding. Since it is a powder, you would need to add it to a small amount of aquarium water which can also include your other food items. I read in an earlier post that someone just put it on the surface of the water and let it sink on it's own. Like many things, I think it takes a little experimentation to see what your livestock likes best and what works best for you.

I personally put enriched brine, mysis and cyclopeez in a small bowl then add aqaurium water and let it soak for at least 1/2 hour. After the soak I add it to the return of the sump and let it fly for all tank inhabitants and I have another bowl of pretty much the same recipe that I target feed the anemone about 30 minutes later. Can't say how well it works due to short experience with it, but the fish seem to love it and the brittle stars clime the rocks for it. I bought a food processor today, so as soon as I get some time I am going to try and make a version of Eric Borneman's recipe and add the cyclopeez to it.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

southernstang — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:24:53 GMT

Just curious but what are Cyclopeez and where can you get them? Will BTA's eat them and would it be ok to soak the sliverside and table shrimp in these Cyclopeez right b4 you feed the anemone's?

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

wpecoul — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:12:24 GMT

[b]very good point... you can get a relay from Radio Shack or the like too for an easy set and forget resumption of power.

Apologies in advance for hijacking this, but can anyone direct me to where I can find DIY plans for a setup like this? I saw one on a friends tank years ago and liked it. Now I actually need it, as my reef is in my infant son's room and I'd like to be able to feed and go, close the door and not have to go back in to turn the pumps back on.

Thanks to any and all for any assistance.

Will

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Anthony Calfo — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:26:51 GMT

One caution! Set a timer or something so you don't forget to turn the power back on!!! And if you see your fish breathing heavy, turn the flow back on too. No flow=less oxygen=unhappy fish.

very good point... you can get a relay from Radio Shack or the like too for an easy set and forget resumption of power.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Umm_fish — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:10:41 GMT

The freeze dried works well for me. I use a feeding ring and just put some in there. The vast majority of the cyclops sink within just a few minutes. I'm usually only left with a little oil on the water (and the cleaner shrimp come up and take care of that).

The fish all respond to it just as if it were frozen and it's sure more convenient. I have seen some of the longer tentacled corals eating it without problems.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Spracklcat — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 07:09:48 GMT

Hi Todd and everyone,

Another thing to consider is this: when animals (corals, anemones) are sick, they lose their natural "stickiness" which helps them catch food. So in a normal tank with good water flow, all the food you blow at it may just float away. What worked really well for me was doing as Anthony/Nicole suggest and at the same time every day (critical) adding in a tiny bit of pack juice from frozen mysis, then 10 minutes of so later shutting off all flow in the tank, letting the water calm, and then feeding. This way you can put the food items right on the coral or anemone, and maybe they can get some solid nutrition in even before they are able to catch it themselves. Leave the flow off for as long as it takes for the animal to ingest the food (although they may not at first, so give it 20 minutes or so and then power back on). In time as the animal regains health it will regain its stickiness, and you will be able to feed with the water flow on. This technique worked remarkably well for me with a sick starving Scolymia I had (Anthony can attest to that--he was amazed at how quickly it recovered).

One caution! Set a timer or something so you don't forget to turn the power back on!!! And if you see your fish breathing heavy, turn the flow back on too. No flow=less oxygen=unhappy fish.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Christine

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 05:57:44 GMT

I am new to the use of cyclopeez, and I am using the FD version. I have only been feeding it for about 1 week now. In that short time I have noticed that it takes a little more than just soaking. It floats on the top of the water.

I finally got some to actually soak in the water yesterday. I used a turkey baster and repeatadly sucked the surface of the water (including the floating cyclopeez) and then squirted it right back into the small mixing bowl. You still have to play around with it a bit to keep it from sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Unfortunately I can't speak to the effectiveness of either one since I have never used the frozen and haven't used the FD long enough to have any positive or negative feedback.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Anthony Calfo — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:46:26 GMT

FD is much more dense (higher protein) but needs to be soaked before use in target feeding. I like FD better than frozen for its nutritional value (better)

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Jaymeany — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:21:22 GMT

Any opinions on frozen vs. freeze dried cyclopeez? I have been using frozen and I was curious if there is a difference in the quality of the food.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Anthony Calfo — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:56:53 GMT

I will chronicle my anemone's progress and recovery with pictures here and there if you like.

Please do, my friend... and kindly start a new thread for us to archive it better.

mille grazie!

Anth-

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:49:04 GMT

Hey Anthony, I will chronicle my anemone's progress and recovery with pictures here and there if you like.

I was just wondering if you would like to change the subject line of this thread, since it really is no longer about "Help with Cyclopeez", but rather the recovery of yet another improperly imported anemone.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Anthony Calfo — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:11:56 GMT

in nature... only S. gigantea prefers sand flats.

haddoni and mertensi prefer rocks/crevices.

I still like the idea of tidy/open feeding ops... so you can place some rock/rubble in a "campfire" around the base of the anemone on the sand flat and may well enjoy keeping it in place.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:24:54 GMT

Well I just moved him back to the display. All went well and uneventful.

Can the anemone be left in the open sand to facilitate covering while target feeding, or does it really need to be on or against some rock for something solid for it's foot to adhere to?

I have it in the sand now with a rigid tube jail, but it keeps blowing against the barrier standing up on it's side. The flow is not crazy, just enough to give it some flow in this area. If I put it in or against the rock I don't see how I could cover it during feeding to keep the fish away.

Thanks for your help...

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

captbunzo — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:16:12 GMT

Be patient, consistent, and persistent! You can do it!!!

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

NicoleC — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:52:57 GMT

The goal here is to get the anemone used to regular daily feedings. Yes, try to induce it to eat, but first, use the smelly juice to get it ready to eat.

For example, if 6pm is the time you can feed your tank every day (be consistant), at 6pm add the smelly juice. A few minutes later, offer it some very finely minced food.

It starts to expect food when it smells the juice, and eventually just at that time.

Be forewarned that everything in the tank will learn the routine. This method also works with shy and/or noctural corals and fish, and in short order you may find your greedy fish waiting by the anemone!

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

ToddLaCo — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:43:06 GMT

Sounds good Anthony,

I was pretty sure that the low flow was not good, but I wanted to get your advice before I arbitrarily just moved him back to the display. This poor guy has been through enough stress lately and I didn't want to put him through anymore unless it was absolutely necessary.

Another question on the target feeding.

Should I keep trying to target feed the anemone Brine Shrimp and such while I am trying to entice his appetite back with the juices in the aquarium? Or should I be adding the juice to the aquarium with the target feeding slurry?

Sorry for the inundation of fairly basic questions lately Anthony. I have been making as much use of your Fav's links and books as I can. I guess my lack of experience is showing since I have never had a long standing established tank due to the Marine Corps moves and multiple deployments overseas. Due to my continuous tear down and setup of aquariums in new homes each time I move over the last 14 years, I am fairly knowledgeable in the mechanics and setup of marine systems, but my husbandry skills are definately lacking. I am on the downward slope towards retirement and I am trying to absorb all the info I possibly can. I really enjoy the hobby and would like to make it my business when I retire Hopefully coral farming, hence the need for much better husbandry skills.

RE: Help with Cyclopeez

Anthony Calfo — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:45:19 GMT

thanks Nicole (She's spot-on as always Adam. There is no such thing as a white or yellow sebae on the reef... the exporters shock them by light deprivation to make them "prettier" - yet they will die without feeding until zooxanthellae recover).

Water flow... critical. Purges waste and brings food to the anemone. Make it so that the tentacles wave moderately like wheat in a field on a windy day.

Teasing to feed... yep, the thawed pack juice form brine shrimp... or better, the krill/plankton or cocktail shrimp (finely minced) that you feed your fishes.

kindly, Anthony