Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

A MESS!!!!!!!!! Mine has suddenly up and spawned again while I wasn't home. Me, unsuspecting and tired from being at work, come in to a glass box that looks like milk. However, it did work out, since I was able to document everything to add to the previous spawns. I now have a stinking, disgusting mess on my hands and a whole room filled with the smell of nastiness. I think Ill wait til tomorrow

Sorry to hear it. I guess it's one of the risks you take. That's exactly why I won't keep one.

Yeah.....but you love that anemone.

sb1227 wrote:Yeah.....but you love that anemone.

I really don't have the heart to get rid of her--she was the first non fish resident in this tank. I knew she was going to do it, but I just wasn't sure if it was going to be yesterday or today. I guess I found out the hard way

It is going to be a while until my protein skimmer works again. It took 12 (yes, 12) cleanings and 5 30% waterchanges last time over the course of a month to get the tank back to normal and the skimmer working again. I forgot about that part

I know I will never do another one, never.

Why such an issue with the skimmer? I can understand the deal with the water changes, but is there something in particular that affects the skimmer? Never having dealt with it, I'm curious.

sb1227 wrote:Why such an issue with the skimmer? I can understand the deal with the water changes, but is there something in particular that affects the skimmer? Never having dealt with it, I'm curious.

Well, it has to do with all the things that are released when she does it. In a spawning event, females release lots of mucus, follicle cells (milky substance) and ova, among other things. This is going to sound nasty, but she also releases lots of different oily and fatty substances at the same time. These coat every single surface and remain in the water for a long time. As you know, protein skimmers react with these oils and the same applies for the oils that coat the inside. It forms a waxy layer on the inside and absolutely inhibits skimming action. Every time you do a water change, you reduce the oil concentration. Then you clean the skimmer to remove the waxy coating. You do this again, again, and again until it actually starts working. Then you hope she doesn't do it again for a long time . I don't think you would have to worry to much about H. crispa spawnings--they happen MUCH less frequently than other species. I think I have heard of H. magnifica spawnings more than H. crispa. Then again, I don't think people feed them enough, either. Interestingly enough, I have never noticed anything in distress when mine spawns. Despite the smell, the tank was crystal clear the next day (probably my new skimmer). I just know there is a lot of junk in the water that needs to go, but I have never lost anything as a result of her spawning.

Andrew, I think it's quite the opposite. The more closely you approximate true reef conditions, the more natural events (such as spawning) occur. My bet is that the condition of your tank was too good. I don't use moon lights for the same reason.

You seem to be doing everything right, and as you know, it's just going to take lots of time water changes and skimmer work. Good luck with the clean-up.

I don't know. I have had this anemone for a long time and she has always done this at least several times per year. I can't really imagine my tank being any better than many peoples' out there. Even then, you never hear about spawnings in this species, though there were a couple single incidence spawnings in the last few years. It was only formally documented in 2003, whereas mine was doing that at least 6 years before then (though the scientists who did it reserves the credit for first captive spawning in H. crispa ). The one thing I can say for sure was very different with this one was that she was shipped directly from the Red Sea (actually accidentally) and came in the most amazing condition I have ever observed in H. crispa. I don't use moonlights (the real moon + gravity cues seems to be enough) and I don't even have a dawn/dusk simulation. It has always happened regardless. The only common factor I have noted is the heavy feeding of complete fish meats.

Thanks, it will take a while to clean up, but I can get it going again

Fascinating. Did any of the pictures come out? I seem to remember you posting some before of the tank afterwards. It is interesting that it doesn't affect any of the other corals.

I am amazed that it doesn't affect them either. In other reports in different species, it not only affects corals, etc., but fish as well (except for clowns). Some people have had their fish outright die within hours after spawning. It is interesting, but mostly lucky, I think. I did get some pics, but I will have to toy around with the brightness to know if they came out ok. They look awful on the camera itself. I will post a few tomorrow and see what you guys think.

Well, water change happens today, but somehow, my protein skimmer started back up. Maybe it is just this skimmer--she has only spawned once before with the deltec and it shut it down, but it started up 2 days later with some nasty smelling stuff. Cool, that's one worry down.