Continued from page 1At first you will probably find it real difficult. Once you find the trick though and get the knack for it you will find that it really is not all that complicated. The key is to make sure the tube remains open, does not fold and have its walls collapse on itself. When that happens you will need to use a plastic tool that is dull, to reopen the top of the tube so you can reinsert the anemone.
While you prepare the tube for this, just leave the Cerianthid lying on sand in the tank, or if no sand is available on whatever substrate that is present in the tank.
Do not take the tube out of the water either. That will complicate matters even more as parts will fall off making it even more difficult to reinsert the Cerianthid into it. Leave it where it was until the Cerianthid is back in it and then move the animal if you wish. Keep the tube upright so the anemone cannot slip out again.
Should you run into difficulties, reopen the tube with a piece of 1/4 inch dull plastic rod, or wood, and leave it in the tube so it remains open. Next grab the anemone (if you are allergic, wear gloves - these are powerful stingers). The foot may have become very small or short is a better word. This does not make the job of reinserting it easier. It can be done though.
When the foot is real short and you can only reinsert maybe 1 or 2 inches in the tube, you will need to make sure that it remains upright or the Cerianthid will fall back out. Shore up the tube with some small rock to hold it in place so this cannot happen.
Im my experience, over the years, Cerianthids leave their tubes for reasons that have nothing to do with feeding or the lack thereof, but for reasons of distinct discomfort of some sort (i.e. too strong a current, too much light, bristle worm attacks at the end of the tube) and, as I stated, not so much in search of food. In fact I have not found any reference to Cerianthids deciding to roam around the tank and leave their tube to obtain more food. The reasons are different and some were listed above.
Another very common reason appears to be that the tube is not well supported and falls over, with the result that the crown and top of the anemone is now in the sand or upside down if it fell off a rock.
In such a situation the Cerianthid will, for sure, leave the tube. It can move around somewhat by inflating and deflating its foot and find another spot in the tank. Whether or not it can build a new tube depends on many factors (as I wrote, the raw materials needed have to be present).
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