Anemone Problem

[mrpenguin]

First off can anybody tell me what the name of my Anemone is, I bought it about 1 month ago and forgot what the store owner said it was called and has not been able to find an exact picture of it on the internet.

The two clown fish came with the anemone and they have been together in the LFS for at least a month before I bought it.
It was doing good in my 30 G tank with a 50/50 light where it was on a live rock very close to the top of the tank, it then started moving to the side of the rock and was getting less light, I thought it didnt like all the light but after a bout a week it started to look not as good anymore, the color faded to a white and it became very droopy, sometimes more than half its origional size for sometimes most of the day.
I moved it back to the top of the rock closer to the light and it seems to be doing a little bit better but it wont eat ... I have tried feeding it all sort of food but it wont close to eat it and after a wile the clown fish would wiggle it out as they settle inside the anemone.

I have a nother anemone in the tank that is doing very good, he eats big chunks of fish and shrimp and is beautiful. .. also dont know the name, he is purple.

Thanks ..

[mrpenguin]

This is the sick anemone when he was big and healthy, he is completely brown, no other colors.

[IMG][/IMG]

This is the anemone sick and not eating ..

[IMG][/IMG]

Totally deflated .. that happens at least once or twise a day and he can stay like that for hours.
[IMG][/IMG]

This is my purple anemone and I have no idea what this one is called either
[IMG][/IMG]

[davocean]

No way to ID w/out pic.
Light sounds weak.
A 30g is the smallest tank I'd have for one nem.
My advice would be to get it in another tank, more established, w/ better light.
Welcome to RC by the way.

[DrBegalke]

welcome to RC!

[davocean]

I think you have an RBTA (new one)
The other looks like a condy.

[davocean]

When you say 50/50 I'm assuming just a standard flourescent, which is going to be weak even for a BTA.
Correct me if wrong.

[mrpenguin]

Originally posted by davocean
When you say 50/50 I'm assuming just a standard flourescent, which is going to be weak even for a BTA.
Correct me if wrong.

It is a 50/50 Reef/sun 17w light, its not the standard light that you get when you buy a new fish tank, I was told this light would be good enough for the brown anemone, I had to wait before I bought the anemone till I replaced the light because before I only had a standard flourescent light.

[davocean]

Yeah, that is waaaay too low.
PC's are min for even a BTA.
There are many factors, mainly kind of lighting but just to give an idea 3-5watts per gal is what most have for reef creatures.

[mrpenguin]

Originally posted by davocean
Yeah, that is waaaay too low.
PC's are min for even a BTA.
There are many factors, mainly kind of lighting but just to give an idea 3-5watts per gal is what most have for reef creatures.

Ok, but why did he move away from the top of the rock where he was close to the light to the side of the rock where there was less light ? wont he know any better ?

What about the other anemone, why is he happy with the light I have ?

[Lance M.]

You need to buy a new light fixture. Preferably you want at least ~10x the amount of light you currently have.

A 150 watt MH would be ok, a 250 watt would be better. 130 watt pc lighting would be the very minimum.

Your condy looks bleached but some have that color. How long have you had it? They seem to be able to take a lot.

JMO If you don't know the basic names of what you are keeping then you shouldn't have them to begin with.

[davocean]

Other nem is a condy, very simple to keep, but usually not a great host nem and can sting even clowns.
Some would maybe even call it the weed of nems.
The new nem could have been climbing rocks reaching for light, but even at top that light is nowhere near enough, and it may have moved to continue to search for ANYTHING that could help it survive.

[mrpenguin]

I have been looking into buying a new stronger light ..... but this is what I dont understand, my anemone that is not doing very good whitch I have moved to a rock close to the top so that it can get better light is moving to the side of the rock again away from the light ?????
I dont get this ...... does this anemone not like light , why would it do this ??

[reefman13]

may have moved to continue to search for ANYTHING that could help it survive.

-daveocean

This is exactly why it is moving.

YOU NEED MORE LIGHT FOR THOSE TWO. IT IS LIFE OR DEATH, SELL THEM (AT LEAST THE BTA) OR BUY A NEW LIGHT ASAP.

[Lance M.]

davocean said it pretty clearly-

"The new nem could have been climbing rocks reaching for light, but even at top that light is nowhere near enough, and it may have moved to continue to search for ANYTHING that could help it survive."

It's moving around to find a more suitable spot. Once you get the new light it will probably attach in a hole or on the side/underside of a rock and then stretch out towards the light.

[tgfrench]

its only a matter of time till you have a DEAD bta. you do need more light on your tank and also to let the tank mature at least a year before you put another one in to replace the one you have now.

[mrpenguin]

I have been looking around where I live and so far the best light I can get is the following

http://www.hagen.com/canada/english/...htProg2_EN.cfm

This is a 24" double light of 24w ...... to go above 24w I need a longer light that will not fit on my tank.

At the moment I have one 17w light.

Think this will be a good buy ??

[davocean]

Well, I'd hate to see you rush in on light and still have neg outcome.
Best suggestion is get ailing nem in an established tank w/ good light, even if it's back to LFS.
Never seen that light fixture brand, but T5's are a great way to go.
A guidline for most tanks is about 3-5 watts per gal depending on type of lighting and what you keep.

[mrpenguin]

So my anemone has moved away from the top of the rock close to the light to the side of the rock away from the light and now it has stopped .... could it be that maybe I have the wrong light and that it don't like the light i have because if the light is not enough why did it stopped moving once it got in the shade ?

[Eklikewhoa]

Flow will also make the nem move.

You need a new fixture....the bulb or whatever you have now is not gonna cut it and whatever bulb you buy will be in the same range of "not enough" since the ballast on that light can only handle so much before burning out or setting fire.

There are fixtures that will fit over your 30g fine but with much more lighting that is appropriate for the nem.

[mrpenguin]

Ok, I now have a T5 HO High output light in my tank, it has two 24watt bulbs ... hopefully this will work better.

[Slakker]

That sounds like it will work MUCH better, hopefully the anemone will pull through.

I don't know if you posted this yet, but what are your water parameters? I wonder if there's not something else that is bothering the BTA...

[mrpenguin]

parameters are all ok, PH was a little low but I added a PH buffer.

I was wondering, now that I have new lights will my anemone move closer to the light again ?

How much water flow do they like ? should I move my powerhead nozzle away from him or more on him ?

[garygb]

ph was low, that is an indication something might be amiss in your tank. Do you do regular water changes? Do you have aragonite as a substrate--both of these can be solutions to a low ph, as can protein skimming and good water flow (increased oxygenation). In answer to your quesiton about water flow, BTA's appreciate randon, moderate current. I wouldn't direct a power head right on it, but it is preferable to have some type of wave maker, or, at the very least, two power heads that will give some random water movement. As I'm sure you have heard before, make sure the intakes to the powerheads have sponge covering them.

[davocean]

moderate flow, tents should be gently moving around.
If you blast it it will most likely move.
Light is much better, and BTA's are forgiving w/ light, but you may want to add more later.
Feeding it well will help, like a silverside a week.
Let us know what happens, pics are always cool.

[Lance M.]

New tanks usually have problems with low pH until they stabilize and the tank matures. The tank has been setup for <6 months.

It could also be lack of or not enough surface agitation and/or a CO2 build-up within the home.