New Coral added

[SouthBay]

First of all let me start by saying this website has helped me learn so much about this hobby, and keep up the good work.

Okay, I have a 12G JBJ Nano Cube,cured 12 LBS of live rock,cured 10 LBS of sand, 24 Watt 50/50 lights, water temp 81° - 83°, I have had the tank for 5 weeks. The tank has Cycled. My live stock 3 Damsels (2 weeks old), 1 fire shrimp (4 days olds), 5 Black turbo snails (2 weeks old).

My questions is i just bought a Purple tip Sea Anemone - sebae ??- last night 11-7 and i placed him on the LR but the little guy fell onto the sand and he has not moved since. Is this normal? are they suppose to move like LFS said it would. i have read on this site that people glue them onto LR, but if this moves i dont wanna do that. I also bought some Mushrooms and a leather coral.

thanks in advance

[Strandedthinker]

more lighting would be better, not exactly sure on the whole wattage to gallon ratio for specific inverts and corals. hows your parameters? inverts and corals take time to get use to your tank, even if you acclimate. look around at liveaquaria.com for proper acclimation as well.

[Strandedthinker]

and the damsels could become food for your new anenome :-/

[ghofmann]

The anemone may be just looking for a place with better lighting. Which should be around 4 to 6 watts per gallon. It may take some time for your anemone to acclimate to your tank and find the spot it likes. Don't worry about glueing it down once it finds a place it likes it should stay put.

[DgenR8]

SouthBay,
[welcome]

Your tank is small, but even at that size, your lighting is weak for an Anemone.
I think the bigger problem though is that your tank is only 5 weeks old. You say that you're cycled, but that's not all there is to it. Anemones are picky animals, especially when it comes to water quality, and stability. A tank that new just has not had time to become stable, and a tank that size, even once matured is very difficult to keep stable.
Do not try to glue the Anemone in place, if he's able to find a location he likes, he'll stick there on his own.
You only listed Temperature, what are your other params??

[gcrowptc]

Wow 12g five weeks way overstocked and anenomes, mushrooms and leather coral #1 no way enough light for any of them to survive properly, #2 if the anenome survives and the others it will probably sting the rest to death as it moves around,anenomes are pretty but can reak havoc on a tank, they are aggressive and need to be fed and will look for food. I have read articles that say in the wild anenomes can live to be 100 yrs old but in a captive system less than a year...IMO you are on a course of a failed nano reef and will not only have lost $ but an intrest in the hobby...whoever sold you this system and then said add all this now IMO needs to be shot....In 30 yrs of doing fish of every variety it amazes me at what store people will tell you and sell you

[gcrowptc]

BTW my first Salt Tank was in 1974 when there was vague info and only FW equipment to do the SW experience

[eums]

i would not say less than a year in captive systems, i have seen a 15+ year old BTA that was 20something inches wide and had a 12 year old clownfish living in it(the older female had died). i would say you need to upgrade your lighting and let your tank age some. my tank is neering 4 months (after the cycle ended) and i would not put an anemone or clam in it for another 3-5 months at least.

[grostanzo]

SouthBay, please take into heart what people are telling you. They just want you to have a positive experience with your nano. We made the same mistake with our 46g and got a BTA after only a 6 wk period or so. Well, he died after about 3 wks or so and poisioned our tank. We lost everything except our dottyback and 1 clown. It wasn't a problem with him eating in that he ate very well it was a problem with not having the proper lights and our tank not being mature enough. It was a horrible experience and terrible lesson. It took along time for our tank to come back and I was even at a point that I wanted to give up. But, we kept up with it and in time things are great now. Give your tank some time to mature, I know it's hard to wait but you'll be happier in the long run. I would probably start out with more peaceful corals also. One of my favorites is the pulsing xenia. It looks great in the tank (to me) you will have to trim it once and awhile though. Anyway, just take to heart what people tell you. I would take the BTA back to LFS, wait awhile then try a different coral. Upgrade your lights also. You will be happier with your nano and It will be awesome! Good Luck!

Gina

[gofish]

I would have to agree with Gina...we added a BTA too soon, and it died. I am a bit impatient, and my husband (the experienced one) warned that it was too soon. We bought it anyway, mostly because I really wanted an anemone for my new clown to host in. It did host, almost immediately, but the temperature in the rose too high (>83 degrees) and the anemone shrived and died slowly a couple of weeks later. We have not replaced it since. Luckly, nothing else was affected by the death (quick removal & a water change).

I think everyone would hate for you to lose your beloved livestock for any reason. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

[DgenR8]

A temp of 83* did not kill the Anemone. I run my tank at 80- 83 year round.
Anemones need stable conditions, and stability comes with a mature system.

[gofish]

I don't remember how warm it was, but the room (outside the tank) was hot, and the tank water was probably closer to 88 or so (hence greater than ">" 83). The tank is now around 80-82. The salinity was affected by the temp also. We lost a red-foot snail at the same time.

[DgenR8]

88* is definitely bad :( and that could have been more than enough to kill your BTA.
The red foot snail would have died sooner or later anyway, as they are cold water snails, and don't ever make it long in a tropical aquarium.

[gofish]

My experienced husband just reminded me that the salinity probably had the most to do with the death of our snail and anemone...too much fresh water was added at one time as well. Approx 3 g to a 29g + sump. Combine that with extreme temp? and totally screwed up salinity...Definately not a stable environment.

Thanks for point out the temp though!

[SouthBay]

No No thanks sooo much for all the replys. Okay my next questions is how do i know when it dies, cause right now its all shriviled up (lights are on). My LFS has a policy where no refunds or exchanges and i dont know anyone who has a tank that i can donate it to. thanks again

[DgenR8]

Look here for a club near you, and post in their forum. There should be someone willing to take it off your hands.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=1&forumid=80
Do not waste any time though, as the situation is not good, and if it dies in your tank, there is a very real possibility that it will poison your system, killing most everything that is alive in that system.

[swims withthe fishes]

1st. anemone don't always stick immediately to rock. and they don't move very quickly, took mine 2 days to plant is foot. i'd call the owner of the lfs and tell him your situation, that you havent had it long, was unaware of the lighting needs, and so on. if he doesn't help you out on a return, or at least take it back for the sake of not letting it die, i'd find a new lfs.
they shrink up and get really horrid and crippled looking when they dying, loose colors and tackyness, i'd take it out at the first sign of this and flush it if NO other option is available(will a diff lfs take it on trade?), i hate telling you to flush a live creature that may survive, but it will likely kill everything if it dies in your tank.......

[DgenR8]

Befrore flushing it, I would take it back to the store that sold it to you, even if they won't give you a credit for it. Keep in mind that if this animal had not been taken from the sea, it could have lived literally centuries there. You don't want it to die in your tank, but if it has a chance to survive, don't kill it.

[grostanzo]

I agree take it back even without refund. I learned the hard way, mine died within 2 days of detaching, turned upside down. But, stupid me left it for 1 more day just to make sure (didn't want to take it out for fear that it might still be alive) and when I lifted him out boom!!! all kinds of crap floated around and then within minutes everything went to h--l! Save your tank and a big headache in the long run, most fish stores will take things back even if you don't get a refund. Then let them do what they want. Trust us when we tell you you don't want it to die in your tank.

Gina