Next Step?

lionfish99

Member
I just got my Long Tentacle Anemone and Feather Duster today!! Now next I want to add snails, a Coral Banded Shrimp, and A few hermits. I want to let these guys get situated first how long should I wait?
After I add my snails, shrimp, and crabs when should I then add the fish. and in what order. Yellow Tang, True Percula Clownfish, and a Royal Gramma Basslet. What order and how long should I wait inbeween or all at once I just need organization!!!!
 

viper_930

Active Member
It sounds like you just finished cycling the tank? If so, please return that anemone. They need very stable water conditions and high lighting, and I'd highly recommend against a beginner getting one. They're definitely not hardy animals.
Tell us about your system and how your water tested? Any LR, skimmer, your lights, how big the tank is, etc?
 

lionfish99

Member
no no no don't worry my tank has been cycled for 4 months and I cylced it for about 2 so its about 5 going on 6 months old now. I had a lion at one time but due to unhealthy guppies tragicly i lost him. I'm good to go on the tank trust me on that I just need to know when its ready for more inverts.
 

viper_930

Active Member
Tell us about your system and how your water tested? Any LR, skimmer, your lights, how big the tank is, etc?
 

lionfish99

Member
Ok. its a 30 long (planning on upgrading) I have a penguin bio-wheel 125 (cultured biowheel) Seaclone 100 skimmer, live sand and my rock is culturing. I have 3 snails from the previous fish and acctually one baby snail (my snails were not G rated) I have a 9325ºK bulb but as soon as money allows I'm upgrading to a 50/50, 20,000ºKor If i find better than that.
 

viper_930

Active Member
Do you have any sand or rocks currently in the tank? How much?
The snails, hermits, and shrimp can go in in a week.
Yellow tangs shouldn't be kept in such small tanks, 75 gallons minimum IMO. The perc and gramma can go in at the same time, but not at the same time as the snails, hermits, and shrimp.
Also, I still worry about your anemone. Is the light bulb a normal output flourescent (T-8), or a power compact? Whichever one, you still don't have enough IMO. Get AT LEAST 2x65 watt power compact lights and the anemone has a chance. For the time being, I still recommend you return the anemone.
 

lionfish99

Member
I'll be getting the Dual Strip lighting T-8 but what would be the best lighting for him? And before I get the dual strip what would be the best single lightbulb.
I have about 25-30 lbs of live sand about 2-3 inches and 6 or so rocks that have plenty of coraline growth (i'm pretty sure thats what it is) and nice little green hair alge and turning themselves live.
 

viper_930

Active Member
T-8 lights are no good for LTAs. Look into getting power compacts (PC), very high outputs (VHO), or metal halide (MH) lights.
I think the 10,000k rating bulb would be the best because it has a higher photosynthetic available radiation rating (PAR) than 20,000k or 50/50 bulbs. A T-8 10,000k bulb is still not good for your anemone though.
Like I said a two 65 watt power compact lights (about $130) would be the bare minimum IMO and you still have to feed the anemone 3 times weekly so it may have a chance. No less than that. A better lighting choice would be a 150 watt double ended metal halide (about $200). With the halide, you can also keep soft, LPS, and SPS corals as well as clams.
I think it may be useful to tell you what happened to my first anemone. I bought a perfectly healthy 6" rose bubble tip anemone after my tank had been setup for 5 months after the cycle. I had a 2x65 watt PC fixture over my 36 gallon, and fed the anemone 3 times weekly. After a few months it still became weak and it was only 3" fully expanded. If I hadn't bought my 150 watt double-ended MH when I did, it would've probably starved to death. That was about 8 months ago, and now it has regrow to it's full 6" and about two weeks ago it split so now I have two. I spent a total of $350 for my lights, and it consists of a 150 watt DE MH + 2x65 watt PC.
And just some extra info, about 90-95% of anemones die within the first year in an aquarium because of bad husbandry (e.g. unstable water cond. and/or insufficient lighting). I think that's very sad, since they can virtually live forever in an ideal environment, free of predators, stable conditions, sufficient lighting, etc. Since they can regenerate any part of their body and organs, I believe they cannot die of old age, but I doubt anybody has tested this theory. :thinking:
 
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