2003 Anemone Survey

perfectdark

Active Member
Well of course I am going to give my 2 cents...LOL
Scanning through I can say I disagree with one statement in particular. "Among other examples of success without MH, was an E. quadricolor which had been kept for 5 years under PC lights, was in top health, and had produced a good number of clones which had been sold."
We constantly hear stories of the famous BTA being able to sustain life under PC lighting. I think its important that when reading this 2 things should be recognized. One would be these animals are kept in tanks with no other inhabitants. They are free to roam where they want. Second, their placement in the tank, which I would be 99.999 % positive was approx 3 to 4" below the surface of the water. In our reef systems things are entirely different. PC Lighting is not intense enough to reach the bottom of our tanks so an anemone that is bound by limits, ie corals or any other obstructions will not be able to get what it needs from these lights. Unless you can guarantee that the animal will reside only a few inches below the surface of the water, and I doubt any one can. I would still reccomend against this type of lighting even for a BTA.
The second part was...
"was in top health, and had produced a good number of clones" even in 5 years unless forced to split I would not consider a BTA in top health if it can be said that it has produced a good number of clones. JMO...
I kept my BTA under PC lights for about 8 months, it moved constantly, never felt really sticky. I changed for a short time to HO-T5's and it looked better healthier. Then I went to a 150w MH, and I have to say it has never looked better. It has found a spot that it hasent moved from in almost 5 months. It never hides from this light and is only about 4" away from the surface of the water. I dont have nearly as much experience or time invested in my little experiment as that article but for what little time I do have those are the differences I noticed.
JMO...
But the article was interested none the less.
 

spanko

Active Member
PD, as with all "studies" the information given is only as good as the information gleaned from the questions asked and the sincerity and honesty of the participants.
Just came across it and thought there was some good information in it. As always thank you for posting your knowledge of these wonderful and sometimes trying creatures.
 

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2672954
PD, as with all "studies" the information given is only as good as the information gleaned from the questions asked and the sincerity and honesty of the participants.
Just came across it and thought there was some good information in it. As always thank you for posting your knowledge of these wonderful and sometimes trying creatures.

Absoloutly I agree... I think in the specific area I addressed there is a considerable grey area, and as the article prooves from 2003 and I suspect even further back than that, to present. This is and will be an ongoing discussion with many varied opinions. I just wanted to offer mine... But good find on the article.
 

dmv

Member
I enjoy any reading on this subject and it seems to be spotty and far between if it was not for this board I would not be having any luck or at least I hope I am thanks for posting it and Perfect any chance you will be putting out a book soon
I could use it .
 

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by DMV
http:///forum/post/2673033
I enjoy any reading on this subject and it seems to be spotty and far between if it was not for this board I would not be having any luck or at least I hope I am thanks for posting it and Perfect any chance you will be putting out a book soon
I could use it .
LOL I wish...
I am by far not an expert... but I read everything I can and observe my tank an note changes daily. Conclusions I make are based on my very limited experience in this hobby, and from reading multiple acticles on the subject, so when I do voice an opinion it often has multiple sources for credibilty.
I have read more publications than I can remember since I started in this hobby, and there are 2 statements that have burned a permanent spot in my memory, and I will never forget them. One was written, the other was concluded too by me. When researching and reading in this hobby IMO they are 2 of the most important things to remember.
The first is, to remember, science is not based on what is proven. Science is based on hypothesis that have never been disproved.
The second is, The only absolute you can count on is that there are no absolutes.
 

dmv

Member
If you had to pick one book or two that helped you out the most on inverts to be exact bta,s could you let me know it would be very helpfull thanks PD.
 

saltn00b

Active Member
PD, IME - i kept a BTA for 2 years under VHO (not PC, VHO is admittently stronger) although the anenome moved occasionally it would usually be in place for long periods of time until i made a change to the tank that may have warranted it to move, but the last year it did not move at all. this anenome nearly tripled in size and did not split. a splitting or cloning anenome is not always a sign of a stressed anenome, but also a life process that happens for healthy anenome's as well. in any case, mine never did, it just continued to grow until i sold it at a diameter of about 18". i did not and could not keep SPS at that time, but it had no problems decimating corals that it battered with it's tentacles. corals that were not stung to death, were light choked from the sheer size of this juggernaut. as for placement, the foot was usually locked in a rock or tank wall a few inches from the sandbed, and it fully extended to upper middle tank levels. now even though these were VHO's and not PC's i had some corals survive in the upper levels, but when i put clones a few inches lower then halfway, the clones would die. I only had 2 non-reflected 72" T-12's on a 150g, so it was grossly underpowered.
 

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by DMV
http:///forum/post/2673046
If you had to pick one book or two that helped you out the most on inverts to be exact bta,s could you let me know it would be very helpfull thanks PD.
There are not a lot of books on Anemones alone, forget about BTA's exclusively. Tons of online articles though, you need to dig them out.
IMO Fenners book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" is prob the first book anyone starting out in this hobby should read. IMO I consider it the noobs bible.
Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner have a book called "Reef Invertebrates" Awsome!
Eric H. Borneman has one called "Corals" I havent read it but I heard great things about it.
 

dmv

Member
The Corals book was very good, read through very good points and indepth not rushed reading the other two I still have to get I am just always waiting for the other shoe to drop with my nem I have had good luck so far and after reading horror stories on here im always ready to come home and find him face down in gravel I have been so lucky with every thing its hard not to expect the worst to happen , ( but then again could be buffalo sports fan complex ) off to work PD thanks for your info now I must go pester my SB for a minute .
 
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