Am i ready for an anemone

[clowntang]

I have a 150 that is running 4 96w pcs. and 2 96 actinic lights. the tank is cycled and water is fine. just wondering what all i have to have in order for one to live and hopefully grow. any input would help. thanks

 

[rainfishy]

The depth of your tank is gonna make a difference and with a 150 I'm not sure PCs is goona do it you might need MH. There are some species that require less light.
I would also wait untill your tank has been established for about six months. A dead anemone in a tank can be a big pollutant.

 

[speg]

Sorry to be rude.. but to answer the title of your question... You yourself will know when you are ready for a anemone.

 

[zanoshanox]

I would say you might need halides too my friend, because as of right now you are sitting on only 3.84 WPG...Your call though.

 

[thegrog]

Sounds like your tank is relatively young. It should be up, cycled for it least a year before considering an anemone. Also, you shoud not have ANY detectable ammonia, nitrite or nitrate for it least 2-3 months before considering an anemone.
Also, your lights are borderline for what you need. I would consider upgrading to halides. With what you have, a BTA may work, but borderline.

 

[speg]

I personally think his lighting is pretty friggin good.

 

[mumbulog]

I have a 400 watt metal halide fixture and ballast w/ a 10 k bulb I'll sell you for 120 shipped. The bulb is new, I was going to use this on my 75 gallon but it was to much.
Gordon

 

[hagfish]

PC's, will not penetrate far enough into the tank to be effective for most, if not all photosynthetic anemone's IMO. A very few people get away with minimal lighting and heavy feeding, but they are usually highly experienced. Besides, if you don't have a lot of light, the anemone isn't going to maintain it's color anyway.
I would say that lighting is only good for low/medium light corals like zoo's, shrooms, leathers and other softies, and low/medium light LPS corals.

 

[csupdog]

Depends on the anemone, BTAs will be fine, they will find there way to the top of the tank and get the light they need. I would wait 6 months before you add those guys though. Otherwise your lighting is good for soft corals and some LPS.

 

[hagfish]

Originally Posted by csupdog
Depends on the anemone, BTAs will be fine, they will find there way to the top of the tank and get the light they need. I would wait 6 months before you add those guys though. Otherwise your lighting is good for soft corals and some LPS.
Well, a BTA on the move isn't really a good thing. It's going to sting everything in the way so if there are corals, they'll be in trouble. And under low lighting, it may keep moving because it wants high lighting and it doesn't realize that the tank doesn't offer that.

 

[csupdog]

good point, they will move around alot... but 96watt PC is definetly enough, ive seen these guys live on 40w Flo's.
IMO - its best to have a tank dedicated for anemones. I was just mentioning this in another thread. But of course in a 150 you have alot of room. BTAs wont bother alot of soft corals as well, In my tank I have Kenya's and zoanthids, for about 3 years now.

 

[clowntang]

thank you everyone. I will heed all the advice. Just wondering though why it is that the LFS has a 75 set up with coral and a huge anemone in it that seems to be gettin bigger and has good color and they r running the same lighting as me? to me this seems to tell me that i do not need MH's but i could be wrong and maybe they r. The tank is not that old true so i will prolly wait since it has only been cycled for about 2 months. I was just seeing if i have the right equipment already in place as far as lights, sand, rock, water flow, ect. I have just one powerhead that seems to be to small i think it is a rio 1200. I know i prolly need more flow, just not sure what size to get so that it works for flow but not tobbling thing from to much force. yes i know that they move and so far no corals r in the tank. but thanks for the advice. Since i have spent about 3 grand already on my 2 tank in the past 2 months i am not ready to buy much more at the moment. just gettin ideas for future purchases.

 

[hagfish]

Look, some people (a very few really) have had long term success with various anemone's under minimal lighting. Ron Schimeck even believes the lighting isn't as important as most make it out to be. He's an expert, but that also means he can give an anemone much better care than most of us.
Anemone's live for 100's of years. I would be willing to bet that more than 90% of those who try to keep them with minimal lighting (non-MH) have them die within a year. And almost certainly in five if not even 3. I know some people think keeping an animal like this alive for 5 years is a success, but it's really not.
I think it's possible to keep it healthy with these lights. But I do not think it is likely to happen. The odds are just against it. Search the message board and the results are there. If it were common for people to keep anemone's under PC's, then why are we buying MH's? You're not going to see many threads where people are bragging about real, long term success with most anemone's under pc's.
As for your LFS having the same lights and an anemone that looks good, if it is not a show tank, then they are planning on selling that anemone before it declines in health. You can't base your lighting purchase on a temporary holding tank situation.
If it is a show tank, then good for them, maybe they are one of the few who can do it. Again though, they are doing this for a living.

 

[csupdog]

Hag:
Reality is anemones, typically, come from shallow waters where there is alot of light and extremely clean water. Light that doesnt even come close to 400 watt HQI. That being said, light is important as we want to try and simulate there habitat. Period.
But there are exceptions, like BTA's and Saddle Carpet anemones. SOME of them come from deeper water or tide pools. The species makes all the difference. Like I said earlier, BTAs dont require as much light. Is the anemone in your LFS a Bubble tip?
Ive also read numerous times, that an anemone being fed alot can live for a period of time without enough light but eventually dies, even up to a year or so.
You shouldnt add any inverts to a tank that is not chemically stable. Especially anemones they are sensitive to nitrates.

 

[clowntang]

thanks all. i think i mostly get the picture that i don't have a clue as to what i am doing. so i guess anemones r out for me since i don't know much. I just think mh's are really exspencive and not sure if i really need all the light. i have heard good things about mh's and them being needed, but i have been sold alot of equipment before that i didn't need from my LFS. so just trying to see what i really need so i only have to buy it once. Just upset that it seems like no one can tell me the trueth on what i do need to have want i want in the tank. I prolly have spent 500.00 or so and things not needed. I am also worried that i may over light the tank and cook the fish. from the heat. Also worried that the heat may get the water to hot and i know i would prolly need a chiller, but no one has yet to confirm that. some say yes some say no. I do appreaciate the help and sorry if i am making anyone mad, but just trying to understand. yes i guess i am a newbee. i have mostly just had fish for the last 4 years, i have tryed a anenome before and it died in 2 days, but i know it was the cheep ass lights then cuz it was ones that come packed in the tank setup. so i know better then those. I have yet to have any corals at all other then mushrooms which died in like a week on me. the whole time i had these the LFS told me i had all the right equipment. well obviously not. My dad has no become involved in this and wants to help to get the right things needed but i am not sure what to tell him. since the pc's we was told should handle anything we put in the tank. but after reading massages on here and research i find it hard to believe that we do have what we need for no matter what we put in it. just confused i guess. but thanks and sorry if i made anyone mad. I know u all are more experienced then i am. :help: :help: :help:

 

[shinny]

"Especially anemones they are sensitive to nitrates."
I thought anenomes were sensitve to amonia. Are they sensitive to nitrates also? I know nitrates will turn into amonia after awhile. Can someone clear this up?

 

[hagfish]

Originally Posted by csupdog
Hag:
Reality is anemones, typically, come from shallow waters where there is alot of light and extremely clean water. Light that doesnt even come close to 400 watt HQI. That being said, light is important as we want to try and simulate there habitat. Period.
But there are exceptions, like BTA's and Saddle Carpet anemones. SOME of them come from deeper water or tide pools. The species makes all the difference. Like I said earlier, BTAs dont require as much light. Is the anemone in your LFS a Bubble tip?
Ive also read numerous times, that an anemone being fed alot can live for a period of time without enough light but eventually dies, even up to a year or so.
You shouldnt add any inverts to a tank that is not chemically stable. Especially anemones they are sensitive to nitrates.
I never said 400 watts HQI, I just said MH. The thing is, PC's don't penetrate to the bottom of a tank very well. Again, the PC's may work, it has worked for some. It's just easier with MH. If one buys MH used or buys a retro, they don't even cost all that much more than PC's.
As for your comment on an anemone living for a year without light and heavy feeding, that isn't exactly impressive given that anemone's live hundreds of years in nature.