Anemone's - I'm a changed man! My experience with them...

[buzz]

I have recently seen a lot of posts on anemone's, specifically BTA's, with members asking if they should buy them, and what their requirements are.
OK...here's my take on anemone's (feeding meaty foods aside), which has recently changed. I kept a BTA in my 29g and subsequently in my 60g, for a total of around a year before it died. I had 4 - 36" NO tubes over it, totalling 120w in the 60g. I thought everyone was wrong, and that they didn't need the intense light. It looked healthy to me for a long time. But gradually it deteriorated, bleached, etc. It tried to split, but didn't have the energy to finish, and died.
I replaced it shortly thereafter. This one split right away, and seemed OK...but their color somewhat faded, tentacles kind of stringy, etc. I started to realize they weren't really doing OK, just slowly dying.
I recently switched to a 100g, with 2-250w MH and 2-110w VHO actinics, totalling 720w. Those anemone's took off running! Their tentacles are completely puffed, their color has deepened to a nice rich green, they are extended, fanned out, and are actually thriving now - better every day. I never would have believed it if I didn't see the difference/transformation for myself. I am disappointed in myself for subjecting them to the lighting conditions I had in my previous tanks.
Sorry to ramble, but if you are considering buying a BTA, really think about whether or not you have the right environment for one. I was wrong about them, so hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes...they need intense lighting.
Hope this helps someone...

 

[puffygrrl]

I am in the process of setting up a 30-gallon anemone/clown tank and just recently upgraded my lighting from 2-18W JBJ lights to a 250W metal Halide - WOW what a difference (from 1.2 watts per gallon to 8.3) I haven't added any anemones or fish yet, but knew the first and most important step in the tank set up was the lights. Thanks for confirming

 

[aileena]

so here is my question...
I have four 46.5 vho bulbs running off the 660 icecap ballast...I have had my BTA for about a week...So far I have fed it mysis and squid...I have a 60g tank and it is 24" tall...is this enough for an anemone???
I have noticed that the tentacles are very stringy lately...the anemone is at the bottom of the tank in a rather shady spot...should I move him to the top???
I don't think MH are the only lighting that can sustain anemones...for some reason the push on this board has always been toward MH lights except for keeping mushrooms and maybe leathers...

 

[buzz]

They don't "have" to be MH, but certainly that is the ideal, as it is the strongest. You have 440w of VHO, correct? IMO, that sounds like it should be OK. Any of those lights Actinic? What intensity? It does also depend on how low in the tank it is, and the shade will be a factor also. You may be able to move it, but no guarantees it will stay there. They will move. But I would personally try higher in the tank in direct light.
Feeding meaty foods like squid are a factor in health as well, as is the amount of current they are in.

 

[aileena]

i can tell you that two of the bulbs are actinic and the other two are the white bulbs...I can also tell you that the anemone is in low to medium current...for some reason the stupid thing moves everytime i place it in a high current area...
I have moved it out of the shade as well...hopefully it stays there....the tank is 24" high and the first 3" is taken up by the sandbed and it is roughly 4" above that on a peice of LR...
should I replace one of the actinics with another white bulb...I think its 10K...

 

[sandman12]

hey puffy grrl iam doing the same thing! U should e-mail me some time or im me milkmanf12@aol.com, im-milkmanf12

 

[buzz]

Aileena - I think 2 and 2 is fine for the lights. Sounds like you are on the right track!

 

[broncofish]

Don't just grab it and move it to the top...do it slowly move it a little more in the light, and a little higher. If you just stick it up top it is possible to "sunburn" it. Anemones are tricking not because of the light issue. They need, and will eventually die with out.
1. Intense Light of a good spectrum, 6500k-14000k
2. Strong Random Current
3. Regular feeding of meaty foods(Krill and Silversides, brine is not enough)
4. Stable water parameters, stable PH, and Alk readings.
5. Good amounts of trace elements, Anemones are mostly water, and if your water quality is crap, then your anemone will be....well crap.

 

[aileena]

1) I have been feeding it mysis and squid...hope that enough...cause I have no idea what silversides is...
2) the water quality is stable...12kh, 8.5ph, 12.5ppm nitrates with no ammonia or nitrite...
3) I have no idea what the spectrum of URI bulbs are...two blue actinics and then I think two 10K white bulbs...
4) current isnt high by any means, but at least medium current...
So why are the tentacles thin and not thick and healthy? the anemone always wants to hide at the bottom back of the tank...so instead of moving the anemone I simply turn the rock around!!! hehehe that will get em' It could possibly be that it is still recovering for the powerhead incident...

 

[spsfreak100]

cause I have no idea what silversides is...
Silversides are a type of saltwaterfish and if I'm correct, they're related to anchovies. They're generally sold at the LFS in many different sized, from 1/2"-4". Adult bubble tips have been documented to be "fish eaters" and will consume silversides and lancefish. Juvinile bubble tips will often comsume Krill, squid, etc. although from my experience, they will continue to eat the same foods throughout their life.
So why are the tentacles thin and not thick and healthy?
Bubble tips do not have to have bubble tips to be considered healthy. There's plenty of healthy bubble tips which have never had the "bubble tips."
I have mine positioned at the bottom of the tank. It's foot is attached 3" into a crevice in a rock and the oral disc extends out from the crevice, where the oral disc extends around 8" in diameter. Fortunatly, mine has never moved from the area I placed it. I am running 2x 400wt 10,000k Ushio's on PFO HQI ballast.
Graham

 

[aileena]

for some reason my bta attaches itself to the bottom of the piece of LR that is lying on the sand bed...how it manages to squeeze in there is beyond me...during the day it extends almost like a plate and its tentacles extend outwards...
THERE are no tentacles in the MIDDLE of it...I think it lost a few tenacles in the powerhead...

 

[buzz]

BTA's will generally like to hide somewhat in crevices, holes in rocks, etc. They extend when they need to, but can retract to get out of the light, or for protection. It doesn't surprise me that yours wants to be under that rock. It will move, or extend when it feels the need. Don't move it around too much. You placed it in a good spot all ready. If it moved, it didn't "like" it. It will find that "ideal" spot.
The tentacles generally are more on the outer area of the body. When you see them full and bunched up, it is usually because the anemone has itself sucked together a bit.
Oh...and mine don't have bubble tips per say...just very puffy, fat tentacles.

 

[aileena]

mine only has thin tentacles for some reason...the tentacles really come out at night and are rather puffy and thick when its dark...