anenomes keep dying....getting expensive

@knight

@knight

Member
I keep getting chondylactus (sp?) anenomes from my LFS, ive been told you have to try to kill these things. Well im not, but they keep dying. The LFS guy said my clowns would not go to them, but they do, they wallow in him. When I get it home the base is sticky and so are its tentacles (if thats what you call them), but after about 3-5 days, they just shrivel up, so i flush them. I dont wait till they die completely cuz i heard they really polute the tank. I have a 15t gal eclipse (i know its small, but i keep the water moving and test my levels daily). I am using a full spectrum light, but only one (this may be my problem despite the know-it-all at the LFS). My ammonia is at .1 and everything else is 0. everything else (i.e. LR, stars, damel and clownfish, cleanup crew) do well and are eating. Any suggestions, or am i just being stupid trying to use a 15 gal tank??? :D
[ May 19, 2001: Message edited by: @knight ]
[ May 19, 2001: Message edited by: @knight ]
 
powderblue

powderblue

New Member
anenomes are extremely hard to keep, even for the most experienced reefers. it sounds like your lfs is milking you for every penny. i think you should stop killing anenomes by buying them. no offense.
 
wuelfman

wuelfman

Member
just so you know
when you put a anenome in your tank it is not uncommon for it to "shrink"
when you first put it in your tank it can flush the old water out of its system making it look no bigger then a golf ball
i have a bubble tip anenome that i had for over three years and some times it shrinks right up then expands after awhile
this is normal
you might be throwing away a perfectly good creature
ammonia is at .1 is not good. the tank is cycling
[ May 19, 2001: Message edited by: wuelfman ]
 
@knight

@knight

Member
that sucks to think that i may have been throwing away perfectly good ananomes :confused:
anyway, wuelfman, my tank has cycled, i had two damsels in there for the better part of 8 weeks, i just added the clownfish and the cleanup crew as well as more liverock and I think it caused an ammonia spike.
Do you think my tank hasnt completed cycling??? If it hadnt, wouldnt i see high nitrates?
Also, If anenomes are hard to keep, what are some tips to keeping them, because they are my favorite sea creature, and i dont want to keep killing them. :eek:
I would like to get some input before murdering another one. damn, i didnt know they were supposed to do that!!! :(
[ May 19, 2001: Message edited by: @knight ]
 
wuelfman

wuelfman

Member
adding live rock will give you a spike
nitrates usally mean the end of cycling
i run about 7-9 ppm of nitrates (my clams love it )
with a 15 gallon tank your tank peramators (sp)
can change really fast
i have mine in a 135g
8 weeks is not really that long for a tank to mature
do you have a dsb?
skimmer?
i would wait a couple more months give your tank time to mature
bubble tips are pretty easy to keep
mine stays put in the tank i feed it shrimp every couple of days
it is very happy
 
burnnspy

burnnspy

Active Member
With all due respect I dont believe you or your tank is ready for anemones. Ammonia kills most inverts. Eclipse tanks are a joke and I believe the full spectrum light will not keep an anemone alive for long anyway.
I recommend getting a better tank and better equipment for a reef setup.
BurnNSpy
 
@knight

@knight

Member
ok,
wuelfman, i have no clue what a dsb is, so im guessing: no I dont have one. and im not running a skimmer on this tank.
I picked up a 30 gal tank at a yard sale yesterday for $50. It came with a penguin 400 filter a hood that has one light( gonna add a couple light strips) and a couple powerheads. I think im gonna leave my 15 gal alone and work on this one. I would love to have a bigger tank, but I live in an apt and want something that i can move if I have to. I plan on getting a skimmer for this one though.
I'm really loving this saltwater stuff, I've kept cichlids forever, but this is much more of a hobby and more rewarding.
I will take your advice and wait for the tank to mature. thanks for the input salisbury.
BurnNSpy, what type of ecconomical setup would you recommend??? when I say economical, I am inferring that i dont want to drop 300 bucks on PC's. Would a couple Full spectrums and one blue actinic work allright?
Not meaning to sound stupid, but trying to keep this within my price range (im a college student).
 
@knight

@knight

Member
ummmmmm, ironreef, i dont know about you but that link takes me to a gay website!
cute, but not my cup of tea
 
burnnspy

burnnspy

Active Member
My setup is about as economical as you can get and maintain most corals, on a tight budget like yours I recommend saving and getting the needed equipment before setting up anthing and you will wind up spending less.
I recommend the following items for your tank:
a DIY 175watt Metal Halide(12000K), $170.00
an airlift skimmer, $30.00
2-small whisper power filters, $20.00
a small powerhead, $30.00
a good airpump for the skimmer, $18.00
a 40lbs bag of Seaflor gravel, ~$50.00
a bag of Natures Ocean Livesand, $25.00
(This should get you close to 4" of gravel) 45lbs Fiji liverock, ~$120.00
Total cost is about $463.00 for a tank ready to handle most corals. The only upgrade you may need in the future is a sump with bigger skimmer and the addition of a VHO actinic light or a bigger tank.
Visit my web page to see what can be done with a budget, keep in mind that this is the recommemnded minimum equipment for reef success. If you can't afford the above items then a reef tank will be very impractile for you as a student.
BurnNSpy
 
@knight

@knight

Member
so you thing MH is the only way to go, i was hoping to just add son flourescent light strips and build a hood. What do I need to do and where can i learn how to set them up?
 
@knight

@knight

Member
i really didnt think they were that hard to keep as well. I see them all over the place in almost every reef tank ive looked at. Theyre my favorite sea creature. I understand i may need better lighing, I just am not sure of the best setup or how I'm going to do it.
 
wuelfman

wuelfman

Member
dsb=deep sand bed
you could get by with vho (vho=very high output) lighting
i used vho for about 4years now i just added some mh lights for a total of 850 watts
on a small tank it should work fine
p.s i started with a 30 gallon and my anenome was in it before i moved to the larger tank
i would go with a good skimmer imo it can make a differnce
The AquaC Remora™ Hang-on-Tank Skimmer or pro are really good i use the ev-200 and its great http://www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com/
i upgraded from a ets skimmer
[ May 20, 2001: Message edited by: wuelfman ]
Sorry no site links allowed
[ May 21, 2001: Message edited by: BurnNSpy ]
 
ironreef

ironreef

Member
If you go to the link and look at the survey they have an average of...forget 5yrs?? they are long lived over 100yrs. = not easy to keep for most. I've seen some rose anemonies in tanks that split and are over 10yrs old. I've seen a clone from this hardy anemonie die in a tank in less than 6mo buy someone with less experiance. And fwiw just cuz someones a shark doesn't mean they know. it just means they like to post alot.
 
@knight

@knight

Member
Thanks for the advice, I think ill get my 30 gal up and running a few months before I attempt another one. Dont want to kill any more than i have to.
 
burnnspy

burnnspy

Active Member
It is possible to use NO(normal output) flo lamps, but you will be limited to mushrooms and button polyps and they will not thrive. That is why I don't recommend it at all.
BurnNSpy
 
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