BubbleTip problem.

[i am batman]

Something cause my hood lights to go out in my nanocube and my anemone has closed up. It hasnt expelled it's insides, but the anemone looks like it is in bad shape. I replaced the bulbs, but I need some closure in knowing if it's going to be ok. Thanks

 

[lexluethar]

What type of lights did you replace them with? How long did it not have any lights?

 

[i am batman]

I replaced them with what I have in the tank, Sunpaq 50/50 actinics and the Sunpaq daylights. It's been without light for atleast 6 hours. I turn the lights off over night, and the anemone was cool when the timers kicked the lights back on this morning, but I don't know if the lights went out right when I left for work or if they just went out.

 

[lexluethar]

How many bulbs does your system have? An anemone without light for 6 hours is nothing to worry about. And every time the lights turn off it is normal for it to deflate and look very stringy and 'dead.' It shouldn't do this every night, but it is a common occurance. But once the lights turn back on it should liven up and inflate. So i think you should be fine (under the assumption you know what adequate lighting is for an anemone and you are providing it).

 

[i am batman]

Thanks for your insight. I left for a few hours after getting the lighting situation figured out and the anemone is blown back up to normal. That was my first equipment malfunction with this reef and I've never experienced anything like this....... Kinda scary. Thanks again.

 

[i am batman]

BTW... I have a 12g aquapod with dual PC bulbs. I've had the anemone for going on 3 months without any problems. I think it is a very common mis-conception that you need to have MH or T5 lighting to have an anemone. Mine has been quite healthy until my lighting issue today. Just food for thought. I suppose what works for me may not work for anybody else.
Thanks again!

 

[lexluethar]

I disagree with you. I think the common misconception is that an anemone within an aquarium that lives for a year is success. These anminals live for an extremely long time when given the proper environment (longer than fish, 10+ years). People mistakenly think they successfuly keep an anemone because it has been in their tank 'healthy' for 6 months to a year. When in reality, if you want your anemone to live far beyond that (again i emphasize 10+ years) you need to provide the proper environement. Which includes good water quality and good lighting. I would also argue your tank is entirely too small for an anemone.
Let us know if you have any more problems, but if you want my two cents you are asking for trouble using a 12 gallon tank and PC lighting.

 

[lexluethar]

A little added information I found:
"Life span
Sea anemones are anecdotally very long-lived, reaching 60-80 years and more. Like other Cnidarians, they do not age, meaning they have the potential to live indefinitely. Most fall foul to predators before a good age is reached."
Anemones also tend to take extremely long to die when starving. So if you didn't have adequate lighting it would still take the anemone a year or so to die off anyways.
So potentially in the aquarium environment w/o preditors or powerhead intakes, they should live indefinitely.

 

[armywife1314]

omg, that is great to hear! i just got t5s yesterday and my anenome looked so much better after i put them on. my true percs love it, i dont know what they would do without it. i did just have actinics and it looked decent but after the t5 was up for awhile i could tell it was doing so much better than i thought it was, thinking back it was probably suffering

but now i have t5s and its happy