Can I put Anemones and Mushrooms in my tank
- Thread starter deegrimes
- Start date
hot883
Active Member
Originally Posted by deegrimes
We would like to start putting Anemones and Mushrooms in our tank. We changed out lighting a few months back to the t5s which when purchased we were told that we could pretty much have any corals or Anemones etc in our tank. Just wondering if this is in fact true
Anemones are for seasoned tanks and experience over 1 year is recommended. There are some people that have been successful earlier than that but not many. Mushrooms are a great addition to any tank and as long as your water quality and parameters are good then it should be ok.
To help answer your question; tell us the age and size of the tank, post parameters, species you wanted to get, and most important the total wattage of your lights.
We would like to start putting Anemones and Mushrooms in our tank. We changed out lighting a few months back to the t5s which when purchased we were told that we could pretty much have any corals or Anemones etc in our tank. Just wondering if this is in fact true
Anemones are for seasoned tanks and experience over 1 year is recommended. There are some people that have been successful earlier than that but not many. Mushrooms are a great addition to any tank and as long as your water quality and parameters are good then it should be ok.
To help answer your question; tell us the age and size of the tank, post parameters, species you wanted to get, and most important the total wattage of your lights.
francisco5
Member
My anemone started moving towards my mushrooms, I got worried started a thread, and from what I gather the anemone might sting the shrooms. Nothing to worry about. Just from the replies I got on my thread.
deegrimes
New Member
We have been running our tank for over 10 years but had a bout with brook last month so our tank is running with just the snails crabs and starfish in it as well as the shrimp. We have a 75 gallon tank the lighting we are running now is the t5s 54w each 2 white bulbs and 2 blue. Not sure on what species we are looking at never really checked into that yet just inquiring right now. Once we have an idea or not if we have the right lighting we will go from there
rednekreef
Member
I have a bubble tip in my tank and have mushrooms all over the place. I was fortunate enough to put the anemone in the tank and it set foot in a spot it liked and has been there ever since.
rosco
Member
if your tank is seasoned and you have the requirements and experience to keep the anenomes, I would put the anenome in first let it find the spot in the tank it likes then add coral. There is nothing more discouraging than putting an anenome in an established tank and moving your corals every day (offsetting your design) untill the anenome finds its preferred spot. But who knows, everyone has their own ways of doing things.
T
thomas712
Guest
What I'm getting from this is that you have a 75 gallon tank, with T-5 lighting that only equals 216 watts of lighting. This should be a 20 inch deep tank?. Using the watts per gallon rule of thumb (not always good) you only have 2.88 wpg. I really see this as low lighting myself. In my opinion your LFS is completely wrong saying you can keep nearly anything. I'd rule out SPS corals right off the bat, and would consider it weak lighting for LPS corals. Softies may be alright, but with the depth you have the light gets weaker the farther you get down so I would also rule out a sand dwelling anemone. In fact I'd rule out any anemone in that size tank with that weak of lighting, but like I said that is just my opinion.
Now I'm no expert on lighting, and I don't have any reports on how T-5 lighting works or compares to PC or VHO. I have no stats on PAR rating of T-5 bulbs (and its the PAR that is the important thing to watch in reef tanks). But I view this as very minimal lighting for that size tank.
The Watt per gallon thing ( without really explaining it) with 55 gallon tanks and larger almost all books and hobbyists will start out with 4wpg. So a 75 gallon tank would need at least 300 watts of lighting as a general rule. For the success of an anemone for a 75 gallon I'd rather see 5 watts per gallon or 375 watts for a 75 gallon.
Basically I think your LFS was wrong, I think your lighting falls short for a reef tank of that size. And of course this is only my opinion. The lower light anemones like condylactis or Bubble tip might squeek by under that lighting and then again they might not. Bottom line is you need more lighting for the level of success that I would hope you would like to see.
Thomas
Now I'm no expert on lighting, and I don't have any reports on how T-5 lighting works or compares to PC or VHO. I have no stats on PAR rating of T-5 bulbs (and its the PAR that is the important thing to watch in reef tanks). But I view this as very minimal lighting for that size tank.
The Watt per gallon thing ( without really explaining it) with 55 gallon tanks and larger almost all books and hobbyists will start out with 4wpg. So a 75 gallon tank would need at least 300 watts of lighting as a general rule. For the success of an anemone for a 75 gallon I'd rather see 5 watts per gallon or 375 watts for a 75 gallon.
Basically I think your LFS was wrong, I think your lighting falls short for a reef tank of that size. And of course this is only my opinion. The lower light anemones like condylactis or Bubble tip might squeek by under that lighting and then again they might not. Bottom line is you need more lighting for the level of success that I would hope you would like to see.
Thomas
hot883
Active Member
Originally Posted by deegrimes
so basically what I am getting from this is that I should be running different lighting on my tank for the mushrooms and anenomes. So can I just change to a higher output bulb in my t5s? Or do I have to go with a whole new system?
Mushrooms should be ok (most of them) but an anemone is still out. Thomas712 would know, he is the most successful anemone keeper around these parts.
so basically what I am getting from this is that I should be running different lighting on my tank for the mushrooms and anenomes. So can I just change to a higher output bulb in my t5s? Or do I have to go with a whole new system?
Mushrooms should be ok (most of them) but an anemone is still out. Thomas712 would know, he is the most successful anemone keeper around these parts.
T
thomas712
Guest
Mushrooms would be fine, even though they are from an anemone family they do well with all kinds of lighting. Anemone's are almost strictly photosynthetic. They take nutrition from the photosynthetic zooxanthellae within them, like many corals do.
You can't just put a higher wattage bulb in with PC or VHO, they require better ballasts to run. You might be able to add more T-5 bulbs and the ballast to run them.
Personally I would like to see you use VHO, but thats my preference. A 4 bulb 36 inch retro fit kit would fit nicely, so would a 46.5 inch 440 watt VHO retro kit, like the one I use. But then I also have 500watt MH as well for 940 watts over a 90 gallon.
I am rather T-5 illerterate so you may want to check with someone that runs them, or you can check back at your poorly advised LFS.
Only diff with T-5 vs other flouresent lighting is size really. My VHO bulbs are T-12 in size.
Thomas
You can't just put a higher wattage bulb in with PC or VHO, they require better ballasts to run. You might be able to add more T-5 bulbs and the ballast to run them.
Personally I would like to see you use VHO, but thats my preference. A 4 bulb 36 inch retro fit kit would fit nicely, so would a 46.5 inch 440 watt VHO retro kit, like the one I use. But then I also have 500watt MH as well for 940 watts over a 90 gallon.
I am rather T-5 illerterate so you may want to check with someone that runs them, or you can check back at your poorly advised LFS.
Only diff with T-5 vs other flouresent lighting is size really. My VHO bulbs are T-12 in size.
Thomas
deegrimes
New Member
I am so glad I found this site!!! I have gotten so much info from all of you. So then what we will do is do some mushrooms but no anenomes until we have better lighting. Then we will decide what we are going to do from there. I hate getting bad info from lfs. It really pisses me off