Help for my seabae anenome

[jac761]

Well, here I am again. I just heard from Eheim and they do not have a 4 bulb retrofit for this tank and looking at the one you suggested at *******, it wouldn't work in my tank. I am really bummed that my lfs steered me so wrong. I was told when I purchased this tank that I would be able to keep most anything. Since I am so new to this hobby - just under 2 years - I trusted them as professionals. I do like this tank however, so I guess I will have to rethink what I plan to put in it. With only 2 bulbs to work with (they are 42") what would you suggest. Would that support any anenome, soft colt, mushrooms or do I need to remove those from my tank for good? I am going to try and post pictures of my tank with this reply. We will see if it works!

 

[thomas712]

Ouch! he looks really bad, almost the point of the meltdown. But continue to give him a chance. Watch him really close, cause if he's gonna go it won't tank long. If you can lift him out and smell him it will let you know, if it is truly awefull then he is toast.
Edit: Never mind, that anemone is done, might as well take him out now. I looked at the photo's that you sent and the blow ups. Your looking straight into the guts as it were. He has practically shed his outer tentacles and column. Take him out now and don't try another till we find a proper set of lights for you.
Thomas

 

[thomas712]

How wide is this 72 gallon tank? Why wouldn't a 4 bulb fixture fit in the canopy? I think it would.
Is this one of those wave tanks?

 

[jac761]

OK - I am going to go take him out now. I hope my anenome crab that came with him makes it without any protection. So far, so good for him. I sure hope with your help, I can find the proper lights. I think my tank is very nice and would hate to start all over - probably wouldn't - would just have to settle for less than what I originally intended. Joyce

 

[jac761]

The tank goes from 20" to 21" down to 17" and back up to 20". And yes, it is a wave tank. The curvature of the glass waves. There is a middle bar that houses the ballast for the 2 bulbs that are on either side of it above the water. These bulbs are 3" from the surface of the water, which I have just today read - do not have bulbs directly above the water without anything between - is that correct? I am attaching a couple more pictures that will show you the entire tank and how the top looks.
Boy - he sure fell apart when i removed him -- my tank is a little cloudy now. I sure hope my other fish, ect. will be ok.
Hopefully, you can see enough with these pictures to tell what my configuration is. The tank is unusual in that along the back and across the middle from front to back, there is a heavy glass shelf. The shelf along the back is what impedes the placement of a protein skimmer. Joyce

 

[thomas712]

Well my only thought is this, you would have to build a custom canopy, higher than the one you have and put MH pendant lights in it, or you could hang them from the ceiling if you choose.
Unfortunatly that style of tank, while very beautiful, is like trying to work handcuffed. You are going to be very limited as to lighting.
I'll ask the other mods if they have any suggestions.
Thomas

 

[jac761]

I was afraid of that. Is there any lighting that I can get for this tank that would at least be better than what I have now? I am not interested in doing a custom canopy or anything. I would be better off selling this tank and getting a new one if that were the case and I don't think I want to do that either. I will just work with what I have and try to improve where I can. Let me know if anyone else has any suggestions. I am going to talk to my lfs where I bought it and let them know that they really misinformed me. I guess I should have been a more well informed buyer, but never gave it a second thought and they would steer me wrong. They knew I wanted to have a combination tank with a few coral, anenomes and fish. Joyce

 

[beth]

I had a 72 gal bowfront and could not find any pre-existing reef lighting fixture that would accomodate that tank. I ended up having a canopy custom built. That is not such a bad thing, but it may be difficult to find someone who can do it for your tank. Alternatively, as Thomas suggested, hanging MH pendants would be an easier fix. This would involve some serious money, however, as reef lighting does not come cheap. You will have to also ensure that you have a deadicated grounded outlet for such lighting.
If the LFS knew you were setting up a reef tank, then they were indeed terribly irresponsible. Does that store have reef setups in their store?

 

[sweetdawn]

it is a very pretty tank. I would go with the hanging pendants your clownfish will host in other things I have seen pictures of them hosting in feather dusters even. welcome too the boards and dont get too discouraged look at your tank and remember it is worth all the nail biting

 

[jac761]

Thanks for all the support. I don't think hanging lights would be the answer for me because my ceiling is 14' above my tank-- long chains! Anyway, I am wondering if there might be a canopy what would fit the back half of my tank - the back is not curved and it is 48" x 8". I could even move the middle bar a little towards the front to make it an inch or two deeper as well. What do you think? I did lose my hawk fish last night. He was dead this morning and he was eating last night, so I figure the anenome remains when I pulled it out got to him. He was one of my favorites! My brittle star doesn't look too good either. I did do another 5 gallon water change after I pulled the anenome out and my water is clear once again this morning. Everyone else looks fine and is eating. I will probably go to my lfs tomorrow and talk to them. Yes, they have multiple reef tanks, both large and small (by large, i mean 300 gal.) so I do think they must know what they are doing - they even have a clown that is 17 years old in one of them. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the lighting when they told me it would support whatever I wanted to put into it. Makes me wonder if their salesman gave them a pitch and then they didn't check it out fully. We will see. I have not had much luck keeping feather dusters alive - don't know why - any ideas. What other things will a clown nest in that might work in my tank. Any input is much appreciated. Joyce

 

[crazyzeus1]

Do clowns live for 17 years?

 

[jac761]

I am not sure, but these people have been in business for over 30 years and have been the main lfs for both salt and fresh for that long and I just believed them. Am I being naive?? They are a really nice couple and all their staff are very nice. Of course, I spend a lot of money there, so it pays to be nice to me.

 

[thomas712]

Originally Posted by crazyzeus1
Do clowns live for 17 years?

Ah.. a bit off topic here but to answer your question the average lifespan in captivity is approximately 3-5 years. Not sure about in the wild.

 

[jac761]

So..are they lying to me?? Also, what do you think about a possible canopy that would fit the back half of my tank that would accomodate more lighting? and if not, can you suggest and quote the lighting that would be the absolute best for me in this 2-bulb system i have now. Joyce

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by jac761
Thanks for all the support. I don't think hanging lights would be the answer for me because my ceiling is 14' above my tank-- long chains!
Well, you can use brackets to suspend them from the wall so this wouldn't be a problem.

 

[devildog01]

Originally Posted by crazyzeus1
Do clowns live for 17 years?
My LFS, the owner, has a show tank in the center of the store, and he has a pair of clarkii clowns that he says he has had for a total of 19 years!! He has been in the hobby for almost 30!!!!!

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by jac761
. I have not had much luck keeping feather dusters alive - don't know why - any ideas.
Both the butterfly and trigger are potential predators here, and the trigger with other inverts as well (they are natural predators of shrimp, crabs, snails, starfish, etc). The sweetlips, hawkfish, and betta would also be issues with certain inverts (often crustaceans) and I wouldn't rule out the tang also nipping and things like feather dusters. Also, what sort of "liquid" foods did you feed for the featherdusters?
IMO, you are walking a line here that may not work (hence the nitrate problems). Reef tanks tend to be relatively low bioload systems in terms of fish...and you have a lot of fish. Not only a lot, but large fish and some of which are "big" eaters. So that tends to be more fish only...you may have trouble with corals long term unless you lighten up the bioload.

 

[saltwater8]

Originally Posted by Thomas712
Right the top pic is unhealthy, it has lost its zooxanthellae, the second pic is where it has regained its health.
LMAO, WHAT?!

 

[travisa]

here is pics of my Sebae. When i bought him, he was bleached and sick and had no color what so ever. I have a 90G tank with 400 Watts of PC above it, and my Sebae is amazing and is about 400% bigger than when i bought him.