Is this Normal??

jzuse

jzuse

Member
I was Woundering if this is a normal action for anemones? It has done a couple of times since I got it. With stimulation it closes up. Can anyone please help
Ph 8.0
Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0.1
Ammonia 0.25
Salinity 1.022
Temp. 79
I have also been adding this stuff by "Coral-Vita" called "The Reef Life Energizer"
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
Hi Jzuse,
First of all it dosent look very healthy. A few questions for you:
1. How long have you had it?
2. What kind of lighting and filtration do you have?
3. How often do you do water changes?
4. What are your calcium and alk levels?
5. What do you mean by stimulating it?
Answers to these questions might help us troubleshoot a little more.
-sawsman
 
jzuse

jzuse

Member
1. I have had it for about a month and a half
2. I have compact floresent lighting, with a canister filter and a protein skimmer
3. I do water changes every 2 weeks
4. The calcium is at 500 and the alk test does not give me an exact measurment but the reading is normal/high
5. When the fish swim next to and touch it or even moving the current makes is suck in. I also have noticed some brown stuff coming out of it but i just figured that was the way it expels its waste.
Thanks Sawsman
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
For starters, if you have ANY ammonia or nitrite, your tank is either cycling, way overstocked, or is in desperate need of water changes. Any one of those three conditions are not compatable with anemones. I think you anemone is dying due to poor water quality. They require PRISTINE water conditions at all times.....that means ZERO ammonia and nitrite and no more than 10 nitrate.
Need more information on your tank. Size, lighting, filtration, skimmer, ect.
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
You will definately need to get your nitrate and ammonia as close to zero as possible and you may also need better lighting (5 watts per gal) and maybe some more filtration (at least a 10x turnover). I'm not familiar with the additive that your putting in your tank but I would think twice before putting any more in, there's no such thing as a miracle in a bottle.
Keep doing those water changes with ro water and gradually try to increase your specific gravity to 1.025. Hope its not to late for the poor guy! How did he look in the store?
-sawsman
 
T

thomas712

Guest
This is just my opinion.
NEVER put a Mark Wiess product in your tank that looks like skimmate from a protien skimmer. Stop using that product!! its fouling your water.
OK I want three things right now.
1. What size tank
2. Tell me about those PC lights, how many total watts?
3. How long has this tank been setup?
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
If I read that right thats not even a total of 80watts..total?!!
Tank is very young, hasnt matured yet. You might want to take him back so he can get some light or upgrade your lighting or he will surely die.
 
jzuse

jzuse

Member
Well I kind of figure that I need better lighting but why did it keep moving to all the darkest parts of the tank? The store where I got it said that it would be fine, could it be that I need to change the bulbs. or what do you recomend? They had an upgraded version of the lighting system but they said that I would need a chiller.
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
It probably kept moving in search of a brighter area. New bulbs wont help you need more intensity, more total watts per gal and I dont think you would need a chiller with the upgraded system. It appears that their just after your money. They should not have told you this anemone would be ok. sorry.
-sawsman
 
jzuse

jzuse

Member
I guess I need to take a trip to the store tomorrow. What do you recommend I look into getting? You said what 5w per gal. And also what is the best level for the salinity? I was told 1.020 would be best to keep form getting ick. Well thanks for the info it is greatly appreciated.
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
No problem Jzuse- I am certainly not an expert and have learned by trial and error, some costly mistakes I might add. we're all here to learn. Get the best lighting you can afford and always research any specimens before buying. dont always believe what a LFS might tell you- get a second opinion. Your best bet will be these discussion boards.
Yes corals like 1.025 to 1.027
GOOD LUCK! -sawsman
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
You need around 4-5 watts per gallon of high intensity lighting. That means VHO, PC or MH. For keeping your tank cool, you only need to really worry about the MH lighting and that can be accomplished with a simple fan blowing across the water surface.
As for salinity, if you are keeping corals, keep it around 1.025. To keep from getting ich, use a quarantine tank. That way you are 100% assured of not getting it in your main tank.
Take the anemone back, get some better lighting, and let your tank mature a few more months before trying it again with another anemone.
 
sawsman

sawsman

Member
Good for now....but for how long? It may look this way for awhile but it will die a slow death unless lighting and water quality is improved.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Originally Posted by sawsman
Good for now....but for how long? It may look this way for awhile but it will die a slow death unless lighting and water quality is improved.
I pretty much agree with that, while you are looking for new lights, start to feed this anemone at least three times per week of some chopped meaty foods like Mysis shrimp or frozen plankton. Do not feed it brine shrimp.
Good luck and let us know if you find any lights
 
jzuse

jzuse

Member
This is what I have found out. I looked at my tank website and found out that they have
55W 7,100K Daylight bulbs and 55W 12,000K marine blue bulbs. They have these in the replacement parts section for my spacific tank, when it originally came with the 18W ones. If I where to get these bulbs keeping in mind that it would be 2 55W 7,100K Daylight bulbs and 2 55W 12,000K marine blue bulbs would that be enought light then. My tank is 37 gallons and it,s dimensions are L 24.5" W15.25 and H24"
I have also found a 175W 20000K HQI Metal Halite System with 2 18W Actinic PC, with 2 built in cooling fans for about $180 off of ----
At the LFS they said that if I wanted to upgrade the light it would have to be with a Helios HQI Combo Lighting System which is going to run me $399.99 but I had complained about some things so they said that they would give me 25% OFF but that is still a LOT of $$$
The site where I found the replacement bulbs is commodityaxis.com. And what is the deal with the blue LED moon light somehting or other I saw a lot of those on ----.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
I'm not very PC savy. It sounds like you think you can go from an 18w bulb and change to a 55w bulb, and I don't think you can do that. Least you can't with VHO very well. I would think you would have to get a bigger ballast to run those 55watters, I don't think you can just change bulbs.
What comes with the LFS ~ Helios HQI Combo Lighting System?
 
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