new green bubble tip anemone

[aileena]

I picked up green bubble tip anemone today...aclimated it for about an hour...
for some reason it didn't like the light too much...it moved to the back of the tank and is hiding in the shade...it also doesnt seem to like the current to much...should I be worried?
the lighting is 4 46.5 uri vho bulbs on icecap 660...its a 60g tank....

 

[spsfreak100]

I wouldn't worry about it. It may take some time until the bubble tip has settled itself down and found a spot. Once it has, it should fully open up within a matter of hours or days. I received a forth generation bubble tip from a guy who was aparently was running only 2x 175wt halides. I added it to the bottom of my tank, lit with 2x 400wt Ushio's. I placed it down on the rockwork and since I placed it down it hasn't moved. After the first few days it was completely opened, and now it happens to be almost 8" in diameter. They grow quick.
Graham

 

[reefnut]

I don't know much about anemones other than they are very hard to keep long term... but I do know they will move around until they find a spot they like. I would give him a day or two and see how he adjusts.

 

[aileena]

thanks for the advice...I will keep a close eye on it...I am sure that my lighting is enough for it..
what do I do if it gets too big? Now I am nervous...does it split into different anemones like a coral splits

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by aileena
what do I do if it gets too big? Now I am nervous...does it split into different anemones like a coral splits
I was actually thinking of selling mine if it gets bigger than 12", and possibly trade it in for a small rose anemone. I couldn't say if it would split or not. I've seen a few over 15" that haven't split, while I've seen some that have split when they were around 7".
Graham

 

[wrassecal]

Mine split the first time when it was only about 5 inches across fully open. Then it split again at about the same. The one I kept is now about 7 inches across and has not split so I don't think there is any way to know what it will do as it grows. There is at least some anecdotal evidence that leans toward the belief that the more meaty foods you feed the more chance they will split. As far as the hiding in the shade that is fairly normal when they are new to your tank. BTA's like to be in a place where their foot is planted into a shady crevice and they reach out towards the light from there. It will probably take a few days to acclimate to your tank find a shady spot for it's foot and open up from there. Good luck with it.

 

[aileena]

its dead as of this morning...got stuck in the power head and shreded it to peices...polluted the tank and now none of the other corals will open...did a quick 5g water change, but I've got to go to the airport...the tank is on its own for the weekend...

 

[wrassecal]

no screens on your ph's?

 

[spsfreak100]

Sorry to hear about that, aileena As Wrassecal stated, screens should help when it comes to keeping anemones away from powerheads.
Take Care,
Graham

 

[aileena]

I have the regular maxijet screens on my phs but it got stuck to the screen somehow and from there inside of the powerhead...little bits of it were all over the tank...It really suckss....
thanks for all the condolences
I want to try another one...should I?

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by aileena
I want to try another one...should I?
Once you've made sure that the powerheads are completely covered, you could buy another anemone. You may want to section off an area, away from the powerheads, for the anemone. Bubble Tips cannot stand the substrate, which is why they are always rock dwelling. If you have a large open area of substrate, you may want to pile a few rocks around the middle of the area to make an area for the anemone to live. It shouldn't move around from there, although there's always the posibility that it will.
Take Care,
Graham

 

[aileena]

I will likely pick up another one soon...I think what may have happened is that the anemone wandered on the substrate sand bed and got blown around and eventually got sucked into one of the screens on the powerheads...
I am taking one of the maxi 1200's out..so now I will only have 2 900's and one 1200...hope this will lower the likely hood of problems and at the same time decrease the likely hood of pwerhead fatalities...
I do have one of those green pocillapora frags and it is doing ok after a week or so...the color is not as bright green as it was before at the LFS under halides, but it is still fairly green and looks very good still...it is at the top of the tank very close to the vho lights...I think it may be too close and thats why some spots have turned brown...any idea