New need help with Anemone??

[char1115]

I recieved a bio cube for christmas, this past weekend we tested the water which all levels were fine we went to the store and bought two live rocks and an anemone. The fist day {Saturday} the anemone had sucked out all the water and stayed that way till this morning. When we arrived home today it is full of water again but has a white film at the base where it has attached itself to the live rock is this normal? Please help..

 

[mandarin w]

I would say get him out and back to the Live Fish Store, but it may be to late already. If your tank has only been set up for a week, it is very unlikely that it has gone thru a complete cycle already. And then adding your live rock, there was probley some dieoff on the rock (from transport)not that should definately start a cycle. Have you tested your amonia?, it is probley going up. A cycleing tank is no place for an anemone. And even if your tank has cycled. The take in not mature enough to support an anemone yet. It sounds to me, your Live Fish Store is giving you alot of bad advice to put some cash in his pocket.
You need to slow down, It normally take weeks for a new tank to cycle, then add a coupld of inverts for your clean up crew.
Research what you want to put in your tank, not everything can go in any tank.

 

[darknes]

I agree.
Anemone's need very good water conditions and are definitely not a good choice for a first critter in your tank.

 

[reef diver]

Too young, The film, From my experience with my first anemone, is caused by stress

 

[char1115]

The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all. We talked to SEVERAL lfs in our area all said that it was fine to add one, after they hear that the levels were fine. So you think that we should take it back?

 

[char1115]

Originally Posted by mandarin w
I would say get him out and back to the Live Fish Store, but it may be to late already. If your tank has only been set up for a week, it is very unlikely that it has gone thru a complete cycle already. And then adding your live rock, there was probley some dieoff on the rock (from transport)not that should definately start a cycle. Have you tested your amonia?, it is probley going up. A cycleing tank is no place for an anemone. And even if your tank has cycled. The take in not mature enough to support an anemone yet. It sounds to me, your Live Fish Store is giving you alot of bad advice to put some cash in his pocket.
You need to slow down, It normally take weeks for a new tank to cycle, then add a coupld of inverts for your clean up crew.
Research what you want to put in your tank, not everything can go in any tank.
The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all. We talked to SEVERAL lfs in our area all said that it was fine to add one, after they hear that the levels were fine. So you think that we should take it back?

 

[darknes]

I don't think it will last very long in a tank that has just been setup.
What kind of anemone is it? What type of lighting do you have on your tank?

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Char1115
The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all. We talked to SEVERAL lfs in our area all said that it was fine to add one, after they hear that the levels were fine. So you think that we should take it back?

Not to sound rough, but the got money from you as well.
We are not out to make any money.
Anemones are VERY delicate and are totally and completely unsuitable for a new, uncycled tank. Please return it, cycle the tank properly, and research the care of anemones. YOu may not have the proper lighting for it. In addition, you need a long time to learn to keep the parameters in a saltwater tank very stable...which is not easy to do in a smaller system.
I strongly encourage you to return it. Do not buy anything (other than more LR) and read up on properly cycling the tank.
YOur levels may be "fine" because the tank hasn't been challenged yet. It can typically take a few days for ammonia to show up.

 

[hot883]

Your levels are fine because the cycle has NOT even begun.

 

[f14peter]

Originally Posted by Char1115
The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all. We talked to SEVERAL lfs in our area all said that it was fine to add one, after they hear that the levels were fine. So you think that we should take it back?
When the LFS say the levels are fine, are they aware of how young the tank is? If you simply say "Oh, my ammonia is 0, my nitrites are 0, my nitrates are 0" and they say "Okay dokey, you're good to go" without knowing that the tank is a week old, it's not surprising.
If they know the tank isn't ready and still say it's okay, time to look for a new store.
The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all.
That's a problem right there, ammonia must spike to start the cycling process . . . ammonia levels will spike then drop as nitrites rise, then nitrites drop as nitrates rise. When ammonia and nitrites read 0 and nitrates are acceptable (under 20 for invertibrates, under 40 probably okay just for fish but should be lowered through water changes).

 

[char1115]

It is a bubble tip anemone
the lighting is 1 36 watt TRue Actinic 03 Ble straight pin
1 36 watt 10,0000 daylight straight pin
3 .75 watt Lunar Blue Moon Glow LED
The LFS was aware that the tank was just set up on christmas, all three of them were awake of it.

 

[mandarin w]

I will tell you a conversation I heard while at a LFS just a little while back. I normaly don't deal with this guy because he is a total creep!! But I needed some dry goods, and didn't feel like driving 40 miles just to get a few things. While in there talking to one of the kids that work there. The owner was working with a brand spanking new hobbist.
new hobbist (NH) So I go home, put my water, rock, and salt in the tank, When can I add fish?
Store owner (SO), You can add fish when ever you want.
NH- Will you be open tomorrow?
SO- Yes, we are open 6 days a week, 12-6.
NH- walks over the the tanks and points to a feather star, sweet lips, elegance coral, purple tip seabea, yellow stripe maroon clown, and a big 6 inch clam. "Can I come and get these tomorrow?
SO- Well If I still have them, you can get them tomorrow, but I won't hold any items.
NH- Well if I pay for them now, can I come get them tomorrow?
SO- Well, I can do that.
NH- pays for all of the items I listed above and leave the store with her brand new 30 to 40 something bowfront, water, bag of salt. and heater.
SO- Comes over to the kids that works there and me, and starts laughing, "God I love the ignorance of some people. Looks like I am going to make enough money off of that one to go back to Greece this year"
So when I see a newbie keep posting, my LFS told me this, or that, I can just see that poor girl lugging all that stuff out to her car, and the idiot standing in the store just laughing at her. When we tell you beware, we are serious, we have all been there. and we just want to help prevent the new people comeing into the hobby the head aches, and heartaches we all have gone thru. .

 

[reef diver]

Originally Posted by mandarin w
I will tell you a conversation I heard while at a LFS just a little while back. I normaly don't deal with this guy because he is a total creep!! But I needed some dry goods, and didn't feel like driving 40 miles just to get a few things. While in there talking to one of the kids that work there. The owner was working with a brand spanking new hobbist.
new hobbist (NH) So I go home, put my water, rock, and salt in the tank, When can I add fish?
Store owner (SO), You can add fish when ever you want.
NH- Will you be open tomorrow?
SO- Yes, we are open 6 days a week, 12-6.
NH- walks over the the tanks and points to a feather star, sweet lips, elegance coral, purple tip seabea, yellow stripe maroon clown, and a big 6 inch clam. "Can I come and get these tomorrow?
SO- Well If I still have them, you can get them tomorrow, but I won't hold any items.
NH- Well if I pay for them now, can I come get them tomorrow?
SO- Well, I can do that.
NH- pays for all of the items I listed above and leave the store with her brand new 30 to 40 something bowfront, water, bag of salt. and heater.
SO- Comes over to the kids that works there and me, and starts laughing, "God I love the ignorance of some people. Looks like I am going to make enough money off of that one to go back to Greece this year"
So when I see a newbie keep posting, my LFS told me this, or that, I can just see that poor girl lugging all that stuff out to her car, and the idiot standing in the store just laughing at her. When we tell you beware, we are serious, we have all been there. and we just want to help prevent the new people comeing into the hobby the head aches, and heartaches we all have gone thru. .
Ditto to that, that happened when I stopped at a LFS, not the one I go to BTW, buut it was close to where we were going, and I needed some more MYSiS, I watched a store owner try and do that, but I stopped the person buying it, much to the owners dismay, who was now probably a good 500 dollars short

 

[1journeyman]

Char, I'm sure when you posted here you were hoping for info other than what you have received. Unfortunately, what you have been told here is correct.
Anemones need strong lighting (which you don't seem to have), stable water parameters (which you're not practiced in keeping) and a mature tank (which your tank is not).
If your fish stores are telling you different then you have a choice: believe the posters here or the stores. If you choose to believe the stores (and I know they can be convincing. After all they sell this stuff, you are face to face with them, they have a wide selection, they seem nice, etc.) then I suggest doing this. Go over to where the store sells their saltwater aquarium books. Buy a couple written by Fenner (A Conscientious Marine Aquarist is a great choice. You can order from this webpage as well), Calfo, Bornemann, etc.
Here's what you will find. The experts that write the books will tell you the same thing about anemones the posters here have told you. At that point you'll have to decide who has the motive to tell you false information.

 

[mandarin w]

In the past I've tried to tell the people that isn't going to work, but unfortanatly they look at me, and say the guy that owns the store says it is ok, and he must be an expert.
Lucky for me, I've found a good one now. this kid really knows his stuff, and doesn't care if he makes a sale. I've had him tell me not to buy certain items because they don't have a good track record in home tanks. and wishes the store owner would stop getting things like that. And any time I've had problems with anthing I've gotten from him. He would step up to the plate and take care of it. Not to mention, I've gotten almost as much for free, as I've bought, but those guys are very rare. People need to find a store where they people running it love the hobby, and care about the livestock in there store. And really want to see your tank suceed.

 

[d0 thy d3w]

i think everyone that lives near each other (that uses these boards) should start up their own pet stores...so like..10-15 peopel from each city or whatever go in on making a fish store thats actually knowledgable...i realize it wouldnt ever work...but its just a thought...maybe one day i can have my own fish store...maybe..

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Char1115
The amonia level is okay it has not spiked at all. We talked to SEVERAL lfs in our area all said that it was fine to add one, after they hear that the levels were fine. So you think that we should take it back?
Hi CHAR, Welcome!

You're getting good advice here. I have another suggestion for you. Instead of going to the stores that advised you that it's OK to add a Bubble-Tip Anemone to a week old nano tank I'd recommend getting your advice from the stores that told you it's a bad idea. If every store told you it'll be fine they lied to you. Really, I would suggest that you never take advise from any of the stores that told you this was OK.
In this hobby there a meny many opinions, some bad, most are good. You'll find that if you really want to hear that it's fine to keep a White-Tip Reef Shark in a 20 gallon tank someone will tell you what you want to hear. It's not a majority rules type of thing but I recommend putting extra weight on the advice of someone that has years of experience with Bubble-Tip Anemone over someone that want to sell you a new Anemone once a month.

 

[char1115]

Does anyone know of a good pet store in Cincinnati, Ohio? And how do I make the tank start a cycle? Please Help

 

[darknes]

It's good to hear that you want to start out the right way, and these boards will help you out along the way.
First thing, get rid of your anemone before it dies. Either take it back to the LFS or try to find a friend with a tank to hold onto it for you. Next, you need to let your tank cycle before you add anything to it. Basically, what a cycle does is lets your tank build up with bacteria so when you add a bioload (fish, coral, inverts), the bacteria will convert the deadly ammonia to less harmful nitrite/nitrate. There are some very good posts about cycling a tank in the archives. The best way to cycle would be to add a piece of raw shrimp, or even fish food to the tank and let it rot. Your ammonia level should peak and then eventually go back down to zero.
Keeping the live rock in the tank is fine. It should have a good amount of bacteria in it to help speed up the cycle time.

 

[mandarin w]

I thinking they wouldn't have to add anything, that anemone being in the tank for a few days, not feeling well might have been enough to start the cycle, and no, it is not a good idea to cycle your tank with an anemone, but it am just thinking.
Anyway, I agree, get the poor anemone out of there, back to the LFS or a friend. If the LFS doesn't want to take it back and give you full credit, you might consider telling them that they had no business selling you an anemone for your one week old, uncycled, not mature, and not enough lighting nano cube, And that now you know not to shop them in the furture. Then find the books mentioned earlier. Read those over the next week or so while your tank DOES cycle. Then by the time your tank is ready to support fish, you may be a little better prepared to deal with the LFS's.