purple or pink tip anemones

[angelsrock]

i've bought 2 for like 5 bucks each. one being enormous and the other about the size of a baseball. my question is how much light do these guys need. everywhere i read says they don't need a lot of light at all. my lighting isn't anything special. i use two kinds of bulbs, powerglo and marineglo. reason i'm asking is because when i place them towards the top of the tank on my live rock they stay there for a few days and then migrate to almost the bottom of the tank, behind my live rock almost out of sight. the smaller anemone occasionally also shrivels up into almost nothing except the stump. is this normal?

 

[viper_930]

Your normal output lights are far from enough for anemones. Better do research before buying next time.
You should have AT LEAST high PC/VHO lighting to even have a chance to keep these alive and thriving. Under your current lighiting I estimate they'll be dead in under 2 months tops. Meanwhile, you should look into either upgrading your lights or returning them to the LFS. Also, feed them with meaty foods like mysis shrimp, krill, silversides, etc. 3 times weekly.

 

[diane4]

Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
Your normal output lights are far from enough for anemones. Better do research before buying next time.
You should have AT LEAST high PC/VHO lighting to even have a chance to keep these alive and thriving. Under your current lighiting I estimate they'll be dead in under 2 months tops. Meanwhile, you should look into either upgrading your lights or returning them to the LFS. Also, feed them with meaty foods like mysis shrimp, krill, silversides, etc. 3 times weekly.
I am a big proponent of regular feedings. In fact, when I went to Absolutely Fish in NJ today, they say every other day offering of food is good, and if the anemone is large, a small portion of food daily can be offered with no problem at all.
I feed mine every day.

 

[popnfrresh]

On the other hand you have to remember that if you feed it everyday it WILL pollute the tank. Anenomes get most of their nutrition from the lighting. If you cannot keep the lighting then dont keep an anenome. Remember at least 4-5 watts per gallon and at least 1/4 of them actinic. The more complete the spectrum the better.
Myself i do not feed my anenome at all.

 

[diane4]

I have a 50 gallon reef with about 40-45 gallons of water in it. I have a Coralife Aqualight lunar light at 196 watts.
I has a 10K daylight, a actenic light and a lunar light.
When I see my anemone eliminate, I collect what I can using aquarium tongs and I do weekly, to sometimes bi-weekly water changes.
How long do you have your anemone?

 

[popnfrresh]

ive had mine for about 6-9 months.... part of the time it was in a ten gallon....

 

[diane4]

WOW, I didn't realize they can live without food. That is the first I have heard about that.
I just love to feed my tank animals, all 7 fish tanks totaling 550 gallons.

 

[popnfrresh]

well the algae ones get most of their nutrition through the algae symbiosis. They also filter feed and pick out larger food particles... feeding them that often can be bad.

 

[diane4]

I have never heard of "never" feeding an aneomone, but you have living proof that it can happen.
I find most people say feed once a week with a small portion of meaty food. Some say twice or 3x a week.
And a couple lfs near me said feed every other day, sometimes more if it is big or if you want to encourage splitting.
What kind of anemone did you say you have?

 

[angelsrock]

i hear what you guys are saying, but i did do research on these guys before getting them and was told that these guys didn't need a lot of light at all by several places. the lights i have put out the light wavelength that is a wide array, but it's only 80 watts. the anemones both tend to migrate away out of the light down to the bottom of the tank under a ledge of live rock.

 

[popnfrresh]

Do you mean they are moving around in your tank?. if they are moving they havnt found a spot that suits them well. I would def upgrade you lighting. Once they find a balance with the amount of light they are getting with the algae they will settle down.

 

[viper_930]

Anemones can in fact live without extra hand feedings. The symbiotic zooxanthellae algea living within the anemone tissue would gather light energy to create food from photosynthesis. If there's enoug light, the zooxanthellae themselves can sustain the host.
Anemones cannot and are not filter feeders. Phytopankton and zooplankton are much too small to consume.

 

[angelsrock]

they both move to their same spots and stay there, which is out of the light and pretty much out of sight. i feed them krill and they take it pretty readily. i only feed them every 2 days.