questions about a sebe clown and anemone

tngator19

tngator19

Member
I just got what looks to be a real heathy sebe clown and a sebe anemone. I was just wondering what do I need to do to keep them that way. I have a 46g bow front, with a HOT piguen bio-wheel, and HOT seaclone 100 skimmer. Right now I have only 2 30w 50/50 lights but I am about to add 2 more, thinking a full blue and a full white, that will take me to 120w. Will that be enough. If not what should I get that is cost efficent. My funds are low right now. That is why I have built my own hood out of some old ballists I had laying around. I can get HO ballists at Lowes if I realy need to. Also what would be the best food for both the clown and anemone, the LFS guy said that flakes would be fine but I don't put much trust in him, lol. Also would I be able to add a smaller sebe clown to make a mated pair. If the light is not enough how long will I be able to last at 120w.
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
I'm not sure if you are talking about power compact lights or normal outputs, but either way 120 watts is definitely not enough for a sebae IMO. I'd recommend a 150 or 250 watt metal halide light.
With 120 watts normal outputs + feedings, that anemone will last 2-3 months tops.
With 120 watts power compact lights + feedings, it's got 4, maybe 5 months.
Yes, you can add a smaller clown and have a possible pair.
 
kaotik

kaotik

Member
yeah, definitely more lighting for the anemone. I would at least double what you have to make it at least 240W. You can get that either with MH or PC. Also, you need to keep your water in pristine condition!!
You can feed the fish the flakes and the anemone anything meaty like shrimp or silversides (all of which you can get at your LFS)
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
How often should I feed the anemone, once a day, or every 2 days? And will a 250w MH retrofit work, using just 1 bulb and what style bulb? Thanks
 
kaotik

kaotik

Member
yeah that bulb should be fine. I feed half a silverside twice a week. i dont want to overfeed with those things because im sure it releases a lot of ammonia into the water. if your anem hosts a clown, the clown will feed the anem and you probably wont have to feed it as often.
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
Just checked my water quality and PH was 8.2, ammonia was 0ppm, nitrite was 0ppm, but the nitate was about 40ppm, is that to high and if so how do I correct it. And will that light work for corals as well. Also how long per day should I have it on, 8hrs is what I am used too. And will that light produce a alage bloom?
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Those nitrates should be lower, lower than 12ppm IMO.
You also neglect testing for calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium.
Sebea in my opinion should also be under metal halides in order to even survive.
I also believe in having an in sump skimmer for any anemone tank.
Thomas
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
How can I get the nitrates lower? I will have to pick up some test kits for that stuff. And I ordered a 250w MH light system, hope to get it in the next week. I guess I will have to start thinking about makeing a sump system out of a rubermade contaner.
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
If the anemone eats a piece of silverside and then 1/2hr. later spits it out does that mean he ain't hugery. Or is there something wrong with him. And this morning his tenticals where shrivaled up do they do that normally. I just got my 250wMH hooked up yesterday. and turned out he looked heathly from the store but then I found out from reading on this site that he is bleached. Think he will come back with the new light and regular silverside feedings. I hope so my clown loves him he is all the time in it walering around like a pig in slop.
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
Well found out that it is my clown grabing the piece of SS and taking out of the anemone. Is that normal? If not what can I do to stop it. And the funny thing is I was droping in new shells for my hermits and the clown grabed one and droped it into the anemone, is he confused our what.
 
irishsalt

irishsalt

Member
Everything people are telling you here is Kosher based on my experience.
Seabae's are Hardy overall but need ALLOT of serious light IME and can be boring compared to other Anenome. Not trying to rain on your Parade but their's some awesome Anenome avaliable to Hobbyists that are more beautiful to behold then a Seabae.
Can you post a pic of his size? I have 180watts of COmpact Floro on my Long tenticle and Seabae anenome right now. THe long tenticle is rocking out but the Seabae needs more light and is going into my buddies Halide/vho tank tomorrow. I'm adding VHO and Halides in a week but that'll be in a 125. Give those Anenome healthy water and lots of light and they'll be spliting/growing in no time. You'll have Anenome that you can sell/trade down the road.
Also, Smaller Anenome and especially SMaller Seabaes IME can be more difficult with fish like Silversides. I'd HIGHLY reco DT's Plankton to start the Seabae out. Right now I can't get my Seabae to eat even a tiny piece of Silverside while the Long Tenticle goes crazy for it. I just dosed my tank with DT's.
Anenome can be very difficult to diagnose as Healthy/sick as they can display the same Behaviours IME, whether they're kicking butt or dying. It's normal to an extent for any Anenome to have some Tenticles that are *swollen* or closed but if most of his Tenticles stay *closed* then something isn't right.
Again, Try the DT's Plankton and you'll thank me in the morning. Put as much light on that Anenome as you can!
FYI, You really need to follow the advice of the above posters. In a Marine tank your Nitrate shouldn't go above 30. High Nitrates levels will often cause an Algea bloom. Do a 20-30% RO Waterchange ASAP. You also might have high phostphates levels that are also contirbuting to your AlgeaBloom in a serious way.
If done a WaterCHange in the past week and your Levels are this high, you seriously need to evaluate your Biological filtration and Filtration in general.
Peace and GOodLUck.
 
irishsalt

irishsalt

Member
Originally Posted by tngator19
Well found out that it is my clown grabing the piece of SS and taking out of the anemone. Is that normal? If not what can I do to stop it. And the funny thing is I was droping in new shells for my hermits and the clown grabed one and droped it into the anemone, is he confused our what.

Don't worry about the Clown, Just make sure you remove any pieces of Fish that aren't being eaten by the Anenome or other fish/inverts in the tank. So your not adding Ammonia to your tank from the dead fish.
 
tngator19

tngator19

Member
Thanks for all the good advice, I got my 250 MH hooked up so the lighting is coverd, and I got my nitates down to about 20, I will do another water change in a day or so. and I changed my CC to LS so that kicked up my nitrates, I will use RO water for the next water change, wish I read about it before I set it up a few months ago. I will go get some plankton tomarrow and give that a try. He is all perky now started to perk up around 3:00 pm, and the clown is just laying in him now. I had a alage bloom during the cycle period and got some hermits and a coral beauty that seemed to take care of it, haven't had a problem since, guess the alage ate up all the phosphates. And for the size of the anemone it is about 5" to 6" when all perkey the foot is about 2" wide. I will try to get a pic on here soon. Thanks again for the help.
 
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