Anemone help

[melsmom]

Hey there everyone. Another question. I have 2 bubble tip anemone, one green on pink. (supposed to be pink) They have been in my tank for about 10 months now and I noticed recently that the pink one is pretty bleached out. she only looks pink when shriveled up and then it's just the further most tips on the tenticles. I asked a LFS owner a while back about that and he said no worries as long as it's eating and theres still some color. well, now it spends all it's time shriveled up, and what's really odd, is that in the dark it'll get more bubbly but when I turn the lights on, it's back to looking dead. it is still attached, but will not eat. I think I should take it out and just let it go, but if theres something I could do to help would like to try that first. Parimeters are good. according to lfs, other than ph is a bit low. I typically do a small water change weekly (10 gallons on a 55) and someone told me try doing a 30% or so, and that could perk it up. ??:doubt:
I have high power compact flouresent bulbs and it is near the top of the tank. and again, the green one looks fine. Please help if you can or just offer what you would do.
Thanks so much

 

[krisfal]

What are the water parameters on the tank? I see you said "good according to the LFS" but actual numbers would help us eliminate water quality as an issue. A big water change cannot hurt and could very well help.

I do not have a bubble tip but my anemones definitely like strong light, under just the compact fluorescents in the morning and evening they definitely do not open up like they do under the MH at mid-day.

 

[melsmom]

I cannot give you actual numbers as I dont get them either. So sorry. I just get told to increase this or decrease that, or things look good. that's what I get. seems odd that one would be in great shape and the other one not. if water peramiters were off wouldnt they both look sick?

 

[returnofsid]

I would suggest getting your own test kits and doing your own testing. It's important to know what your tank is doing. A LFS telling you to change this or that won't be of any benefit to you without knowing why you're changing things and what effect the changes are having. It's important to know what to test for, why to test for it and what the results mean. It's also important to have accurate test kits. I'd recommend Salifert or Elos. They're a bit more expensive but well worth the accuracy they have over other "all in one kits"

You should be regularly testing for:
Ca
Alk
Mg
Nitrates
pH

When making additions or changes to your aquarium, you should also be testing for
Ammonia

It is strange that one is doing well and the other isn't. However, without actual tank parameter numbers, it's going to be very hard to diagnose the problem.

What's the wattage of your lighting? How old are your bulbs? What else is in your tank? Is it possible that something is irritating the RBTA or nipping at it? Is it getting more or less light than the GBTA? It could even be that the 2 BTAs are battling eachother and the GBTA is winning.

 

[melsmom]

my lighting is 65k watt, and I just bought them about 2 months ago.
Nothing is irritating it unless it's the 2 perculas that call it home. As far as battling anything out, theyre on opposite sides of the tank. Always have been. Once they were added neither one of them moved at all. which was a blessing. Both are the same distance from the light relatively speaking... I think I'm just going to get it out and be done with it. Thanks You guys!

 

[returnofsid]

65 watts is pretty low light for any anemone, even Bubble Tips. Unfortunately, that's a hard one to remedy without buying more lighting. Moving the anemone higher in the tank will even be tough as it might just move. I don't know about any differences between BTAs and RBTAs but it could be that the GBTAs do better in lower lighting. Before getting rid of it, I'd attempt a large water change and give it a little more time. Also try feeding it.

Ya know, it could even be that it's preparing to split. BTAs are known to hide and shrivel up before splitting.

 

[melsmom]

So the research I've done and reading also through the forums here on RF said that bta's are just fine under this type of lighting. so that seems to also be a topic with no definitive answer...grrr
well, they are the same anemone so I'm told, only diff is the color. Another thing I find odd, is that a friend of mine has a seabea and her's is getting huge, it's under cheap walmart brand fish lights! explain that one! lol The anemone's are both high up in the tank. I have tried to feed it, but unlike the green one, it wont stick to the food or vise verse. no such luck there. part of the problem as well. There is nothing I can think of that happend differently to make this little one do this.

 

[melsmom]

also, just real quick. would 14,000 (70 watt) halide be alright? I have a 55 gallon. thanks

 

[returnofsid]

BTAs do thrive under PC lighting. I have one under 2X96 watts. I just don't think 65 watts is quite enough.

 

[briang]

For sure, In a 55 gal. 65 watts is about 1/4 of what you need. When I had my 1st tank, my anem. lasted about a year before it went to that great reef in the sky. Now that I have proper lighting, this monster won't stop growing. It recently divided and they both have already gotten so big that I have to sell one just because they are taking up too much room.

 

[returnofsid]

No, 70 watt MH lighting won't be any better than what you already have...probably not even as good. I've read through all your PMs and I'm sure that if all of us here on RF put our water logged heads together, we can come up with a decent fixture for a decent price. What you need is 48" of T5HO or MH lighting. You MIGHT be able to get by with a higher wattage PC fixture...but you'd still be severely limited in what you could keep.

 

[briang]

This is EXACTLY what you can keep with a coral-life 48 inch fixture with 2-65 watt 10,000 ks and 2-65 watt actinics . It's all in one fixture. The only thing you can't have is the clam. Everything else grew very nicely.

 

[returnofsid]

melsmom, explain your lighting to me again. I've been under the impression that you have 65 watt PCs...because that is what you started. However, I'm also aware that you have a 48" fixture... Do you have 4 bulbs in that thing?? I'm thinking you have a 48" 4X65watt PC fixture. In which case, you actually do have enough for your Anemone....although it'd be happier with T5s.

 

[Holygral]

melsmom, explain your lighting to me again. I've been under the impression that you have 65 watt PCs...because that is what you started. However, I'm also aware that you have a 48" fixture... Do you have 4 bulbs in that thing?? I'm thinking you have a 48" 4X65watt PC fixture. In which case, you actually do have enough for your Anemone....although it'd be happier with T5s.

My GBTA and RBTA thrive in my 75 gal under 2x250 MH. When I had my 55 they were under 1x250 MH.

 

[melsmom]

I have 48 inch, pc with 4 bulbs. with 2-65 watt 10,000 ks and 2-65 watt actinics . Just the same thing Briang has. I probably didnt make my self clear. I have a habit of doing that so my apologies. I am still possibly looking into MH but will be a little while. Ran into a snafu with my son last night. All is well, but going to set me back. AGAIN.

 

[returnofsid]

Well, you at least now know that you don't have to rush to upgrade your lighting. What you have now will be pretty good for awhile...as long as you change your bulbs every 6-9 months. DON'T let them go too long. Did that myself once and led to a HUGE hair algae issue.

 

[cr8signs]

Don't give up on it. I have an anemone that started just like yours. It is now the size of a basketball and all colored up. The key is making sure it eats. It feels impossible at first, because they just won't take the food, but you must make sure it does. Sliversides cut in tiny 1/8- 1/4" pieces are best for it. I had to put mine in a little cage on the side of the tank and feed it so the fish and shrimp wouldn't steal it's food, gently keep rubbing the food on it's tentacles to intice it to eat. Try and do this 3 times a day. It is most frustrating, mine was not sticky or wanting to eat at all, I just kept at it everyday, after about 3 weeks it was eating eagerly. That was over a year ago. This website really helped Karensroseanemones.com, she will help you save your anemone. If you stlil can't get it to eat, I had a friend who would place a cut plastic pop bottle over theirs and syringe a liquid/small chunk food over it, leaving the pop bottle in place the food eventually ends up getting to the anemone instead of other fish eating it or it floating away, also it would be great if you didn't have to move it since it is still staying put.
Good Luck! (My tank is a 6' long, with only a 48" t-5 fixture on it with 4 lights, and the anemone is almost at the bottom of a 22" deep tank, it has grown from a 3" size to the current basketball size)