Is it normal for the RBTA foot/body to be this long?
- Thread starter UnderDaSea
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
fishoutofwater
Well-known member
yes. it can be. mine does the similar thing. his foot is about half way down in the rock and comes all the way up to the surface.
matts125
Well-known member
its reachin for light.
what size tank and what lighting do you have? this may be a sign it needs more light..
Matt
what size tank and what lighting do you have? this may be a sign it needs more light..
Matt
Myteemouse
NOTHING
mine is griping the bottom of a rock and bends 180 to be faceing upward!
NC2WA
Well-known member
yup..mine is doing something similiar..i noticed mine is hooked on two separate pieces of rock like it is trying to split...I am hoping it does..it has a rich red color i like.
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 2,935
I have seen it before, I wouldnt say its normal, (as in common occurance), but it is a natural reaction to a lack of light. That is what is known as "panning" for light. The anemone is not receiving enough light to meet its needs where its foot is placed so it stretches upwards to get the light it needs.
You should try and increase your lighting to meet its needs, but its not something that needs to be done right-this-very-now. It does however need to be done sometime in the near future before the anemone decides to wander around find a better spot so that it can get the light it needs. Anemones are often injured or killed when they begin to wander as they meet up with powerheads or pump intakes.....
I'm guessing its in a somewhat deep tank and the lighting is PC.
Could you give us the specs on your tank and lighting?
Nick
You should try and increase your lighting to meet its needs, but its not something that needs to be done right-this-very-now. It does however need to be done sometime in the near future before the anemone decides to wander around find a better spot so that it can get the light it needs. Anemones are often injured or killed when they begin to wander as they meet up with powerheads or pump intakes.....
I'm guessing its in a somewhat deep tank and the lighting is PC.
Could you give us the specs on your tank and lighting?
Nick
UnderDaSea
Active member
Yes i am currently using PC. Dimensions are 48 long 18 wide 22 inch from sand base to water level. One of my lights went out so i am only running 3 96watt 50/50's atm for a 90 gallon tank. Once i replace the light are u saying that 4 96 watt 50/50 are not enough for this RBTA? Thanks for the help everyone!
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 2,935
I'm not saying that...the anemone is showing you that. 
I would look at either a MH system or a T-5 system to replace your lights.
If you want to go with MH's, consider what you want to keep in your tank. If you think you will eventually want to keep clams or SPS, or upgrade to a larger/deeper tank, you might consider buying a 250 watt set up, (for a 4 foot tank, you will need two lights). If you dont think you will keep alot of SPS, high light loving clams down low in your tank or will upgrade to a deeper tank, then 175's should be fine.
T-5's are another good choice as they use less energy in the long run, but reflector design and cooling fans are important to keep in mind too.
Nick
I would look at either a MH system or a T-5 system to replace your lights.
If you want to go with MH's, consider what you want to keep in your tank. If you think you will eventually want to keep clams or SPS, or upgrade to a larger/deeper tank, you might consider buying a 250 watt set up, (for a 4 foot tank, you will need two lights). If you dont think you will keep alot of SPS, high light loving clams down low in your tank or will upgrade to a deeper tank, then 175's should be fine.
T-5's are another good choice as they use less energy in the long run, but reflector design and cooling fans are important to keep in mind too.
Nick
UnderDaSea
Active member
When i looked at some of the t5s is had less wattage per length than the pc's or is there a trick to the t5's that i am unaware of. I would like to be able to maintain anything in the tank and versatility to upgrade would be nice as well. So would u say stay the route of 250's mh and up? What would be my best route? I would like to keep a hood if possible as well. Thanks for your time!
mfinn
Surgeonfish
But if you go with 250's you can keep anything. From soft corals to LPS and SPS.
UnderDaSea
Active member
Is there much difference between the 250s in a setup like this 2x250W HQI Metal Halide & 4X54W T5s, 48 inch or a retrofit kit besides the price difference?
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 2,935
T-5's have several advantages:
They use less energy
The bulbs last longer and cost less to replace
They dont require as much height above the aquarium as MH's do.
However, T-5's do need individual reflectors and need good cooling fans to maximize output and bulb life.
There are several gorgeous SPS aquariums lit solely by T-5's. If I were able to do my system over, I would have most likely gone with a T-5 set up vs my 250 watt MH's.
The least expensive way to improve your lighting is to buy the components and do it yourself. Wiring up T-5's or any other flourescent bulb set up isnt that hard. The instructions are pretty easy to follow, I've done it myself and electrical stuff isnt something I like to do...I'd rather pay someone and know it works right and wont burst into flames...
You can do the same thing with MH's, but I've never done it.
Retro fit kits seem to the next cheapest way to go, but I've yet to find one that does what I want it to. Just me...you might have better luck than I did when I was looking.
The hood/fixture set ups are the prettiest, and the most expensive. The one you mentioned :"2x250W HQI Metal Halide & 4X54W T5s" might be a good one, might not, depends on the manufacturer. One thing I would caution you about with MH's is see to check around the local fish stores and see what variety of bulbs is commonly available. I used to run DE bulbs...but had problems replacing bulbs without going through mail order...which meant time and shipping. So I switched over to SE bulbs...this way if a bulb burns out, I can replace it without having to order it and wait for a few days.
One other thought for you to keep in mind is that when you upgrade your lighting, you want to acclimate your corals and anemone to the increased intensity. Other wise you'll stress them out and could end up losing them.
Nick
busdriver
Well-known member
I'd go T-5, not nearly as much heat will go into your tank! no shadows as with MH.
I forget get if Maxx mentioned this or not, but T-5s have much better reflectors than PCs the tubes are MUCH smaller than the old T-8 or T-12s... the best reflector kind of looks like a "w" with the middle bump not going very high VS one that looks like a "U"
I forget get if Maxx mentioned this or not, but T-5s have much better reflectors than PCs the tubes are MUCH smaller than the old T-8 or T-12s... the best reflector kind of looks like a "w" with the middle bump not going very high VS one that looks like a "U"
busdriver
Well-known member
Here are some. The first reef i bought had these lights...
http://www.deltecaquariumsolutions.com/lighting.php
http://www.deltecaquariumsolutions.com/documents/ArticleForT5Lights.pdf
http://www.deltecaquariumsolutions.com/lighting.php
http://www.deltecaquariumsolutions.com/documents/ArticleForT5Lights.pdf
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Mine (under halides) moved to the far back bottom corner behind a huge rock and stretches waaaaay up to rest above the rock. It used to be higher but moved lower. Hard to predict what they prefer and why.
mfinn
Surgeonfish
I happen to like mh, lots of different bulb color options
UnderDaSea, you've seen my tank with my mh lighting.
Did you happen to notice any shadows?:lol:
UnderDaSea, you've seen my tank with my mh lighting.
Did you happen to notice any shadows?:lol:
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
- Messages
- 2,935
David Saxby is certainly someone who knows what hes doing in this hobby, but those are not studies, they are manufacturer supplied sales information. I honestly dfont doubt that their reflector is in fact more efficient than the "standard" ones, but I'd like to see a real study by someone like Sanjay Joshi.
Nick
Nick
aquariumdebacle
electrolyte addict
don't be suprised if it splits
