Newbie thinks something might be wrong with his RBT Anemone!

[jpitha]

Hi!

I've been a freshwater fan for a long time (since 1993 or so) and have only recently gotten involved with salt and reef at the urging of a friend. He was breaking down his 70, and sold me his Maroon clown pair and RBT Anemone at a good price. Here's how they are after I got them acclimated to my tank:

I've had them for a month and a half now, and something seems to be wrong. See photo:

The two photos were taken in about the same time of the light cycle, all of the water tests show everything is fine, I've been doing 20% water changes every two weeks or so, temp between 76F and 78F It's out of direct current (but current is near by)

Any ideas? If I've posted in the wrong section, let me know and I'll close the thread. Thanks!

 

[Rick C]

How long has the tank been running? Also when you say test are "fine", what are the numbers?

 

[JohnK]

And what is your salinity, how is it maintained, and how measured?

 

[jpitha]

The tank ran for a month with only livesand, then a month with sand, rock and some macro algae, then two weeks with inverts (turbo snails and hermits) then the Anemone and Clowns were aclimated.

Salinity is 1.023 measured with a hydrometer.

I can get specific numbers if you want for parameters, should I test something specific? Brought the water to LFS for a test, and they said everything was fine except I was low on calcium. Dosed with a calcium supplement until I switched to Reef salt, and that seemed to have fixed it.

 

[Amazon]

What kind of lighting do you have? Have you fed it? If so, are the tentacles sticky for feeding?

It appears that the tentacles have shrunken. This (I believe) is a sign of starvation.

I can't see the mouth in the pic(s). Is it tighly closed or have you seen it gaping open?

Sorry for so many questions, but the more info we can get the better we can help get your nem happy again

 

[jpitha]

I don't mind the questions, it's the only way I'll learn

Lighting is one 24" 10k Coralife and a 24" Actinic set on a 10 hour schedule with the Actinic coming on 30min before and staying on 30min after.

I did feed it brine shrimp, and they did stick, but he didn't seem to move it towards his mouth. I've seen the mouth open before, but not very long and not very far. when I feed the clowns, they bring some of the food (ground up shrimp pellets and ground up bloodworm pellets) down to him.

 

[Rick C]

What size tank is it? Could be a lighting issue. Also, I think anems usually do better in more mature systems. I am NOT an expert but i'm sure one will chime in.

 

[jpitha]

It's a 20h. Tank members currently are:

RBT Anemone

2 paired Maroon clowns

4 Xenia "stalks" (Don't know actual word for describing them)

Porcelain Crab

6 Turbo Snails

2 Hermit crabs (one about pinky nail size, the other about thumb size)

15lbs of liverock

25lbs of livesand

 

[JohnK]

You might try squirting some mysis shrimp onto it's tentacles. Some might suggest larger foods such as silversides, but IMO/IME mysis is what they catch and digest the easiest.

Your anemone shouldn't be terribly sensitive to Ca levels, but if the alk level is low that can allow for larger than normal PH swings which could be a stressor for the nem.

Is your hydrometer the glass tube kind, or the plastic swing arm kind? The glass ones are good, the swing arm ones tend to be terribly unreliable. Also, how often do you add fresh water to keep the SG at 1.023? If it's not daily, then there will be a pretty big swing which would make for a significant stressor.

How big of a tank is this? That doesn't sound like a lot of light if it's a smaller tank, it's definately not enough if it's a larger tank. Are those corallife PC's, T5, or NO? The type of lamp makes a big difference in how much light they will produce.

Edit, adding; OK I type slow, you could use more light on a 20G to keep an anemone.

 

[jpitha]

I actually have both glass tube and plastic arm hydrometers, and I had about 8oz of water a day to account for evap (have a fan blowing on the HOB filter for cooling)

Total lighting with both the 10k and the Actinic going is 72 watts (2x36 watt) Should I add more?

 

[ReferReefer]

Lights are Power Compact.

 

[jpitha]

^^^ Yes, I forgot that part, thanks

 

[Sean Irwin]

Hmmm what kind of water are you using for top-off and water changes?

I think most anemones like fairly bright light but that amount might be sufficient. I would try moving it more toward the center of the bulbs (brightest spot). Keep in mind that light is strongly attenuated by depth; for instance you lose about 41% of light intensity just 5-6 inches from the surface and almost 60% near 1 foot.

 

[jpitha]

I'm using aged filtered tap water for top offs. (fill the covered container and let it sit uncovered a few days before using it) It's not straight tap.

There is a good deal (for a 20) of water between him and the light. I guess I could try moving him up some. I've been meaning to re-do the rocks for a while, this would be a reason to actually get my hands in there (and risk the wrath of the maroons. The first time they bit me I almost jumped 3 feet! )

 

[Blueflu1]

anemones can be tricky. I have a Green BTA that looks nothing like what it did when I got it. It's tentacles shrunk and it initally moved. But it found a spot and even though it doesn't look great, it still is doing fine. I have MH lights so it gets plenty of lights.

 

[stingythingy45]

How many watts is the lighting?

From Drs Foster Smith.....

"For best care, the Bulb Anemone requires strong lighting in aquariums of at least 30 gallons. Under ideal conditions, it can grow up to 1-ft in diameter. However, most typically remain compact in size when kept under bright lighting. If the lighting is insufficient, the Bulb Anemone will expand its body to make the most of the available light. It should be kept with a Clownfish for best care. At times, the tentacles of the Bulb Anemone may appear stringy; this may be due to insufficient light or the need for food. Its diet should include chopped fish, shrimp, or worms if a clownfish is not present."

 

[SharkLover]

I didn't see your alkalinity test results? I saw you dose calcium which lowers alk. I'd like to guess your having alkalinity swings your rbta doesn't like

 

[jpitha]

Okay, so it looks like I'm not doing anything egregiously wrong with him, but I'll try to feed him more and to move him closer to the light.

Edit: Alk was 8.1 IIRC last time I checked. I'll check again tonight.

 

[penguinsix]

I'd say its either a high nutrient issue, copper issue from the tap, or low light problems. Maybe even a hodgepodge of the three.

 

[Sean Irwin]

I'm using aged filtered tap water for top offs. (fill the covered container and let it sit uncovered a few days before using it) It's not straight tap.

Filtered? How exactly? Keep in mind that many water purification plants use chloramine which doesn't dissipate like chlorine. Most reef invertebrates are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry, especially the presence of heavy metals like copper (some always leaches from household plumbing). One of the best investments you can make in this hobby (besides a battery operated airpump) is an RO/DI system. RO/DI's vary greatly in price and capability but since your aquarium is small; you can get way with using a basic barebones system (usually around 100-150 dollars). Another option is to purchase RO water from a reputable LFS or distilled water jugs.