Anemone Anomaly

[ktellerman]

The LED's are useless (except for letting you see into the tank after the main lighting has switched off). Anemone's are difficult to keep without T5 or Halide lighting. Many have photosynthetic organisms living in them that produce sugars that helps them thrive. The fact that they move around without settling into one spot shows they are distressed and looking for light they may never find.

[Tentagirl]

I don't know that adding or changing light fixtures is going to be possible right away, is there anything I can do to compensate in the meantime?

Thanks.

[ktellerman]

Hope for the best with this animal. I wouldn't try another one until you upgrade the lighting. Mushroom corals may work with the lighting you have, though.

[Tentagirl]

It actually looks a little better today, and hasn't been moving around. It is about dead center in the tank.

Is it possible to supplement the light we have with a metal halide, or does it have to be replaced? Would another light make too much heat?

Every time you answer me I ask more questions. Sorry!

[jenglish]

As long as there is room over the top of the tank you can add more lights It would be better to have the MH centered than offset as far as efficient use of light but I have seen some pretty pieced togethor PC/T5?MH/ etc piled togethor to get enough light over a tank. If it is looking better I would watch it and not mess with it too much. Watch the clowns, they have been known to love a sickly anemone too much. Glad to hear it is doing better.

[Tentagirl]

So I can add a small MH in the middle maybe? We have the 2 36" lights instead of the 72", so it would be easy to make a space between them for another light.

[jenglish]

I meant middle front to back, but I can see putting it between the fixtures as well. How much of the front to back of the tank is left open?

[Tentagirl]

Oh. The lights we have now are almost dead center, front to back, there's about 4-41/2 inches on either side.

[ktellerman]

You could add a halide. Control heat with cooling fans blown over the surface of the water. You will have to top off (with RO/DI freshwater) more frequently, tho'

[Tentagirl]

A bit of good news, I gave the anemone a little bit of shrimp and he ate it right away.

[jenglish]

Eating (and being sticky enough to eat) are good signs. With subpar lights feeding can help. Glad to hear it is looking a little better.

[ktellerman]

Glad to hear its eating. How's it looking?

[Tentagirl]

It's looking much better, more like when we got it. It moved around a bit but seems to have found a place it likes. Now if the clown would just leave it alone for a while!! Thanks for asking, I'm sure I'll have LOTS more questions!

[jenglish]

Originally Posted by Tentagirl

It's looking much better, more like when we got it. It moved around a bit but seems to have found a place it likes. Now if the clown would just leave it alone for a while!! Thanks for asking, I'm sure I'll have LOTS more questions!

Watch the clown, they can snuggle a sick nem too much. I have even seen them need to be seperated with a sheet of glass or covered with strawberry basket

[Tentagirl]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. She is usually in the bubble tip, but sometimes nestles in this one, and sometimes feeds it.