FAQs on Bulb, Bubble Tip/Rose Anemone
Systems 3
Related Articles: Bubble
Tip, Rose Anemones, Entacmaea quadricolor, Use in Marine
Systems by Bob Fenner, Bubble Tip
Anemones by Jim Black, Recent
Experiences with BTA's by Marc Quattromani,
Anemones,
Cnidarians, Colored/Dyed Anemones,
Related FAQs: BTA
Systems 1, BTA
Systems 4, BTA Systems 5,
& E. quad. FAQ
1, E. quad FAQ 2, E. quad. FAQ 3, E.
quad FAQ 4, E. quad FAQ 5,
BTA ID, BTA Compatibility, BTA Selection, BTA
Behavior, BTA Feeding, BTA Disease, BTA
Reproduction/Propagation,
Anemones, Anemones 2,
Caribbean
Anemones, Condylactis,
Aiptasia
Anemones, Anemones and
Clownfishes, Anemone
Reproduction, Anemone
Lighting, Anemone
Identification, Anemone
Selection, Anemone Behavior,
Anemone
Health, Anemone
Placement, Anemone
Feeding, Heteractis malu,
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New Print and
eBook on Amazon:
Anemone Success
Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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Lighting for A BTA 9/19/10
Hello all,
<Hello Karen>
A quick question about lighting for a BTA in a 46 inch bow front with 4
inch sand bed and 60 pounds of live rock. Is a T5 39 watt 4 bulb
fixture with all daylight bulbs adequate? The tank is 3 years old and
the only other occupants are fish.
<If the bulbs aren't three years old your lighting should be
fine for a BTA.
An article on BTAs can be found here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Thanks,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Karen
Lighting for A BTA 9/19/10 - 9/20/10
Gosh! Thanks for such a speedy response. You all are fabulous!
<You're welcome, Karen. James (Salty Dog)>
Bubbletip Anemone, Housing, Death 9/1/10
Hello Crew,
<Hi>
I have had a 46 gallon saltwater setup for 3 years. It has 50+ pounds
of live rock, 4-5 inches of live sand, a BakPak skimmer, hang on back
filter and T5 lighting. It is currently occupied by the following:
Pair of Tomato Clowns
Blue Damsel
Yellow Tang
<Needs a much larger tank.>
Button Polyps
Feather Duster
Today, I lost a BTA that I had for 2 years.
<This also needs a larger tank, better lighting, and probably was
battling the polyps chemically.>
It occupied the same rock during it's entire stay in the tank and
was beautiful. It was on a gradual decline recently, with a loss of
color and refusal to eat (silversides or raw shrimp).
<Water quality, lighting, and tankmates most likely causes
here.>
This is a loss for both me and the clowns.
I have had very few issues with the tank, performing regular water
changes and checking the water chemistry regularly. My question is
two-fold: do BTA's die from "old age" and what are the
chances that the clowns will accept a new BTA?
<Anemones do not die from "old age", in fact they
don't really age in a conventional sense, something killed this
animal, most likely environmental conditions.>
Thanks for your help,
Karen
<I would not restock this animal here, the tank is too small to
house once fully grown, reaching at least 12" in diameter fully
grown. See here for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inver
Question about my BTA, sys.
Hello again!
Question I have a small reef tank it is a 6gal Nano cube (I know small)
I have one BTA
<... much too small a volume for an Entacmaea. Read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
and the linked files above>
live sand and a cleaner shrimp with live rock. I had to do my first
hydrometer reading and it read I had too much salt (spgr 1.030) so I
took out 1.5 gal over 4 hours to bring it back down to 1.020.
<... and way to much of a change in Spg over a short period of
time>
He was out taking some light all thru it until now he seems to be
moving and is shrinking a little I know sometimes they can do that. I
have been reading you site like I do to see if I can get the answer but
I just want to double check. I had to lower the spgr to that because I
will be adding a fish and wanted to be ok for it as well. Was not sure
how long your supposed to decrease the salt by so I check and added /
changed the water over the course of four hours. Hope to get more info
Thanks
Maria
<About a thousandth per day... ten days... Read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spgmaint.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Anemone, ID... sys.
7/3/10
Good afternoon,
<Mmm, yes>
I ordered an RBTA last week and it finally arrived yesterday. I
acclimated it slowly so I wouldn't shock it. First off, I
would like to know if I actually got an E. Quadricolor.
<Appears to be>
The anemone is currently housed in a 14 gallon biocube
<Too small to be stable...>
that has been running
for approximately a year and a half. The return pump has been
upgraded to a MJ1200 and I also have a K-Nano for flow. I have a
JBJ K2 Viper 150 watt metal halide for lighting. I run a big
media bag of carbon in the middle chamber that I change every two
weeks and I do a ~4 gallon water change every 1-2 weeks.
Is there anything else I could do to better suite <suit>
the anemone?
<A larger system...>
I was thinking another powerhead or upgrading the existing one.
(The powerheads are anemone-proof, BTW.)
<Good>
I was thinking I should hold back on target feeding for a few
days until it inflated for the first time.
<Also commendable>
Thanks,
Jake
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
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Thanks and my future BTA thanks you too. Mostly lambda
reading -- 05/21/10
Thanks Bob for your quick response.
<Willkommen>
I was so pleased that I printed it out and kept re-reading it. I think
I'm finally going to do what I always (originally) wanted to do but
I now have a mature tank to work with and some experience. Ok, I know
I'm still wet behind the
ears so to speak.
<Oh?>
I have come up with a few more questions as I have talked to my LFS and
he is a big sales man and will tend to sell me stuff I don't need
so I wanted to run by my lighting with you. If you remember I mentioned
I had two 10,000 white bulbs and two actinic bulbs. My LFS is trying to
talk me into upgrading my bulbs for a total of
eight. I think that is way too much myself as I won't be getting
into any corals but I thought I should run it by you first. What's
your thoughts?
<Posted>
Also, I will be building up my live sand with the finer sand you
mentioned and scrapped the idea of crushed coral. I want to build up my
live rock with some dead rock underneath and would like to secure it
using the drill / plastic tie method I have read about. How long can
the live rock be out of the water without doing too much damage to it?
I need to
<Depending on temp., humidity, a few hours>
build the structure up more vertically as with FO I didn't worry
too much about it and it only comes up a little over halfway in the
tank. I will be using the drill/acrylic tube method for this.
And one more thing, my tank has glass tops on it I presume will need to
be removed so the BTA will have good lighting. I have a canopy on top
of my tank and plan on keeping it as my rescue parrot is in the same
room and it can get mighty dusty in there. I'm not sure how high
the bulbs are from the water. How far away should they be and would I
need to get some type of splash guard?
<Also posted>
Ok. That's it for now. Back to more reading. Thanks much. Again and
Again.
Jill
<Keep reading the same. B>
FOWLR w/bubble anemone? Sure, if you have enough light and
good water quality. 5/11/2010
Hello Crew!
<Hi Wes.>
Got a question for you that I couldn't find on the site. I have a
55gal FOWLR setup and have one Ocellaris Clown and a couple of Damsels.
The tank has been running fine for 2 years now, with nothing dying and
all the water parameters are always met. I do weekly water changes. The
live rock doesn't seem to be "growing" anything anymore.
There aren't a bunch of greens and purples on the rock. I want to
add a bubble tip anemone in the tank and was wondering if a non-reef
FOWLR system would be able to handle the anemone. I want to add another
clown eventually to possibly mate and lay eggs in the anemone. Let me
know what you think. Thanks!
<A 55 is a bit small in my opinion, but, with no other cnidarians,
and a low fish load, particularly fish that could easily be consumed, I
may be tempted to give it a try. Do keep in mind that these are
photosynthetic and do need 'reef' quality conditions.>
<You can read more here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
>
Wes-Panama City Florida
<MikeV - Melbourne, Florida>
Re: FOWLR w/bubble anemone 5/12/10
What type of lighting do I need to maintain...I only have two bulb
availability...one for the right half of the tank and one for the left
side
<For a bubble anemone, you would need at least 220 watts of light. A
general rule of thumb is 4 - 5 watts of light per gallon for an
anemone.>
<MikeV>
Bio wheels, Anemone Systems 4/19/10
I am currently running a bio wheel but I want to remove it from my
system.
I have a good amount of live rock so I was wondering if there is a safe
way to remove the bio wheel from my system without causing an ammonia
spike.
<If there is sufficient live rock it should not be an issue, just
monitor closely and be ready for water changes.>
The occupants of my system are 1 golden headed goby, 1 clarkii clown
fish, four snails, three hermit crabs, and I was recently given a green
tipped bubble tip anemone. I am mainly concerned about the anemone he
is finally settled in and happy and I don't want to shock him with
an ammonia spike. Also I run two 24" t5 actinics and two 24"
t8 10000k's on my 29 gallon tank should this anemone be ok under
this light he seems happy and doesn't move around.
thank you for any advice.
<This is a small tank for an anemone. See here for more
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
.>
<Chris>
Re: Bio wheels, Anemone Systems 4/20/10
Thank you for the advice when my uncle get his 125gallon tank up and
going I will give it to him but that could be about a year because it
will be a new set up. He does not move or shrivel up so I think he is
happy will he be all right with the lighting I listed, it was two
24" actinic t5's and two 10000k t8's on my 29 gallon
tank.
<Hopefully, but stability will still be an issue.>
My local fish store has minimal water movement and virtually no
lighting so I don't want to take him there I'm
sure it would be a death sentence.
<Most stores are only set up to house anything on a temporary
basis.>
I would like to keep him as healthy as possible until my uncles system
is stable enough to take him. thank you.
<Welcome>
<Chris>
bio wheels, removal - 4/19/10
I cant find any info on whether or not it would be safe for me to just
remove my bio wheel from my set up now that I have live rock and a
skimmer, is there a way to do this without an amonia spike. my water
conditions are ph 8.3 salinity is 1.023 alk is 9.5 nit 0 amonia 0
nitrate is 5. I was given an anemone a green tiped bta and I dont want
to shock him now that he is doing well and settled into a peice of
rock. my tank is a 29 gallon with eclipse hood I have two 24"
t5's that run actinics and two 24" t8's that run 10k
bulbs. thanks for any advice z.
<Please correct the spelling/ grammar and re-send Zachary, we will
be only to happy to help.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/wwmadminsubwebindex/question_page.htm
Simon>
bio wheels
<<Simon, I went ahead and responded to Z as I suspect s/he is not
a native speaker/writer of English. RMF>>
I cant find any info on whether or not it would be safe for me to just
remove my bio wheel from my set up now that I have live rock and a
skimmer,
<Should be fine to simply remove this device in your established
system. It is highly unlikely you'll observe such a spike>
is there a way to do this without an ammonia spike. my water conditions
are ph 8.3 salinity is 1.023
<Mmm, I'd raise this. See WWM re: http://wetwebmedia.com/spg_salinity.htm
and the linked files above...>
Alk is 9.5 nit 0 ammonia 0 nitrate is 5. I was given an anemone a green
tipped BTA and I dont want to shock him now that he is doing well and
settled into a piece of rock. my tank is a 29 gallon with eclipse hood
I have two 24" t5's that run actinics and two 24"
t8's that run
10k bulbs. thanks for any advice z.
<Please read re Entacmaea period as well:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Bubble Tipped Anemone/Systems/Health 2/12/10
Hello!
<Hi Lauren>
I recently acquired a Bubble Tip Anemone, and I'm worried that in
his quest for a home, he's going to sting my corals.
<No need to worry, it likely will. Not a good idea mixing the two
and mixing anemones with non-immune fish.>
Admittedly, if I'd thought this
through, I'd have bought the anemone first, let it settle, and then
added the corals. Unfortunately, I don't really have that option. I
thought I'd poked him in a well-lit hole so he'd nestle in,
(silly me.)
<Not true, even a change in water flow can cause the anemone to
relocate.>
I've heard of a couple different ways to make them stay in one
place. The first was to simply keep moving it back, but that seems like
it will just aggravate it. I've heard of poking it into a piece of
pvc pipe, but I don't know why that would be any more effective
than poking him anywhere else.
Are there things I can do to encourage him to stay in one place?
<No, they will move until they have found a spot to their liking,
and yes, you will aggravate it.>
If not, I still need a way to protect my corals. Most are small frags,
and movable, but I can't babysit the tank all day (law student.) I
also have a large frogspawn coral, which hasn't branched at all but
spans nearly 9 inches. I'm worried the anemone will cause problems,
and I'm looking to mitigate them. Any advice you can give, on
either ways to help the anemone situate, or simply protect the corals,
would be really helpful.
<If you enjoy your corals, I strongly suggest taking the anemone
back to your LFS.
You mention nothing in the way of equipment used. Lighting, tank size,
and water quality are all important factors in keeping anemones. If
conditions are not to their liking, they will soon die and poison the
entire tank. Do read here and related articles/FAQ's.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Thanks in advance!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Lighting Ugh/BTA Systems 11/11/09
<Hello Sabrina>
I am trying to buy the best lighting I can (afford) for my 55 gallon
tall tank (LWH) 48"13"20". I have 3 BTA's (clones)
and they are the only light sensitive animals in the tank. I would in
the future like to put other compatible light loving animals in the
tank also. I may upgrade the tank in the next year or so and need to
ask your advice.
<I would not mix corals with three anemones in a 55 gallon tank. The
anemones can and do relocate and you will be risking the corals to the
anemone's sting in the process.>
There are 2 used systems which I have found in my price range. The
first is the blue limited edition T5 Tek 48" 6 bulb with two
AquaBlue, two actinic plus, and two pure actinics. And the second is a
Coralife Aqualight Pro (2) 250 watt mh HQI/(2) 96 watt pc. I know that
the second is a lot of light.
My thought was to take out the 96watts and use either 14k 15k or 20k
bulbs.
The first systems with lights the second does not. With all this in
mind what do you think? I have been reading and reading and reading but
I keep going back and forth. In truth used metal halide systems scare
me. The cost just seems really high and I needed a pros opinion.
<For keeping BTA's in your size tank, I would go with the
Sunlight T5 TEK fixture. This unit uses the T5 HO lamps which provide
the needed intensity. I would swap out the two AquaBlue, the two
actinic plus, and one of the pure actinics for 10K lamps. This 324
watt, convection vent system, will then generate plenty of quality
light for your BTA's. Have you read here?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Thank you for your time.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Sabrina
A few questions about my BTA...
11/4/09
Hi there,
<Sabrina>
I have a 55 gallon tank with a 30 gallon gravy feed refugium and
a protein skimmer (not sure what kind) and a PC with 2 65w 10k
bulbs and 2 65w Actinic bulbs.
<Mmm, I'd be reading re the light requirements of
Entacmaea, and switching out at least one of the actinics here
for more 'white'>
I bought this tank complete from a man who had had it set up for
2 years and when I brought it home I brought the fish, water and
all. The fish that came with the system were, one clown fish 3
inch, one blue tang 1.5 inch, and one Sailfin who has been
rehomed because he was 4 inches and in a 55 gallon tank for 2
years (not good). Anyway there is also a serpent star fish which
is kinda big that I am thinking of rehoming as well. As of
Saturday I have added a BTA which is about 5 to 7 inches in
diameter.
I have been doing 5 gallon water changes every week and all my
water parameters have been good. The only thing this far I have
had to adjust is the PH which tries' to drop but every so
often I have been adding buffer to control this.
Ph 8.2
dKH 179
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
<This photosynthetic organism needs some NO3, HPO4...>
calcium 420
My question is about my anemone... When I bought him he was a
very maroon and greenish color and when I got him home and put
him in the tank he expanded and started to change color to a very
normal tan color.
<Bleaching... a lack of light, nutrient... What are you
feeding?>
I am not sure if this is the beginning of bleaching or if the
color in the store was due to stress or if he is stressed now and
was fine then or what.
Then today around 3pm he shrunk down to about the size of a
baseball maybe a bit bigger and expelled something. I was
thinking he was dying, his tentacles where green and like thin
spaghetti noodles but then not long after maybe an hour he
returned to his normal size and has been doing his thing so I
thought maybe he was just expelling waste.
I should mention I have notices one or two of the tentacles has
had a lighter tan ring band on them. I have not been able to see
his mouth since I got him in my tank as his tentacles are always
flopping on or around it.
He moved around for the first two days and then stayed where he
is now. His tentacles have very rarely been bubbled maybe 3 or 4
of them and not very much.
Then something else I noticed, he isn't sticky at all to me.
I have had a smaller tan BTA in the past and it almost grabbed at
me but this one doesn't feel sticky at all and after my
reading this makes me nervous. Will he ever be sticky again? Can
I do anything about this.
<... yes>
In my reading before I got him I saw that if they aren't
sticky they can be impossible to feed.
<? No>
I am worried about trying to feed him now while he is still
getting used to his surroundings which I also read was better to
leave them alone in the first week.
Any advise <advice> would be helpful I have been reading
and reading and I cant really find anything in
"English" that talks about the stickiness other than it
should be.
<Don't worry/be concerned re this... DO be acting re the
needs of this animal>
The rest has been scientific jargon which I cant understand. From
all of this can you tell me if you think I should return him to
the store while I still can or if there is any hope at all?
<Likely better for you to return. You don't appear
'ready' to keep such life>
Thank you for your help and the work you guys put into this site.
You help a lot of people who really would be lost with out
you.
Sabrina
<Shall I refer you?
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
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A few questions about my BTA Part II,
lgtg. - 11/07/09
Hi again,
<Evening, Mike here>
I was unable to return the BTA as the store owner insists I have
enough lighting and said that who ever told me that didn't
know what they were talking about... I tried to explain but it
was really uncomfortable and so I just decided I won't be
shopping their anymore.
<All too common amongst LFS, I've never found a decent
one. I recommend the quality online vendors, such as Live Aquaria
and Blue Zoo Aquatics, personally>
So in lieu of returning him, I went ahead and added another 65w
10k bulb for the little guy and have been looking into the
different lighting options that are out there.
<Good to hear>
First question is can there be to much light?
<Most definitely, photoinhibition is not a good thing. I have
an article about lighting I wrote a while back...I don't
think it's on WWM, but here's the link for it:
http://blog.captive-aquatics.com/captive_aquatics/2009/06/lighting-photosynthetic-marine-invertebrates.html
and of course, check out the lighting FAQs here for tons of great
info>
I found a lighting system which is a Odyssea 48" 500W Metal
Halide System Basic 15000k.
<I've had personal experience with this model, very, very
bright. Too bright for 'softies', but good for your
anemone and other species requiring high intensity>
They also have a 48" 716W Metal Halide System with T5 HO
15000K...
<Overkill>
both are in my price range I'm just not sure what's best.
They do have smaller systems like a 30" 380W Metal Halide
System with Power Compact with just one 250w would that work
better
<It would be sufficient, but the coverage would probably be
lacking. Avoid PCs if possible>
(I know nothing about this type of lighting and it makes me a
little nervous though I read and read and read).
<Just keep reading, articles and FAQs here, preferably>
If I hang it would that work well?
<Probably! Have you looked into T-5 lighting as another
option? A 4 or 6 bulb fixture with individual reflectors should
work well>
I have been feeding the anemone shredded Mysid shrimp and squid
along with trace elements.
<All good, feel free to include shrimp and other meaty
seafoods a few times a week>
I had been looking for vitamins in the local LFS but they
don't carry the ones you all recommend
<Surprise, surprise...>
so I am waiting for it to come in the mail. He has been doing
better and has gotten some of his color back.
<Excellent!>
One other thing, should I feed him a little bit everyday or
should once every 2 to 3 days be good for him?
<If it's bleached, once daily to every other day, once
recovered, as often as every other day or as little as every two
weeks, up to you (feeding frequency controls the size of the
anemone)>
I really do just want to do what's best for this little guy.
And I appreciate your help a great deal.
<Anytime, hope we've helped. Good luck!>
Sabrina
<Mike Maddox>
Re A few questions about my BTA -
11/07/09
Hi there,
<Sab>
In my research for finding the perfect lighting I came across a
chart that said what kind of lighting works best for what size
tank.
<Interesting... according to whom? For what livestock?
Purposes?>
I bought this tank from someone who said it was a 55 gallon so I
never really bothered to check myself.
<Mmm, most such "models" are nominally 48 X 13 X 20
inches... don't actually "hold" 55 gallons
volume-wise...>
Well after looking at this chart I have measured the tank myself
it being (LWH)48x18x20
<Oh! This is a bit larger... and better all the way
around>
I have found that it isn't a 55 gallon but a 75 gallon...
just goes to show you not to take even the simplest of things for
granted. Anyway with this new information would this change your
thoughts on the type of lighting
which is acceptable?
Thank you
Sabrina
<Please see WWM re Lighting, even Lighting for Anemones... the
indices, search tool. BobF>
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BTA Lighting And Behavior 10/6/09
Hello,
<Hi Beth>
I recently purchased a BTA from LFS and although I made sure that my
water parameters were in order (Alk is a little low), I failed to take
into consideration the lighting requirements of Anemones.
<Yikes, is one of the most important.>
I currently have the BTA housed in a 14g BioCube that has been running
since November of last year.
<Failed to take into consideration tank size also, much too small
for any long term success,>
It was used as a reef tank until a week ago and I am now using the
BioCube as a quarantine tank.
<??? Is the anemone going into a larger system later?>
Water Parameters:
pH 8.0
Ca 360mg/l
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 10mg/l
Alkalinity 2.5mEq/l
Sp. Gravity 1.022
<Would raise this to 1.024/025.>
Lighting is (2) 24wt 10,000k Coralife CF lamps
I removed the actinic bulb and replaced it with a new CF light.
Is this sufficient amount of lighting for the needs of an Anemone for
the next few weeks?
<Borderline, but could work if the BioCube isn't too
deep.>
I have two Ocellaris Clowns that are aggravating my Frogspawn so I
decided to buy a BTA for their replacement host. I bought the medium
sized anemone (about 3 inches) 4 days ago and drip acclimated him for
roughly 2 hours. When I place him in the tank he immediately attached
his foot in the rock work. His tentacles became long, thin and
translucent for a few hours before he pulled himself into a more
compact bubble form. I fed the tank with 1/4 tsp. of DT's
phytoplankton and target fed the BTA one mysis which he refused.
<Better to let the anemone adapt before feeding it, three or four
days anyway.>
At this time I noticed two mouths.
The next morning the BTA moved into a hole in the live rock. I can see
part of the BTA in one hole and I can see tentacles about 4 inches away
in another hole. I cannot tell if he has split or if he is sick. I
did
place a mysis on some of the tentacles that were hanging out yesterday
and it folded itself back into the hole with his catch. I also squirted
some more DT's into the holes that he or they are hiding in.
Thank you very much for any helpful information.
<Do read here and linked files above to learn more on this
animal's needs for survival.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
I have really come to rely on this informative site for all my aquarium
questions. Any other website, forums, LFS or other so called experts
are to be questioned and their answers researched thoroughly before I
follow their advice. Yours is the only website and wonderful people
that I can truly rely on to give me the most honest, informed and
educated answers.
Thanks So Much
<You're welcome, and thank you for the kind words. James (Salty
Dog)>
Beth
Re BTA Lighting And Behavior 10/7/09
Good afternoon James,
<Good morning Beth, up very early, can't sleep day.>
Thank You for the responses.
<You're welcome.>
I know now that I should have taken the BTA lighting as the foremost
requirement.
<Happens very often. Folks need to research the animal before buying
to ensure they can meet the requirements needed for survival in a
captive environment.>
The BioCube did so well with my coral that I was mistaken in believing
that it would do for a BTA. If it will survive for three weeks than I
am transferring it into an established 20g but only until the 75g set
up has cycled. At which time the 20 gallon will become the quarantine
tank.
<Do be sure salinity, temperature, and pH are the same between the
"from and to" tanks.>
I must admit that I am very slow in grasping all the jargon pertaining
to lighting.
<I can help you here, what "jargon" are you not
understanding?>
It's not a matter of not reading the information available on this
website, I spend hours reading everything I can, it's understanding
what I read that is the problem. To me, it's sort of like reading a
page of math formulas and being asked to explain what I just read. (Not
going to happen) I'll keep rereading and, hopefully, I will
eventually understand what I read and not just parrot the info.
<I'm sure you will.>
Currently the BTA is still in hiding with one or two tentacles
occasionally waving at me from inside the rock.
<Did you wave back, may be the problem here:))))>
I do believe that it split and, just in case it did, I did a water
change.
The previously stated water parameters reflect that water change. I
will do a small water change today and adjust for a higher sp.
gravity.
<OK.>
The BTA does have one tank mate, a Sea Pen, do you believe that they
can co-exist for the required 3 week quarantine without a chemical
warfare?
<The Sea Pen will be at risk from stinging once the anemone(s)
relocates.>
This is my only tank with sand, the others have rubble which is not
suitable for a sea pen.
<A small Tupperware container filled with sand would work as a
temporary measure. I'd separate the Sea Pen from the
anemone.>
Last question. How long should I wait for the BTA to emerge before I
become concerned about its health?
<I would carefully relocate the rock/rubble the anemone is not
attached to.
Will provide a better view for observation. Try feeding the anemone in
about three days. If it's healthy, the food should find it's
way to the mouth, will be a good sign. If the BTA is not inflated, do
not attempt feeding, won't take it anyway.
Sending us a photo in a few days would help us much in determining the
health of the BTA. Is the 75 gallon system going to be the
anemone's home?
If so, and this appears to me as a new set-up, I wouldn't advise
putting the BTA in there, will further stress the animal out as they
prefer established systems, 6 months+.
Looks like you're in between a rock and a hard spot, Beth. I'm
thinking you would fair much better if you could take the anemone back,
see if you can get store credit. Once your 75 is established and you
have proper lighting for keeping a BTA, then go shopping.>
Thank You so Much,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Beth
Anemone lighting 8/23/09
Hi everybody,
I've got a quick question, I'm starting a 55 gallon salt tank
and I wanted to know if MH or 4 t5 bulbs ( in a light fixture) would be
better for a bubble tip anemone. I only ask because I keep getting
conflicting info.
<Either could work, though I would opt for a 6-8 bulb fixture going
with T5s if a BTA is what you are set on keeping.>
If I go t5 what should the bulb ratio be? (white to blue)
<Personally I like three 10000K bulbs to one actinic. Some run 2 to
1 for a bluer look.>
thanks
Aaron
<Welcome, Scott V.>
Entacmaea quadricolor/Anemone Systems 3/19/09
Hey Crew,
<Dean>
Thanks for all the help you guys give. It's invaluable.
<You're welcome.>
I am setting up a species tank for BTAs, bubble tipped anemones
(Entacmaea quadricolor). Here is the setup:
40 Gallon Breeder for the display tank
30 pounds base "dry" coral rock (pretty dense, takes up less
room then it sounds)
15-20 pounds live rock
1/2" crushed coral substrate
Reef Octopus BH300F skimmer
Aquatic Life 4x39 watt T5 fixture running 2 GE 6500 Daylight, Giesemann
Aquablue+ 60/40 Actinic/Daylight, and an ATI Blue +.
ATO with Brightwell Kalk+2
<Be careful here with the Kalk. Anemones do not take sudden pH
swings too well. Would be better to dose with an additive such as
Seachem Reef Calcium.>
The tank is drilled with an overflow from Glass-Holes.com
The sump is another 40 Gallon Breeder, given almost entirely to a
refugium with a 5" DSB. The DSB is almost entirely CaribSea
"Live" sand because it was on sale. I am dubious that dry
sand can be live.
<Me too.>
To seed the refugium, I took about 20-30 pounds of live sand from my
main tank, along with 10 pounds
of live rubble, and added the rubble from my dry rock. For algaes I
have Chaeto, Ulva, Gracilaria, and some halmeda, < Halimeda>
bryothamnian,
<Did you mean Bryopsis? Bryothamnian turns up zero in a Google
search.>
and another red algae. Anytime I trim in the DT I put some cuttings in
the refugium.
The return pump is a Hydor Salts running at 320 gph.
For livestock, I have 2 Onyx clowns (Amphiprion percula). That's
the end of the fish list. I may add some Zoas or feather dusters for
variety. Snails for algae control.
Now, I have I think two questions. First, for water movement, I have
two choices. First, I have a Vortech MP20 pump, along with foam guards.
Do you think this is safe for an anemone tank?
<As long as they are of sufficient area to reduce suction
effects.>
Option 2 would be a closed loop
manifold. If I do this, what size pump should I use? I am sort of
leaning towards the latter.
<I'd go with the Vortech and it's wave making
features.>
Second, the live rock had been in my main tank 15 months (as had the
sand, rubble, etc). I know anemone tanks should be mature. How do I
gauge how mature my tank is? The system has been running about 6 weeks,
and I never had any diatoms, Cyano, dinoflagellates, just some hair
algae on the glass, and not much of that. I think the 1:1 refugium
ratio prevented the algae succession cycle.
<You're tank should be mature/balanced enough to add the
anemone.>
And are there any flaws in my plan? (ok, 3 questions)
<Sounds ideal to me.>
thanks
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
dean <Mmm, I'm betting there is no lower case "d" on
your birth certificate:)>
Anemone Stuck On Intake 2/23/09 Anemone Health Hi,
<Hello Adam> During the night my Rose Anemone was caught in the
water intake of one of my UV's. <Mmm, not good.> The base is
about 1/4 shredded but it is still very much alive as I had to pull it
off the skimmer and it still has good colour and the tentacles are
moving. Another problems is it has made my tank cloudy. Will this
pollute the tank, <It can and likely will.> so far all inverts
and fish are ok. Will the water return to normal? Should I take the
damaged anemone out of the tank and humanely dispose it <I would
remove ASAP, odds are very good this anemone will not survive and will
wipe out the remaining animals. Do a 50% water change pronto, and
employ a chemical media such as activated carbon, Chemi Pure or a Poly
Filter. James (Salty Dog)> Regards, Adam.
BTA's/Systems 2/15/09 Dear Crew, <Linda>
Hi, I need advice about transfer to my new system. <OK> I had a
37gallon dedicated to a pair of spawning ocellaris and 4 BTA's,
(had 5 sold 2) all clones. Lighting 150 HQI w/auxiliary T5's, Tunze
nano skimmer, for flow 1400gph w/SCWD. <Tank is a little small for
keeping BTA's and the 50 gallon is just a slight improvement.> I
am upgrading to a 50g. Lighting 250 HQI. SunPod 12 led moonlights
w/auxiliary t5's, (I know I will have to acclimate the BTA to this
stronger lighting) Tunze nano skimmer, flow 1400 gph w/SCWD and
additional 300gph w/SCWD cleverly covered in rockwork for anemone
safety. Fuge with Chaeto is built in back chamber w/ lighting to be
kept on 24 hrs daily. Livestock and all live rock from display is now
in a 30g. Rubbermaid tub w/skimmer 2 smaller circulating pumps, heater,
150HQI w/T5. They are all looking good and happy. My largest BTA (appx.
10" across center, not including tentacles) split on the day of
the move, so far healing nicely. <Ten inches, wow! Believe you are a
little skimpy with the improvement in the upgrade to house
BTA's.> I started up this tank 2/07/09, using Seachem
"Stability" according to label instructions. New display has
new rock (purchased dry) I saved all the rock from filtering area of
old tank (in nylon stocking for later easy removal) for the bacterial
benefit, placed in display area of tank. I can keep this as long as
necessary. Tank is going through cycle now. I have added 5 hermits and
I have been adding contents of skimmer cup that is pulled out of the
bucket of my livestock to fuel cycle. <Overkill here and can/will
lead to high nitrate levels.> I have been checking ammonia and
nitrite daily. Ammonia has peaked and fallen to 0 still no measurable
nitrites. I plan on going very slowly, when should I start adding live
stock. <As long as no ammonia is present, do it now.> I plan on
fish first one at a time and waiting a few days to see if I have any
mini cycling. <The live rock should have plenty of bacteria on it to
handle the nitrogen cycle. Would not worry too much here.> I am very
worried about adding the BTA's. I can easily keep them in their
current location for months if need be, I monitor this container
closely. Amonia-0 Nitrite-0 Nitrate-undetectable Kh-9 Calcium-420
PH-8.0, Magnesium 1280. I dose w/B-Ionics daily (testing KH and Calcium
to keep these at proper levels) <Sounds good.> Any advice you can
give me will be greatly appreciated, I have been getting conflicting
recommendations. My main concern is when to add the BTA's, I have
been keeping them successfully for 4 years (first one added, the rest
are clones of original, never lost any to date) and don't want to
jepordize <jeopardize> their health. Please tell me what I am
doing wrong or right and your recommendations on how I should proceed.
I am waiting for your response. <I would just add most of the water
from the previous tank to the new tank. This will require you to siphon
out some of the new water but you can always store it in the Rubbermaid
for future water changes. In that regard the BTA's should suffer
little transfer shock. The tank is a little small for keeping BTA's
but by your email, it sounds like you have enough experience with
BTA's and could likely get away with keeping them in your 50. I
personally do not recommend it.> Thank you so much for sharing your
knowledge with us hobbyists, your site is a valuable resource I
treasure and consult almost daily. <You're welcome. James (Salty
Dog)> A WetWebMedia fan, Linda Mecher : )
Clown / Anemone Tank 8/17/08 Once again I find
myself meditating in the presence of the Wet Web Media shrine, looking
for answers. <We share!> I have recently added a second marine
tank to my collection. Well, I actually put my old starter tank back
into service. I want to turn this 46 gallon bowfront into a clownfish /
anemone tank. I would love to add an anemone to my 120 gallon reef but
I'm not willing to chance the losses. <You're at least
"Bud" wiser here> I'm thinking of going with all tank
raised specimens to increase my chance of success. I'd like your
advice on a few things, as this is uncharted territory for me. I'd
like to keep a Rose Bubble Tip Anemone and a pair of either Maroon or
True Percula clowns. These will most likely be the lone residents of
the system due to the bio-load. The tank set up is very new, only a
week or so. I used 80 lbs. of precured Florida aqua cultured live rock
from my local dealer, so little to no die off hopefully. Truly
beautiful stuff, covered in coralline algae, serpent stars, sponges,
feather dusters and all types of macro algae. <Neat!> I run a
Marineland Magnum 350 filter with BioWheels for filtration and keep the
chemical filtration canister packed with Chemi-Pure. <Still needs
weekly cleaning...> I'm thinking of getting a Hamilton
Technology hood containing (4) 95 watt VHO fluorescent bulbs, 2 being
Super Actinic Blue <Just one here please... see WWM re actinics>
and 2 being Actinic White. Metal halide scare me because of the heat
over such a small tank volume. Will this be sufficient for a RBTA?
<Could be> My other questions are related to timing. How long
should the system age before introducing the RBTA? <A couple months
at least> Lastly, should the clownfish or anemone go in first?
<Either> Again, I wish you all well, and appreciate all you do
for the concerned aquarium keepers. Shawn Baltimore, MD <And the
same to/for you Shawn. Bob Fenner, out in (tonight) gorgeous Kona
HI>
BTA, lgtg., comp. with Angels 7/17/2008 Wow,
fastest reply... Dare I think... Bubble Tipped Anemone? (384 watts PC
lighting). Or is that wrasse & angel food, do you think... Thomas
Roach <Pomacanthids do eat such anemones... if they're
unprotected... All stated, where? RMF>
Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor, BTA --
6/14/08 So I have a 60g with a BTA. When I placed him into
the tank he moved about an inch to the left on the same rock. He
is well established now, having been in his current tank for
about a month. I want to move him closer to the lighting, he is
down at the bottom. <It is happy there, getting the amount of
light that it needs. > Every time I try the maroon that hosts
come chasing after me. <They can be very protective. > My
idea was to place the maroon in a bucket for a moment while I
reestablish the rock the BTA is on. My question is, will the BTA
be stressed by this? I know if he doesn't like the spot I put
him in, he will move. What is the likely hood of harming this
animal? <Assuming that this anemone is healthy, moving the
entire rock that the anemone is on will likely not stress the
anemone for long. If you are removing the anemone from the rock,
this will cause stress, and I don't recommend it. You are
correct, if you select a spot that the anemone does not find
adequate, it will move. > I do not want to through a wrench in
the system if it is working. Thank you and I continue to gain
copious amounts of knowledge from this site. <Good to hear!
> Spencer <You're welcome! Brenda >
Re: Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor, BTA --
6/16/08 Thank you for the response. <You're
welcome! > Just to bring you up to date, I dug out the sand
underneath the rock and propped it up on another rock, bringing
it up about 3 inches. So not much but creating a bridge (if you
will) into a cave and gave the Maroon the ability to host on a
nice little ledge. I have attached a photo, I was very pleased it
worked out so well. <Me too! > Thanks again for the help. I
really feel rest assured that I can find information
instantaneous and so accurate that I can trust. <It is my
pleasure. A word of caution, your anemone looks like it is
lacking food. I'd like to see much longer tentacles. What are
you feeding, how often, and what sized portions? Is there any
chance that the Maroon, and/or shrimp is taking the food from it?
Brenda > Spencer Hall
Re: Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor,
BTA -- 6/23/08 <Hello Spencer, I apologize for the
delay in my response. Things got a bit crazy on me lately.
> Well I feed him about every three days, and a pretty
healthy portion of mysis. <Too large of portions will end
up as no food, as the anemone will not be able to handle it
and will regurgitate it several hours later. > One thing
that I thought was a little weird: when I place an algae
wafer in, the Maroon takes it and gives it to the BTA. The
BTA eats the whole thing. Is that common? <It is common
for clownfish to feed their anemone, but not common for an
anemone to eat an alga wafer. It needs meaty foods. > I
notice that after I feed him his tentacles become bulbous,
and he gets some bubble tips. <Not uncommon. > During
the day he looks like crap pushing out waste (no pun
intended), and at night he is much more open. <Expelling
waste is normal, but it sounds like he is regurgitating a
large portion of food. > What can I do to help this?
<Try feeding smaller amounts. > I check my water every
few weeks and do regular water changes. <Good! > Should
I feed more often? <I would feed daily, but feed tiny
portions, 1/8' size for now. Once you see improvement,
you can try ¼' every few days. Never feed a
portion bigger than the anemones mouth. > There is no one
in the tank that is stealing his food in fact the Maroon
takes him more food after I feed him. <Good, I think we
just have a case of too much food at one time here. >
About a month ago I started using Trace Elements every two
weeks. I haven't noticed any changes in him since but I
thought that it might help the whole tank get some nutrients
that are lost from filtration. <Be careful with adding
trace elements. Never add anything unless you are testing for
it. Most of your trace elements, if not all, are replaced
with water changes. > Could it be the lighting? I am using
a 48w t5. Currently I am running 1-10000K and three 460nm
Actinic, all T5. I just added the other two other actinic
because my main lighting fixture turned both actinic and
daylight off at the same time so I wanted to add another
actinic to simulate the sun rising and falling. Should I
replace the actinic in the main t5 with another daylight so
there is two and two. The tank is a 60g that is 30" long
by 18" wide by 24 (I think) high. Am I getting enough
light penetration? Sorry about all the questions. <I would
replace the actinic with a daylight bulb. Do you have
individual reflectors on the T-5 bulbs? > I have had the
BTA for some time now and when I got him he was very little,
only about 1.5". Now he is closer to about 3" but
still a little guy. Also, on another topic, the tank also
holds a 3" Volitans Lionfish. He is a great eater and an
eater of only frozen food. <He is not considered
completely reef safe, and I would not trust it with an
anemone.> I was lucky to have a LFS that got him eating
only prepared frozen food. I am having a little bit of an
Aiptasia problem and I want to add either a peppermint shrimp
or a coral banded shrimp. I know that if I add the
peppermint, he is at a much greater risk of being eaten. What
is the risk for the coral banded? <The same.> Will a
coral banded kill a lot of my cleaning crew, mostly comprised
of large hermits and a Emerald crab? Also, do you have any
other suggestions for treating the Aiptasia? <Yes, the
Coral Banded does have the potential to kill off your
cleaning crew. You could try the boiling water method. The
chemical method will work fine if you don't do a lot at
once. > I am trying to not go the chemical route but I
will if I have too. Do coral banded really help? <Not to
my knowledge.> I have heard mixed reviews. Well, sorry
again to bomb you with questions, but you have been so
helpful in deed. Spencer Hall <You're welcome! Brenda
> PS I attached another picture, this time of the
Volitans, he is a good looking guy. |
|
|
|
Anemone Health and Systems -- 4/24/08 My BTA is
deflating in a very alarming way since Saturday morning. I
understand they can deflate to defecate but this is not it.
I've had the BTA for 3 months now and she has never acted this
way. She is deflating with mouth wide open. <This is not
good!> I can see her cavity empty. She is releasing a very thick
gel (no poo) She will remain like this for the next 3-4 hours and
come back to life. When she does, especially during night time, she
gets very enlarged (over inflated) tips bubbled up, not normal for
her. <It is not uncommon for this species to have bubbled tips
some times and not at other times.> The water parameters are PH
8.0-8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrates 0, the hard Nitrates 0.5 (just fed 2
hrs ago) the KH 10. The GH text never works for me but today is the
schedule water change. There are a few factors to consider so I
need your help. First, I did a Blackout on 4/12 for 40 hours to
control algae bloom. <What is causing the algae bloom?> After
that my largest Clownfish changed behavior. He is the only
clownfish that was purchased at a store. He (or should I say She)
is projecting dominance towards my other clownfish. These acts of
dominance are staged on the anemone. Can the clownfish be roughing
up the BTA? <Yes.> Could she be repelling the fish? <It
looks to be starving and slightly bleached. What have you been
feeding?> On Friday I moved my small Hammer coral 5 inches down
from the BTA who sits in the top of a cave. The BTA did not show
any signs of harm or stress. See April 18 pic. <You have only
sent April 23 pictures.> On that day I also change the power
head that is pointed in the direction of the BTA (on 15min
intervals). It is a stronger power head than the last one. <Be
careful with powerheads. I don't recommend there use in a tank
with anemones. If your anemone starts to wander, which is a likely
event, it will be shredded.> Because she looked fine around 5pm,
I decided to meet with my clownfish breeder to get more fish. I had
4, one died and soon after the aggression began. <You will have
aggression with more than one pair of clownfish. Only one pair per
tank unless you have a system of a few hundred gallons or more.
Even with a few hundred gallons, there is no guarantee that the
clownfish will get along.> That Saturday night I also purchased
some frags a Xenia and a Frogspawn from the breeder. When I came
home to add the new species the BTA looked normal. I positioned the
Frogspawn 3 inches from the Hammer coral who immediately released
thin streaks of gel. <How did you acclimate?> It was late at
night and I didn't pay any attention to it and went to bed.
Next morning the corals look great but the anemone didn't.
After finding out the chemical war I probably initiated between the
two corals, I moved the Frogspawn to the other end of the tank.
Still, the BTA shriveled up and released gel the next day. Can the
corals be causing the problem? <They are not helping.> The
BTA is fed Mysis and little shrimps. <You may want to try small
portions of Silversides soaked in Selcon.> By accident we fed
the anemone 4 times last week (boyfriend forgot to check the
feeding calendar I keep on the fridge) I normally place the shrimp
on the tentacles next to the mouth and she picks it up if desired.
Apparently she desired all 4 times. <Is there anything stealing
its food?> To add to it...On Monday night my mother in-law got
me a Sebae Anemone. It is sitting in the opposite side of the tank,
attached and looking great. I don't know if my tank is big
enough to keep both. <It is not recommended to keep different
species of anemones in the same tank.> I will get a smaller tank
to keep it separate if needed. <This tank needs to be a well
established environment for an anemone. Six months to one year of
age is the recommendation.> I have a 120g tank that has been
running since Nov 07, skimmer, sump, 3 power heads and VHO light
system. <Your tank wasn't ready for an anemone. This is
adding to the problems. I recommend using Metal Halide Lighting or
some T-5 with individual reflectors on a tank of this depth. This
may be part of the anemones problem.> The BTA was added to the
tank 3 months ago Hammer Coral in tank for 3 weeks Neon green
Nephthea in tank for 1 month Frogspawn Coral and Xenia and a small
frag of Porites coral were added on Saturday night Sebae anemone,
blue hippo tang and new small frag of pink polyps were added Monday
night (gift from the in-laws). 7 Clownfish (one died before the
blackout) <Yikes! That is a lot of clownfish! Five of them need
to find new homes.> Yellow Tang Blue Hippo Tang Snowflake
Eel...don't ask :) <You really need to research your live
stock before you purchase and add to your system.> I added pics
from this morning changes 10am and 2pm. I will appreciate ANY
advice you can give specially in the landscaping area. <More
live rock would help. You don't have nearly enough for a 120
gallon system.> As you can see, it's very difficult for me
to plan the landscape based on species, temperament, light and
water flow. <This becomes easier in time with a lot of research.
More information on anemones found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemsysfaqs.htm > Thank you
<You're welcome! Brenda> |
|
Anemone Environment, Water Volume, Allelopathy,
BTA - 4/17/08 Hello, <Hello, Brenda here!> I've
done a fairly exhaustive search on the following topic and feel that
its answer may add to the database. I found reference to 100 gallons as
a minimum system volume (understandably) for a bubble tip anemone.
<Many keep them in smaller systems successfully; however, more water
volume is better. I don't recommend anything less than 40 gallons
for beginners.> Without debating other factors and assuming
excellent reef quality water quality, movement, filtration, light and
feeding would it be acceptable to keep these in a smaller dedicated
species tank within a larger system, specifically a 20 gallon (tall or
long) with a 15X exchange rate with a system approaching 200 gallons.
<That is acceptable. However when mixing anemones with coral, you
will want to run carbon to help with any chemical warfare.> The
idea, of course, is to display the clown fish/anemone relationship as a
refugium of sorts while taking advantage of the stability of the larger
volume system. I would not want to attempt this unless the animals
could thrive and reproduce. As an aside, would an anemone tank get
along better within a larger SPS system or a soft coral system with
regards to allelopathy? <SPS is a better choice in my opinion.
However some soft corals are fine. Mushroom corals, leathers and green
star polyps, to name a few, do cause chemical warfare in a reef tank.
If you decide to keep these corals, keep them to a minimum.> Would
you suggest a different species for this situation? <No, I think you
are on the right track, as long as water parameters are up to par, do
frequent water changes, and you are running fresh carbon.> Thank you
for your time. <You're welcome! Good luck to you! Brenda>
Trying to start a 29gal tank dedicated to
bubble tip anemone: lighting concerns Bubble Tip
Anemone/Systems 4/5/08 Good day, <Hello Chris> I've
recently received (a Bday present) a 29 gallon tank package
containing an enclosed hood, pump, and carbon filtration
capabilities after being out of home aquariums for several years.
I have maintained salt water aquariums in the past and have
always been interested in anemones. I would love to use my new
setup to dedicate a happy home to a Bubble Tip Anemone and Maroon
Clown pair with the appropriate live rock and invertebrates to
make them happy. <The tank is much too small for keeping
Maroon Clownfish, consider Percula Clowns.> My main concern at
this point is lighting. I read through much of the FAQ, but
I'm afraid I don't know much about the specifics of
lighting to make as much use of the information as I would like.
For my situation I would like to modify the hood to accommodate
some compact fluorescent fixtures (I'm handy enough to
accomplish this part of the task), but don't want to waste my
time, money, energy and the animal's lives (this is probably
the most important concern for me) if this is not likely to be a
successful endeavor. The tank is 15-18 inches in depth and I
think I can get 4x 55watt compact fluorescent fixtures fit in the
hood. Is this likely to be a happy environment for a Bubble Tip?
If so, what combination of 55watt compact fluorescent bulbs would
you recommend? <Should be more than adequate, three lamps
would be fine. I'd go with three 10K and one actinic. If you
decide on three lamps I'd go with one 10K and two 50/50
lamps.> What other issues should I be concerned with? Some
issues that I am considering are: 1) Raising the bottom of the
tank with live sand 3+ inches to decrease the depth of the tank.
<No need, the lamps should provide plenty of light.> 2)
Having adequate water flow. <300 gph total flow rate would do
the trick.> 3) Is a protein skimmer essential for my tank?
<Does improve water quality and keep nitrates/phosphates under
control.> 4) Appropriate invertebrates to assist with tank
cleanliness (I used to have "cleaner shrimp" and would
love to have them again if they would be good neighbors)
<Hermits and a few snails will work here, the shrimp could be
an additional addition.> 5) Choice of live rock. I prefer the
nice purple color of Fiji, but would be happy with whatever keeps
the Bubble Tip at home. <Your choice here, the anemone
won't care.> I think that is about it for now. I just want
to reiterate that I am dedicating the tank to the Bubble
Tip/Maroon Clowns and want to do what is best for them (with the
only strict requirement being the reliance on 2 to 4 55watt
compact fluorescent bulbs for lighting)...if I am not able to
make them happy I will stick with some live rock and a few pretty
fish:) <No Maroon Clowns, too large for your tank. Do read
here and linked files on the Bubble Tip Anemone.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm >
Thanks so much for your help! <You're welcome. James
(Salty Dog)> Chris
Re: Bubble Tipped Anemone/Systems 4/8/08
Hi, <Hello Chris> Thanks for your help. <You're
welcome.> After doing more research I agree that the Maroon
(spiny cheek) Clownfish is not the best choice for my tank. I
have decided on a BTA and will focus my search on a locally
cloned one. <Good, research should always be done before
purchasing to insure your system is compatible for what you want
to keep.> After looking at several retrofit kits available I
feel I would be able to light my tank with 3x55w PC (2x10K and 1
actinic), however I was reading up on T5s and think I can squeeze
at least 4x24W T5s (maybe even 6x24w). Even if I could only do
4x24W T5s would these be superior to 3x55W PCs? <Go with the
PC's, the 4x24W would be borderline.> If I did 4x24W how
would you recommend allocating 10k and actinic bulbs? what about
a 6x24W setup? <The 6x24 would work and I'd go with 2
actinic and 4 10K.> And finally on the subject of lighting,
what manufacture(s) would you recommend for retrofit kits
(ballasts, reflectors, cooling fan(s)) and bulbs? <I'd go
with the SunPaq retros. As far as cooling fans, they can be
purchased at Radio Shack. If noise is a concern, I'd go with
Ice Cap Fans. SunPaq and Coral Life are good choices for
lamps.> I am planning on using 25-35 pounds of live rock
(probably Fiji) and since the tank will be starting with this I
am leaning towards curing the live rock myself in hopes of having
more interesting species survive (seems most of the cured LR I
see at the LFS is sparsely populated outside of coralline
algae)...any reason why this would be a bad idea? <No,
I've done the same.> Would you advise occasional addition
of liquid food for various critters in/on the LR during curing or
will decaying matter provide adequate nutrition? <Would not
add anything, waste levels will be high enough.> Is 2-3 months
adequate time to cure LR and is a simple water quality test
enough to let me know when curing is complete? <An ammonia
test kit will be needed to insure levels have dropped too zero.
At this point the live rock will be cured.> I'm assuming
it would be a good idea to provide at least some lighting (maybe
half of whatever setup I end up with) even during the curing
process...any reason this would be a bad idea? <Very bad idea.
With the high waste levels present you will be encouraging an
algae bloom.> I also want to use approximately 1 inch of live
sand for the floor...will this speed the curing process or would
it be better to add it to the tank after the LR is cured? <I
would add after the rock is cured.> I've been spending 1-2
hrs a night reading through your site on so many different
subjects...thank you so much for the service you are providing!
<You're welcome, and do read about live rock and curing on
our site.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/Live_Rock/live_rock.htm
James (Salty Dog)> Thanks again, Chris
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BTA lighting needs 03/09/2008 Hi guys (you rock!)
<<Hello, Andrew here....Hmmm...Do we "live" rock?
.....he he he>> I turned my old 14g BioCube into a qt tank for my
75g, and I got a green BTA the other day, it's about 2", very
small, and I stuck him in there for the time being, is there enough
light in there to sustain him for a while? it has a 24w 10000k
daylight, and 24w true actinic...he found a nice spot on a piece of
rock about 5" from the surface and seems to be happy there. when
the time comes to move him to the big tank, I'm just going to move
the entire rock he's on...so is there enough light in there to
sustain him? <<As long as it seems happy in there, I would not
worry too much. I would agree that when you move this, take the rock
and all to the other tank. A word on quarantine tanks here for future.
Its always best not to use live rock in the quarantine tank...Reason
for this is because its an idea place to harbour parasites and for them
to move from one inhabitant to the next. The best thing to use is
pieces of PVC pipe, like house drain pipe parts and a bare bottom to
the tank. This way, there is nowhere for anything to attach too>>
Thanks, Rob <<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A
Nixon>>
Maroon Clownfish Species Tank. Adding an Anemone To an
Established System 2/27/08 Currently I have a 120 reef,
mostly a variety SPS with a few LPS including Acans and Chalices. The
total volume is about 200G if you include the 40G refugium with Chaeto,
sand, and LR for pod production. The tank has a pair of Black Ocellaris
Clownfish, 2 Pajama Cardinals, a Lawnmower Blenny, and a Foxface.
<Interesting mix of fishes.> This tank will be plumbed into the
rest of the system creating a 250G system. I was thinking a 150W 12K
halide over the RBTA. The tank would have Live Rock, the anemone, and
the pair of clownfish nothing else. Currently the system is 0 0 0
Nitrates, ammonia and nitrite, 1.026 Specific Gravity, and 79 degree
temperature. <Sounds like a workable system!> My question
isn't about any problem with the system, everything is running
excellently. My question is about a new tank I am going to be plumbing
into the system. I am setting up a 55G corner tank 20" tall. I
plan on keeping a RBTA, my good friend has one that splits every couple
months or so in their 300G reef. <Nice!> I want to keep the
anemone separate from the reef in the corner tank with two Yellow
Stripe Maroon Clownfish. My main tank has sugar fine sand, but do you
suggest a sugar fine, or a rubble in the anemone tank. I am looking at
throwing a 20-30x flow into the tank with no power heads at all for the
anemone's sake. <Good thinking!> Overall how do you feel
about this system, is this combo too much for this additional tank?
<Sounds pretty good to me. I would just monitor water quality
continuously. Also, use of chemical filtration media would be a good
idea, because the chemical products released by the anemone could be
detrimental for the corals in the other part of you system. I
personally like a combination of substrate materials, so I like to mix
'em. Really, it's a personal preference. Hope this helps!
Regards, Scott F.> Thank you so much for your time again WWM,
Cheekymonkey
RBTA Adding an Anemone tank to current system
-- 1/31/08 <Hello, Brenda here!> My current setup is a 120G
with 35G fuge, and 35G sump coming to 190G total volume. Lighting is
4x54w actinic t5's, and 2 250w 14k halides (definitely a white 14).
The system is heavily skimmed, the fuge is filled with Chaeto and live
rock separated by shelves over a deep sand bed, so that there is flow
throughout, keeps the Chaeto spinning and the rock and sand from being
covered in detritus. The system is stocked with a Foxface lo, chevron
tang, 2xblack ocellaris, lawnmower blenny, 2xpajama cardinals, various
snails. The coral is mostly sps along with a few pieces of chalice, and
some zoanthids... Mushrooms were removed to avoid allelopathy. <Good
choice!> I would like to add another tank attached to the system for
an RBTA and move my two black ocellaris over to it, and hope with all
my might that they decide to allow the RBTA to host them. What is the
minimum size for the tank that is FAIR to the RBTA, I don't want to
put it in a tank that is too small for it. All the FAQ's I read
about them encouraged large volume but I am not sure how much of that
is for the size of the RBTA and how much is for water quality. <This
is mainly because of water quality. However, the E. quadricolor can
reach 18' or more.> Due to the volume of the total system, and
the conditions I keep the tank under for the SPS I am confident I can
provide the water quality for the RBTA, so I am just curious of how
large a tank for it to be able to settle in. <I would not go with
anything smaller than 20 gallons.> Thank you so much! Cheekymonkey
<You're welcome! Brenda>
Will my BTA live ? Lambda 11/18/07 I have a
92 gallon corner tank with 40 pounds of live rock and 40 pounds of live
sand I have a Nova Extreme t5 4-39W, all 10000k day bulbs. Is this
enough light for BTA or will I need more light? Thanks <I would put
at least 2-3 times that amount of light to keep the anemone healthy,
you are welcome, Scott V.>
E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues -- 11/14/07
Hello once again! <Hello Ryan, Brenda here> I have yet
another question for you. <Not a problem!> It never ends,
does it? <No, but this is how we all learn, and why we are
here.> Thanks for all your great help so far and hopefully you
can help me out with this interesting situation? <I'll
try!> I recently moved my bubble tip anemone and its clone to
a new tank. The new tank was setup with existing live rock and
water, as well as some Chaetomorpha algae. <This is not an
instant cycle. This creature needs an established environment,
including the sand bed. This takes a minimum of 6 months, one
year is best.> Everything has been going well, except the
endless walking around the tank. <It is not happy.>
Different flow and lights will cause that. <The new tank is
likely the cause.> Yesterday I came home from work and found
something interesting. The anemones had been fed the day before
and looked a little unhappy. <What are you feeding it?> I
took a look and found something interesting? I've posted this
on three forums and no one has responded, which, in my opinion
means no one has an answer? Today the anemones look much happier
and the "egg sac" in the attached picture is gone.
After I took the picture last night I noticed the tentacle
started to tear open but I did not stay up late enough to see if
anything was released? I added some carbon and did a water change
just in case something in the tank was off. <You need to keep
a close eye on your water parameters.> Thanks for looking,
Ryan.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_1496.jpg
It is just to the right of the mouth. <Yes, I see this.>
Any ideas? <Well, I can tell you, it is not an egg sac. Here
is a link to a thread that shows eggs inside of an anemone. The
pictures in this thread are amazing.
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic74210-9-1.aspx This is also a
good article to read:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/feature.htm As far
as what is going on; it could be a number of things. It looks to
me like one of its tentacles has become injured or irritated.
What are the tank mates, including fish, corals and
invertebrates? Have you noticed anything bothering it? Are there
any possibilities that salt accumulated somewhere and dropped
into the tank, landing on the anemone? What are your water
parameters? How long has this tank been up and running? Did you
transfer the sand bed over also? If so, how long did you leave it
cycle before adding the livestock? Thanks again. <You're
welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues --
11/15/07 Hi Brenda, thanks for the reply. <Hello Ryan, and
you're welcome!> You are not going to like this?
<Yikes!> I did the entire change over in one day!
<Ouch!> After asking many people if it would be OK if I
used existing live rock and water as well as some Chaeto, they
all said yes. <No, it is not ok, especially with anemones.>
So if this was not OK what can I do now? Water parameters were
fine until I fed the anemones, I fed them shrimp, same shrimp
I've fed for over a year. My ammonia was a little high the
day after and I'm assuming that one or both of the anemones
did not eat their "dinner", causing the higher ammonia.
<The ammonia spike is caused by the cycle. This is extremely
toxic to anemones.> I did a water change to fix the problem, a
rather large water change and after that they both looked fine.
Here are the water parameters, ammonia 0, nitrite 0 (yes I'm
sure), nitrate 0, calcium 400, Alk 10 DKH, salinity 1.025, temp.
79....I think that's it. <I do recommend a salinity of
1.026 for anemones.> The tank has a couple of frags that were
attached to the live rock, Montipora and that is it, no other
corals or fish....oh other than the one Palythoa hijacker. Please
let me know if there is a way I can fix this situation? <I
suggest getting the anemones out of there for a while. See if you
can find someone local to take it in. If you are starting with a
new sand bed, you need to wait a minimum of 6 months. If you
transferred the old sand bed, it will take less time, but I
can't give you an exact time frame. It could take a few
weeks, or even a few months. There are too many variables. You
will need to keep checking your water parameters. Once everything
has been stable for a while, you can put the anemones back
in.> I assure you I did a lot of questioning before I went
ahead with this move and everyone said it was fine. Now I need
your help, please. I did not check the links yet because I'm
in a bit of a rush and trying to catch you today rather than
tomorrow. Thanks for your help, Ryan. <You're welcome!
Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues --
11/16/07 Thank you Brenda! <You're Welcome!> Sorry
to keep this going back and forth with you. <No need to be
sorry!> The sand is new, I thought I was saving myself cycling
issues by doing this rather than using old "dirty"
sand, apparently I was wrong. <Even when using old sand, there
will still be a cycle.> I have little trust in others in my
area, I work at a LFS but don't want my anemones there
because they cram them all in one little tank. <Ouch! I know
what you mean! When visiting a LFS, I first look at how they
treat their anemones. I can't count how many times I've
left feeling sick! I have found very few LFS that provide an
adequate environment for this creature.> I don't know
anyone else (local) with a tank that would be suited to keep
anemones. <Wish I could help, I would gladly take the anemones
in for a while if you were local.> So that being said I would
prefer to try and fix the problem by myself. I watch things very
carefully and hopefully I can pull this off? I have a SPS reef
tank that has been doing great for over a year (started it before
that). Here's what I've been doing. I'm making 5
gallons of new saltwater per day, letting it rest (with a pump)
for a day, adding that to my reef tank, then I take 5 gallons out
of my reef tank and change 5 gallons on my anemone tank. <This
is a waste of effort in my opinion. You simply can not create an
instant cycle. Your new tank needs time to cycle. Dirty water is
not the solution. Once your tank has cycled it will still not be
an adequate environment for anemones.> Not the best method but
hopefully this will get me through this 6 month period? I know
you are not going to be all that fond of this idea. <No,
I'm not fond at all, neither are the anemones. They need an
established environment, no less than 6 months, no short cuts
here.> Do you think it is possible to keep my anemones if I
continue to do this? <It is a possibility, but not a
probability, also not fair to the anemones to be kept in such an
environment.> My other option would be to somehow get them
back in my reef tank. <This would be my choice, with a slow
drip acclimation to reduce added stress.> I would prefer not
to lose my corals. That is an option that I would rather not go
for. <Were the anemones in the SPS tank previously? Were there
problems that made you decide to move them, roaming, etc.? I keep
anemones with SPS, and have had no issues. My anemones do not
roam, and I keep the SPS away from the anemones. Granted, this is
not a guarantee that they won't roam someday. Can you tell me
more about your SPS tank? Size, equipment, livestock, water
parameters, amount of flow, RO or RO/DI water, is there room for
the anemones? I appreciate your help a lot. Please try and see
things from my point of view on this. <I do, (and the anemones
view) we've all made mistakes.> I am doing my best to keep
them happy. I guess I should have emailed you first, before I
made the transfer. By the way both anemones look very healthy and
happy! <This may not be long term.> Thanks so much, Ryan.
<You're welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues... Brenda!
Refer Ryan! -- 11/16/07 Hi Brenda, <Hello Ryan!>
Thanks again! <You're welcome!> The anemones were in
the SPS tank before but the two used to be one, it split and then
both started roaming. <Both are a sign of stress.> They are
also very large so their tentacles swaying in the current (lots
of flow) were causing problems with my corals and clam. <Yes,
that is a problem!> I use RO/DI water, have 4000 gph of flow
(90 gallon tank), <That is a lot of flow, likely too much for
anemones.> a EuroReef skimmer, Kalk reactor, refugium with a
DSB and Chaeto, 500 watts of metal halide lighting (10K), 100+
pounds of live rock, 30 gallon sump, etc. <Nice
equipment!!!> My water parameters in the SPS tank are ammonia
0, nitrite 0, nitrate 1.5, calcium 400, DKH 11, Ph 8.3, temp. 79,
SG 1.025-1.026.....I think I got all of those? My SPS tank is
packed full of corals and my main concern is the anemones
wandering or letting loose of the live rock and floating into a
Tunze powerhead. <I don't recommend the use of powerheads
with anemones. If you must use them, they need to be covered with
something to protect the anemone.> I can provide you a link to
a picture to show you my tank so you get a feel for how packed it
is. My other thought was putting them in the refugium but then I
would have to buy an additional light and most likely keep that
light on at the same time my tank lights are on (not sure why I
think that?). <I don't know why you think that either. I
recommend the refugium light to be on at opposite times of the
main tank. Placing the anemones in the sump (with proper
lighting) is an option as long as you can be sure the anemones
are protected from all pumps. Anemones going through a pump can
wipe out an entire system. Without seeing your set up or knowing
how much flow is going through it, I really can't recommend
it.> I certainly want to keep the anemones happy so I'll
do what I need to. I'm also wondering if there would be a
safe way to connect the two tanks for a period of 6 months. I
cannot drill the tank, it's brand new acrylic and cost enough
that I would not feel comfortable putting a temporary hole in it.
<I don't blame you. What size/type tank is your new one?
How close is it to the old one? What lighting do you have on it?
Do you have any old tanks around that you could temporarily
connect to the established tank, a 20 gallon or so? I do suggest
running carbon, and frequent water changes when mixing coral and
anemones. The initial problems you experienced may have been
caused by chemical warfare, along with too much flow.> I
really appreciate all your help. Here's a picture so you can
see what I'm dealing with.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_1508.jpg
<Yes, a bit crowded for anemones.> I guess the other option
would be to cage them in with some egg crate until they are
attached and happy? <There are no guarantees that creating a
cage will create happiness. I believe there is simply too much
flow in your main tank, and possibly chemical warfare. In the
mean time, take a cup or two of sand out of your established
tank, and start seeding your new tank.> Thanks once again,
Ryan. <You're welcome! Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues --
11/17/07 Thanks Brenda! <You're welcome> Wow the
longest running WWM FAQ ever....I'm joking. I do have extra
tanks but connecting them safely would be an issue. The only way
I could do that is to have a pump in the main tank and a pump in
the connected tank, both pumping water back and forth, we both
know you should not do that. The refugium may work. I have no
pumps in the Fuge, just a feed pump from a different area of the
sump which supplies clean water and lower flow. I would need to
upgrade the lighting but other than that I think that may work.
Here's what I'm going to do today. Take some sand out of
the refugium, add it to the anemone tank, take a large amount of
Chaeto and add that to the anemone tank as well. I am also going
to try and add some flow without having a pump directly in the
tank with the anemones. I think they miss the flow. Both settled
in a very high flow location in my reef tank so maybe that's
what they're looking for. <They are suffering from being
placed in a non-cycled/non-established tank. It is important that
you get them out of there. This is not only very stressful on
anemones, but also one of the leading causes of death in
captivity.> I'll assume this will be the last email about
this, so once again thanks so much for all your help. I'll
give you an update in a month or so. Thanks, Ryan. <Good luck
to you! Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues --
4/7/08 Hi Brenda, <Hello Ryan! It has been a while! > I
hope you're the one who gets this? <Sorry for the delay,
I've been out for a few days. > I wanted to let you know
everything with the two anemones is going well, no issues at all.
It was a little rough at the start but after a month or so
everything seemed to cool off. <Keep an eye on them. You are
just approaching the 6-month mark. The stress that the move has
caused them over the last few months could cause them to rapidly
decline if there is even a slight problem. > The anemones have
not moved in months and are very happy in their new home.
<Good to hear! > I seem to have a bit of a nutrient issue
which caused a population of Aiptasia to explode, but other than
that everything is going really well. <You'll want to get
that under control. Aiptasia can sting BTAs.> I recently
bought a used AquaC Remora skimmer, which will help with the
nutrient load. <Awesome product! Keep the pump away from the
anemones. > I know you thought and insisted this could not be
done, but with frequent water changes and careful feeding I seem
to have accomplished something most apparently cannot? <My
thoughts have not changed. It is very stressful on the anemones,
unfair, and often deadly. See the before and after pictures that
you submitted below. > I also added 2 black and white clowns
(tank bred), which love the anemones! <Adorable clownfish!
> Here is a picture of the happy anemones and their happy
clowns.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_2221.jpg
<It looks like they have lost quite a bit of color
(zooxanthellae) since this picture that you sent me in November:
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_1496.jpg
This really shows just how stressful the last few months have
been on them. If there are no more problems, they should continue
to recover.> Thanks for all your help!! You're welcome!
Good luck to you! Brenda>
Re: E. quadricolor, New Tank Issues --
4/8/08 <Hello Ryan!> Thanks for the concern and
pointing out the color difference to me, but I think I have an
explanation of why they looked so bright before? <Okay.>
That picture, the one from November was taken when the lights
were off using flash and possibly a flashlight. The color from
the flash or flashlight is much more yellow than the color from
the lights on the tank. The reason I took that picture at that
time was because it was the only time the anemone was deflated
enough to see the weird egg shaped tentacle. I'm not saying
this was a brilliant idea to put the anemones in a new tank and I
hope things continue to work out the way they have. <I hope so
too. However, this photo
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/RyanSc_photos/IMG_2221.jpg
leads me to believe this anemone has not completely regained its
health. > The lighting they were in before was 500 watts of
metal halide and now they are under 130 watts of PC lighting.
<What size tank are they in now?> Maybe that caused a
difference in color as well? <Lighting does play a role in
coloration. However, I'm seeing some white and some areas
that look a bit transparent.> They have been eating when I
feed, which has been very sparingly so far and appear to be
perfectly happy? <Try feeding some small portions of
silversides soaked in Selcon, and feeding more often.> I
really hope I'm not wrong and this continues to work out?
<With an adequate environment, they will continue to
improve.> About the skimmer, it's located in a back
chamber of the tank; the tank has an internal filtration system
so everything is hidden behind the overflow which should prevent
any damage to the anemones from pumps. <Great!> Thanks for
all your help and if you would like I can give you another update
in a month or two? <That would be great!> Thanks again,
Ryan <You're welcome! Brenda>
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