Carpet Anemone Not Adjusting

[matthew_k]

I have a haddoni carpet anemone. Purchased it bout two months ago from local shop. When he was purchased, I only had regular flourscent lights that come standard with tank. The anemone didn't have much color when i bought it, probably tan, with a yellow mouth. THe anemone remained in the regular light for 1.5 months, before i upgraded to compact flouscent lights. Now the anemone is yellowish green so I guess that means its zooxanthellae is coming back, right? I ask because now i have the brighter lights, the anemone hands its mouth open and sinks into its hole all day, but when just moon lights are on, it comes out and opens really nice. THe tank i bought it from also had poor lighting. It the anemone just not adjusting to the bright lighting? Everything i read suggests that it needs good lighting, but what i see is another story. All specs on tank are fine. I don't feed the anemone though, tried many different things, all with no success. Please help clue me in.

 

[Navarre]

The original tan colour means it was full of zooanthae. algae. When the lighting it poor it will bring more to the surface to maximise light to give enough energy to digest food. THe brighter the light the more its needed to control the symbiotic algae and thus it colours up to shield/regualte their growth. If the anenome appears to be unhapy then you might have given ti "light shock" Always slowly adjust the lighting strenght over a period of about a week so it can adjust slowly. I still think your lights are nowhere near enough to keep an anenome alive as they need halides minimum IMO but have you considered other ossibilities as to why its not happy? Do you use RO water? If not then the nitrates and phosphates could well be upsetting it from the tapwater. You water perameters need to be spot on for an anenome. Lighting is only 1 simple aspect of keeping them.

 

[Opcn]

The general opinion is that T-5's done correctly are more intense than MH's, and they are also cheaper and run off compact flourescent ballasts and the bulbs last for 18-24 months, perhaps you should get some and do some DIY work with your ballast to run them. I would switch imediately back to the NO florescents and then slowly adjust to the PC's then slowly adjust to T-5's, but thats just me, also you might consider feeding it some fish or krill if its mouth is open

 

[matthew_k]

I have checked the water quite often lately becasue i was parinod that the water was off, but everyting is perfect. My salinity is 1.025 which is slightly high, but shouldn't bother it. Will the anemone be ok with the light change? New lights have been up for about 3 weeks now. It was a change for the anemone though, seeing as i went from really no watts to about 3 watts per gallon. I have tried feeding the anemone food as well, never took to food. The anemone always shrivels up to nothing about twice a day and then opens up really big again. Most of the time is stays open at night though.

Also you all say lights aren't strong enough, but wouldn't stronger lights give it worse light shock? The lights have been up for a while, so shouldn't it have gotten over teh strong lights?

 

[SkiFletch]

An odd situation you describe here. Is your T5 fixture a double fixture that allows you independant control over the lights? Perhaps you can try just running one tube

 

[matthew_k]

I am not sure to be honest. I have Current USA Orbit Compact Flourscents running 2x65W Dual Daylight and 2x65 Dual Actinic. Wouldn't it be too late to try and fix the problem now? The lights have been running for a while now. The anemone does stay open some of the time, but i would say that most of time it's shriveled up. Just when i think it might be dead, its open really big the next morning. I don't want it to die, just don't know if it's healthy for anemone to shrivel up and expand that much. Plus, it just never eats anything i try to feed it. The anemone is pretty big, so i know it must not get enough food from the clowns.

 

[Lovesfish]

yes it is a double fixture having anitic and regular day light lights and 2 of each set with moon lights. Also RO water is used and the anemone has been shriviling up since it was brought home I just think we don't have the right conditions for it and should probably give it to someone that can better take care of it. dave