my old thread got closed for no reason. my sister went off to college long story short she never took care of her tank now that she's gone at least things will be getting done. the anenime used to be on the rocks all big and puffed out now its up close to the filter and real tight closed up every day it looks like its losing more color and too me looks half dead compared to what it once was probably 5 months ago it wont even eat an di read instructions on how to feed it. after redoing the tank cleaning the rocks don't know if there fake or reel but put them out in the sun got them nice white again not perfect bleach white but alot better then nasty scummy green/black, and red algae on them. now i would like to get him back on the rocks and hope eventually he will eat again and get real nice and big again like he used to be she paid $75 or it and it looks like terrible now. all the other salt tanks i see with them they are all big on the rocks not all shriveled up looking half dead. i would likw to know if i can move this thing on my own? wanted to ask before i repeated what i see all the time at the fsh store with them moving them from tank to tank or when they sell them i know they have tendency to not care at all about fish etc. appreciate the help.
aenime looks like dying and been off rocks for months
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Ostara
Keep Calm and Reef On
I'll try to give as much information as I can based on what you've told us, but we will need some more information.
Yes, you can move it on your own provided that you do it carefully and without damaging the foot of the anemone. It is easy to remove them from a smooth surface such as glass, especially if you use a credit card or something similar to loosen part of the foot. If it is in as poor of health as you describe, it likely will not be very firmly attached. However, getting it to take hold on the rocks may be trickier if it is unhealthy. If it has climbed to the top of the glass it is likely not getting enough light, and will climb back up there if you move it. If this is the case it would be better to leave it where it is.
As for the rocks, since you have experience with freshwater I assume that you know you should never remove the gravel/substrate of a freshwater tank and clean it. This is where much of your biofilter/ beneficial bacteria live. The same is true of rock in saltwater tanks. You should never remove and clean or dry it out unless you are completely taking down the tank and wish to store the rock dry. By doing this, you destroyed the stability and cycle of the tank. With much of the bacteria that support the animals dead the tank will now have to go through another (probably smaller, if you left the sand and filters alone) cycle. You will need to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate during this time and perform frequent water changes as needed to protect the inhabitants of the tank.
We do need to know the tank's parameters (particularly ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as I mentioned above) and especially the lighting used on the tank. Since many anemones rely heavily upon photosynthesis, the type and strength of your lighting is very important. If the anemone is turning white or pale, it is an indication that it is losing its zooxanthallae because your lighting is not strong enough to support it.
So, test the tank's parameters, find out and tell us what type of lighting the tank has, and if at all possible, post a picture! This will help a lot in terms of identifying the species of the anemone and the specific problems that it seems to be having.
As for your other thread being closed, some people have a hard time telling someone who is genuinely very inexperienced from someone who is trolling (trying to post something inflammatory to get a response). I saw your other thread and did not think that to be the case, but then I have spent probably way too much time on the internet and usually find it easy to tell the difference.
Someone else thought you were trying to cause trouble and asked a mod to lock the thread. As long as you check back and respond to the people giving replies you shouldn't have a problem.
Yes, you can move it on your own provided that you do it carefully and without damaging the foot of the anemone. It is easy to remove them from a smooth surface such as glass, especially if you use a credit card or something similar to loosen part of the foot. If it is in as poor of health as you describe, it likely will not be very firmly attached. However, getting it to take hold on the rocks may be trickier if it is unhealthy. If it has climbed to the top of the glass it is likely not getting enough light, and will climb back up there if you move it. If this is the case it would be better to leave it where it is.
As for the rocks, since you have experience with freshwater I assume that you know you should never remove the gravel/substrate of a freshwater tank and clean it. This is where much of your biofilter/ beneficial bacteria live. The same is true of rock in saltwater tanks. You should never remove and clean or dry it out unless you are completely taking down the tank and wish to store the rock dry. By doing this, you destroyed the stability and cycle of the tank. With much of the bacteria that support the animals dead the tank will now have to go through another (probably smaller, if you left the sand and filters alone) cycle. You will need to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate during this time and perform frequent water changes as needed to protect the inhabitants of the tank.
We do need to know the tank's parameters (particularly ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as I mentioned above) and especially the lighting used on the tank. Since many anemones rely heavily upon photosynthesis, the type and strength of your lighting is very important. If the anemone is turning white or pale, it is an indication that it is losing its zooxanthallae because your lighting is not strong enough to support it.
So, test the tank's parameters, find out and tell us what type of lighting the tank has, and if at all possible, post a picture! This will help a lot in terms of identifying the species of the anemone and the specific problems that it seems to be having.
As for your other thread being closed, some people have a hard time telling someone who is genuinely very inexperienced from someone who is trolling (trying to post something inflammatory to get a response). I saw your other thread and did not think that to be the case, but then I have spent probably way too much time on the internet and usually find it easy to tell the difference.
Someone else thought you were trying to cause trouble and asked a mod to lock the thread. As long as you check back and respond to the people giving replies you shouldn't have a problem.okay ill see if i can find the test kit. lighting im not sure of wha it is it cae from fish store she said they told her thats th eligh tto get but i thought thos ekind of lights were usally the purple.blue you see in reef tank's. and yea he is attached to the back glass up close to th efilter were the water comes back out. and i was not aware of taken th erocks out in a sal ttank as all the professional tank cleaners in my area includign the casinos always take th erocks out and replace them with cleaner looking ones. ill try to figure out how to get a picture my phone is the only camera i have. when i had a water test done last week at the fish store after i changed the rocks around everything was good. as fo rth eother subject im sorry i have a life and other things going on and cant sit in a chair lookign at a screen 24 hours a day like it seems the other person does. when peopel were not responding on my old thread righ taway i figured maybe i shoudl only check once a day since no one responded the first day soem forums are not too populated i been too.
Ostara
Keep Calm and Reef On
Not checking back is quite understandable; I frequently forget that I've even posted in a thread. 
As for the anemone, it certainly does look unhealthy. It appears to be a green bubble tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), and it is good that it isn't stark white at least. I would agree that you need your own test kits if possible; something like this one would do nicely, though I don't know how much it would cost in your area. If the fish store is just telling you it looks good without giving you actual numbers, it's not terribly helpful.
The lighting is tricky. Does the fixture have any brand, company name, or markings? If you could take a picture of the underside of the lighting when it's off we should be able to at least ID the type and whether or not it is strong enough for the anemone.
If the filter is shading it and/or the anemone is dangerously close to the intake, I would try to move it back to the rockwork. Anemones Will always wander where they want, but sometimes they decide to set up camp in places that simply aren't good for them. If you can find a little cove or crevice higher up on the rocks (until we find out what the lighting is), it should attach its foot there.
The gaping mouth and short, sparse tentacles are definitely signs of stress, but I can't give any firm ideas of what else is going on until we know the parameters of the tank and the lighting. I have a couple other questions:
Has it been fed on a regular basis until the point that she left? Starvation can cause the tentacles to shorten.
It is hard to tell from the picture, but are the tentacles on the left shorter or missing? I'm wondering if it managed to get caught in a pump and damaged and now is just staying in one spot trying to recover.
Hang in there, we'll get to the bottom of the issue soon enough! It is great that you are putting in so much effort to try and take care of your sister's tank while she is gone.
As for the anemone, it certainly does look unhealthy. It appears to be a green bubble tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), and it is good that it isn't stark white at least. I would agree that you need your own test kits if possible; something like this one would do nicely, though I don't know how much it would cost in your area. If the fish store is just telling you it looks good without giving you actual numbers, it's not terribly helpful.
The lighting is tricky. Does the fixture have any brand, company name, or markings? If you could take a picture of the underside of the lighting when it's off we should be able to at least ID the type and whether or not it is strong enough for the anemone.
If the filter is shading it and/or the anemone is dangerously close to the intake, I would try to move it back to the rockwork. Anemones Will always wander where they want, but sometimes they decide to set up camp in places that simply aren't good for them. If you can find a little cove or crevice higher up on the rocks (until we find out what the lighting is), it should attach its foot there.
The gaping mouth and short, sparse tentacles are definitely signs of stress, but I can't give any firm ideas of what else is going on until we know the parameters of the tank and the lighting. I have a couple other questions:
Has it been fed on a regular basis until the point that she left? Starvation can cause the tentacles to shorten.
It is hard to tell from the picture, but are the tentacles on the left shorter or missing? I'm wondering if it managed to get caught in a pump and damaged and now is just staying in one spot trying to recover.
Hang in there, we'll get to the bottom of the issue soon enough! It is great that you are putting in so much effort to try and take care of your sister's tank while she is gone.
appreciate al the help. they used the same kit i have for my freshwater the liquid api rystal vial were u fill up to certain mark with water and put drops in and match color code with the card. im heading out to bestbuy tomorrow to pick up nhl 2012 there is a pets mart in the shopping strip to ill check there if not the fish store is 15 minutes away. he actually has some white to him some days and others its not there but he just dont move a inch an dwont eat the scallopse when i hand feed it. used to love eating befor ehe moved and was on th rocks you could not stop him from getting bigger and eating.
ill get back to you in a bit with the lighting ill check on that in a minute
ill get back to you in a bit with the lighting ill check on that in a minute
compared to my freshwater planted tank lights this light looks dim. have t5ho lights custom made from soem place in texas i forgot the name but expensive.
onto the saltwater tank light:
GLO AQUA-GLO 24' 20W TB MADE IN JAPAN.
hope that helps. also if i did not mention it before its a small 20 gallon salt tank. standard rec.
onto the saltwater tank light:
GLO AQUA-GLO 24' 20W TB MADE IN JAPAN.
hope that helps. also if i did not mention it before its a small 20 gallon salt tank. standard rec.
sjwitt
New member
So you cleaned the rocks ... did you do a water change? When was the last time you did a water change? What type of salt are you using and do you have a refractometer to check the SG (Specific Gravity... i.e., level of salt concentration)? It should be around 1.024 - 1.026. As the water in the tank evaporates you need to top it off with fresh water ... not salt water because the salt doesn't evaporate. Check your SG and make sure it's not too low or too high.
Also, what type of circulation do you have in the tank? Do you have internal pumps or just the overflow and return as your circulation?
Also, what type of circulation do you have in the tank? Do you have internal pumps or just the overflow and return as your circulation?
circulation is just the filter if thats what your talkign about thats only thing that moves water. did not do a water change yet i may do one tomorrow. i have the salt tool thing im assuming your talking about the plastic thing when you do water changed that measures salt level. water has evaporated a little maybe about an inch was goign to let that go since im plannign on doign a water change very soon. not sure if its just the way that tank is or if its how a salt tank is but it seems like you can literally add water every other day- every 3 days compared to my freshwater tank i may only have to top it off with maybe a small pitcher that makes kool-aid maybe once every 3 weeks and i usually change the water weekly then 1 big one once a month. ill have to go down in the basement too late now ill check tomorrow on what kind of salt it is.
Why could you spell "anemone" correctly on your other thread?
Why is it important to us that you're going to Best Buy to get NHL 2012 and will stop by the Pets Mart?
Why do we need to know that you used a Kool-Aid pitcher to fill up your FW tank?
You kept FW fish for 4 years, and yet have absolutely no idea about any of the equipment on the tank, or even the terminology, used in SW?
Sorry, I'm having trouble buying this.
Kevin
Why is it important to us that you're going to Best Buy to get NHL 2012 and will stop by the Pets Mart?
Why do we need to know that you used a Kool-Aid pitcher to fill up your FW tank?
You kept FW fish for 4 years, and yet have absolutely no idea about any of the equipment on the tank, or even the terminology, used in SW?
Sorry, I'm having trouble buying this.
Kevin
can you even read? seriously. i copy and pasted it last time. dude told me to go get the test kit so i said i will. [profanity]and yea i do know what the equipment is on my freshwater tank.... and i have not taken care of the salt water tank until recently
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Your post seems almost too bizarre to be true. If this is not a troll post it seems like your sister did a very poor job of telling you what to do with her tank. She's the one you should be talking to and should have the first time things were looking bad.
The biggest mistake right off the bat was removing the rocks.
Sterilizing them did nothing for the tank. You probably threw off any balance there was in the tank.
Your first post was on the 4th. You've not even done a water change yet. That probably should have been the first, second, and third thing to do.
When I locked the thread I told you to contact me if you would like to reply, you did not.
I suggest you slow down and pay attention to what people have told you, and any more name calling and this will be locked also. There won't be another.
The biggest mistake right off the bat was removing the rocks.
Sterilizing them did nothing for the tank. You probably threw off any balance there was in the tank.
Your first post was on the 4th. You've not even done a water change yet. That probably should have been the first, second, and third thing to do.
When I locked the thread I told you to contact me if you would like to reply, you did not.
I suggest you slow down and pay attention to what people have told you, and any more name calling and this will be locked also. There won't be another.
Tmoriarty
New member
Not to defned the Op, but he sounds like a kid from highschool who just knows nothing about salt water tanks, had a tank dropped in his lap that was poorly setup to start with.
I agree that name calling is not needed, IMHO with the tank you have, and the lack of experience you have with salt water tanks you should take the anemone back to the LFS (local fish store) and let them have it or possibly get some store credit for it. Most likely the anemone will die in your tank because of cleaning the rocks. When you did that you caused a lot of dieoff which will re-start the cycle in your tank, that cycle could it self be fatal to the inhabitants.
@anemone,
He obviously doesn't know how to care for saltwater, but instead of being condescending perhaps give him advice or recommend he gets rid of the tank. People want to use this forum for help, sometimes they post non-relevant information.
I agree that name calling is not needed, IMHO with the tank you have, and the lack of experience you have with salt water tanks you should take the anemone back to the LFS (local fish store) and let them have it or possibly get some store credit for it. Most likely the anemone will die in your tank because of cleaning the rocks. When you did that you caused a lot of dieoff which will re-start the cycle in your tank, that cycle could it self be fatal to the inhabitants.
@anemone,
He obviously doesn't know how to care for saltwater, but instead of being condescending perhaps give him advice or recommend he gets rid of the tank. People want to use this forum for help, sometimes they post non-relevant information.
bigt89 --
Take a look at this clip:
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bzhv0UOKlzc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It used to be a tan/bone colored rock. Not bleach white. But it was barren of anything on it. After sitting with other live rock/sand it started to take on a life. I got some Turbo snails about 2 weeks after I got this rock and they used to CHOMP through it and leave racing stripes on it, behind them after eating.
The stuff that looks strange on there has grown and turned the rock into Live Rock.
Look close and you will see things moving and even just swaying in the current. These come in different colors grey, red, green, brown, purple This fauna is needed to keep the tank like I want it. Self Sufficient (with a little help.) These items filter the water and clean it.
The bleaching/cleaning that you did killed a lot (if not all) of the live stuff. The left over base, still clinging to the rock, neverreally came off so when it was intruduced back into the water it degraded/decomposed and can create TOXIC levels in the tank.
An anemone likes cleaner water, than one that has been up for only a few months. The bacteria and beneficial critters help make it better.
Maybe even talk to the live fish store and explain what happened and see if they can keep it for a few weeks until the tank is back up and working.
Have you called your sister yet?
Take a look at this clip:
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bzhv0UOKlzc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It used to be a tan/bone colored rock. Not bleach white. But it was barren of anything on it. After sitting with other live rock/sand it started to take on a life. I got some Turbo snails about 2 weeks after I got this rock and they used to CHOMP through it and leave racing stripes on it, behind them after eating.
The stuff that looks strange on there has grown and turned the rock into Live Rock.
Look close and you will see things moving and even just swaying in the current. These come in different colors grey, red, green, brown, purple This fauna is needed to keep the tank like I want it. Self Sufficient (with a little help.) These items filter the water and clean it.
The bleaching/cleaning that you did killed a lot (if not all) of the live stuff. The left over base, still clinging to the rock, neverreally came off so when it was intruduced back into the water it degraded/decomposed and can create TOXIC levels in the tank.
An anemone likes cleaner water, than one that has been up for only a few months. The bacteria and beneficial critters help make it better.
Maybe even talk to the live fish store and explain what happened and see if they can keep it for a few weeks until the tank is back up and working.
Have you called your sister yet?
I didn't condescend at all. I simply questioned whether the scenario we're being presented is real.
Just my opinion.
YMMV,
Kevin
Ostara
Keep Calm and Reef On
Agreed. It can, admittedly, be difficult to tell on the internet whether or not someone is pulling your leg. I doubt that is the case here however or I would not have bothered to try and help him out. If his sister went off to college, he probably is in high school and trying to do his best with what she left him. He has also produced a picture of the anemone in question.
I do see a lot of inexperienced members here getting called trolls, especially in the beginner's forum, which seems odd to me. Most of them simply have followed the awful, sometimes ancient advice of their LFS's and have no idea what saltwater is really about, which I guess makes them sound like trolls. Especially, perhaps, to people who have always researched on the internet first and have always had superior knowledge. It's easy to forget that some people still look solely to their local fish/pet store for help, and that these stores may offer bizarre, nonsensical, or severely outdated methods. Look at David (Dragonmorayki). Brian is constantly deleting the posts of people calling him a troll. :lol:
Anyway, thoughts on trolling aside... :lmao:
Bigt89, if you have the API test kit it will work for saltwater as well. Others are right, however, that the lighting is not sufficient for that anemone. That is likely the primary cause of its ill health, though an unstable tank will also cause problems. It would need a T5 system like your freshwater tank has, with at least 4 bulbs. Since this is the case I'd try to find someone in your area who wants to take it for free and try to nurse it back to health before it dies in the tank.
And yes, saltwater tanks do tend to evaporate a lot, especially if they are open on top. I'd keep a large pitcher or a bucket of water near the tank so that you can top it off daily as needed.
i did contact you you never responded and my sister did not a thing to the tank so why would i ask her if she dont even know what to do. bottem line if what you did is ****ed up excuse my language you had no reason to close my thread. so because im new to taken care of saltwater tanks and was asking questions yo ufeel the need to assume im making it all up and close it? i was no tname calling either when peopel wanna act like jerks your damn righ tim goign to say something. i run forums to your not the only one so i know how things in general work with forums and im not trying to be rude at all but when some people gotta be jerks just because some one is askign for help or what ever thats straigh tup messed up. what comes around goes around... end of story i dont wann ahear anymore what you did was messed up wether it seems liek i was tellign the truth or not i was end of discussion im sorry if i started any problems but i was not th eone that started this whole mess.
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