Anemone Lighting Requirement

[ER_Doc]

Hello all. My first post on RC. I am 1 year in the hobby, 55g tank (48x12x18D). I have 6 bulb 48" T5HO lighting system (3 actinics, 3 10K). Good news is I just ordered the evergrow IT2080.

I need help with my GBTA. Tank is 1 year old, Anemone has been there, same spot, for 9 months, and my clown is hosting it. It looks & acts healthy, hasn't moved from it's spot ever, but it is about 50-60% less green than when I bought it. I am not sure what the problem is. My water parameters are pretty good usually, I stay on top of that. At one point someone told me that 10 hours of lights on is too much, so I dropped it back to 6 hours and it seemed to gain a little color back, but still looked pretty pale. So I recently turned it up to 8 hours of lights again. Not really improving. Granted my T5 bulbs are about 1 year old now (hence the purchase of the LED coming soon).

Any recommendations on how to run the lights? Do they need as high intensity as possible? medium? low? more time or less time? I really have no idea.

Additionally my tank has had recent additions of zoos, green candy cane, and green birds nest (within last 2 weeks).

Thanks all.

Doc

 

[MacWilliams]

For a more accurate answer you need to supply more information. What are your water tests showing? What and how often do you feed your anemone?

Pictures would also help if you can get one up.

 

[pittscoral]

I have the same size tank with 2 AI hydras, i leave my whites at about 25% and the rest of the colors are around 75%. LEDs are strong man you can burn your coral fast .

 

[ER_Doc]

Thank you for trying to help me. I am adding some pictures at your request and also some water parameters that are typical for the tank. The anemone for a long time was being fed 5mm cubes of shrimp. Recently I bought silver sides. I spent an hour with various searches on the forum and didn't really find a good answer to what I am looking for.

pH 8.2-8.4
kH 10
SG 1.023-1.025
Ca 400-420
Phos 0
Nitrate 0-5
Nitrite 0
Temp 79-80

 

[ER_Doc]

I have the same size tank with 2 AI hydras, i leave my whites at about 25% and the rest of the colors are around 75%. LEDs are strong man you can burn your coral fast .

This comment kinda scares me a little bit. I only have experience with my 6 T5's at this time (3 actinic, 3 10k) and even with this light I am not sure anymore what is right and what is wrong. I assume my LED lights should be here in the next 7 days. I got the 32" version with 100 LED's on it. It is dimmable so I figured I should buy a light that will be able to handle a larger tank at some point, but I can turn it down if it is too much for now.

 

[bjledbetter]

Nem looks a little bleached to me. Is it moving around or anything? Also I'd ditch the silversides, too many anemones have died after eating them. They often thaw out during shipping and go bad and start developing bacteria that will kill the nem plus in less your cutting it into pencil eraser size pieces its too big. Krill or mysis are the best things to feed imo. I'll post more when I'm awake.

 

[ER_Doc]

Lights coming tomorrow. Unless I get other sage advice my plan is to start low like 20% bright and slowly increase. Not sure of how long though.