Anemone question

[Abigor]

I have a 120g tank running for almost 2 years now very stable tank. I have hard and soft corals all of which are doing great they are flourishing with excellent growth rates.

water parameters:

Temp: 76-78
PH: 8.2 day - 7.8night
SG: 1.026 stable with auto top off
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0

I did a ton of research before I decided to add an anemone to the tank for my clowns. i have a very stable tank everything i have ever added to the tank doing great with no problems or deaths. I have tried 2 anemones in my tank both which were very health (Green LTA) I can't seem to get any of them to make it more then about 10 days. I can't figure out what the problem is and I was hoping you guys might have some input.

Thanks in advance

 

[Toddrtrex]

When you got the LTAs, did you look at the bottom of their foot at all? Otherwise great looking LTAs can go downhill in about 2 weeks if they have any damage to their foot.

How deep is your sandbed? Did they at least plant their foot in the sand, or did they just roll around?

What lights do you have? And did you acclimate the LTAs to your lights? How much flow do you have in the tank?

As for the damaged foot, it would like something similar to these, and they both came in that way.

 

[rc4kinu]

I'd double check the anemone's "foot" when choosing one. Usually it gets a tear and thats when trouble starts. LTA's loves a deeper sand bed to dig in also. Your setup doesn't indicate if you are using carbon, and even if the anemone is looking great, your soft corals might be reacting to the anemone's presense by starting chemical warfare, which would be minimized by using fresh carbon or similar media.

 

[Abigor]

As for sandbed it is about 4-5 inches the last one buried his foot almost instantly the first one did not.

I did not see any damage to the foot visibly, I was trying hard to make sure they were in the best health possible.

as for lights i am running Giesemann Infiniti it has 2x250w MH and 4x54w T5 bulbs.

As for carbon no I have not been running carbon.

 

[rssjsb]

also, what kind of corals do you have?

 

[davocean]

That light is a little strong for LTA's IMO.
Maybe try a spot where it can be shaded.
Also, too much flow can bother them, tents should be gently moving.

 

[Abigor]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15227492#post15227492 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rssjsb
also, what kind of corals do you have?

5 acros of various colors few small frags of the org acro's
Green Rico
zoo colony
frogspawn
candycane
birds nest
sun coral
coco worm
bigger green button polyp
Toadstool mushroom
Purple Tree Coral
Superman monti
orange capricornis

All of these are very health and show good growth rate.

 

[rssjsb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15229360#post15229360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Abigor
5 acros of various colors few small frags of the org acro's
Green Rico
zoo colony
frogspawn
candycane
birds nest
sun coral
coco worm
bigger green button polyp
Toadstool mushroom
Purple Tree Coral
Superman monti
orange capricornis

All of these are very health and show good growth rate.

I was asking to find out whether you have a lot of softies, which can make a tank inhospitable to anemones. If you're SPS are growing and healthy, that's probably not a major contributor to your problem with anemones, but you might want to think about running carbon to control the chemical soup as these guys grow

 

[Abigor]

Roger that maybe its to much flow and to much lights. There is not some sort of a parasite that I might be missing is there?

I forgot to list the flow I am running an eheim1262 for return and a maxi jet mod that is about 1600 gph diverted off the rock work.

Should I try a different sort of anemone?

 

[Toddrtrex]

The only way it would be too much lights if they came from a low light tank (( or shipped )) and you didn't acclimate them to the lights (( layers of window screening works great. I use 3 layers and remove a layer each week )).

Flow can be an issue with LTAs, need to find a spot that doesn't have a ton of flow.

Last week I opened up the ball valve for my return pump just a tiny bit on my 33 cube. I did that before going to bed, and when I got up the next morning the LTA had moved -- so they are sensitive to flow, even a small increase.

 

[ReefingintheUSA]

Okay maybe a stupid question. But in your pics todd looks like someone is holding an anemone with their bare hand. Do they not sting you??

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15238548#post15238548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefingintheUSA
Okay maybe a stupid question. But in your pics todd looks like someone is holding an anemone with their bare hand. Do they not sting you??

That was me holding it. Each person is different, LTAs have never bothered me. Though a BTA would cause a rash where ever I touched it.

My other anemones are Haddonis, and I won't even think about touching those without gloves on.

 

[ILLiDaN]

Todd i have to come over and look at all the nems one day

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15238580#post15238580 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ILLiDaN
Todd i have to come over and look at all the nems one day

You are more then welcome, just give me a heads up so I can make sure the tanks are clean.