Anemone sleeps in the day, awake at night?

[chrisstie]

This is an odd one.

Hopefully those of you more seasoned in anemone care can help me figure it out.

My anemone which is maybe a month or so old in my tank was nice and big and puffy but lately has walked around a little to underneath an outcropping of rock. It stays mostly deflated in the day and puffs out big at night where my clowns sleep.

I have 4x54w T5HO lights over a 55g. I keep my salinity at 1.024-25 .. its hard to keep pH up in summer so its around 7.9 depending on the time of day. My CA and Alk I manually dose to keep my stonys growing as its a mixed tank. Temp stays at 80-81 degrees. The last phosphate test came up empty and nitrates are usually 10ish. I haven't tested in a while but will at my next trip to the LFS to try their kit. Mine is a more generic brand so I wonder at its readings sometimes.

I'm a little sleepy so not sure what other stats to post but umm any ideas?

 

[reefer1024]

Its a vampire anemone!!!! KILL IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grunt007]

Wandering around, moving to a more shaded area, and only inflating at night sounds like a lighting issue, meaning too much. some anemones, like BTA's, are not very fond of high light conditions like SPS and clams are, or it could need more time to acclimate to your lighting.
You may want to add a layer of screen or raise the lighitng for a couple weeks so it can acclimate more slowly w/ less stress. But in my experience if the anemone is able to find a good, shaded area it should settle in and get back to normal. Watch for bleaching. Small target feedings of meaty foods will help in the mean time-maybe once every 1-2 weeks. Do not over feed as that will only add more stress.
Otehr than that watch PH is not droping too low at night and get those nitarte numbers checked out.

 

[chrisstie]

Thanks for the great advice.

I should clarify it hasn't moved from where its been it only.. from where it went in shuffeld over a few inches. Fortunately I haven't had a bad case of the wandering anemone and my corals are thankful.

I agree it could be light- my T5s have been very strong and I have had to be careful acclimating corals etc and I keep a crocea on my sand bed that has been growing and doing well for the last several months. I took that as a sign that I'd have enough light.

While at the lfs for only a few days it was under 175w i think 20k MH bulbs and looked so healthy.

Maybe its just adjusting to my setup. Its mouth has stayed tight and its food the way it should- kind of like a stalk.

It isn't very sticky but i have offered it food about the same schedule as you recommend- but I am doing it at night when it seems most inflated. I try to keep the shrimp away but its so slow to eat. The sebae at my LFS whoofs down its silverside. Mine i've given a half a silverside is like.. lalala, oh there's a fish on me. Hmm am I hungry? well okay maybe just a bite...

I have been keeping up on my water changes weekly and will keep doing so.. maybe ill try some screen like you suggest to see what happens. Never thought I'd have too much light for an anemone, i was always worried about too little