Carpet Anemone Mad at Me

[JasonnosaJ]

I recently made two significant improvements to my tank after having a leak and needing to swap out tanks - subtracting a hang-on-the-back filter, and adding a skimmer, and 2) really concentrating on getting my magnesium up to proper levels (it must have taken me 25+ ounces of Red Sea Magnesium over a ten day period). My carpet anemone is not happy - shrunken to 1/3 its usual size. Could it be related to the improvement in water parameters - perhaps less phosphate and nitrate? I try to put in phyto and zoo' every day, but I suppose the skimmer removes it fairly quickly. My other tank members are zooas, which are happy enough, frogspawn, open brain (which isn't too jazzed, either, I don't imagine, based on it being kind of shrunken), favia, kenya tree, fuzzy mushrooms, regular mushrooms, and a few acans. I suppose, using utilitarianism, I would prefer to keep everyone generally happy and let the anemone do what it will. THough I would be sad.

 

[sherief.elsayed]

What I found to effect carpets most dramatically is PH and CA above anything else. My carpets ( I have 2) both shrink if their was a swing in my PH to anything below 7.8

 

[sherief.elsayed]

I recently made two significant improvements to my tank after having a leak and needing to swap out tanks - subtracting a hang-on-the-back filter, and adding a skimmer, and 2) really concentrating on getting my magnesium up to proper levels (it must have taken me 25+ ounces of Red Sea Magnesium over a ten day period). My carpet anemone is not happy - shrunken to 1/3 its usual size. Could it be related to the improvement in water parameters - perhaps less phosphate and nitrate? I try to put in phyto and zoo' every day, but I suppose the skimmer removes it fairly quickly. My other tank members are zooas, which are happy enough, frogspawn, open brain (which isn't too jazzed, either, I don't imagine, based on it being kind of shrunken), favia, kenya tree, fuzzy mushrooms, regular mushrooms, and a few acans. I suppose, using utilitarianism, I would prefer to keep everyone generally happy and let the anemone do what it will. THough I would be sad.

Also what do you feed your carpet?

If I understand correctly, you swapped out tanks? Mini cycle maybe? Whats your parameters?

 

[D-Nak]

How big is your tank?

Why did you feel the need to increase your mag levels? What level did your start with and where did you end? 25+ ounces seems like a lot of mag and if on a small tank it could definitly **** off an anemone.

 

[JasonnosaJ]

I began to notice it was around 1150 or maybe 1200. Now I am at 1400, and I am going to let it drop back down to 1350 over the next day or three. 45 gallon. Basically, I kept dosing using a Salifert test to determine levels, then I was incredulous, so I bought a Red Sea test kit, and have been using those numbers. My cal is 450, sg 1.024-1.026, alk 8-10, ph 7.9-8.1, temp 78-79, phos .05, nitrate 1.

 

[OrionN]

The Mag will not affect Carpet much but pH swing will. When you add Kalk and/or Alkalinity buffer, you really need to do it slow.

 

[JasonnosaJ]

Yah I do like a half tsp a day of alk buffer. The PH seems to be fairly consistent around 8.0-8.2, and yet my dkh isn't rising above 10, which is good. I used to have to skirt the dkh 12 line in order to keep my ph up above 8. Someone told me to stop "chasing" it and so I did. I think I have just been adjusting to the issues around swapping out tanks. And perhaps, adding the skimmer but removing the canister. The carpet is doing a bit better today, but it is the trachyphillia that is toast! It literally started decaying. Threw in the towel.