Do anemones absolutely need MH lighting?
- Thread starter cato
- Start date
WorldNation
New member
i would recommend MH's. ive done PC tanks with anemones, but you dont get the same look, growth, health like you could under MH's.
physicslord
New member
Some people think "success" under PC lighting means that the anemone basically survives for a period of 6 months to a year. I do not agree.
That doesn't mean that there's anything intrinsically wrong with the light produced by PC lighting. Typically I think their setups just aren't bright enough.
That doesn't mean that there's anything intrinsically wrong with the light produced by PC lighting. Typically I think their setups just aren't bright enough.
Anemonebuff
New member
A BTA will do OK under PC's, better under VHOs and T5s, and great under MH. I would feed them more when kept under PCs.
The only problem I see now is that it is wandering in the tank you have now. I suspect something is up. It could be searching for proper flow, but it seems that they wander more when the lighting is insufficient.
The only problem I see now is that it is wandering in the tank you have now. I suspect something is up. It could be searching for proper flow, but it seems that they wander more when the lighting is insufficient.
fittdog8848
New member
I had an LTA for 4 years under PC lighting......................
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Metal halide is not necessary, and in some cases, may be too much if the animal is not properly acclimated. I have had a sebae anemone (Heteractis crispa) under VHO for over 10 years and it has grown to 24" and even spawns on a regular basis. IME, feeding is going to be a far greater factor in success, with lighting coming in a close second.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
In my 75 (6 * 55 PC ) I have 3 RBTA (two clones for the original) I have had the "mother" one for 2 yrs now. I only direct feed them maybe once a month, and they are still growing and looking great.
Granted in my 58 (2*175 + 2*96 ) the BTA that I have in there is growing quicker, and that one is lucky to be direct feed every other month.
Granted in my 58 (2*175 + 2*96 ) the BTA that I have in there is growing quicker, and that one is lucky to be direct feed every other month.
baller71ss
New member
I've had a RBTA under PC's for over 2 years. It's never moved, stayed on the same bowl shaped rock, even after an tank upgrade!!!
cato
New England
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6856222#post6856222 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by baller71ss
I've had a RBTA under PC's for over 2 years. It's never moved, stayed on the same bowl shaped rock, even after an tank upgrade!!!
Nick, did you do anything special to the rock it's attached to so it would stay put??
BTAs definitely do not need MH lighting. I have kept a BTA for 6 years in 2 tanks...one lit with PCs, the other lit with VHOs. During this time the anemone has thrived, and given off at least 15-20 clones which have done equally as well. 
Supplementing their nutrition by target feeding them is helpful IME...I usually give them some krill, clam, or shrimp 1-2 times a week.
I can't say anything about any other anemones as I have never had any.
YMMV.
Chris
Supplementing their nutrition by target feeding them is helpful IME...I usually give them some krill, clam, or shrimp 1-2 times a week.I can't say anything about any other anemones as I have never had any.
YMMV.
Chris
baller71ss
New member
chirocato,
No special tricks, just lucky I guess! No, seriously, I just try to keep it happy, I feed it once a week to every ten days with silversides or krill. I guess the pair of clowns hosting it keeps it happy, too.
No special tricks, just lucky I guess! No, seriously, I just try to keep it happy, I feed it once a week to every ten days with silversides or krill. I guess the pair of clowns hosting it keeps it happy, too.
vthondaboi
Premium Member
water quality would be the most important factor
but I second what most others say, PC/VHOs are fine for most anemones
but I second what most others say, PC/VHOs are fine for most anemones
Vincerama2
Active member
This may saound weird, but I have a quarantine tank with an RBTA living quite happily (I think) in a piece of 3 inch PVC tubing! The tubing (actually, it's a coupling) is sideways, like a small cave. It's attached to the upper inside of it, where he draws into when he wants, then expands up over the top when he wants to.
The best part is that it seems to like that spot AND I can move the tube wherever I want!
There are a few holes drilled into the tube (it used to be part of my sump drain, I used it to keep the drain line under water, but still let bubbles escape, hence the drilled holes)
V
The best part is that it seems to like that spot AND I can move the tube wherever I want!
There are a few holes drilled into the tube (it used to be part of my sump drain, I used it to keep the drain line under water, but still let bubbles escape, hence the drilled holes)
V
zemuron114
In Memoriam
've kept a BTA under NO lights in a 10 gallon tank for 8 months...
more then tripled in size, and loves life with the clowns...
moved it to a 55 to fast (was leaving for school in 2 weeks) and lost it...
more then tripled in size, and loves life with the clowns...
moved it to a 55 to fast (was leaving for school in 2 weeks) and lost it...
people say you need mh.i think personally that they are just trying to justify the cost of their lighting units (thats what i used to do but i did not have experience of keeping anemones under pcs). I had a 55 gallon tank with 300 watts of mh back in the uk and in fact the coralline algae struggled to grow, too light. Granted the bta i had did fine but the one i have now under 144 watts of 50/50 pcs is doing better.
Water quality and feeding regularly are so so important i believe.
i dont know for sure but neither do the people who insist upon mh.
Water quality and feeding regularly are so so important i believe.
i dont know for sure but neither do the people who insist upon mh.
Vincerama2
Active member
I agree, there is no question that anemones eat meaty foods, and thrive when fed!
You can make an anemone big real fast by feeding it! I have some frozen uncooked shrimp (as in surf n' turf dinner shrimp!) and I feed bits of it to the anemone and it (seems to) love it! Silversides are eagerly eaten as well. Actually, I'll bet all sorts of sea food would be readily accepted by the anemone, I mean, they eat fish in the wild, right?
I've read that you can get them to split by feeding them fairly heavily (like once every 3 days) then doing a "massive" water change, whatever "massive" means. It's anecdotal, I tried it once and nothing happened, but I'm going to try again...
V
You can make an anemone big real fast by feeding it! I have some frozen uncooked shrimp (as in surf n' turf dinner shrimp!) and I feed bits of it to the anemone and it (seems to) love it! Silversides are eagerly eaten as well. Actually, I'll bet all sorts of sea food would be readily accepted by the anemone, I mean, they eat fish in the wild, right?
I've read that you can get them to split by feeding them fairly heavily (like once every 3 days) then doing a "massive" water change, whatever "massive" means. It's anecdotal, I tried it once and nothing happened, but I'm going to try again...
V
RichConley
New member
Whenever i add a BTA to my tank, it bleaches out under the halides. I usually put them underneath things, and they come out, and its too bright.
I saw a small holding tank at a public aquarium, maybe 50gal, lit with NO fluorescents, and it was litteraly chock full of BTAs, no surface available, that were all splits from one original.
They certainly DO NOT need MH light, and I think its too strong for most of them.
That being said, certain other anemones (Magnificas, etc) most certainly DO need MH lights.
I saw a small holding tank at a public aquarium, maybe 50gal, lit with NO fluorescents, and it was litteraly chock full of BTAs, no surface available, that were all splits from one original.
They certainly DO NOT need MH light, and I think its too strong for most of them.
That being said, certain other anemones (Magnificas, etc) most certainly DO need MH lights.
