High flow and Anemones

[Kinetic]

I just bought an anemone and added it to a SPS dominated tank. Tons of light, and a ridiculous amount of flow. I think the flow might be too much, because the anemone has moved under the rock and won't come out to the light. About 4 days now like that.

The previous anemone I had was the same way, hid under the rocks and never came out.

Is the flow too strong? 7500+gph through a 48"x20"x20"

 

[jasonrp104]

Location of the nem can usually help with heavy flow. What sort of lights do you have? Most of the time they go into hiding when they are not acclimated to stronger lights.

 

[Patrick12]

It depends on the type of anemone. Giganteas, haddonis, and mertensiis like lower flow. In fact, I find the first two in the wild here around the island only in lagoons where there is really low flow. BTAs like moderate flow and malus, LTAs and rock anemones like the high flow and are actually found near areas of the punishing surf.

What type do you have?

 

[sugartooth]

If you have a gigantea, your amount of flow should be fine. What matters is the type of flow. They usually like ebb and flow instead of chaotic and intense.

My 24" cube has approx. 7000 gph going through it for them ebb and flow style.
Good luck!

 

[tufacody]

It depends on the type of anemone. Giganteas, haddonis, and mertensiis like lower flow. In fact, I find the first two in the wild here around the island only in lagoons where there is really low flow. BTAs like moderate flow and malus, LTAs and rock anemones like the high flow and are actually found near areas of the punishing surf.

What type do you have?

My gigantea likes high flow, followed by a brief rest period. If I keep it always low flow, his mouth will gape.

 

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

It depends on the type of anemone. Giganteas, haddonis, and mertensiis like lower flow. In fact, I find the first two in the wild here around the island only in lagoons where there is really low flow. BTAs like moderate flow and malus, LTAs and rock anemones like the high flow and are actually found near areas of the punishing surf.

What type do you have?

M. Doreensis LTAs don't like high flow I don't know where you got your information from. LTAs actually like calm water movement and so do Haddonis. I have always been told that giganteas like random high water movement. My Mertensii seems to like a moderate wave movement from my wave box.

Kinetic, what kind of anemone do you have?

 

[Toddrtrex]

M. Doreensis LTAs don't like high flow I don't know where you got your information from. LTAs actually like calm water movement and so do Haddonis. I have always been told that giganteas like random high water movement. My Mertensii seems to like a moderate wave movement from my wave box.

Kinetic, what kind of anemone do you have?

I have to agree with the LTA and Haddoni part -- with them preferring calm water movement. The easiest way for me to tick off/get to move my Haddonis is to increase the flow. While I no longer have LTAs, the same was with them.

 

[Reeefer]

When I put my RBTA in my 22, it kept moving to the back of the tank under about 75% shade for the first week. It slowly began coming out for more light as time has gone on.

 

[BonsaiNut]

It depends on the type of anemone. Giganteas, haddonis, and mertensiis like lower flow. In fact, I find the first two in the wild here around the island only in lagoons where there is really low flow. BTAs like moderate flow and malus, LTAs and rock anemones like the high flow and are actually found near areas of the punishing surf.

Would love to see some photos of these anemones in the wild, especially if you can show their location.

 

[Zuska]

wait it out. i have lots of flow and lots of light and all 8 of my rbta are doing fine. they will hide away from light when stressed out.

 

[Kinetic]

Hi guys, thanks for all the great replies!

I have a quadricolor (bta). It's opened up a lot today, but is still way under the rock in the same place.

The lights I have are 2 x 250watt Phoenix 14K's and 4x54watt T5s, so it's not too bad.

The last Anemone I had was also a bta, it did the same thing, hid forever and then died a month later. I can't say it's because of the fact that it was hiding though, but it was eating a lot of mysis and brine, and all my SPS were happy, so not sure what it could have been. I'll keep my fingers crossed that he ventures out soon.

Funny thing though, a porcelain crab found it:

The image above was rotated 180 degrees. The rock you see is actually the underside of the rock.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Did you acclimate it to your lights? That could be part of the reason why it is hiding. I personally always use 3 layers of window screening, and remove a layer each 5-7 days. Each time I have done that it didn't effect the existing corals.

 

[Kinetic]

I didn't acclimate it to the lights. Does that really help? It came from LiveAquaria that probably had equal or more lighting?

 

[jasonrp104]

*twitch

 

[davocean]

Nice pic, sweet looking porcelain crab.
I had 5 BTAs in my nem tank, and while 3 seemed to stay put in moderate flow area, 2 seemed to be drawn to the PH's getting blasted to the point tents were all twisted.
My guess would be light acclimation as well.
Also agree my LTA was very sensitive to flow.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I didn't acclimate it to the lights. Does that really help? It came from LiveAquaria that probably had equal or more lighting?

I have always light acclimated my anemones from LA, even with the lights they use. They seem to settle in better that way.

 

[syrinx]

I aclimate that way also- no matter the lights they were under- they were in total darkness while shipped. I tend to remove my layers of screening every couple days though on Divers den stuff- with total light being reached after a week or so.