How often do you change the water on your nem tank?

[phender]

I dose a 2 part Calcium/Alk solution. I used to use Combisan as well, but stopped a few years ago.

This past summer the anemone started looking bad. I did a couple water changes and added a polyfilter pad. The anemone bounced right back.

At this point, I am almost afraid to mess around with what has worked, at least in that tank.

Nitrates and phosphates have always been zero.

I'm not saying that its the best way to run a reef tank. But it is what it is.

 

[55semireef]

I recently tore down my 55 gallon (3-4 inch sandbed) and put as much liverock in my new 30 gallon cube thats BB. I also made a rule with myself which I cannot put my hands in the tank. I have noticed a big difference between having a sandbed and one having no sand. Seems to be much less algae without sand and the water stays consistently more clear. Keeping myself from putting my hands in the tank allows the skimmer to work most efficiently and corals are not being harmed by the oils in my hands. I do water changes roughly once per weak with great results.

 

[Lance M.]

Bump, but to make this bump more meaningful-

Well after some conversation with traveler7 and looking at pictures, I have determined that what I believed to be a M. doreensis is actually a very small, bleached Sebae (H. Crispa). It's not a 100% id since the anemone is not fully healthy but that should be determined in the coming months.

 

[E.J. Coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10943837#post10943837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
I recently tore down my 55 gallon (3-4 inch sandbed) and put as much liverock in my new 30 gallon cube thats BB. I also made a rule with myself which I cannot put my hands in the tank. I have noticed a big difference between having a sandbed and one having no sand. Seems to be much less algae without sand and the water stays consistently more clear. Keeping myself from putting my hands in the tank allows the skimmer to work most efficiently and corals are not being harmed by the oils in my hands. I do water changes roughly once per weak with great results.

Amen:beer:

 

[Genin]

Lance M.,
Sorry for not answering sooner but I have 3 BTAs.

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

When I started keeping anemones, I changed about 25% of each tanks water every week. After a year or so of that, the family just got extremely busy and we were gone a lot and the tank was neglected for sometimes two or three months. To my surprise, everything seemed to thrive. The BTA's were bigger and brighter than ever before. I started setting up broodstock tanks for my clowns and once again began large water changes of 50% or more once per week at first with the heavy feeding but in time slacked off on that too. Now, I change the water at a rate of 10% per week at the most. Right now with clowns in quarantine it is getting about a 15% change per day because I use that tanks water for my quarantines replacement water.

I have a 46 gallon, 29 gallon, 15 gallon, four 10 gallons, and a 5 1/2 gallon. I keep only BTA's right now. Here are a couple of pictues.

 

[Lance M.]

Very nice rbtas and B&W clowns.

 

[55semireef]

Love the colors of those RBTAs

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

Thank you all I feed them like crazy and recently had a split.

 

[Lance M.]

How often do you feed them? And how much (like size of food vs. size of anemone)?

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

I feed everything in my tank pretty heavy, normally every day. I feed Mysis, silversides, krill, plankton, daphnia, cyclopeeze and a few "secret" items stored in my freezer and med cabinet I have several different sized BTA's but feed them small chunks normally about a quarter of an inch square.

 

[Lance M.]

Do you soak the foods? I've been soaking the squid with vitamins before I give them to my anemones.

My lfs won't have silversides until this Tuesday or Thursday so once I get them I'm going to switch to silversides and squid every now and then.

You feed all of that everyday? I just feed a mixture of different plankton products every other day 3 times a week and then in the days in between those I feed mysis and squid and then once a day I feed flakes, switching everyday between Prime Reef and Cyclopeeze wafers.

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

I feed a different item every day. Yes I do soak everything in Vitamins for the fish and anemones. I like to use the individually frozen silversides. I do not get the flat packs or anything of the like. I am very picky with my foods, and the care of the animals in my home.

 

[Lance M.]

Where do you get individual silversides? I was under the impression that they only came in flat packs. My lfs carries 3 different sizes and they were completely out and they were going to order some small ones so I was going to get the smallest pack and use that since I only have 4 anemones, at the moment....

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

IQF (individually quick frozen) 10 ounce container.