Is my LTA dead or pooping

[Toddrtrex]

While I no longer have any LTAs, here are some that I had in the past;

The above one and a purple one,

Same, with clowns,

 

[SkullV]

What lights did you end up purchasing?

 

[jacobzking]

I'm going to do the 4x 39watt T5 36" lights; two of them (8x 39 watt total). I don't think it will be too much for a sting ray and hopefully enough for the anemone.

 

[SkullV]

Did you go with the Coralife ones or the Nova Extreme Pro lights that I showed you?

 

[jacobzking]

I did the Coralife ones... was able to get both of them for under $400 shipped. I guess the Novas are about the same price (free shipping and I have a 10% off coupon). I like that the Coralife ones have the built in moon lamps, and I like my current Coralife... they just seem to be well designed. What do you like about the Novas better, just better bulbs or what? I can still change my order...

 

[SkullV]

I did the Coralife ones... was able to get both of them for under $400 shipped. I guess the Novas are about the same price (free shipping and I have a 10% off coupon). I like that the Coralife ones have the built in moon lamps, and I like my current Coralife... they just seem to be well designed. What do you like about the Novas better, just better bulbs or what? I can still change my order...

Better bulbs, better ballasts, better cooling, better design, better reflectors, just an all around better fixture. Coralife products are generally bottom of the line in my experience. I use a Coralife 2x54w T5HO over my FOWLR tank and wouldn't even consider using it for anything else.

 

[MikeInToronto]

and to beat a dead horse... the anemone hasn't moved... hasn't tried to find better light elsewhere... hasn't moved to the highest point in the aquarium... hasn't looked for deep sand bed... seems to be eating fine... is sprawled open WIDE (not curled up)...

can someone post a photo of there LTA so I can see what mine SHOULD look like. I know I could google it, or even look here on other threads... but I want to see what a similar LTA should look like, while thriving...

one last thing... now that I've got more sand, and better lights should be here in a few days, should I try and separate him from the live rock and put him in the sand?

thanks in advance again.

I have a couple YouTube videos but I don't know how to embed them. The colours suck because Radiums wash away all the goodness with their yucky blueness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlXpGdk70-I
(I hate Radiums)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjb6KvSa0hM
(00:05 to 00:30)

Don't move the anemone. It will move on its own once the light it strong enough. It will find a place in the sand and will spread out.

One concern you might have is the whiteness of the anemone. It will take it time to adjust to brighter lights and regain its brown colour. Until then, it might be too bright so keep an eye on it. As another FYI, the anemone may wander, even if the conditions are fine in the tank. Leave it alone and it will come out again. You might also find that once it burrows into the sand, it will move, through the sand, until it finds a perfect spot ... and then move again.

 

[jacobzking]

Don't move the anemone.

now you tell me, lol. so here's what I did, hopefully without upsetting the nem (don't think I did)... I flipped the rock it was on around so that feet were facing the front of the tank and then piled sand up to the bottom of the nem, so if it wants to bury itself in sand, its right there.

now, to acclimate the nem to better lighting, could I take both of my crappy 2x 21 watt light fixtures and have both of them on one side of my tank (over the nem)? anything wrong with letting the other half of the tank sit "in the dark" for a week. the dark side wouldnt be completely dark, there's still some amount of ambient light in the room, along with the light that would spill over from the well lit side.

tank is cloudy again because of the shuffling around that I did. but there's easily 3" of sand under that nem now, maybe 4"

 

[5ft24]

Mike, you've pretty much nailed it. the anemone was definitely an impulse purchase. i could return it and get $20 buck (woohoo!) or I could keep it, upgrade my lights, and hope for the best. right now, my LTA is eating, staying open during the day and my clown (that I would prefer to keep) doesnt seem to ever part with it. the LTA is also staying put so I don't think it's too unhappy.

Its not that I'm not taking the advice of other people here, I am (hence adding more sand, upgrading lights...). I guess what I'm saying is that I don't care THAT much about the anemone... I want a ray tank. If I can keep a healthy ray that's happy and keep the LTA for my clown, then great. If the LTA dies, so be it, I won't buy another one.

Then return it for the 20 bucks... It is an animal, a living creature. If you don't care so much for it, then sell your tank and equipment and buy a hamster...

 

[bues0022]

you can lead a horse to water.....

 

[jacobzking]

Did you go with the Coralife ones or the Nova Extreme Pro lights that I showed you?

ps: i updated my order to the novas that you recommended

 

[SkullV]

ps: i updated my order to the novas that you recommended

Good call man. It's good to see that even though you don't necessarily care about the anemone long term you are taking steps to get it healthy. When you are ready to get a ray though I would still try and get rid of it. I think the ray and the anemone will be competing for sand space but for now you are looking much better!