red carpet acclimation

[majikmike9999]

Hi, I am looking for some insight on this, I just recently aquired a red carpet from a friend who had it in a stock tank where it wasn't getting adequate light and the temperature was swinging too much, so i now have him, he is a med size seems healthy and stcky, eating and being hosted by my black onyx pair of clowns, the only issue is he is bleahed. anyway I now have it in my 340 gallon mixed reef and have been trying to get it to attach for about 36 hours now with no luck, he was in a flower pot b4 with 5-6 inches of sand, what do i need to do to make this guy happy enough to settle in? my sand bed is very shallow i tried to add more to the area i wish he would settle any tricks or suggestions? do i need a deep sand bed for this guy? should i just let him cruise around until he is happy? Today i tried to put a few rocks around him hoping to "fence" him in but he jumped the fence and is bobbing around now. Thanks for any help you guys might be able to give on this.
Michael

 

[Toddrtrex]

I am going to assume that it is a Haddoni.

How much flow do you have? IME, they aren't fans of lots of flow, and that will cause them not to settle in.

What lights do you have? Are you acclimating it to them?

How shallow is your sandbed? Depending on the size of the anemone, it should be at least 2" deep.

 

[majikmike9999]

yes i believe that it is a Haddoni (short tentacle). I do have low flow, lights are 3 X400 watt MH in a 30 inch depth, I think he was under t5's before, no real acclimation to my lights, and my sandbed may be a 1 inch deep.

The guy I got him from saw my tank and said he would be fine "just throw him in" but seeing how he is such a nice specimen I want to try to do everything i can to make him happy.

 

[Toddrtrex]

That is a lot of light -- nothing a Haddoni can't handle, but most likely too much too soon. I would suggest getting some window screening and use 3 layers (( I use egg create to support it )) b/t the lights and the tank. Then remove a layer every 5-7 days. I have done this in the past and it never has effected existing corals.

Also, I would try tin increase the depth of the sandbed where the anemone is.

 

[majikmike9999]

Thanks for the suggestions, i came down this morning to find that he has backed himself into the rock work in the tank, still being loved by the clowns just moving around a bit, I guess i will try to get some more sand today and build up the area that i want him to settle in.

 

[COreefer]

Its probably fine if its been in captivity. With a tank that size and lots of rock the anemone is able to adjust itself to where it likes to shield from the lights. If it were a recently collected anemone it would need help acclimating.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Its probably fine if its been in captivity. With a tank that size and lots of rock the anemone is able to adjust itself to where it likes to shield from the lights. If it were a recently collected anemone it would need help acclimating.

I am going to have to disagree. I personally have seen Haddonis start to bleach when the lights were increased --- even when coming from fellow reefers.

Also, I have seen anemones not move when getting too much light, and stay on the underside of rocks (( BTA clones )), and getting completely bleached.

IMO, it is very easy to acclimate anemones to increased light levels, so there really isn't a reason not to do it.