Tips, tricks, advice?

[Charlena00]

Hello everyone.

I am fairly new to the hobby and was wanting to get some input from others about my set up, along with some tips from others who have been doing this longer than I have.

I first started just under 2 years ago but I didn't have the time nor the resources to maintain a nano reef so I gave all my critters away (it wasn't very many) and decided to wait until I had more to devote to my reef keeping.

Now that I am in a better position this is what I've got going on.
I have a 5 month old 16 gallon bow front. Along with that I've got roughly 13lbs of live rock, 10 pounds of sand/crushed coral, a 240 GPH power head, and the smallest of the USA Orbit marine LED lighting system.

My light runs from 9am with a 30 minute sunrise, until 8:30 with a 30 min sunset, followed by 4 hours of "moonlight"

All of my parameters have been holding steady, and I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Inside the tank:
6 snails various sizes and species
2 blue legged hermits
1 emerald crab

1 frag of green star polyps (added around 2.5 weeks ago)
1 little baby BTA (1.5 weeks ago)
2 true percula clownfish (2 days ago)

My polyps have taken quite some time to open up and still not all of them have come out yet but more come out little by little. The BTA is probably my most concerning feature. When I first got him, he perched himself right on the top of my rock and seemed pretty happy for a day. Since then he has moved to several different areas of the tank. Sometimes he looks shriveled and sad, other times he's just hanging out under an over hang, and there is the rare time when he looks healthy and happy. I have fed him twice since I have had him and he eats what I feed him. I know they are harder to keep (he was just so cute and little), one because I don't have a very well established system yet, and two it's a nano. Any advice for this little guy is greatly appreciated.
My clownfish seem super happy and active.

I will attach some pictures for everyone to check out.

 

[heathlindner25]

I would suggest more rock, light, and flow.

 

[ReefEco]

Hey there - for the BTA, your lighting is marginal (in the photo it actually looks very pale, if not bleached) so regular feedings are a good idea. I would start with twice a week - alternate small whole shrimp/mysis and small pieces of silversides. It only looks to be 3-4 inches across, so 1/2" - 3/4" piece of food max for each feeding (not a huge cocktail shrimp, a few mysis or krill to start). Soaking a freeze dried krill in Selcon or other Vitamin supplement once in a while is also good - especially at this stage. If it doesn't react to the food, don't force it. Try again later in the day. Later, it may expel undigested or undigestible portions of it - don't be alarmed, this is normal. A wandering anemone can mean it isn't happy, but sometimes they just up and move.

I would echo the call for more flow. I assume you are using a RO/DI unit for water, etc? Your anemone will appreciate higher water quality.

Unfortunately many new reefers succumb to the temptation of the anemone and clownfish pairing, before they really understand what the anemone requires. This is why I always advocate to purchase aquacultured/tank raised anemones, since wild-collected specimens often have poor survival rates. Your anemone is typical of those - which are often pale and look sickly at the store - a healthy specimen looks very different. Keep your water parameters in line, try feeding it, increase your lighting and flow if possible (slowly adjust lighting higher if getting a new fixture), and hopefully your anemone will acclimate and start to thrive.

Also - keep an eye on your hermits - in that small a tank, with little for them to feed on (unless you are feeding them directly) - they can go after the food you are feeding the anemone, and rip at its oral disc, etc. causing further irritation to the anemone.

 

[Charlena00]

Thank you!

Thank you!

Here are the specs on my LEDS-Daylight (8000k/12000k White) and Actinic (445nm/460nm). My tank is 21.5 x 14.5 x 19.5. Yes, I have actually been purchasing RO/DI water because I want it to be good water, and I haven't convinced myself to buy a whole system just yet.

The anemone was that white-ish color at the store. I purchased it from a local reef shop and he assured me that that was the color it was supposed to be -I guess I won't be going there again.

I will continue trying to feed him and try the supplements you suggested.
Thank you for your input!

 

[Ron Reefman]

The light that your fixture produces is perfectly OK as far as spectrum. The issue is that it doesn't produce enough of it. Your leds are 0.5 watts and even all the cheap Chinese fixtures use 3.0 watt leds. That's 6 times stronger and a huge difference in how much light they produce.

It's really a light for a fish only tank or a shallow (as in 12" deep) tank with very easy corals. Your tank looks to be 18" deep? So that's very much on the ragged edge. And a bubble tip anemone is FAR from an easy critter and could use more light. I'd try gradually, over a month, to move it higher in the tank.

And you are right about not trusting that LFS any more! Do a google search and you will only find white BTA when they are seriously distressed. Pink, yes, green, yes, some rainbows, yes... but all the white ones belong in a hospital.

But hang in there and ask questions here before you buy, especially if you are unsure. Good luck.

 

[Charlena00]

Okay the lights I currently have are not adequate. Would adding another light of the same kind to the tank be effective in giving my little guy enough light no matter where he is in the tank, as well as making other corals in inverts I put in happy?

 

[thegrun]

A stronger light would be a huge help, but also note your photo period is too long, Look for something more like a 4 hour ramp up, 4 hours at peak and then a 4 hour ramp down. Anemones and other sensitive corals also need very stable water parameters, with your water chemistry all in the right ranges. Please list your salinity, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium levels.

 

[uncleL]

I would add a ATOMIC to your system and adding your additives to the ATOMIC container.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Okay the lights I currently have are not adequate. Would adding another light of the same kind to the tank be effective in giving my little guy enough light no matter where he is in the tank, as well as making other corals in inverts I put in happy?

Not really. Adding more low power leds is a very minor improvement. Think about trying to read a book with 1 very dim light bulb in a bedroom. Now add a 2nd very dim bulb next to it... did that help? Maybe a very little bit, but you still can't read a book unless you are right next to the light.

If budget is an issue, give up the sunrise/sunset feature and get a better basic fixture. MarsAqua makes a pretty good light and they are on Ebay for under $90.

 

[cougareyes]

Biggest tip: research, research, research; remember there is more than one way to skin a cat. Follow threads to the end to see how the advice turned out. Try to find info that has a long term result. Try to find info from people who are or have done what you are doing, not just people spouting out folklore or something they've heard or read somewhere.

 

[Charlena00]

VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control 165W LED Aquarium Light Dimmable Full Spectrum for Coral Reef Grow Fish Tank - these lights currently are the ones I am going to purchase for my tank via Amazon. It will be MORE than enough I believe for my 16 gal but I don't have to ramp them to full power and I won't when I get them in. I will need a solution for hanging because the 10.5 foot ceilings really aren't not ideal for hanging a set of lights from 6.5 foot cables.

 

[BrickFishHouse]

The anemone was that white-ish color at the store. I purchased it from a local reef shop and he assured me that that was the color it was supposed to be -I guess I won't be going there again.

Awww Naww Hell Naww!!!

And fish stores wonder why people are looking elsewhere...


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