Anemone looks bad

[Klag]

My anemone looked good earlier today. I put a different light on my tank and he started moving around more over the last few days. Before he was set pretty happily. I don't know what is wrong. This is my first anemone.

 

[SudzFD]

Hmmmm a before picture would be good. Is it a bubble tip?

new light could be a cause they, deflate and inflate naturally and normally based on conditions. What concerns me is how limp it looks. It’s not really deflated but lifeless looking.

is the mouth open? Any brown junk coming out the mouth? Those are bad signs.

How long have you had it?
Any before pictures?

with anemones there’s not a lot to do. They do their own thing and sometimes less is more. Check your water parameters and ease them into the new lighting by having the new light on less than you would think and build it up over a week to where you want it.

they are actually very resilient if they are healthy. I had one get chopped up to pieces in a power head and it grew back from a small two tentacle piece and has split dozens of times into new clones.

answers to the questions could perhaps help us guide you more.

 

[Klag]

I put my old light back on and he already looks quite a bit better than before. There is also a before picture, the floofly looking one.

It is hard to see him at the moment, as he is in the back of my tank.

The new light is a current loop, I was using the preset at the moment. 100% RGB and 90% white.
The tank is a Fluval evo 13.5 and the light that came with it was what I was using and he was happy with.

Thank you for your help

 

[Rtaylor]

Is that a magnifica? If so, you have started with possibly the most challenging ‘expert-only’ anemone. Most experts recommend treating with cipro in a hospital tank prior to introducing to the display.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is this a new tank by chance? If so, an anemone which needs stable conditions is perhaps the worse specimen you can add to a tank

 

[Klag]

Is that a magnifica? If so, you have started with possibly the most challenging ‘expert-only’ anemone. Most experts recommend treating with cipro in a hospital tank prior to introducing to the display.

Under my knowledge he is a green bubble tip anemone, and that is what I bought thinking it was.

 

[Klag]

Is this a new tank by chance? If so, an anemone which needs stable conditions is perhaps the worse specimen you can add to a tank

It is a newer tank. My nitrates are 0.05 PPM and nitrates are 1 PPM. Salinity is 1.022, Phosphate is 0.04, Calcium is 460 PPM, magnesium is 1460 PPM, Alkalinity is 4.3 Meq/L or 12.0 dKh

 

[Rtaylor]

It is a newer tank. My nitrates are 0.05 PPM and nitrates are 1 PPM. Salinity is 1.022, Phosphate is 0.04, Calcium is 460 PPM, magnesium is 1460 PPM, Alkalinity is 4.3 Meq/L or 12.0 dKh

How new? What type of anemone?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It is a newer tank. My nitrates are 0.05 PPM and nitrates are 1 PPM. Salinity is 1.022, Phosphate is 0.04, Calcium is 460 PPM, magnesium is 1460 PPM, Alkalinity is 4.3 Meq/L or 12.0 dKh

Issues you may be having. . . . .
Salinity very low ( should be 1.025 )
Mag is high ( range should be 1300)
Alk very high ( should be 8-11)

One of the most important things you needed to take care of before you brought your anemone home was perfecting the tank and water conditions. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up.
With nems you need to take some time to get parameters just right and let the tank cycle for a few months. This assures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures and watr should be on the alkali side as well. At this point, monitor water conditions regularly to avoid any major changes. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be undetectable at all times using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

• Water temperature: Between 77°F and 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
• pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
• ALK: 8 to 12 dKH
• Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
• Nitrate < .5

 

[SudzFD]

It is a newer tank. My nitrates are 0.05 PPM and nitrates are 1 PPM. Salinity is 1.022, Phosphate is 0.04, Calcium is 460 PPM, magnesium is 1460 PPM, Alkalinity is 4.3 Meq/L or 12.0 dKh

Do you mean Nitrite is .05 PPM? What about Ammonia? Both should be zero ALL THE TIME in a cycled tank.

ammonia and Nitrite will kill inverts very quickly.

 

[Klag]

Do you mean Nitrite is .05 PPM? What about Ammonia? Both should be zero ALL THE TIME in a cycled tank.

ammonia and Nitrite will kill inverts very quickly.

Yes, Nitrites are 0.05 PPM. Ammonia is 0.0 PPM

 

[Klag]

Issues you may be having. . . . .
Salinity very low ( should be 1.025 )
Mag is high ( range should be 1300)
Alk very low ( should be 8-11)

One of the most important things you needed to take care of before you brought your anemone home was perfecting the tank and water conditions. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up.
With nems you need to take some time to get parameters just right and let the tank cycle for a few months. This assures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures and watr should be on the alkali side as well. At this point, monitor water conditions regularly to avoid any major changes. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be undetectable at all times using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

• Water temperature: Between 77°F and 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
• pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
• ALK: 8 to 12 dKH
• Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
• Nitrate < .5

Alk is 12 dKH, which is in your range. The 4.3 is the Meq/L rating.
We have a RedSea test kit.
We are raising our salinity slowly as we want it to be higher.
Ammonia is 0.
Temperature is 78 degrees F
pH is a little low at around 7.9
The magnesium is high in the water where I live, that is one of the few chemicals I don't add to the reef.

The issue was that I put a new light on the tank and it was too much for the anemone. So, I put the old one back on, and all went well again. The anemone looks almost perfect about an hour or two later. What type of RGBW levels would you say for a small (13.5 Gallon) reef tank with corals and a few fish as well?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Issues you may be having. . . . .
Salinity very low ( should be 1.025 )
Mag is high ( range should be 1300)
Alk very low ( should be 8-11)

One of the most important things you needed to take care of before you brought your anemone home was perfecting the tank and water conditions. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up.
With nems you need to take some time to get parameters just right and let the tank cycle for a few months. This assures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures and watr should be on the alkali side as well. At this point, monitor water conditions regularly to avoid any major changes. Ammonia and nitrate levels should be undetectable at all times using a good quality test kit and Not API either.
Here are some water parameters to follow.

• Water temperature: Between 77°F and 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
• pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
• ALK: 8 to 12 dKH
• Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
• Nitrate < .5

Alk is actually quite high at 12 like mine, Mag high too at 1400....never seems to bother my Nems ....that salinity as you mention though. Should be higher. Also agree on temp mine is 80-81 consistent. And age of tank....its really young. Best of luck OP.

 

[Clown2020]

Glad that nem is doing better,

3 things that really effect nems in my experience are alk flow and lighting so would suggest not trying to change more than one of these factors at any given time.

Also if you have nitrite present I would look to dose prime to detoxify as nitrite should not be present in a cycled aquarium.

Sounds like you are running your reef on tap water do you use a water conditioner?

when you say mg is one of the few things you don’t add, would be good to know else you are adding?

im asking a lot of questions about your water as nems tend to be more demanding of stability and if we can help with parameters now, the chance of trouble down the road will be reduced.


edited as missed reading one of your posts

 

[vetteguy53081]

Alk is 12 dKH, which is in your range. The 4.3 is the Meq/L rating.
We have a RedSea test kit.
We are raising our salinity slowly as we want it to be higher.
Ammonia is 0.
Temperature is 78 degrees F
pH is a little low at around 7.9
The magnesium is high in the water where I live, that is one of the few chemicals I don't add to the reef.

The issue was that I put a new light on the tank and it was too much for the anemone. So, I put the old one back on, and all went well again. The anemone looks almost perfect about an hour or two later. What type of RGBW levels would you say for a small (13.5 Gallon) reef tank with corals and a few fish as well?

Red 5%
green 3%
blue 80%
white 20%

 

[vetteguy53081]

Alk is actually quite high at 12 like mine, Mag high too at 1400....never seems to bother my Nems ....that salinity as you mention though. Should be higher. Also agree on temp mine is 80-81 consistent. And age of tank....its really young. Best of luck OP.

I meant high on alk

 

[Klag]

What light are you using? Also how many weeks or months has the tank been running?

3 things that really effect nems in my experience are alk flow and lighting so would suggest not trying to change more than one of these factors at any given time.

Also if you have nitrite present I would look to dose prime to detoxify as nitrite should not be present in a cycled aquarium.

Sounds like you are running your reef on tap water do you use a water conditioner?

when you say mg is one of the few things you don’t add, would be good to know else you are adding?

im asking a lot of questions about your water as nems tend to be more demanding of stability and if we can help with parameters now, the chance of trouble down the road will be reduced.

I am running a Fluval Evo 13.5 tank. I have been using the light that came with that tank and have had no issues. I was given a current loop light and want to use that instead because it is better in every way. Fully programable spectrum, schedule, and even weather. The light that came with is just day, night, off.

The tank has been cycling for over a month. The livestock is less than a week into the tank.

We use tap water, and then put Prime and Stability

Chemicals we dose: pictured below. I haven't used the Magnesium or algae management yet.

Thank you for the help

 

[Klag]

Red 5%
green 3%
blue 80%
white 20%

Thank you, is that for a daylight setting? What about sunrise/sunset and moonlight? I was having some troubles finding people light settings online and went with the preset... it was WAAAYYYYYY to much

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you, is that for a daylight setting? What about sunrise/sunset and moonlight? I was having some troubles finding people light settings online and went with the preset... it was WAAAYYYYYY to much

I never Taylor my lights to others but rather to what my coral like
This would be a 10-12 hour setting

 

[Klag]

I never Taylor my lights to others but rather to what my coral like
This would be a 10-12 hour setting

Okay, thank you. Do you have some good sources to find better specifics for the anemone and the corals to work together? The corals I got were given to me by my girlfriend's dad who has a 135 gallon RedSea tank. I could get the spectrum and program he had for all those corals. I'm just new to this hobby. I have had freshwater tanks for a while, but this is my first salt tank. Do you have some good idea for resources that would be helpful?