Anemones and lighting/flow- a discussion

[iceman14555]

My tank is over 4 years old I've had rose bubble tips in it for years, at one point I had 7, currently I'm at 5. Around October-December of 2023 I decided I needed Radions and MP10s, because I'm a hardware *****. Ever since then my BTAs just don't seem as happy, they are much much smaller, however they still seem healthy as far as color and their mouths are nice and closed. My BTAs are the oldest non fish inhabitants of my tank. The newer zoas and feather dusters have seemingly had no issue adjusting.

My question for the discussion is: how long can it take for anemones to get used to new flow patterns and lighting spectrum? I'll attach pictures from before and after the setup change below. As well as my lighting schedule I've finally settled in on. My power heads change through the day, but don't go over around 1200-1300 gph total.

This was just a few days after adding the BTAs.

This was just before the lighting change.

Just after the lighting change.

These are from today....

Believe it or not they've looked better the last couple of days than they have in a while.

Let's see what everyone else has to add. Advice is appreciated.

 

[TX_REEF]

I've found that BTA's thrive in far less light and flow than most folks think. I'm not surprised that adding more powerful lighting has them a little closed up, especially after spending years under lower lighting. Flow is the same, when I added my first nem it wasn't happy in the slightest with the powerful and random flow from my mp40s. I had to dial it way down to find balance. In fact, the happiest nems I have ever seen in person are in a red sea display at my LFS where they use no powerheads whatsoever, only the flow from the return pump.

All in all, your observations seem on point to me!

 

[iceman14555]

I've found that BTA's thrive in far less light and flow than most folks think. I'm not surprised that adding more powerful lighting has them a little closed up, especially after spending years under lower lighting. Flow is the same, when I added my first nem it wasn't happy in the slightest with the powerful and random flow from my mp40s. I had to dial it way down to find balance. In fact, the happiest nems I have ever seen in person are in a red sea display at my LFS where they use no powerheads whatsoever, only the flow from the return pump.

All in all, your observations seem on point to me!

It's been months of dialing the settings on the lights and MPs. I've currently got the lights at 40% intensity and may drop it more (coming from AI prime Sols). The MPs were changed from a Nero 5 and Nero 3. I tried to mimic the flow settings I had as much I could, but obviously the power settings are quite different. This is my current light schedule: a 1-8-1 with a 6 hour full spectrum period and a 2 hour 14000k period.

 

[iceman14555]

I've found that BTA's thrive in far less light and flow than most folks think. I'm not surprised that adding more powerful lighting has them a little closed up, especially after spending years under lower lighting. Flow is the same, when I added my first nem it wasn't happy in the slightest with the powerful and random flow from my mp40s. I had to dial it way down to find balance. In fact, the happiest nems I have ever seen in person are in a red sea display at my LFS where they use no powerheads whatsoever, only the flow from the return pump.

All in all, your observations seem on point to me!

Any tips on my settings from above?

 

[Nano_Man]

I think moderate flow but they will find a happy place for it. I found if too much flow they go stringy looking. Lighting is important because they get there goodness from photosynthesis
Other anemones I keep love as much flow as you can give them and don’t require any strong lighting. Anemone will tell you when there has been fast changes to their environment. Also bta are quite hardy people think you have to give them extra care no the secret is just let them be. And guard your power heads if you start to see them climbing

 

[iceman14555]

I think moderate flow but they will find a happy place for it. I found if too much flow they go stringy looking. Lighting is important because they get there goodness from photosynthesis
Other anemones I keep love as much flow as you can give them and don’t require any strong lighting. Anemone will tell you when there has been fast changes to their environment. Also bta are quite hardy people think you have to give them extra care no the secret is just let them be. And guard your power heads if you start to see them climbing

Oh yeah, I've had nem guards since the beginning. Thanks for the reply.

 

[VintageReefer]

You went from 2 lights directly above the rocks they reside in, to a single light in between. It will never be the same

What size tank and what model light is that. Do you have a par meter? If that’s an xr15 they really don’t put out a ton of par and you might need two for a tank that width

 

[iceman14555]

You went from 2 lights directly above the rocks they reside in, to a single light in between. It will never be the same

What size tank and what model light is that. Do you have a par meter? If that’s an xr15 they really don’t put out a ton of par and you might need two for a tank that width

Look at the last picture, I have two XR15 G6 Pros with the diffuser. The tank is a Cobalt C-vue 40. 36Lx18Wx14H. I don't have a par meter and my local store's is broken. So it's kind of a guessing game on the intensity setting.

 

[VintageReefer]

My apologies somehow I overlooked the lights in the last pic. This is a good setup for that tank.

I feel lighting is still the issue. Do you have the primes still? I would try and obtain a par meter and check what the output was in a few spots with a prime setup and a few spots with the radions.

Those radions are not the strongest in par and the diffuser makes blending great but also reduces par further. Remember that par is not something you can see and brightness isn’t an indicator.

You could be over or under what the anemones prefer. That would high on my list of things to check

 

[iceman14555]

My apologies somehow I overlooked the lights in the last pic. This is a good setup for that tank.

I feel lighting is still the issue. Do you have the primes still? I would try and obtain a par meter and check what the output was in a few spots with a prime setup and a few spots with the radions.

Those radions are not the strongest in par and the diffuser makes blending great but also reduces par further. Remember that par is not something you can see and brightness isn’t an indicator.

You could be over or under what the anemones prefer. That would high on my list of things to check

This is great advice, and some that I've already considered. I do have the primes still, however one issue is I don't remember my settings. The second issue is obtaining a par meter that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I was looking at the newer parwise meter that shows spectrum as well as par, but still need to set aside $300. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/parwise-usb-light-meter-itc-reefculture.html

 

[VintageReefer]

If you don’t mind using a laptop and the (super easy) software instead of having a display on the meter itself you couldn’t get this for around 250 new

USB Smart Quantum SQ-420X PAR Sensor

PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) is the easiest way to measure the available light for corals consume and use for photosynthesis. With LED lights giving more and more control to the consumer the best thing is a PAR meter that is affordable and simple to use. With PAR readings you can...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I have it, and it has built in correction for underwater measurements

I found mine used for 150

There is a used one on eBay for 200 with no bids. You might be able to snag it and save 50$

 

[VintageReefer]

I believe the prime store the settings internally. If I use my app I just connect to the light and it detects the settings

 

[iceman14555]

If you don’t mind using a laptop and the (super easy) software instead of having a display on the meter itself you couldn’t get this for around 250 new

USB Smart Quantum SQ-420X PAR Sensor

PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) is the easiest way to measure the available light for corals consume and use for photosynthesis. With LED lights giving more and more control to the consumer the best thing is a PAR meter that is affordable and simple to use. With PAR readings you can...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I have it, and it has built in correction for underwater measurements

I found mine used for 150

There is a used one on eBay for 200 with no bids. You might be able to snag it and save 50$

Oh, I thought this was just a replacement sensor for the $500 MQ510. This could same a few bucks.

 

[iceman14555]

I believe the prime store the settings internally. If I use my app I just connect to the light and it detects the settings

I don't think I factory reset them, this might work. I'm curious to look up if anyone has put the work in to comparing intensity settings between the Radions and primes.

 

[VintageReefer]

Oh, I thought this was just a replacement sensor for the $500 MQ510. This could same a few bucks.

Its a standalone par sensor without a display. It has a long usb and you just connect to a laptop and use the free software and it gives you a live readout of par. Immersion mode needs to be enabled for underwater readings.

And I’m sure someone must have compared par between the two fixtures, they are both popular, but it would be hard to make it relevant because everyone uses different settings. Maybe someone compared 100% vs 100% and you can get a rough idea (BRS probably did this in the led shoot off competition ) but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these fixtures ramp up and down equally because the diodes and channels are different. And then throw in that yours have the diffusers…and the results get more skewed.

 

[VintageReefer]

I would offer to loan you mine, but it’s currently on loan to another reefer. And I have someone else who messaged me asking to buy it, or at least loan it, when I get it back.

 

[iceman14555]

Its a standalone par sensor without a display. It has a long usb and you just connect to a laptop and use the free software and it gives you a live readout of par. Immersion mode needs to be enabled for underwater readings.

And I’m sure someone must have compared par between the two fixtures, they are both popular, but it would be hard to make it relevant because everyone uses different settings. Maybe someone compared 100% vs 100% and you can get a rough idea (BRS probably did this in the led shoot off competition ) but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these fixtures ramp up and down equally because the diodes and channels are different. And then throw in that yours have the diffusers…and the results get more skewed.

I'll have to look though their videos. I watched countless videos of theirs while trying to dial in settings and intensity on the new lights, guess I'll dive back into the rabbit hole.

 

[GlassMunky]

Photone app for phones
$6 and 3% difference from Apogee meters

 

[VintageReefer]

I'll have to look though their videos. I watched countless videos of theirs while trying to dial in settings and intensity on the new lights, guess I'll dive back into the rabbit hole.

Question about light switching from AI Prime 16 to XR15

Hi guys, I have a Waterbox 25 set up for over 6 months. Recently I decided to switch from AI prime 16 hd to XR 15 Blue Gen 6 for a better spread and par. A month after, my sps started losing color and I wonder if this is because of the change in spectrum or just light intensity? I used to run...

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[iceman14555]

Photone app for phones
$6 and 3% difference from Apogee meters

I tried that app, it did not seem very accurate. It said I was close to 1000 par at the surface, with the intensity at like 53%, and I can't stick my phone under water.