Bleaching rock flower help

stevers · Nov 21, 2013

OK 55 gallon changed from 4 48in t5 to 2 blue t5 (6 months old) and 3 36 watt panoramas ecoxotic and additionally 2 6 watt 18" blue/magenta strips(LEDs) approximately 20" from anemones, plural, I have 7 there I say this to rule out water conditions . 6 are fine but the best one is bleached significantly. Is it because of increased light or is he not happy on the rock? This anemone moved up onto that rock and was completely vertical for around 2 monthes. I just put the rock flat to the substrate to give the anemone more light. Or should I move him to the shade? I feed all the nems rods reef, plankton, and shrimp soaked in Kent ZOA. The nem in concern has been rejecting food and isn't very sticky. Possibly unrelated there is a "husk" like wet paper like anemone by-product around the column. What's my next move ? I have some coral revive says for anemones shall I give him a dip? Should I remove him from the rock and bury his foot like all the other happy nems? Also just today I changed my lighting on the tank to a taotronics 120 watt dimmable led. I am running the LEDs low to acclimate corals and stuff. The nem was bought at tropicorium and must be less than 3 years old (they breed them there) anemone has been in my care for 8 months and the bleaching has occurred over the last 3 weeks

appreciate any rockflower pros please help I would hate to loose this baby. How do I save him?

stevers · Nov 22, 2013

Anybody? I tried to provide all info I could from my end.

NanaReefer · Nov 22, 2013

Have you spoken to anyone at the Trop?

Rob&Gab · Nov 22, 2013

do you feed it at all? make sure if so your not giving it silversides i feed all of mine 3times a week. they get nice and fat and big. and there color stays and never bleached .

salmon
table shrimp
mysid
jumbo mysid
and sometimes other fish from left over meats uncooked.

stevers · Nov 23, 2013

Haven't spoke with anyone at the trop. Its like an hours drive I don't get out that way often. I feed a pretty varied diet rods, table shrimp, plankton, try to soak in ZOA but what good is the diet if the anemone in concern is rejecting food lol!? I did notice that it was expelling waste today and rejected food just the other day, which may explain the food denial. What lighting is best for recovering a bleached anemone? Metal halide, t5, Led, even shade? what combo ?

Trex · Nov 23, 2013

Did you acclimate it to your new lights? If not, that could be the cause of the bleaching.

However, what are your current parameters --- with numbers please.

stevers · Nov 23, 2013

Well if lights were the issue then wouldn't the other rock flowers be annoyed as well? I have 7 all next to each other. Same with water conditions, tank is around a year with all the rock and sand at 5 years. Very successful with growth of softies, mushrooms and zoas. I'll get some water conditions when I'm off work later. Oh and yes I acclimated the LEDs.

Reeferella · Nov 24, 2013

When my nems have bleached it's almost always a lighting issue, usually too much. In the first picture the nem is reaching out and in the second picture the nem is pulling back. That speaks volumes. The nem looks too good to strongly suspect water or allopathic issues IMO, at least not ongoing. While there's no way to be certain, this nem likely acclimated poorly to the new lights. The fact that the other nems acclimated well is irrelevant. There are several different species of zooxanthellae and more than one species can live within an anemone. For whatever reason, much of the zooxanthellae living in this nem may have found the brighter lighting incompatible with life.

Thus far the damage appears to be minimal. Don't remove the anemone from the rock. That will induce additional stress. Consider filtering it's light. I have a mesh screen on the top of my tank and I individually reduce the direct light to several corals with just small pieces of paper on top of the mesh. That said, I don't have lights that get hot or sit directly on the mesh either. Your goal will be to provide just enough light so the nem is slightly reaching out again. Leave the anemone amongst the other healthy nems. They will passively share their zooxanthellae. Dose Phycopure Zooxanthellae daily at first and gradually reduce to a maintenance dose with the intention of benefiting all your nems. Live Aquaria is currently having a sale on Phycopure Zooxanthellae. I can't say enough positive things about this product. Offer protein...I'd go with Oyster Feast liquid food but to each his own. Mysis too if the nem will take it, preferrably enriched. If the water parameters and flow are pristine, a full recovery is likely but you may end up with a very different colored anemone.

stevers · Nov 25, 2013

Thanks for the advice! As of now I have the lights at ten percent, and it's catching some indirect light from a 150 MH, seems to be helping. Haven't heard of the algae supplement, I'll look for it.