Bubbletip Shrinks With Light

[T-MIKE]

Hi, I have had this Green Bubbletip Anemone for 3 weeks now and it used to be under the rock but it decide to move to the top for the past week. When the light is off, it is much larger but with the lights in, it shrinks. Is this normal or is there too much light? I have tried feeding it several times but it will not eat. One of the Pink Skunk Clownfish is being hosted.

Info:
5 Galllons
Free ammonia: 0 ppm
Total ammonia: 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 5 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
Light: Custom 22W 10K LED strips

 

[Crabs McJones]

The nem is badly bleached. I would guess lighting is not strong enough or correct spectrum. #Reefsquad

 

[James M]

The tank should have 0 ammonia.
How old is the tank ? Also clowns need a tank that’s a minimum of 20 gallons

 

[T-MIKE]

The nem is badly bleached. I would guess lighting is not strong enough or correct spectrum. #Reefsquad

Hmm, I thought too bright would bleach it? And it shrinks with the light on so I'm guessing it thinks it's too bright.

 

[T-MIKE]

Yes, I'm currently using normal filtered water with ammonia remover to see if I can get by but a RO/DI is not out of the question. I've read as long as free ammonia is 0 then it's mostly ok.

The tank has been running for 4 weeks. I have been using bacteria in a bottle to cycle and I do plan on upgrading within the end of the year.

 

[Ron Reefman]

A 22 watt led strip with a spectrum of 10K just doesn't sound like enough. It's a shallow tank, but you need more blue spectrum leds!

A cheap Mars Aqua black box led hae 55 leds at 3 watts and then drives them at 1.85 watts, so it's actually producing 55 x 2.85 = 101.75 watts and yours is 22 watts, not good.

The Mars Aqua led is roughly half white leds (similar to yours I suspect) and half blue which is WAY better for the zooxanthellae (algae) that lives inside the anemone and helps feed it. You need more blue spectrum. You get a small amount with your white leds, but not enough.

Your nem isn't bleached from too much light, it's lost all it's zooxanthellae due to lack of enough light to be able to do photosynthesis.

Feed it regularly (every 2 or 3 days) until it captures some zooxanthellae, or whatever zooxanthellae is left can reproduce and the anemone starts to get it's color back.

 

[T-MIKE]

A 22 watt led strip with a spectrum of 10K just doesn't sound like enough (unless your tank is 12" or less deep).

A cheap Mars Aqua black box led hae 55 leds at 3 watts and then drives them at 1.85 watts, so it's actually producing 55 x 2.85 = 101.75 watts and yours is 22 watts, not good.

The Mars Aqua led is roughly half white leds (similar to yours I suspect) and half blue which is WAY better for the zooxanthellae (algae) that lives inside the anemone and helps feed it. You need more blue spectrum. You get a small amount with your white leds, but not enough.

Your nem isn't bleached from too much light, it's lost all it's zooxanthellae due to lack of enough light to be able to do photosynthesis.

Feed it regularly (every 2 or 3 days) until it captures some zooxanthellae, or whatever zooxanthellae is left can reproduce and the anemone starts to get it's color back.

Look at next post please, I screwed up the post.

 

[T-MIKE]

Thanks for the tips. I did some research before I made the light as I was trying to figure out how much wattage I needed and it did not seem I needed that much. I also know it's not really about the perceived brightness but the PAR but I don't have a meter to measure that. The tank is 14 in depth and the light is right at the top edge. I'll look into getting a light.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/marineland-5g-portrait-build.581315/

I have tried feeding scallops, chopped up regular shrimp, brine shrimp, krill and reefroids(saw someone doing that) but it has eaten none of it. It will just shrivel up and squeeze whatever I feed it out of the tentacles and then reopen.

 

[KorD]

Yes, I'm currently using normal filtered water with ammonia remover to see if I can get by but a RO/DI is not out of the question. I've read as long as free ammonia is 0 then it's mostly ok.

The tank has been running for 4 weeks . I have been using bacteria in a bottle to cycle and I do plan on upgrading within the end of the year.

Wait.. your tank has only been up for 4 weeks.(not meaning it to sound horrible). has it even fully cycled yet? Your rocks and sand bed look super clean)
Bacteria in a bottle is good, but not that good. Are you still dosing your tank with the stuff?
Was the rock you added live rock or just rock you got off the shelf?
I would definitely get better lights to start with. I am running 165w LEDs with my tank. My anemones are happy and have deep colors.

 

[reef lover]

Imo. Not to be harsh. This tank is much too young and not yet stable enough to support a nem. On top of that 5 gals is such a small volume that any small swing will greatly affect parameters, which nems wont tolerate.

 

[T-MIKE]

Well I thought it was cycled but I’m not sure now so I’m dosing bacteria everyday as recommended on the bottle. It was dry rock with live sand.

I’m going to purchase a new light right now.

 

[T-MIKE]

Imo. Not to be harsh. This tank is much too young and not yet stable enough to support a nem. On top of that 5 gals is such a small volume that any small swing will greatly affect parameters, which nems wont tolerate.

Yeah, I admit I should have waited but it is what it is now. I’ll upgrade my lighting first.

 

[KorD]

Imo. Not to be harsh. This tank is much too young and not yet stable enough to support a nem. On top of that 5 gals is such a small volume that any small swing will greatly affect parameters, which nems wont tolerate.

A young tank and a nem can be fine, you just have to be super aware of what you are doing. I have had tanks for many of years. Mine tank is 22 days old and I have a nem that is hosting a clown..
It all depends on what you do and how you do it.
A pico tank on the other hand is just always a dangerous situation. I have had many of those with great success, but I never had a nem in one.

 

[KorD]

Well I thought it was cycled but I’m not sure now so I’m dosing bacteria everyday as recommended on the bottle. It was dry rock with live sand.

I’m going to purchase a new light right now.

Stop dosing the bacteria and let the tank do it's thing. On a tank that size, about 1 oz of bacteria was more then enough.
Are you running a skimmer.. if so shut it down, all you are doing in removing the good stuff.
Not sure what your reefing budget is, but a good set of lights on Amazon is not that much, I got mine for $119.

I know words being typed can sound mean, mine are not. I would be happy to take this to private message and help you out more than I can in public chat.

 

[T-MIKE]

Stop dosing the bacteria and let the tank do it's thing. On a tank that size, about 1 oz of bacteria was more then enough.
Are you running a skimmer.. if so shut it down, all you are doing in removing the good stuff.
Not sure what your reefing budget is, but a good set of lights on Amazon is not that much, I got mine for $119.

I know words being typed can sound mean, mine are not. I would be happy to take this to private message and help you out more than I can in public chat.

Naw it’s all good, I’m not the most patient person so I rush a bit sometimes.

I was worried about water parameters so I was constantly changing the water which might have been a mistake because I was removing the bacteria. I’ve been redosing for 3 days now with 2.5ml which is the recommended amount. I’m not running a skimmer. I’m using carbon, purigen and biomax at the moment.

I just purchased a viparspectra 165w which is overkill but it’s adjustable. For this tank size in the questions section on Amazon, people are only using it at 10% so I’m still skeptical if my current light isn’t bright enough. Plus the nem is shrinking when the light are on so doesn’t that mean it’s too bright?

 

[KorD]

Naw it’s all good, I’m not the most patient person so I rush a bit sometimes.

I was worried about water parameters so I was constantly changing the water which might have been a mistake because I was removing the bacteria. I’ve been redosing for 3 days now with 2.5ml which is the recommended amount. I’m not running a skimmer. I’m using carbon, purigen and biomax at the moment.

I just purchased a viparspectra 165w which is overkill but it’s adjustable. For this tank size in the questions section on Amazon, people are only using it at 10% so I’m still skeptical if my current light isn’t bright enough. Plus the nem is shrinking when the light are on so doesn’t that mean it’s too bright?

That is the same light I have for my tank. Once you get it set up, you are going to love it. I have it on 30 blues and 18 whites right now and my nems LOVE it.
Just be sure to read the instructions a couple times.. they can be confusing.

I would yank the carbon and keep the purigen in.
How much carbon are you running.. I know it should not be much. I only run 20 grams in my 30gal. Too much carbon can be a bad thing.

 

[T-MIKE]

That is the same light I have for my tank. Once you get it set up, you are going to love it. I have it on 30 blues and 18 whites right now and my nems LOVE it.
Just be sure to read the instructions a couple times.. they can be confusing.

I would yank the carbon and keep the purigen in.
How much carbon are you running.. I know it should not be much. I only run 20 grams in my 30gal. Too much carbon can be a bad thing.

Never heard of too much carbon is bad but I’ll look into it. It’s about half a cup, didn’t measure.

 

[KorD]

Never heard of too much carbon is bad but I’ll look into it. It’s about half a cup, didn’t measure.

I'm mean.. don't get me wrong.. half a cup is fine, but too much I hear can strip a little more out of the water then you need to.. just remember you want some of the good stuff to stay.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I'm mean.. don't get me wrong.. half a cup is fine, but too much I hear can strip a little more out of the water then you need to.. just remember you want some of the good stuff to stay.

In fact a lot of reefers don't run carbon at all. In 15 years I've only used it a few times when I chemistry issues that needed cleaning up.

 

[T-MIKE]

In fact a lot of reefers don't run carbon at all. In 15 years I've only used it a few times when I chemistry issues that needed cleaning up.

I did some research, i think I’ll take it out when I get a chance.