Identifying stuff in tank? Help

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

I'm sure there has been a post before on this but wanted to post and ask posting my pictures. Had a fox face die just over a week ago and anenome hasn't been opening much. Tank right at 3 months old, fox face I had for almost 2 months and appeared great until suddenly one day he was almost petrified and died that night. Thanks in advance, took water sample to local shop and he said everything was good! Also, firefish today firefish didn't want to come out from under rock until fed. First time he's done that

vetteguy53081 · Apr 25, 2022

Firefish hide often and yes, never miss a meal.
Anemone balled up - likely found something to eat. Lower white intensity a little. Tank looks too new for anemone but now its time to manage it

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Firefish hide often and yes, never miss a meal.
Anemone balled up - likely found something to eat. Lower white intensity a little. Tank looks too new for anemone but now its time to manage it

I do run mostly white leds until night when I switch to blue. But recently even when switched to blue he still doesn't open much. Professional set it up for me and he brought the anenome to me so I trust his judgment on it being there.

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Firefish hide often and yes, never miss a meal.
Anemone balled up - likely found something to eat. Lower white intensity a little. Tank looks too new for anemone but now its time to manage it

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

Just a few other pics for anyone's experienced opinions

vetteguy53081 · Apr 25, 2022

mcgallagherc said:
I do run mostly white leds until night when I switch to blue. But recently even when switched to blue he still doesn't open much. Professional set it up for me and he brought the anenome to me so I trust his judgment on it being there.

Lights too bright cause anemone to ball up or hide. Too much flow causes them to move. Anemones are sensitive to water changes and require pristine conditions to stay in good shape. Failing to meet their needs can result in early death and damage to the tank environment as a whole. Yes, getting caught in a power head is a concern but rarely occurs.
The most important thing you’ll need to do with your anemone home is perfecting the tank and water conditions. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up. why- you need to take some time to get parameters just right and let the closed environment cycle for a few months. This ensures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures. Water should be on the alkali side as well. 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: 77°F - 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)
pH level: 8.1 to 8.3
Water hardness: 8 to 11 dKH
Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025
Nitrate < .5
Phosphate < .04

The flow should be minimal until the anemone gets settled in. Chances are, your anemone will move around the tank until it finds a suitable spot to call home. If it starts to move towards any coral, simply direct your water jets to the coral. This will discourage the anemone from anchoring near it. It will move to another area to attach.
Bubble Tip Anemone lighting is a very important aspect of their care. These creatures need light to thrive because they’re photosynthetic which means that they absorb light to produce food and growth. The anemone has zooxanthellae in its body, which are symbiotic microorganisms that they feed on. Without proper lighting, the anemone will expel the zooxanthellae and turn white. This process is called bleaching and often leads to death.
A moderate amount of flow is recommended. Many aquarists soon find out that too much flow will cause the anemone to stretch out and look stringy. Keeping things moderate will help avoid this from happening. Avoid directing your flow directly at the anemone. These creatures enjoy subtle movement at all times but too much direct flow hitting the anemone will force it to move.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 25, 2022

mcgallagherc said:
Just a few other pics for anyone's experienced opinions

The hammer is not fully open again, here is where light and flow play a role and the hammer needs adequate light for zooxanthellae which is its building blocks for color and growth. Avoid extremely bright locations or areas of very high current, and avoid areas that are too dark or with currents that are too low. Fast currents risk damaging the soft, fleshy polyps (and getting an infection). Bright lights will cause bleaching. Insufficient lighting will cause the poor coral to wither away and starve to death.
Hammer corals only require a moderate amount of light for photosynthesis and can grow well in the intermediate regions of your tank. Just about any reef LED lighting should be sufficient for most tanks. Reduce white light intensity and get it off the sand bed which sand can irritate it.
The polyps should sway in the current, but not sustain so much pressure they are constantly bent over their skeleton. Too much flow will tear the polyps (worst case) and cause the polyps do not extend in the first place (best case). So, don’t give them too much flow.

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Lights too bright cause anemone to ball up or hide. Too much flow causes them to move. Anemones are sensitive to water changes and require pristine conditions to stay in good shape. Failing to meet their needs can result in early death and damage to the tank environment as a whole. Yes, getting caught in a power head is a concern but rarely occurs.
The most important thing you’ll need to do with your anemone home is perfecting the tank and water conditions. You should never place an anemone into a tank you just set up. why- you need to take some time to get parameters just right and let the closed environment cycle for a few months. This ensures that conditions are stable and safe. Anemones prefer warmer temperatures. Water should be on the alkali side as well. 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: 77°F - 80°F (stay close to the middle of this range)

pH level: 8.1 to 8.3

Water hardness: 8 to 11 dKH

Specific gravity: 1.024 to 1.025

Nitrate < .5

Phosphate < .04

The flow should be minimal until the anemone gets settled in. Chances are, your anemone will move around the tank until it finds a suitable spot to call home. If it starts to move towards any coral, simply direct your water jets to the coral. This will discourage the anemone from anchoring near it. It will move to another area to attach.
Bubble Tip Anemone lighting is a very important aspect of their care. These creatures need light to thrive because they’re photosynthetic which means that they absorb light to produce food and growth. The anemone has zooxanthellae in its body, which are symbiotic microorganisms that they feed on. Without proper lighting, the anemone will expel the zooxanthellae and turn white. This process is called bleaching and often leads to death.
A moderate amount of flow is recommended. Many aquarists soon find out that too much flow will cause the anemone to stretch out and look stringy. Keeping things moderate will help avoid this from happening. Avoid directing your flow directly at the anemone. These creatures enjoy subtle movement at all times but too much direct flow hitting the anemone will force it to move.

He's on the opposite side of my single MP40 but I did knotice something in article. Water temp, need to bump it up a couple degrees... for some reason(maybe I read something) but I bumped it down a degree so this makes sense

mcgallagherc · Apr 25, 2022

I feel

vetteguy53081 said:
The hammer is not fully open again, here is where light and flow play a role and the hammer needs adequate light for zooxanthellae which is its building blocks for color and growth. Avoid extremely bright locations or areas of very high current, and avoid areas that are too dark or with currents that are too low. Fast currents risk damaging the soft, fleshy polyps (and getting an infection). Bright lights will cause bleaching. Insufficient lighting will cause the poor coral to wither away and starve to death.
Hammer corals only require a moderate amount of light for photosynthesis and can grow well in the intermediate regions of your tank. Just about any reef LED lighting should be sufficient for most tanks. Reduce white light intensity and get it off the sand bed which sand can irritate it.
The polyps should sway in the current, but not sustain so much pressure they are constantly bent over their skeleton. Too much flow will tear the polyps (worst case) and cause the polyps do not extend in the first place (best case). So, don’t give them too much flow.

I feel like the Hammer has looked alot better in that location, maybe I've never seen it fully opened?