When to hunt for a missing anenome.

[BigRed78]

Hello everyone. I just purchased my first anenome 3 days ago. It’s a black widow. I placed it on the rock work 3 days ago and it never moved. Last night however I figured it was safe to turn the flow back on. This morning I can’t see him anywhere. I’ve turned the flow down to the lowest setting. Should I go digging through the rock work for him? I don’t think he got shredded as I haven’t seen any sighns of that. Thank you John

 

[Dbichler]

I wouldn’t search you could crush it with the rock. It’s perfectly normal for them to hide for a couple days.

 

[BigRed78]

I wouldn’t search you could crush it with the rock. It’s perfectly normal for them to hide for a couple days.

Thank you I’ll let him do his thing

 

[laverda]

I would not do anything right a way. What are you parameters? How old is the tank? Set up with live or dry rock? What is your lighting and schedule?

 

[BigRed78]

I do apologize for not updating when he came out. He came out the next day. My lighting is on for 9 hours black box around that time my nitrate was around 6-7 alk 8.7 didn’t test cal never tested magnesium before Andy phosphates uh brace yourself were .64 ppm. I have been working on my phosphate issue and as of yesterday it was .34 by no means problem solved but a huge improvment. The tank isonly a few weeks old. The rock I have started as dry rock 2-3 years ago. I moved the contents into this tank from my 75 that was up for a year. So idk what you would classify as the tank age.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

Not sure if this factors with anemone's but be careful with large changes in phosphates as well. I was at .50 and zeroed out the tank and ended up with some SPS's not happy.

 

[BigRed78]

Yeah I’m working on it slowly I dialed my skimmer in correctly and worked on my feeding habits. I know slowly feed my fish instead of dumping it all in at once. On the list my refigum is covered in cyano out competing the chatoe I’m hoping if I can get the chato to grow better I can fix everything. I’m also in desperate need of new cleanup crew.

 

[laverda]

I would not lower your phosphates much if any more. Everything in our tanks need phosphates to live, just not to much.

 

[BigRed78]

I would not lower your phosphates much if any more. Everything in our tanks need phosphates to live, just not to much.

If you don’t mind me asking what do you keep your nutrient levels at?

 

[laverda]

My nitrates are 20-25 and my phosphates are .6, which most would consider very high. Probably to high if your keeping a lot of SPS. In that case I would aim for nitrates at 10.

 

[BigRed78]

Yeah sps is my main goal I have some eyphillia a couple softies some favias and stuff and a bunch of easy sps. My goal is to load the rest up with a bunch of acros but I want everything in order first