Why are my anemones so small?

[Dolphins18]

Big Update: I have the smaller anemone to a close family member. Ever since I got them. They grew way larger in my tank than the fish store, also less for me to worry about right now. We live close enough that I could see it anytime.

Sometimes that is the best decision - the other one will likely split again, if it does you are very prepared.
All the best

 

[mindme]

Big Update: I have the smaller anemone to a close family member. Ever since I got them. They grew way larger in my tank than the fish store, also less for me to worry about right now. We live close enough that I could see it anytime.

Sounds like a responsible decision. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but hopefully it's the right choice.

One of mine split today, so I'm up to 3 now.

 

[Midasblen]

Hello everyone, a lot has happened in the last twenty four hours. I wanted to make sure that it was not a water issue, so I got some rodi top off water from my LFS as well as some saltwater to do a water change. I did about a twenty percent water change. I got my order of crabs and snails from reef cleaners. Lastly I tested my water, here are the results.

Alk-10.2
Cal: 500
Mag:1500+
Nitrate:5-10 ppm
Phosphate:0-0.03
Salinity: 1.024-1.025

 

[Midasblen]

I thought that my anemone was getting better but it is really small right now not sure what else I can do. Really hopping it does not dissolve in my tank.

 

[outhouse]

Really hopping it does not dissolve in my tank.

I told you it was two possibilities, water quality and or light, either one will make them small. Id change out all the water and cut the intensity down. You will notice improvements within a week. Id also change wtater brand of salt mix your using and use reef crystals and or the liveaquaria salt. The water change has zero way or shocking or harming any coral or invert, and its a good way to eliminate chemical warfare in your tank. There is no need for a nem to get large if the lights are to bright, and they will all stay small. with less light they grow and try and reach for the light. The exact opposite of what you are experiencing.

 

[Midasblen]

I told you it was two possibilities, water quality and or light, either one will make them small. Id change out all the water and cut the intensity down. You will notice improvements within a week. Id also change wtater brand of salt mix your using and use reef crystals and or the liveaquaria salt. The water change has zero way or shocking or harming any coral or invert, and its a good way to eliminate chemical warfare in your tank. There is no need for a nem to get large if the lights are to bright, and they will all stay small. with less light they grow and try and reach for the light. The exact opposite of what you are experiencing.

My water changes have been with my LFS salt mixed water and well as top off is from their as well. Ok I will try turning down the intensity of the light.

 

[Midasblen]

Should I use chemicals to help get rid of all the algae in my tank. I got snails and crabs but they don't seem to be helping that much. I might get a lawn mower blenny as well. I had one of these in the past but he died of old age.

 

[Midasblen]

I told you it was two possibilities, water quality and or light, either one will make them small. Id change out all the water and cut the intensity down. You will notice improvements within a week. Id also change wtater brand of salt mix your using and use reef crystals and or the liveaquaria salt. The water change has zero way or shocking or harming any coral or invert, and its a good way to eliminate chemical warfare in your tank. There is no need for a nem to get large if the lights are to bright, and they will all stay small. with less light they grow and try and reach for the light. The exact opposite of what you are experiencing.

I lowered my lights by 15%

 

[outhouse]

Im using vibrant and it works great for algae, as far as lighting goes it wont hurt diming the tank greatly if intensity was to high. Like I said earlier, I set mine to 1% and growth is now through the roof, and I think I have had close to 10 rbta splits since I first posted here. I dont know what 15% translates to, but what worked for me was being able to see it was noticeably dimmer just looking at the tank. When I made those 15% kind of slight changes I noticed very little. Im in Ca if you were close id give you a few rbtas but id like to see you get a handle on yours, They are hardy and you should be able to figure this out. They bounce back really well and fast.

 

[outhouse]

Should I use chemicals to help get rid of all the algae in my tank.

Post a picture, if its just a green coating then vibrant would be a good choice. If you had full blown GHA everywhere then fluconazole for 2 weeks followed by massive water changes works. Your tank is fairly new if im not mistaken, so less chemicals is better, and id do vibrant once a week over fluconazole if given a choice.

 

[outhouse]

many people have been setting their black boxs to 10 and 20% B and 1% W having great success. Remember im 30" deep with a 210G tank, and they are thriving at 1%. Leds grow coral great, but the biggest mistake is too bright. Not asking you to run 1%, just make sure its a lot dimmer then where your at now. You have very strong lights for such a shallow tank.

 

[Midasblen]

Im using vibrant and it works great for algae, as far as lighting goes it wont hurt diming the tank greatly if intensity was to high. Like I said earlier, I set mine to 1% and growth is now through the roof, and I think I have had close to 10 rbta splits since I first posted here. I dont know what 15% translates to, but what worked for me was being able to see it was noticeably dimmer just looking at the tank. When I made those 15% kind of slight changes I noticed very little. Im in Ca if you were close id give you a few rbtas but id like to see you get a handle on yours, They are hardy and you should be able to figure this out. They bounce back really well and fast.

Ok thanks for the help, I am going to turn my blues and violets down maybe another 15% or more because it is not that much darker then before. Before this they were at 65% and cool whites at 10%. How quickly would you say a anemone would bounce back from bad conditions to good conditions. So far the only difference that I can see is the shape is more curvy and tubey than before.

 

[Midasblen]

Post a picture, if its just a green coating then vibrant would be a good choice. If you had full blown GHA everywhere then fluconazole for 2 weeks followed by massive water changes works. Your tank is fairly new if im not mistaken, so less chemicals is better, and id do vibrant once a week over fluconazole if given a choice.

Here a pic. Not sure what is one the rocks, but it is thick . Sometimes a lot will get on my gsp and I have to use a turkey baster to get it off and I am pretty sure that I have cyano on the sand. I got some snails to eat it, not so sure how that will go. I used to have a lawn mower blenny that would eat off the rock but never ate shrimp or pellets. My tank is about a year and a half old.

 

[outhouse]

Give the low lights a week, you may need some chemi clean and water changes to take care of the cyano.

 

[outhouse]

Pic a little blurry hard to tell about algae. What your experiencing is somewhat normal for new tanks under a year old. It takes a while before they are well seeded with bacteria. I get occasional cyano every couple of years, even in good conditions. Its usually a sign of poor water conditions. You were trying to raise those parameters to see if it helped, and now you or the poor side for water quality.

 

[outhouse]

I got some snails to eat it, not so sure how that will go.

they should not touch it, if they go through it they might leave a trail, but their not eating it. Nor is it a known solution.

 

[Midasblen]

they should not touch it, if they go through it they might leave a trail, but their not eating it. Nor is it a known solution.

All of the snails were suppose to eat cyano and other algae.

 

[Midasblen]

I just tested again and got:
Alk:10
Cal:500
Mag:1500+
Nitrate:0-5 ppm
phosphate: 0.03-0.1

 

[Midasblen]

I was looking back a pictures of my anemone when it was huge and the tentacles look more full with color than now. it is possible that the coral is bleached? The tentacles are not white just not the dark rainbow color they used to be.

 

[Midasblen]

Give the low lights a week, you may need some chemi clean and water changes to take care of the cyano.

Give the low lights a week, you may need some chemi clean and water changes to take care of the cyano.

Its been a week and the anemone is still small but has not fallen off the rocks in 2 weeks. My gsp however really likes the low light. I think that my anemone could be bleached because of how clear and dull its tentacles are. Any idea how to help a bleached anemone?