View Full Version : Anenome not Acclimating to New Lights
LeanneP
02-07-2013, 09:03 PM
I have recently got an anenome and some coral frags and I am having a very hard time with them and the lights. Andrew (previous owner) had Ati T5 and I have 2 x 250 watt metal halides. We raised my lights about 6 iches higher and I am only running one light at a time. I have been slowly increasing the lights but everything will look happy one day and the next everything has closed up and even more so when the halides are on. I was up to 3 hours on the side with the corals and 1 hour on the side where the nem was, everything looked great and next day they were all closed. I have checked all levels and everything is good. I have less then 2.5 nitrates.
So my question is do I raise lights even higher up and should I just keep increasing lights or turn them off if things are not looking happy. I have a lawnmower blennny so a little concerned his food will run out if lights aren't running much.
Any nem experience would be appreciated.
Leanne
BlueWorldAquatic
02-08-2013, 07:10 PM
What are the indications the anemone is having troubles?
Ken
FitoPharmer
02-08-2013, 07:41 PM
Also what type of lights are you currently running?
Just some info from myself, as I sold her the nem.
I was running 6 ATI T5 bulbs. She is running 250 MH (on and off through the day)
The nem is closed up most of the time in her tank but she has been feeding him a lot more then I ever did. Also the nem had a clown host in my tank, hers does not.
He has been in her tank around 3 weeks now. I feel he will still need to get used to the light and tank but only time will tell,.
LeanneP
02-09-2013, 12:43 AM
When I am turning the lights on the nem is closing up once I have the lights on after 20 minutes or so. Not sure if I should keep increasing the lighting time even though he is closing. I am going to raise the lights up another 6 inches and see if that helps.
Leanne
dperrin
02-09-2013, 02:33 AM
One thing I've seen suggested before to help acclimatize new inhabitants is to put multiple layers of window screen between the tank and the light. Every few days you can remove one layer of screen to let more light through. Probably both easier than raising your lights and allows you to cut the intensity a lot more than just raising them 6 inches.
BlueWorldAquatic
02-09-2013, 02:37 AM
Feeding could be the problem, maybe the nem is just digesting and ready to poop soon
LeanneP
02-09-2013, 02:56 AM
Window screen is a great suggestion. I will try that. Thanks for the tip. As for the pooping, yes he has and I do know the difference when he is digesting. It is definitely the light as I have watched him when I turn them on. Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.
Leanne
It just took me 1.5 months to aclimate a nem to my tank.. he would wander all around the tank, hid in the rocks for weeks (thought I was going to loose it!!!), and then finally he picked a place and has been happy ever since. They will sometimes be very picky.... and in my case I suspect it was my lights, even though I dropped them 50 percent for the first week, and slowly ramped up from there. He's now out fully, and eating like a champ...
be patient.
LeanneP
02-09-2013, 04:12 PM
It just took me 1.5 months to aclimate a nem to my tank.. he would wander all around the tank, hid in the rocks for weeks (thought I was going to loose it!!!), and then finally he picked a place and has been happy ever since. They will sometimes be very picky.... and in my case I suspect it was my lights, even though I dropped them 50 percent for the first week, and slowly ramped up from there. He's now out fully, and eating like a champ...
be patient.
Good to know. He hasn't moved at all so I guess he isn't that unhappy with his new home. I am going to try and use the screen and see if that helps. I too am just worried about losing him.
nrosdal
02-09-2013, 06:39 PM
Another possibility is the flow. When i saw your tank you had quite a lot of flow and while the nem might like the flow some day... when it is just been put in i would make sure to shut off the power heads(if you haven't already). So it can pick a good spot and stick himself in. That will also save the worry of him releasing from the rock and turning into chop meat by going into a propeller pump.
LeanneP
02-09-2013, 10:47 PM
Another possibility is the flow. When i saw your tank you had quite a lot of flow and while the nem might like the flow some day... when it is just been put in i would make sure to shut off the power heads(if you haven't already). So it can pick a good spot and stick himself in. That will also save the worry of him releasing from the rock and turning into chop meat by going into a propeller pump.
Funny you should say that because Andrew came over and said I didn't have enough flow on him so we moved a power head for more flow but I changed it again because he never opened very much after changing it. He hasn't moved since I put him in so maybe he likes the spot.
Leanne
What kind of anemone is it? Just curious. It can take then a while to acclimate and as already mentioned, often times they will move on their own to fun a suitable home (in terms of both flow and light).
Do you have any shaded areas in your tank? If you do you could try putting them there. How deep is your tank? Raising the lights with halides might not make a big enough difference as halides tend to be quite penetrating right to the sand bed!
The screen over the tank (just over the area where the nem is) is a great idea. You can even layer egg crate if you want.
LeanneP
02-10-2013, 02:18 AM
What kind of anemone is it? Just curious. It can take then a while to acclimate and as already mentioned, often times they will move on their own to fun a suitable home (in terms of both flow and light).
Do you have any shaded areas in your tank? If you do you could try putting them there. How deep is your tank? Raising the lights with halides might not make a big enough difference as halides tend to be quite penetrating right to the sand bed!
The screen over the tank (just over the area where the nem is) is a great idea. You can even layer egg crate if you want.
It is Sebae with purple tips. He hasn't moved so I am hesitant to disturb him. I do have shaded areas in the tank quite close to where he is. The tank is 23 inches deep. I am going to try the screen tonight for half an hour and see how he does.
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