Long Tentacled Anemones

[Little_Aquarist]

Alright, I'll definitely do that, Ninong.
So I should just mix the saltwater ahead of time and add that instead of freshwater?

[Ninong]

Alright, I'll definitely do that, Ninong.
So I should just mix the saltwater ahead of time and add that instead of freshwater?

Yes.

Just mix your saltwater to 1.025-1.026 SG and use that instead of freshwater for evaporation replacement. Check your tank's salinity frequently; however, there is no need to rush this procedure.

Once your tank gets to 1.025-1.026 SG, you can revert back to using freshwater for evaporation replacement.

[Little_Aquarist]

Thank you again, Ninong.

[Little_Aquarist]

Alright, so what are some of the signs of stress in an anemone that I should look out for if I bring it home tomorrow?

[TimH07]

i wouldnt bring one home tommorow at all if your SG is 1.019, not at all...

see charlies sig

[Little_Aquarist]

Alright... well, if not tomorrow, then sometime when the salinity is higher.
Even so, what are some signs of stress within the anemone.

[Ninong]

You really shouldn't bring it home until AFTER you have raised your sand bed for it. Go back and reread Dr. Ron Shimek's article, especially the part where he says that the habitat is the most important factor in keeping an anemone happy. You can't expect a sand-dwelling anemone to be happy unless you have a deep sand bed of some sort.

You could even "borrow" a Tupperware bowl from your mother, cut out the bottom, stick it in your tank and fill it with sand. Leave about a 1" space between the sand bed inside the bowl and the rim of the bowl. Put the anemone in there until you can fix your sand bed problem. You will need to bring home a bag of aragonite sand from the LFS. Leave the anemone in the plastic bag until you rig up something in your tank to trick it into thinking you have a DSB.

Good luck!

[Ninong]

Oh, yeah! You can't bring the anemone home until you fix your low salinity problem. I forgot about that.

[Ninong]

There are several different signs of stress. When the anemone is about to kick the bucket, it may invert it's insides.

If an anemone is happy, it will be sticky to the touch (most of them) and it will be fully expanded most of the time, except at night.

Anemones may hide for several days when first introduced to a new tank -- especially BTAs. They may contract into a small ball even in the daytime if they are stressed.

If the anemone starts to "melt" away, it's a goner.

[Little_Aquarist]

Thank you so much for the help, Ninong and Tim!
Just one more question, is there a way to increase the salinity at a faster rate while still being safe?

[Ninong]

Do NOT rush the process of raising your salinity just because you want to pick up this freebie anemone. If your specific gravity is 1.019 right now, do not raise it more than .001 per day. In other words, 1.020 the first day, 1.021 the second day, etc., until you get it up to 1.025. Then you can pick up the anemone, provided you have a DSB of some sort for it to live in by then.

If your tank doesn't evaporate enough to raise the specific gravity by that much each day, then you will have to use higher salinity water for your evaporation replacement and/or small water changes with higher salinity water.

In other words, use 1.030 SG saltwater for your evaporation replacement and see if that raises your specific gravity from 1.019 to 1.020 in a single day. Just don't raise it from 1.019 to 1.025 in just two or three days. Drag this thing out for at least five or six days.

[Ninong]

Thank you so much for the help, Ninong and Tim!
Just one more question, is there a way to increase the salinity at a faster rate while still being safe?

I anticipated that question and already answered it above.

[Little_Aquarist]

Good call, Ninong!
And at the moment I'm not worried about the anemone. I'm more worried about the fact that it is so low, and I didn't realize this until today. :'(
Alright, so filling up a 5g jug freshwater, supposing I'm using [URL="http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11313/product.web"[Instant Ocean[/URL] how much of that salt mix should I pour in that 5g jug?
And as for my evaporation rate, I'm not sure if it is that fast... however, I do have to refill it quite often.

[Little_Aquarist]

[URL="http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11313/product.web"[Instant Ocean[/URL]

Fixed Link

[Ninong]

You will probably have to use at least 3 cups of Instant Ocean salt mix per five gallons of freshwater. Then test it to see how close it is to 1.030 SG. You may have to add a little more.

There is no way to mix saltwater without testing it. You can't go by weight or cups because you don't know how much moisture is in the mix.

You have to test your saltwater every time you make it up to verify the salinity. If you follow the directions on Instant Ocean's bag (or bucket) you won't be anywhere near 1.025 SG because they tell you to use 1/2 cup per gallon of freshwater. That won't get you to 1.025 SG because the I.O. people are nuts when it comes to appropriate salinity for a reef aquarium. They think it should be lower. They're as bad as some LFS people.

And I hope you're testing your tank for calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, nitrate, etc. on a regular basis??? Right?

[Little_Aquarist]

Absolutely, Ninong.
I've been going at once a week because I'm somewhat paranoid from a previous experience... haha!