some advice needed please concerning my new anenome

[Erik]

Hello i am new to this site and very enthused about become a contributing member to the forums and what not. I recently purchased an anenome that keeps shrinking and staying shrunken for extended perios of time. I have a 30 gallon tank with a UV light and basic filtratin system. I have had my tank set up for years so it should be stable. I had my water tested about 2 to 3 weeks before purchasing it and the results were perfect so hopefully water quality is not the issue. I preformed an averge water change about a week before introducing him into my system. When i introduced him into my tank i kept him with the live rock he was on in the store i bought him from. But since their introduction to my tank a lot of alqea has grown and the water seems slightly cloudy. I also put some micro vert invertebrate food for it to eat. I would really like some advice on what to do because the anenome has not been looing good. If this post is in the wrong section i apolagize. Thanks again

[chrisfont23]

Hmmmm...sounds like something is fishy with your water. Pardon the pun. For starters, what kind of water are you using (RO/DI, tap)? When you say tested, do you mean you are taking water you are using for changes (ie. tap) or are you testing the tank water at a LFS? Can you post your parameters? And how did you acclimate your nem?

Personally, I would watch this very closely. It's a guess, but if the nem is on it's way out, the toxins can be harmful to the tank and it's inhabitants if it dies. I think someone like Original Fin or FoCo might be able to give you a better diagnostic, as I think those guys keep nems.

[Reefing Madness]

No need to feed for a couple of weeks, until he settles in. What kind of lights are you running? Anemones need alot of light to thrive. Algea growing? Sound like you parameters are not what they appear, sounds like a phosphate issue to me. Also, they do not like Trates, even the small 10 type. Do you run a skimmer, you did not mention that. Also, what kind of water movement do you have? They like movement but not blowing them off their rock.

[Erik]

Thanks for the speedy replies, and I enjoyed the pun haha. I do not know how to reply to both responces separetley so i apologize. But i used tap water for the water changes I thought that was ok. I do not know my parameters just the temp which is about 78 degrees and the salinity which is 1.025. I brought my tank water to a local pet shop and they said it was perfect. I did not test my water I added to the tank for a water change. :/ I didnt know you had to do that. I acclimated my nem by letting him sit in his bag floating in my tank and slowly added water over about 15 mins. was that correct? sorry about my lack of knowledge. I am running all very basic stuff because up untill about a month ago ive only had damsels for years. I have a heater, a standard filter that provides a little bit of water flow but probaply not enough and a coralife 50/50 96 what UV light i believe. So what piece of equipment do you guys recommend i purchase next? I have heard a lot about skimmers but i have no idea if they are really important. Also should i invest in a water testing kit? or should trips to my local fish store every once in a while be sufficient? I apologize for my lack of skill in this department :/ Thanks alot this website is the best. Oh and should i do another water change rite away? or let everything sit for a while? my nem is doing ok but hes definaltey not where he should be thanks again!

[Reefing Madness]

Anemones need prestine water conditions. I would use RO/DI water only, if you plan on keeping one. Also, I would recommend getting a Reef test kit for your water, I don't trust LFS when it comes to water testing, what they think is ok, really isn't. Next, a skimmer, yes a must have when keeping corals. One rated at twice your water volume. As for water movement, you will need flow of around 15x your volume. Couple of 250gph powerheads should do ya. And your light will not work for a Anemone, not enough for it to thrive. You might want to look at T-5 High Output lighting. Such as:
24" Metal Halide T5 HO Lighting Reef Marine Coral 346W | eBay
T5 HO LIGHT REEF HOOD 6X24W 60cm T5HO LIGHTING FIXTURE | eBay

[Kmoriarty]

You were right to slwly add water to the bag when you acclimated it, but if you only did so for 15 minutes, he may very well be suffering from shock. Most inverts need to be drip acclimated for anywhere between 1-3 hours depending on the animal. Once an animal has been shocked by acclimation there isn't much you can do. I agree with the above post about not using tap water also. Nems are very sensitive about water. Good luck with him. Hopefully he comes around .

[Adrianne]

Erik, my husband and I are very new to the saltwater reef tank world, and one thing I know, yes, you do need a skimmer. My local saltwater tank enthuisiast Pepe told me that to have a GOOD saltwater tank, you need a skimmer. The skimmer removes the oils left behind from the food you feed your fish. You also need a good filtration system. We have a 75 gallon tank, and the filtertration system we use is around $189. However, it circulates 400 gallons per hour. Yes, the lighting is very important - no more than 10 hours a day. Any more than that, you encourage algae growth. If you are doing a 10 gallon water change a week, which is what is recommended, you also need to add 5 ml. of a product that removes chlorine and minerals from the tap water. That is a MUST. The salinity sounds good, but make sure you are testing everyday. You need to test for nitrates, phosphates, alkalinity every day. This will give you an idea of how balanced your tank is. Now, I am not sure where you live, but where I live, this time of year, algae bloom is devastating in tanks that are changed with tap water.

I was having problems with a purple algae-like growth and had to a 20 gallon water change plus add a chemical that rid it in 24 hours. Three days later, my sand was white, but my water was green. I couldn't see the fish. I had to go and by an UV Sterilizer with Power Head. It has a pump in it so it draws water in the enclosed uv container, kills the algae and returns the water to the tank. It took about 2 1/2 days, but its clear now. Also, your friend is right, anemone love current. Ask your local pet supply dealer if they have a power head for your size tank. The idea of having a tank is not only to look pretty, but to mimic nature. Hope this helps

[Erik]

thanks for the advice my tank had an algea break out too. I used tap water and added some LR so in it think that was why. I plan on buying a tsting kit and special water for water changes from my LFS tommorrow. Im looking into a skimmer too and yeah i gotta invest in some power heads as well. My nem actually has perked up the last few days which is awesome cuz a few days ago i swore he was done so im thrilled hes doing good thanks for your advice and good luck with yor future endevours in your aquarium.