How do I know if my anemone is healthy?

[jenniferjeter]

I have a 12 gallon nano cube for about a year. Have had a clown all this time. Recently got a purple tipped anemone but it swells and shrinks and the clown showns no interest in it. I know this is probably a stupid question but how do I know if the anemone is sick or not?

 

[SnowManSnow]

they will shrink up like that peiodically, but it sounds like your anemone may be too small for the clown to host. Also, pink tips... sounds like a condy? I'm not sure if clowns will host condy anemonies. maybe somone else will chime in.

 

[jenniferjeter]

not sure. It's base is reddish orange and body is white with purple tips. When its swollen its about the size of a baseball.

 

[ChrisRD]

Does it look something like this? This is a pic of a healthy condy...
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=487884#487884

 

[Anonymous]

What about this:

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03 ... arent_id=4

I have this in my tank and has yet to host my clown. It's been about a month together. Not sure if it will.

 

[jenniferjeter]

Yes Crissy that is my anemone. I read someone in the forum to feet it shrimp. I did and it perked right up. Looks healthy and happy now. Tried to post a pic but couldnt figure it out. Any suggestion anyone how to care for this guy cause obviously my LFS didnt give me all the info? They sold me an $8 bottle of phytoplankton and said thats all it needed. Any help would be appreciated.

Jenn

 

[Meloco14]

Yes then that is a condy and it is not a natural host for clowns. However over time your clown may take to it. Some people have taught their clowns to host by placing a picture of a clown near the anemone. Don't know if this really works or not though. It is a good idea to feed anemones once or twice a week. Also, which nanocube did you get? If you didn't get the DX, you might not have enough light for the anemone.

 

[jenniferjeter]

not really sure. Box said 50/50 bulb. The guy at the lfs said it is great for someone starting out and they had a carpet anenome in the one they had at the store.

 

[jenniferjeter]

not really sure. Box said 50/50 bulb. The guy at the lfs said it is great for someone starting out and they had a carpet anenome in the one they had at the store.

 

[jenniferjeter]

I just checked my ph and its 7.7. Should it be higher and whats the best way to elevate if necessary? I have never had problem with my fish but I never had invertebrates before. Also what is a good test kit the one I have only test such things as ph, nitrates, hardness so I have never tested calcium or iodine which I have seen recommended.

 

[Anonymous]

My Pink Tip eats just about anything! From, flakes, frozen brine shrimp, even shrimp pellets.

He's a fat happy sucker. He likes flow and light, but he'll move until he finds his happy place.

HTH

 

[ChrisRD]

not really sure. Box said 50/50 bulb. The guy at the lfs said it is great for someone starting out and they had a carpet anenome in the one they had at the store.

This is the same store that sold you phytoplankton to feed an anemone, right ?:wink:
(which it will not eat by the way)

Many reef animals, anemones included, are often held in substandard conditions in retail stores. The holding tanks you see them in at most stores would not sustain them long term. They survive those conditions at the store because they're not generally there long enough to perish.

Like most anemones, Condys need bright light, regular feedings (meaty seafoods - not phytoplankton) and excellent water quality to thrive over the long haul. The pic of the one I linked above is being kept under metal halide.

When their needs are met they generally stay put. When they're not met they move around looking for better conditions (which they will not find in an inadequate setup).

 

[ChrisRD]

I just checked my ph and its 7.7. Should it be higher and whats the best way to elevate if necessary?

Test your alkalinity to see if it's low. Also, many low pH problems are caused by a lack of aeration or an excess of decaying organics. Try aerating some of your tank water in an open-top container (bowl, bucket, etc.) for a couple of hours. If the pH goes up significantly after aeration you probably need better air flow in your canopy.

Also what is a good test kit the one I have only test such things as ph, nitrates, hardness so I have never tested calcium or iodine which I have seen recommended

In an established reef tank I suggest regularly checking pH, salinity, temperature, calcium and alkalinity. If you have issues with nitrates it's good to monitor those regularly too but many people will not show detectable levels of nitrate once a tank is well established (depending on how it's being run). Once a tank is established it should not have significant levels of ammonia or nitrite but it's nice to have these kits around in the event that you have to diagnose a problem. IMO for the average reefer phosphate kits aren't really necessary as IME you can usually see nuisance algae showing up before you'll get a reading on most "regular" kits. That said, many advanced SPS reefers use high quality low range phosphate kits to monitor phosphate levels (these tend to be pricey) to ensure they are very low. Personally I have never bothered to monitor iodine.

Keep in mind that Ca and Alk need to stay in balanced ratios which is why it's easier for most people to supplement them with a balanced method like a 2-part additive (ex. B-ionic), kalkwasser, Ca reactors, etc. For a nano I would recommend using something like B-ionic. It's not a bad idea to check on magnesium levels periodically as well as it can effect the Ca/Alk balance.

HTH