I have been reading a lot on the different boards. I still consider my self a newbie. Thinking I needed to do a bit more research with in the SW because I am totally confused now. I was given some bad info on Carpet Anemone when i bought him last year, I watch him shrink to a size of a quarter I have really tried real hard to keep him healthy, One person told me i didn't have enough light and another person told me that he was not getting enough food so I stated hand feeding him and making sure he was getting plenty to eat and i had him in too small of a tank (both are well known for the sw). I have had my 30 gl tank up and running for about a year and I upgraded to a larger tank a couple of months ago and I also bought an in-tank refugium and put him in it (brought him up closer to the light) and new led lights. most of the board that i read regarding anemones are pretty much telling me the same thing. That carpets are not for newbies like me and I totally agree. I have not given up on him nor will i.
I also started searching for info on the filters and that is were my confusing comes into play...currently i have both the hang on and under-gravel filter (two power heads) running on my tank which one SW stores told me i should use an under-gravel in addition to my hang on, I do 5 gal water changes every other week and I have been since I started my SW setup and I wanted to find a way to clean the under-gravel some as i doing my water changes (I know that the yucky stuff just sits there and never goes away). While I was reading and few of the board said to get rid of the under-gravel, now I am wondering what the pros and cons are to keep running my system this way??? What is the best way of cleaning under the under-gravel???? I have posted a pic of my tank this was taken a couple of week ago. any help would be appreciated.
Carpet anemone's are nut usually considered a difficult specie's to care for. To start With.The two first things that come to me is what is your water parameters?? It would be best to know this information befor anyone can help you. Also what lighs are useing and what spectrum are they really putting out. Most nem shrink due to light shock,lack of flow or high level of something in the water column.
Can you provide us with basic levels. I.e. salinity,No2 & 3, alkalinity,calcium,Po4(phosphate)' and amonia, water quality seems like the most common problem with shrinking anemone's. Running an under ground gravel filter is not commonly done these days but are still used and I find it hard to believe that is the problem. We old timers all ran them in the late eighty's and ninetys, Dick at the tropicorm still believes in them and uses them still to this day. It takes along time for them to trap high enough levels of waste to effect your system. In your picture I see other corals doing very well. I recommend not worrying about the underground filter yet.
My water quality is
salinity 1.023 to 1.024
No2 = 0
No3 = 0,
alkalinity (I don't have a test kit for this -- and I am not sure where to get one at) also no one told me that i should be testing this.
calcium the test i have it turn really bright pink
Po4 = 8.0
ammonia = 0
the salt mix that i use is crystal reef
also I do take my some of my water to the place where I get most of my supplies from and they test my water too. They have the same readings as I do
Keep in mind that I just upgraded the tank and my lights I know need replacing -- I went from a 24 in (30 gal) to now a 36 in (60 gal) The lights that I am using right now is I have a 24 in t5 (which i will be replacing with a 36 in, in a couple of weeks) I was using 24 in marineland double brights (bad move on my part -- i did not know any better). I replaced with AquaTop 36 in Sky led lights. I just received this light on Friday -- so far everything seems to be perking up a bit. My little guy seems to really like it, I notice that he has stood up more and also that his little tentacles are starting to show up more he only had the outer row. and my clowns really miss him i would like to get him back in place for them.
I do not have a protein skimmer -- not sure if i really need one since i do a 5 gal water change every other week. i will post a current pic of my tank as soon as the batteries to my camera are charged up.
Please finish the Ca test, it is supposed to turn bright pink, then you add a reagent until the color changes to blue. You measure the amount of the final reagent, and compare that to a chart in your test kit.
I agree with Binford about the PO4, it should be 0 or very near 0.
As a final bit of advice, get rid of the glass top. You will get more light into the tank, and better O2 exchange at the surface without them.
not sure what the po4 is now, i thought it was the ph is there a test kit that i could buy for this....the Ca test kit i have you put the blue in first shake it up a bit and add the other bottle and it turns it bright pink there is no chart on this one.
what kind of top can i get to replace the glass top -- i have a couple of scooter blennies and when they do there little dance together they jump up out of the water. the first time i seen it happen i was very concern about them jumping out of the tank and becoming a meal for my cats...
Last edited by pbrown_48146; 03-10-2013 at 07:39 PM.
Reason: top
hang on/under-gravel filter and Anemone
now. I was given some bad info on Carpet Anemone when i bought him last year, I watch him shrink to a size of a quarter I have really tried real hard to keep him healthy, One person told me i didn't have enough light and another person told me that he was not getting enough food so I stated hand feeding him and making sure he was getting plenty to eat and i had him in too small of a tank (both are well known for the sw). I have had my 30 gl tank up and running for about a year and I upgraded to a larger tank a couple of months ago and I also bought an in-tank refugium and put him in it (brought him up closer to the light) and new led lights. most of the board that i read regarding anemones are pretty much telling me the same thing. That carpets are not for newbies like me and I totally agree. I have not given up on him nor will i.
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is there a test kit that i could buy for this....the Ca test kit i have you put the blue in first shake it up a bit and add the other bottle and it turns it bright pink there is no chart on this one.
