Too much light for an anemone?
I went from a 30 high tank ( 24" light ) to a 30 long tank which needs a 36" light. I now have the 24" light moved to the far right of my tank making the left side shaded. My Sebae has moved to the left and has opened up prettier than it ever has. Does it not like the light? < Very odd indeed.  I'd say it loves light.  I'm not sure what to make of this other than to give it time. > Since the long is more shallower than the high tank the light is more intended. Should I not get the 36" light and leave the "shaded " space? < I'm all about light.  I would always advise to get more.  If the anemone really doesn't like light, he can always move under a ledge.  But more light will help everything else. >
<  Blundell  >

Anemone tank
I have an 72 x 24 x 24 180 gallon aquarium with the following equipment:
Lighting: (2) 96W PC, (2) 175W MH, (3) 140W URI VHO on a reflector-backed,
fan-cooled canopy
Filter/UV Loop: LG 2MD pump, Sea Clear canister with looped tubing in clear
well, 30W UV, (low flow)
Aerobic Loop: Clear for life wet/dry filter sump, TF200 protein skimmer with
exterior pump Iwaki 20LT pump, MD Iwaki 30LXT pump
It has about 150 lb of live rock and 3 inch bed of live sand over about ½
inch of crushed coral.
Is this tank worthy of an anemone?  I am interested in adding either a
single Haddoni or a E. quad anemone.  Is the lighting and setup OK for
either?
The objective is to have the coveted anemone thrive and be a focal point of
the tank.  I would opt for the Haddoni based upon the relative ease of care
but don't like the idea of having the creature split all over the place.
The Haddoni is less apt to split from my reading and may be a better choice.
What advice can you give me?  <Bill, your lighting would be inadequate to support either a haddoni or a quadricolor.  You would need a minimum of 5 1/2 to 6 watts per gallon.  You are at a little over 3 at present.  James (Salty Dog)>
Regards,
Bill Sanz

Re: Anemone tank
Sorry James,
Thanks for the quick response - best site on the web!
I probably wasn't clear in my description. The parenthesis around the
numbers indicates the quantity of bulbs of each type. <You were clear, Bill.  It was my error, sorry.> I have three 60"VHO's on a IceCap 660 and two MH each 175W, plus the two 96W PC for a total of 962W or approx 5.34W/gal.  The VHO are two URI Actinic White and a Actinic
R. I also meant to compare the BT with the Haddoni.  Anything else you see?  <Bill, you would have much better success keeping the BT with your lighting set up.  James (Salty Dog)>
Regards,
Bill Sanz

Rose Bulb Anemone Lighting
Hi,
<How goes it? Maddox here tonight>
I have a 44g reef corner tank that is 22" deep. I am thinking about adding a rose bulb anemone, but want to make sure I have enough light for it. My lighting is 230w of power compacts. One double strip is 65w JBJ and the other double strip is 65w Coralife. Both consist of 10,000k day and actinic fluorescents. Will this be sufficient light for rose bulb anemone?
<Shouldn't be a problem, but I would keep the anemone in the upper half of the tank>
Thanks Again,
<Anytime>
Roo
<M. Maddox> 

Anemone care 3/11/05
Thanks for the help. I have since devoted my tank to only one anemone, the carpet. 
<whew! Good to hear. Mixing anemone species is a recipe for trouble otherwise>
But can you tell me if the reason for the carpet moving to a part of the tank that is hit by morning sunlight? 
<it should be obvious my friend... better light>
I think my lighting is ok.... I have 260 watts JBJ system, half actinic, half white light, and I also put the fluorescent 40 watt that came with the tank years ago in action too. 
<it cannot compare to the sun>
I know... no metal halides, but with 300 watts combined light I am hoping it will be ok without the expensive metal halides. Any other options?
<keep the anemone shallow (less than 10" of the surface) if possible. And do read our archives on carpets/anemones for greater perspective. Anthony>

Anemone Problem
Hello,
Thank you for your great site. I have a common anemone in a 55 gallon tank. His tank mates are 3 various damsels, a small maroon crab, a yellow tang, and an arc-eyed hawk fish. The damsels and clown eat tetra flakes and shrimp well, the hawk eats the larger pieces of the food, and the tang grazes and eats Seaweed Select. The tank is doing well but I recently found out (after everything had been sold to me, recommended, and entirely picked out by staff at the LFS) that my lighting is horrid; 2x15w fluorescent bulbs, that's it. This after they had sold me an anemone knowing full well I did not have a compatible tank. 
The common anemone did well at first, but now constantly shrivels. He seems to fill again when I feed him small pieces of shrimp and when I try to spotlight him with a 30w lamp and open shades to let more sunlight in. Can this process possibly sustain him, or is he doomed? What can I do to prolong his life before I can find a safe place for him? The purple ends of his tentacles are also shriveled even when he fills like a partially deflated balloon. Is this permanent? Please help me, I made the mistake of purchasing on recommendations, but I don't want the anemone to pay for it. 
<This is a problem I hear all the time. Somebody buys something, not knowing it's requirements, then does the research later. Number one, shame on your retailer. Sounds like he is in it for the money based on what you say. Two 15w lights are not nearly enough for an anemone. You are going to need about 250 watts of correct lighting to keep your anemone alive for any length of time. You can either find a home for it or invest in lighting. The choice is yours. Please search the Wet Web Media for anemones and read. Then make your decision, better yet I'll make the post. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm 
Thank you, <You're welcome. Robert, please research any future animals you wish to buy to be sure you can provide the conditions for them. I'm not flaming you, you're retailer is more at fault selling you this knowing the equipment you have. Consider purchasing a good book such as "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist". It's well worth the read. Good luck. James (Salty Dog)> 

Common Anemone Problem de Roberto
Hello,
<Hi there>
Thank you for your great site. I have a common anemone in a 55 gallon tank. His tankmates are 3 various damsels, a small maroon crab, a yellow tang, and an arc-eyed hawkfish. The damsels and clown eat tetra flakes and shrimp well, the hawk eats the larger pieces of the food, and the tang grazes and eats Seaweed Select. The tank is doing well but I recently found out (after everything had been sold to me, recommended, and entirely picked out by staff at the LFS) that my lighting is horrid; 2x15w fluorescent bulbs, that's it. This after they had sold me an anemone knowing full well I did not have a compatible tank. The common anemone did well at first, but now constantly shrivels. He seems to fill again when I feed him small pieces of shrimp and when I try to spotlight him with a 30w lamp and open shades to let more sunlight in. Can this process possibly sustain him, or is he doomed? 
<Good question... know then that most all anemones are a mix of nutrition types... part photosynthetic and part carnivores... and that they can/do change preponderance as individuals... depending on circumstances at hand... I suspect yours will/can live, learn to derive more "food" from eating... but more lighting... would help>
What can I do to prolong his life before I can find a safe place for him? 
<Could "raise" the specimen up... on a rock, closer to the light source/s...>
The purple ends of his tentacles are also shriveled even when he fills like a partially deflated balloon. Is this permanent? 
<Mmm, no... as in not irreversible>
Please help me, I made the mistake of purchasing on recommendations, but I don't want the anemone to pay for it.
Thank you,
Robert Kirkbride
<Please help yourself... and read a bit more re this species, its husbandry... on WWM, elsewhere. Your actions/non-actions will determine its world. Bob Fenner>

LTA & Lighting
Hi Crew,
I have a lighting question regarding a LTA that I transferred from QT 5 days ago. I have a 29 gallon tank with the following: 
25lb of live rock w/ 3" DSB
AquaC Remora hang-on protein skimmer, powered by Maxi-jet 1200
additional Maxi-jet 1200 for water circulation 
Aquarium Systems Millennium 3000 filter for activated-carbon filtration
Clark clownfish (paired with the LTA within twelve hours of introducing the anemone to the tank)
Lawnmower blenny
Royal Gramma
Tank-bred Percula clownfish
3 peppermint shrimp
Coral banded shrimp
A dozen assorted snails and reef hermit crabs
Sand-sifting star-fish (a mutant actually - it has six appendages!)
Currently I have 130W of Coralife PC lighting (2 x 65W dual bulb 10,000K/actinic blue, situated 2.5" above water surface) and the LTA is situated approximately 8.5" below the water surface.
My question then is this: Should I replace one (or both) of the PC bulbs with pure 10,000K bulbs instead of the 10,000K/actinic combination? Will that help improve light quality for the LTA? Also, I have both bulbs on separate timers... 1 bulb from 9am-midnight, and the other from noon-7pm. Is this an optimal photo-period? 
<Chris, I have a Sebae Anemone in my 29 mini reef, and it seems to be doing fine with 2 65w PC's, one is dual daylight (10K and 6.7K) and one dual actinic (460nm/420nm). When it is time to change tubes I plan on going with two 10K's. I would leave both lights on for 10/12 hours for the LTA. James (Salty Dog)>
Many thanks for running an excellent site! 
<You're welcome> 

Rose Bulb Tip Anemone Lighting Help
Dear WWM Crew,
I hope this email is not a pain and you have the time to answer. I think I¹m OK from browsing your FAQs but wanted to make sure I have sufficient lighting as I try to take the health and care of my charges seriously. I currently am running a reef tank that is 15²deep x 17²high x 46²long (I believe it is around 55 gallons, I inherited it from a friend). I had another friend of mine help set up the tank and lighting but he has since gone AWOL.  What I can tell, I have an Aqualight Retrofit kit with one Hamilton PC
96W 03 Actinic and a Hamilton 10000K Ice White (I believe this to be 96W as well). I recently purchased a Rose Bulb Tip Anemone and he has since migrated to the top of my aquarium, planting itself 4² from the surface.  His bulbs are still intact and he seems ok so far BUT is this really sufficient lighting? The guys at my LFS insisted that I had sufficient lighting but after reading up a bit online I¹m not so sure anymore. Please advise. Also, I was thinking of getting a Tridacna clam and was leading towards a Squamosa (less light requirements I believe) but would love to have a Crocea, is there enough light for either? 
<John, you are borderline for lighting with the anemone and it is not enough light for the clam. James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone lighting
Hello...I just e-mailed you with a question last night, and I hate to bother you again, but my boyfriend surprised me with a rose colored bubble tip anemone last night, and I want to make sure I have the proper lighting. Of course, as soon as he gave it to me, I went straight to your site to read as much as possible. The only thing I'm still unsure about is the lighting. We have a 75 Gallon FOWLR, 4 damsels that are coming out today b/c they killed my royal Gramma (this was my question last night), 2 peppermint shrimp, a few snails and hermit crabs. Anyway, back to the anemone... The guy at the LFS sold him a new light: it's a hood with 2 fluorescent 65W "Smart Lights" (one on each side is white, the other actinic).  It has a reflector in it, but this is about all I can tell you about it. He told my boyfriend that this was plenty of light...I don't think it is, from the articles and FAQs on your website. I have the hood we got with the tank which has a 32W in it. Maybe I could get a brighter bulb for it and use them both? I just really don't know what to do. I've done as much reading as possible, but still haven't come up with an exact amount of light that the anemone will need. I want to do the best I can...please help! Thanks so much, Tait 
<Tait, if your tank is 30 gallons or less you will have enough light. Rule of thumb is 4 to 5 watts per gallon. Deep tanks may change the rule some. James (Salty Dog)>

LT anemone following Ref. light?
Hello. I've had a LTA in my tank for about three months now. He wandered a little in the first few days, but has essentially been in the same spot for the whole time. He has grown slightly larger. Last night just after the lights went out, he detached from his usual spot and floated up and over some rocks and slowly, over several hours made his way to the darkest corner of the tank. Do the prefer to move at night?
<Usually not>
The only thing I can think of that may be desirable about that place is that it is the closest part of that tank to the refugium. The refugium is beside and below the tank and it's light is on at night.
<Ahh>
Could the anemone be trying to reach this other light source.
<Good speculation.
This morning, he opened us as wide as his confined space would permit. He's getting very little light now. I wonder why he would look for a perch at night when he can't follow the brightest light. Will he have enough energy to find a decent spot tonight? Should I move him? 
<Mmm, no... but maybe you should look into better lighting>
He usually accepts and closes around any food that I feed him or that falls into his grasp. Should I try to feed him?
<Yes... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonefdgfaqs.htm and the LTA FAQs (linked above)>
He seems to like his base covered but obviously likes strong light and flow. Since these are fairly specific demands for my small ecosystem, I wonder is moving him might be the best thing to do.
<Not a good idea... please read... if the animal wants... it will move itself...>
My tank is 55g. I have a 192 Watt PC fixture that is half actinic and half 10K that stays on for 14 hours. I will be moving him to a new tank with better lighting in about 6 weeks. What should I do?
Thanks, Justin
<Wait for the month and a half, taking care that your LTA doesn't get sucked up against an intake... switching out one or both of the actinics if you have other lamps... Bob Fenner>

Tidepool project for school
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005
My sister is beginning her High School project for her senior year and has decided to construct an experiment using reef fish!
Her idea, now in the planning stages, involves Clownfish, host anemone, some live rock, and a kiddie pool or Rubbermaid watering reservoir.  She is well aware that most anemones require not only high quality lighting, but also water. We can handle the water part with my RO-DI unit. The question lies in the lighting: how to do it effectively, but cheaply (HA!). We were in Lowe's/Home Depot this past weekend and saw mercury vapor security lights for around $30. Would this work (expecting a no) as is? Would that fixture work with one of the metal halide bulbs for sale there in the store? Would that fixture work with a marine tank-designed Metal Halide bulb? I don't know what Kelvin would be best, but since this would be shallow a lower K might be OK..  Thanks for any and all advice on this, thankfully, "our" biggest hang-up yet. 
<Ian, unfortunately you can't mix and match bulbs and ballasts. There are certain ballasts for certain lamps. A mercury vapor ballast will not fire up a metal halide, and the mercury vapor light is no good for anemones. It's nowhere near the correct Kelvin level. I think the least expensive way to go would be with a pendant type fixture. Hanging over a Rubbermaid container will not easily allow actinic tubes to be used so you would have to go with a 10,000K lamp or one higher than 5000K, preferably higher than 6300K. Search the web for info/prices. Start with www.hellolights.com. I wish you luck with your school project. James (Salty Dog).>

- Lighting for Anemones -
Hi there!
I'm still pretty new at this hobby but am getting obsessed with obtaining information which I know is very important. I go to all these stores specializing in saltwater aquariums and such. Well everyone has a different story to tell me about my lighting situation! I have a compact Coralife light with 2 65 watt bulbs which I run for 8 hours a day. One guy tells me that it will support my anemone but another guy has higher lighting in his! My anemones seemed to be doing alright which one I have had for 2 months now! 
<You may or may not know that two months really isn't enough time to tell if these animals are "doing all right." Very often they can go six months to a year, all the while looking "all right" and actually starving to death.> 
I recently bought a huge LTA. My 3 clowns are in love!  But I was wondering if maybe you would give me the straight up info on lighting! I think I need more and if so please specify what is preferable (wattage and such!) I would appreciate it!
<There's a bit more to it than just wattage and such... the depth of your tank also plays a role in determining what is adequate lighting for your anemones. For a basic answer, I'd say no, two 65 watt PC bulbs is not sufficient for the long term. Would two 96 watt PC bulbs be better? Yes... would a 150 watt Metal Halide bulb be better, absolutely. With anemones, the more light the better. Please read here and the FAQs beyond:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm >
THANKS A BUNCH!
Matt
<Cheers, J -- >

Waratah anemones
Hi,
I was curious to find out more about Waratah Anemones as they can be found right near where I live.
<In the Land Down Under?>
I did a web search and your site came up with previously asked questions about them and one of your staff responded by saying they need strong lighting such as halides. Most anemones need this but as far as I know the Waratah is not photosynthetic so they don't need light to live.
<I agree>
As I am now confused can you set the record straight please?
Cheers,
Mel xo
<http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-27,GGLD:en&q=waratah+anemones
Bob Fenner>

1st Tank - Clean up crew for my 40 gallon (UK)
Hi
<HI!>
Thanks for such a quick reply and valuable info.
<You're welcome>
If its not too cheeky I have one more question:
<I demand you buy me lunch for your daring!>
I have a Juwel Rio 180 tank (not the best for marine, but my LFS
recommended!!)
<Not familiar with the model>
I have put 2xCoralife 30w fluoro tubes (1x10000K super daylight & 1x50/50
Actinic03) in the tank, again recommended by the LFS for keeping anemones
and 16kg of base rock (no LR).  I now know that this is wrong, but I can't
decide what to go with, I don't have hanging space for MH lights so I've
tried to narrow it down to two options:
1) Arcadia over tank luminaire with 4x39watt T5's
or
2) Arcadia retro fit 2x30w t5's for the Juwel tank
My stocking plan is roughly this:
After initial set-up:
2xsmall percula clowns
clean-up crew
5kg live rock
After one month:
5kg live rock
1xcoral beauty
After two months:
5kg of live rock - continue monthly until I have 20 kg of LR and I can
remove the unwanted base rock.
After 6 Months:
I want to put an anemone and some soft corals into my tank, this is
essentially what I need the lights for, but which kind will be good enough,
if any? Please help as I keep reading conflicting info everywhere I look!
I also read that you need strong lighting to keep LR, if this is the case
then I need to get the lights now??
<Okay, first off, add all of the live rock to the aquarium FIRST!  You do not want to cause a mini cycle every time you add another portion of live rock.  The cleanup crew can be added by the second week, and the fish after about six weeks.  I would wait close to a year for an anemone, and in the meantime take the time to thoroughly educate yourself on the needs of the specific species you want.  Most clown hosting anemones have very high lighting requirements, and T5's\PC's\VHO's aren't going to cut it for anything but a bulb-tipped anemone, though they will work fine for a lot of photosynthetic 'soft coral'>
Thank you very much for a great unselfish service.
<Thanks for the compliment, anytime>
Dave
<M. Maddox>

Underlit Anemone
<R.Hall>
I had what I thought was a problem with my anemone (bubble Tip) which brought me to your site.
After reading your archives for hours I have decided that I needed to increase my lighting.
I was running at 3 watts per gallon with coral life pc's. I have since ordered a fixture that will take me to
5 watts per gallon. My question is, if I leave in my old lights along with the new I will be at 8 watts per gallon,
is that to much for my 55 gal tank??? <No. James (Salty Dog)>

Appropriate lighting for H. crispa 12/31/04
Hi, I think that the Heteractis crispa hosts the percula clown, I was just wondering what sort of lightening does this anemone need and is it a reasonable easy anemone to keep????  Thanks
<If you have not done so already, please do see the info that Bob linked in his previous reply.  I currently keep A. ocellaris with an E. quadricolor (rose) anemone, and although the association is not natural, they will accept each other in captivity and A. percula is know to as well.  Occasionally, clowns that have been kept for a long time without an anemone are slow to accept an unnatural host or may not do so at all, but this is rare (Mine took about a month).  As for H. crispa, the are a natural host for A. percula, but not A. ocellaris.  They are often sold as the "Sebae anemone" and are often bleached white with pink tips.  Occasionally, they are also dyed bright yellow or pink.  Bleached or dyes specimens are almost always doomed to die.  If you find a healthy specimen (should be tan/brown with an occasional pinkish tone), they may be a good second choice to E. quadricolor for hardiness, although they are at least as demanding of light.  175w MH would be a minimum, with 250w recommended.  Best Regards.  AdamC.

Metal Halide Lighting 12/26/04
Hi, I was just wondering how much light most the anemones need and where they would be placed. If I was to use 150 watts were would I place it???? <It depends on the anemone.  150W metal halide might not be enough for Heteractis Magnifica regardless of placement, but on the other hand, Entacmaea Quadricolor may do fine in any part of the tank.  Do look to "The Reef Aquarium Vol. 2" for good info on specific requirements.>
and what is the best Kelvin rating to use with soft corals and anemones??? <This is largely an aesthetic choice.  The animals don't really care.  However, as a general rule, lower Kelvin lamps produce more usable light per watt.  Also, FWIW, the only popular aquarium lamp available in 150w is the Iwasaki 6500k (which is actually mercury vapor).  Most Metal Halide lamps are 175w.>
Hi, Also just wondering how much percent of the light is lost if cover glass is used and is that percent left an efficient amount???  Thanks <I don't have statistics on how much light is lost due to cover glass.  It depends on thickness and how clean it is.  Even very clean thin glass will block a significant amount of light, so most reefers choose not to use it.  There are other reasons to avoid glass covers as well...  heat retention, less efficient gas exchange and less evaporation.  If you are worried about fish jumping, consider other options like a high sided hood, "egg crate", etc that will avoid the problems of glass, but will also keep your fish in the tank.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

Magnificent anemone requirements
Hello,
I was sold a magnificent anemone about six months
ago.  I was told it was an Entacmaea quadricolor.  It looked like it in the
store but I bought it the same day they got it and it must have looked like
a bubble tip due to stress.  I brought it home and it remained looking like
a bubble tip at the top of my tank with 4-40 watt fluorescents (2-50/50
bulbs, 1-6500k,and 1 actinic).  I changed lighting to 2-65 watt CF Smartpaq
bulbs and 2-40 watt 50/50 no fluorescents.  The tank is a 55 gallon (4 feet
long, 21 inches tall, 13 inches front to back).  << This sounds like very little light.  I would not recommend any anemone under that lighting. >> The anemone has rooted
itself in the top 9 inches of the tank and the lights all sit on the top of
the open tank.  I clean all salt off of bulbs/reflectors every week.  I feed
the anemone every other day with chopped squid.  Everyday I feed a cube from
a saltwater multi-pack and let everyone feed for about a half hour with all
water flow stopped.  The anemone has probably tripled in size within a month
of being under the new lights. << Well this does sound great.  Apparently they can do very well in those conditions. >>  This thing seems to grow daily.  It has a
couple of Amphiprion frenatus as residents who are constantly spawning.  Do
I have to worry about the anemone outgrowing the tank? << No, if it ever gets that big I'm sure you could sell it. >> I also read that
these anemone generally stay closed.  My anemone is always open except for
when it is getting ready to excrete waste.  I've had to move it due to it's
proximity to a hang on filter.  You will probably give me heck but here is
the system.
   ammonia 0
   nitrates 5
   nitrites 0
   ph- 8.0 (hard to keep up without adding marine buffer bi-weekly)
   phosphates 0.25
   power sweep 228 (use just to move water)
   penguin BioWheel 330
   AquaClear 300  (no filter just small chunks of live rock in it)
   AquaClear 200
   4" diameter and 10" tall protein skimmer
   [penguin and skimmer on left back, power sweep in the middle back and
AquaClears on the right back]
   2" live sand and crushed coral mixed
   100 + pounds live rock
   4 blue-green reef Chromis
   blue streak cleaner wrasse
   yellow tang
   dragonet (had a mated pair but the anemone got hungry)
   2 Amphiprion frenatus
   bi-color blenny
   2 blood shrimp
   1 brittle star
   various mushrooms
   "blue" waving hand xenia (growing like a weed on everything, looks
pinkish like the anemone)
   Platygyra brain
   moon polyps
   yellow tree coral
   feather duster (moved it and it lost it's feathers but has since regrown
them)
   20 astrea snails
   2 blue legged hermits
   countless little white starfish
  I would love to add a sump/refugium  but can't afford the time or money.  
I  do not plan on adding anything else and want to know if anything has to
go due to the setup or size of the aquarium.  All seem to be happy and the
cleaner wrasse is over a year old and always working on all the fish.  The
system has been stable parameter wise for a year.  I would like to know how
long I should leave my lights on. << I'd say between 12 and 16 hours.  That is quite a range isn't it? >>  I have the no fluorescents on from 7 a.m.
to 5 p.m. and the CF's from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  I feed once in the morning at
8:30. << Why don't you have your lights on in the evening?  Most people would have their lights on until 10pm or so. >>  I do have a little green hair algae in a corner and a little of the
red slime in the opposite corner.  My glass gets covered weekly in a green
algae that is a little harder than the diatoms I had in the very beginnings
of my aquarium.  I clean all filters and do a 20% water change every other
week. << All sounds good. Good luck. >>
<<  Blundell  >>

Anemone keeping & lighting
G'day there <How goes it?  M. Maddox here today>
Klay from NZ here , wrote before regarding Anemone , thought it was a Pacific LTA  , but have been told it's a Malu, (came from Vanuatu)  seen pics of both and looks similar to both so who knows. <Couldn't tell you without pictures> Anyway it's about 14" dia' and doing really well. <Is it growing?> Now I bought this guy on impulse as large anemones aren't thick on the ground down here, at the moment it's sitting in a 180 ltr 3ft tank , bare of anything but p/heads <anemone death traps, beware - cover the intakes with foam or find another means to prevent them from sucking in a wandering anemone in the middle of the night> and heater , the water reading at the moment is showing nitrite at about .50 <You should have zero nitrites, find out why you don't> , nitrate at about 5.0 , no ammonia and PH at 8.4 , have been doing weekly water changes of 100 ltrs mixed overnight before adding. <Does your source water have nitrites?> Today added some Caulerpa (mexicana), some dark red macro and a rugby ball sized base rock for it all to anchor to (with the intention that they will take care of the nitrate build up and keep the " lovely" brown algae down) <Was this tank fully set up\cycled before the purchase?> I still have 20 odd KGs of base rock cycling in a 4 ft tank (impatiently cycling I might add) <Know the feeling> This is the odd thing, everyone says anemones are hard to keep (is there a dark cloud on the horizon or is he a hardy bugga?) , this guy is blooming and feeds off Mysis or fresh snapper pieces (small fingernail sized) fed every 5 days alternate (too much ?) <Nope, I feed anemones every 4-5 days myself>  A week ago  the nitrite spiked the day after a water change to 2.0 and he still looked full (unfortunately I have to add that the spike killed my 4 skunk clowns overnight, which surprised me as they are bloody hardy little tykes, believe me my eyes welled).  <Find out why you're having excess nitrites!  Sorry about the clowns, skunks are pretty things too>
The lighting consists of 1 x 4ft actinic  and 1 x full spec  ( all I had with good tubes ) , plus 5 hours natural sunlight in the morning (hence brown algae) , today also added a 14'000 k halide to help after reading lighting requirements, and I think he likes it. <Make sure you acclimate slowly to the halides.  Natural sunlight is a blessing, but the misconception that NSL causes algae growth is something that has me baffled.  First of all, light doesn't cause algae growth, excess dissolved nutrients causes algae growth.  Second of all, why would sunlight increase algae growth and not regular lights of nearly the same kelvin?>  Now I'm concerned because running this halide seemed to bleach an umbrella leather and a Galaxea in my garden reef tank and I don't want to have this happen to this guy as I think he's going thru enough as it is until the home tank is ready.  <Yes, improper acclimation will cause bleaching...do everything in a reef tank SLOWLY!>  At present he stands about 8" off the bottom and has about 8/9" of water above him with the halide about 10" above that, will this be too much or ok? <Sounds fine>
Sorry for the long winded email but after reading other posts the more info the better the understanding. <Not a problem, seeking information is always a good thing>
Any comments / advice would be much appreciated.  <Read about Anthony's screen acclimation method on our acclimation page, and find out where those nitrites are coming from>
Cheers Klay.
<M. Maddox>

Anemone Lighting Query
I have a question about lighting for my tank. My system consists of the
following...<Happy to help.  Ryan with you today>
70 gal "L" shaped inside corner tank by Clarity Plus. (free gift from friend)<Wow. Nice friend>
Aquaclear Pro 150 wet/dry trickle filter (minus the skimmer...it didn't work
very good.) <Okay>
Aqua Medic Turboflotor 1000 multi skimmer in sump of wet/dry
Custom Sea Life velocity T4 return pump
Penguin 660 powerhead for circulation of water in short side tank
2 30" Orbit Power Compact light fixtures by Current. 2X65 watt bulbs in each.
80lbs live sand
70lbs live rock
1 yellow tail blue damsel
1 Rusty angle fish    
1 Snowflake moray
My tank is about 1 year old. All of the water conditions are excellent,
ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc. Coralline algae is spreading like crazy, fish are
healthy.  My question is I have been looking at various types of anemones at the
LFS, I am trying to determine if I have enough lighting to support an anemone
or not.  I know that lighting is a major part of keeping anemones. <Yes, among others.> My tank is
only 14" deep and 17" wide. The Orbit fixtures sit 2" above the top of
the tank, so it is not very deep.  If you could give me your thoughts on my
situation so I don't  I would appreciate it.
<Hmmm...about 3.5 watts per gallon on PC light is certainly on the lighter side of things.  I would encourage you to try an anemone-like coral instead, at least to give you a good indicator of your tank's conditions for nonmotile inverts.  How about a Sarcophyton to start?  Cheers, Ryan>
Thanks in advance.
              Mike
 

Lighting for Ritteri anemones 11/27/04 Hello Anthony, <cheers my friend> I've read your advice that Heteractis magnifica do better under metal halide lighting.  You suggest that long-term sustainability may necessitate MH lighting.   <'tis true... exception being dedicated displays under high intensity fluorescents where the animal is physically restricted (by tank/water depth) to live under the top 10" of the water surface> The reason I am writing is to find out if the way I have my system set up is sufficient for long term (many years) success with this species.  I have a Ritteri that I have had for 2 years now.  The tips of its tentacles are literally about 3 to 4 inches from the two 96-watt power compacts and two 55-watt power compacts (all 10,000K) that light the system.   <ah, good to hear. And fine but with the warning/reminder not to go any bluer than the 10k K lamps you have now. Arguably, this animal would do better with warmer colored lamps. Go easy on the actinic  blues though> The anemone sits on a large rock in the upper half of an 18 inch deep tank.  This anemone has more than doubled in size (it is about 17" across now) in the past 2 years and appears to be perfectly healthy and happy (from what I can tell--please see attached photos for your assessment).   <it looks well, although a bit pale. Feed it heavier and it may do better/be darker. or, it can be caused by the fluorescents exceeding their useful lifespan of 6-10 months, a bummer... poor value in this regard>> It does not move and eats approximately a teaspoon of food (chopped silversides, squid, salmon, Mysis, shrimp, clams, etc.) every other day or so.  By the way, I learned from you on WWM within the past year to chop rather than feed whole--which is what I was doing before (thank you).   <excellent mate!> I just want to make sure I am giving this anemone what it needs to live a very long life.  Do I "have" to get MH's for long-term success?   <not at all here. You have a specialized set up that is well suited for this species. And your regular feedings are a very worthy support to more moderate lighting systems with high light animals> I don't want to go to the expense of another lighting system, but I will if necessary I suppose.  Also, I've read about the preferred Kelvin readings, would you recommend one of the 10,000Ks be replaced by a 6700K?   <actually, yes.. if you don't mind or would enjoy the warmer color> Another thing, different advice on how often to change out the bulbs (some say 6 months others a year), what would you recommend in my specific case?   <Stagger their replacements to make the shock (increase in light) less stressful on the creatures... and do so by the tenth month IMO. If you really want to know the exact time to change them, do invest in a PAR meter. Apogee brand makes affordable hobby market units> Thank you in advance for your recommendations, Gary   <always welcome my friend... best of luck/life to you. Anthony>

Lighting for Ritteri anemones II 11/28/04
Thank you Anthony for your quick reply.  
<always welcome my friend>
I will order a warmer colored bulb to replace one of the 96-watt PCs and I will change the bulbs after 10 months as you suggest (and stagger their replacement).  Thank you and all the crew for your invaluable wisdom and dedication to this wonderful hobby.
Gary  
<wishing you the best of luck/life. Anthony>

Keeping a bulb anemone with VHO lighting... will it work?
Hello, <How goes it, Michael here today...and no tests (in school) for a week!>
I have a 75 gallon reef (18” deep), that’s approx 3 months old, and doing very well.  <Glad to hear it> Water levels are all in the ideal range <Ideal being pH of ~8.3, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and less than 5 ppm nitrates, I hope>, and the coralline algae growth is phenomenal.  <Excellent.  My tank is fried with light to the point where mine will only grow in the shadows> I have not added any corals yet, but I have some zoanthids and Palythoa that have sprung from my live rock. <Cool> The tank also houses 8 fish (all small reef safe species).
I have the ballast capacity and space in my hood to run up to eight 46 ½”  VHO lamps. Right now I have four 36” VHO URI super actinics, and four 46 ½” URI actinic whites. The tubes are 2 inches above the water surface, and 14 inches above the surface of the sandbed. I run the smaller actinics just to keep my color rendering from being too blue.  <The PAR of actinics is virtually next to nothing for anemones>
My question stems around my wife’s desire to add an anemone and clown fish to this tank. <Really neat relationship to observe> With the ability to run up to 880 watts of VHO lighting, I’m assuming I can keep one of the easier species like a bulb anemone, but I wanted your opinion, as well as a recommendation on whether I should continue running a 50/50 blend of white to actinic, or should I cut down the number of actinics and add more full spectrum to make the anemone (and future SPS additions) happy?  Give me a good ratio. Aesthetics take a back seat to good husbandry, so if I need to be running 100% full spectrum, I'm all for it, so give me your best recommendation.  <If you plan on running eight bulbs, I would keep only two actinic, and run the rest daylight, preferably from the 5.5k-10k range for anemones>
Also, is there any real benefit for anemones and SPS to switching the full spectrum lamps to 10K Aquasuns, instead of the 12K actinic whites?  <What most people don't as anything over 10k is going to give you slower growth rates, because the PAR is lower than bulbs from 5.5k-10k range.  The sun puts out 5.5k light, so that is what most animals will do well\best at.  This doesn't mean that other temperatures can't be used, it just means the growth rates won't be as good.  As I stated, I recommend between 5.5k and 10k for anemones.  SPS will do fine all the way to 20k.  If you do try your hand at some SPS, be sure to place them high up in the aquarium.  You may have a lot of wattage, but the water penetration of fluorescents is still rather weak>
Thanks you for a great forum, and for the advice, <Anytime, glad to help out here>
Robert Moore <M. Maddox>

Providing Proper Lighting
Hey guys,
<Scott F. your guy tonight!>
I've been browsing through the site, and I have to say, outstanding work, keep it up!
<Thanks for the kind words. We have some great people here who really enjoy what they do!>
I know you are all very busy spreading your seemingless endless knowledge around the marine hobby world, but I have a few concerns maybe you could help me with.
<Sure!>
I have a 75G reef tank with about 110lbs of live rock, and some corals, mostly Mushrooms, and some Yellow Polyps, I have an Octobubble Coral and a few Toadstool Leathers.  The tank has been going for about six months now, before that the same setup had about a year in my old apartment before I moved. I had to break it down so I don't count the time prior to the move. Filtration is handled by a sump with a mesh sock, a Kent Nautilus TE protein skimmer and a UV sterilizer.  How am I doing so far?
<Sounds fine. Just make sure that you regularly (like every couple of days) clean the filter "sock", so that it doesn't accumulate detritus that can degrade water quality. Also, make sure that the skimmer is yanking out a couple of cups of dark, yucky skimmate per week.>
Lighting consists of four 65W PC's two blue and two white.  I have a mated pair of Gold Stripe Maroon Clowns, and two Firefish.
<Nice fish to work with!>
This brings me to my first concern.  I don't think my light setup is good enough, I have had a purple Bubble tip anemone for about four months now, and it is constantly on the move.  I don't think it's hungry, as I feed it every two days, and on the other days, the female clown is real good about feeding it, but I do think my lighting setup isn't cutting it.  
<Well, anemones have very demanding lighting requirements, and will move about the tank to get into a position that suits their needs. Although PC's are great lighting systems, they may not provide adequate intensity for these animals in many systems.>
My LFS retailer said this was the recommended amount for a reef tank, but I know enough not to get all my info from only one source.
<Good intuition!>
My anemone won't stop running around in my tank, and I know it's only going to move when something is wrong, so I guess I can say something has been wrong for the better part of three months now.  Water quality is good, and I change about ten percent every other week.
<Very good.>
Please advise.
<Well, as you surmise- the anemone is trying to tell you something! If water parameters are checking out, the obvious culprit is lighting...Do consider an upgrade, or offer the anemone to a friend who has more intense lighting.>
My next concern is that I would like to add tang to my setup.  It's been about three months since the last addition of livestock, and other than my endless anemone migration, everything seems to be going good.  Ideally I would go for a powder blue tang, but I've heard nothing other than ich magnet, and guaranteed death in the tank.
<Well, not "guaranteed death", but these fishes require very careful selection, quarantine, diet, and environmental stability, or you will encounter problems. Also, I personally feel that you'd want a larger tank for their long-term husbandry. Physical space is very important to these guys.>
Do you think it would be stressed out?
<Well, "stress" is caused by many factors; If your tank is not suitable, the fish will "tell" you!>
Is my tank too small, or two crowded? What do you recommend?
<Not too crowded, but I think that a larger tank would be better. Perhaps you might want to try a more suitable tang, such as the Yellow Tang (Z. flavescens), which in size, tolerance, and behavior, is better suited for this tank.>
I would like to start adding some Acroporas to my tank, if you could give me some pointers on that, that would be awesome.
<Well, my best advice on Acropora is to be aware that, in general, they have high demands for lighting (I HIGHLY recommend halides), water flow, and calcium (supplied either with Kalkwasser or a calcium reactor). Arm yourself with a good book on coral husbandry (Borneman's "Aquarium Corals" and Anthony's "Book of Coral Propagation" are great choices), study your selections carefully, and start only with captive-propagated fragments, which give you a much higher chance of success. Also, it's not an ideal situation to mix SPS and soft corals (as well as anemones) in the same modest-sized aquarium. Better to "specialize", IMO>
Again, thank you for all your help, you are a guiding light in what sometimes seems to be a sea of contradicting information.  Thank you and don't ever stop, the way I see it we can never know enough about our hobby. Frank
<Thanks again for the kind words, Frank. With a little research and some minor tweaking to your setup, you will advance well in this hobby! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>    

Anemone - how much light?
Hi Bob:
Firstly, I'd really like to thank you for the time and effort it took to write the conscientious marine aquarist.  We are new to the salt water hobby and your reference book (my LFS calls it the bible for fish keepers) makes it easy to find our way (which is really, really perplexing even after reading the literature!!!).
However, I have a question regarding the LTA and the false clownfish residing therein.  The clowns love the anemone and it seems to be doing ok, but I worry that the lighting I have is not adequate.  We have a 75 gallon saltwater tank with live rock, some hermit crabs, a tang, the anemone and 2 clownfish, emerald crab.  Cycled fine, readings excellent, maintenance is great.  The lighting is Coralife 48" double linear strip which consists of two 65 watt 10,000K and 2 65 watt True Actinic 03 blue fluorescent lamps.  This was sold to me as adequate for a reef/fish tank with corals and anemones.  However, I have now been told that I MUST have metal halides for this particular kind of anemone to flourish.  Is this true?  We are determined to do everything we can to keep the little guy alive, but $1800 seems a lot to spend for a $40 anemone!!!  Please help.
Thanks again for the info.
Kathleen Sun in Vancouver, BC, Canada
>>>Greetings Kathleen, Jim here,
First of all, by "false clown" I assume you mean A. ocellaris, which is in fact a REAL clown fish. :) They are often called "false perculas" a term which I don't care for as they are every bit a attractive as A. percula. In fact, I'd rather see perculas called "false ocellaris" :)
Anyway, your lighting is indeed on the sparse side for keeping this particular anemone. While it's certainly possible to attain the needed light levels with power compacts and such, it's not very practical in my opinion, nor is it as attractive. The best thing for you would be a 2x 150W double ended "HQI" metal halide fixture such as the one made by Aquamedic. I recommend 20K bulbs. This will give you enough PAR to keep your anemone happy. 2 250W single ended pendant fixtures will work as well. The single ended "mogul" bulbs are not as intense per given amount of wattage as the double ended bulbs - this is why the quoted wattage for the single ended bulbs is higher. You could also step up to 250W DE bulbs (which is what I use) or 400 watt double ended bulbs. I don't think it's necessary, but with that setup you can truly keep anything you want.
Good luck!
Jim<<<

Acclimating An Anemone To A New Lighting Scheme
Hey Crew,
<Scott F. here today>
I have to say I found your site about three weeks ago and haven't been able to stop reading.  For two years my setup has been a 90 gal. FOWLR up until twenty days ago when I purchased my first LTA.  Currently, I have only four fish a sebae clown, flame angel, domino damsel and a yellow tailed blue damsel.  I wanted to move to a reef tank but can't purchase any corals because of the angels picking habit thus the anemone.
<A good reason to hold off. Plus, it is never a great idea to mix stinging cnidarians and corals together in most closed systems...>
My equipment consists of RO water, canister filter, skimmer and 2 x Hagen 402 and 2x Hagen 802 power heads. Water parameters are S.G. = 1.023, pH = 8.2, Temp = 78oF, Alk. = 3.0 meq/L, Ca = 400, and trace nitrates, 10% water changes every two weeks.
<Sounds fine>
Initially my lighting was only 260 watts of PC so I placed the anemone on the live rock 7" from the tank top.  That night he moved to the middle of the tank about 14" from the top of the tank and stayed buried in some macro algae.  Four days later my new 400 W 6500K Iwasaki light showed up and I installed it 12" above the tank top and removed the PC. I was feeding him every second day a little thawed "Reef Gourmet" food and shredded mysis shrimp.  Ten days later I moved the MH down 1".  The next day when the lights came on he continually got smaller and smaller and I assumed he was going to expel some waste.  Finally he just disappeared all the way into the little hole in the live rock and popped out the other side upside down under a ledge.  The problem is he doesn't
get any light and I can't feed him until I figure out how to get it to him without someone stealing it.  He has been in this position for six days and I'm getting a little impatient.
My questions are;
1)Will he move again when he gets hungry or wants light?
<Usually, yes. Keep in mind that the lighting upgrade that you did was significant, and the animal was high up on the rockwork. It will require some time to acclimate. This seems to be a pretty normal response to this change.>
2)Should I wait a little longer to feed him? How long can he
survive this way?
<I would not "force feed" the animal. Let it become acclimated to your new lighting regime. If the food is not consumed, it will simply accumulate in the tank, degrading water quality in the process. Just be patient here.>
3)What average height should my 400 W MH be at?
<I would keep the light anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of the water surface. Sounds like you are fine.>
Regards, Glenn
<Glad to help, Glen. Just hang in there for a while longer. The animal should come around. If this "hiding" goes on for several weeks, then it may be cause for greater concern. Stay on top of things! Regards, Scott F>

Lighting a BTA 9/30/04
I am thinking about purchasing a Aqualight Pro 24" lighting fixture (1 - 150watt HQI Metal Halide, 2 - 65watt Actinic PC's and 2 - 1watt Moon Lights) for my 29 gallon tank (30" X 12" X 18").  I keep an RTBA in the tank along with several corals.  Will this fixture be ok on this tank or will it be too much light?  Thanks for your input. Jeff
<it sounds right on par to me with the oft-tossed about "rule" of 5 watts per gallon (of daylight) for popular zooxanthellate reef invertebrates. The actinics don't count in "the rule" BTW... they are mostly aesthetic - enjoy :) Anthony>

Anemone Question 9/9/04
Hello!  I was reading over your articles on owning an anemone and the light intensity required for them, but I wasn't able to figure out what I need exactly for my situation, so I'm hoping you can help me out. I had a horrible experience a few years ago with a 45-gallon hex tall tank and $100's of dollars worth of coral dying, so I'm hesitant to try it again.
<my first impression was that you were misguided to some extent on the hex tank... its  a tough aquarium to light because it is so tall. Without a small metal halide lamp, this aquarium was very hard to light for reef invertebrates. Fluorescents were only good for the top 10" of water or so with corals there... really a very difficult tank for coral keeping>
However, I recently saw a beautiful tank in someone's home that had long-tentacle anemone in it (not entirely sure what it's called, but it had a tube-like stem and long tentacles). I would love to put one into my 150 gallon tank, but I'm afraid I don't have the special lights because I didn't plan on doing any reef because of my past experience with it.
<anemones really need to be kept in species specific tanks for best results. Mixed community tanks are poor long term habitats (besides being unnatural for most species)>
I have a brand new custom-made canopy that has six 4' fixtures built into it (two separate ballasts). Is there any way that I can have enough lighting by purchasing higher wattage bulbs (currently 40w each), or will I have to rip all of the fixtures out and start over with something more intense in order to have an anemone?
<160 - 320 watts of fluorescent light (Normal Output) will not keep any common/popular zooxanthellate anemones well if at all. More intense light is likely needed here>
I am not wanting any other kind of coral, just the anemone.
<ah, this will help. Do read more on our archives about BTA and rose anemones... a much hardier choice and pretty too!>
I'd appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!
Heather Graham Chellette 
<best regards, Anthony>