New tank pics and questions.

[wastememphis]

I set up my tank on Friday, it's a 29 gallon, with 35lbs of sand and 45lbs of live rock. There is a Fuval filter in the stand which, to my suprise quietly, filters 110 gallons per hour. On the live rock there were two anemones... I was just wondering if someone could tell me what kind they are, what they eat, and if they will be alright while my tank cycles. Thanks!

[wastememphis]

Um... that was the pic of my tank and this is the one of the anemone, it aslo has a rock above it, will it get enough light? Sorry if I ask dumb questions, Im simply just unaware of alot.

[Shadoe]

Hey wastememphis.

Nice tank you have there! ;) I just now (Literally) got done setting up a 29 gal myself, moving up from a 10.
About the Anenome, I'm no expert at all! I would say it needs to get as much light possible. I've heard they take in quite a bit. I guess it depends on what kind it is too. It's a very "handsome" Anenome. Best of luck and Happy New Year....
-Shadoe:laugh:

[wastememphis]

Thank you! My friend told me that it isn't a good anemone to have because it stings and will grow everywhere. Well, if I don't watch it and try to prevent it, it'll grow... unless I wanted it everywhere.

[OrionGirl]

Sorry, but that is aiptasia. Yes, it is an anenome, but it is a pest. It will spread, it will kill corals and other beneficial inverts. This really is not one you want to keep. I understand that thought pattern of "It's an anenome, if I can keep it alive it means my tank is good", but it's totally, completely false. This particular anenome is tough as nails, spreads very easily, and is nasty. I highly recommend you get rid of them now. Do not cut them, or pull them off, but inject it with boiling water, vinegar, or kalkwasser paste.

I can not tell you how big a headache you'll set yourself up for if you don't not remove it now. My FO tank has a few, and I initially thought, what the heck, there's only a few, and nothing in the tank for them to damage. 6 months later, there were 20, and it took weekly treatments for several months to get rid of them.

[wastememphis]

Sorry, I meant that "unless i wanted it" as a joke because I knew that it wasn't good, haha sorry. Can I inject it with air??? Thanks. Also, I know it's early but can anyone tell me about boxing (boxer?) crabs, I have REEF SECRETS and theres a picture of one... it's a crab with anemones for hands and thats how it protects itself and eats, it looks awesome and the size isn't that big.

[OrionGirl]

Don't know that the air would kill it. You can try it, but the problem is that damage that does not kill may cause it to spread.

Boxer crabs--seldom seen in the hobby. Not sure on their survival rate, since they need a supply of baby anenomes to use as weapons, and I don't know how well they survive without them. Keeping the anenome alive may prove to a problem as well--small ones are harder to care for than larger specimen.

[wastememphis]

Since I put water in the tank the salt reading has been different. Everyday I check it, the reading is below what it should be... so I put more salt in, almost too much and the next day it reads the same. I have the kind that floats becuase of the density (I don't know if there is other kinds) I just don't know why it isn't working. The first time it was up really high but there was an air bubble which made it lift... I don't think I'm doing it wrong but that might be why, I have tested it in the water and out of the water, I also let it sit out for a day... help? Thanks

[Gealcath]

Glass Anemonies (Aiptasia) are as hardy as Mantish Shrimp, its near impossible to kill a well established population without killing everything in the aquarium. You can throw 1 Aptasia into a blender, pour it back into the aquarium and then you will have 100s of them growing (They regenerate at incredible rates, just damaging them isnt enough, you have to kill it on one strike). Air wont kill it, and will probably cause it spread because air bubbles will make it burst and break pieces off. A good way of controlling them is natural preditors like certain species of shrimp, its also important if you do use Boiling water, vinegar, or kelkwasser past (becareful when using this, it will strip the skin off your hands), make sure you dont break off any parts, as it will just become more Aiptasia)

[wastememphis]

Wow, maybe I'll get a shrip then. After I posted about the salt in my tank I checked it again (two hrs after i put the salt in and it was up a little... i'm sure it'll work out) but I noticed a dead lady bug floating in my tank... how it got there is anyones guess... the tank is sealed. There was also a little snail looking thing, but it didn't have a shell. It was climbing up on the glass and I looked down at the anemone and there was another snail thing... kinda like a slug but when it went on the glass the bottom of it and what it was using to suckon the glass looked just like a snail... they are tiny and I haven't seen them in my tank before! I went to look in a book but it didn't help well and then the little one went somewhere and I can't find it... I also saw a tentical or arm of some sort comming out of a hole, it looked like it had little hairs on it and it went back into the hole... should I be putting some sort of food in my tank to support these things that are comming out of the rock?! Please help.

[wastememphis]

While reading the "what the heck are these!!!" post... I've decided the thing in my tank also looks like a centipede, if I catch it out tomorrow I'll post a picture. What kind of shrip could i get that will take care of my anemone problem :-\

[wastememphis]

I'm messing up... I realized my main rock with a cave type thing wasn't sturdy... so I moved it to make it more sturdy... and now its really sturdy but it moved stuff everywhere... the tank it a little cloudy BUT i noticed two small anemones on the glass... which would mean they spread, I don't need to move the rocks anymore for any reason so its set, I think i have a brittle worm or something but I only saw it once. Also right before I moved the rock me and my friend noticed about 30 small shrimp looking things cruising around, but now they aren't anywhere noticeable... what should I do about the anemone problem before anything good grows in my tank. Also I think getting a shrimp to do it would be a good natural way to do it... stupid anemones.

[Gealcath]

Peppermint Shrimp and Copperband Shrimp will eat the smaller Anemones before they get too big, draw back is they also tend to pick at corals. The best methode is to use the methodes suggested, also if that Anemone was on any of those rocks that you moved, you may have spread it even more.

[Benallen]

Hey there, while you guys are talking about anenomes, I just recently bought a pink tip anenome because they were cheap and I was told the were hearty. I have a 65 gallon tank that is about 2 months old. when I put the anenome in, after he opened up he moved under a piece of live rock and is there right now, I am wondering if I have 2 much lighting? is that possible? I have three, 65 watt 6500k flourex bulbs and 1 flourescent actinic bulb?

[wastememphis]

My two pepermint shrimp took care of the anemones.

[OrionGirl]

Benallen--anenomes are temptermental, and need to get used to new lighting. It's likely that your lighting is stronger than that of the LFS, so the anenome is just adapting. It will move around until it finds someplace that it's happy. Make sure to feed it, though, no matter where it is.

wastememphis--the shrimp looking things are likely pods--not a bad thing, healthy, even. The others may be flat worms--common, and usually not a problem. You'll want to watch them, since many can be predatory or parasitic.

[Benallen]

thanks oriongirl. right now the anenome has moved out from the rock and I fed him about 3 krill yesterday and what else do anenomes like to eat?

[wastememphis]

I haven't seen them in about four days, I'm pretty sure my shrimp ate them? Suppose I get an anemone that isn't a pest and that I want, would the shrimp still eat it? Or which ones do they go after?!

[OrionGirl]

Benallen--feed the anenome once or twice a week. They should take prepared frozen foods, as well as silversides and other meaty foods.

wastememphis--peppermints are otherwise safe in reef setups, and won't go after other anenomes, to the best of my knowledge.

[wastememphis]

How often do pep. shirmp shed????

[OrionGirl]

Depends on age. Young ones that are growing quickly will shed as often as once a month (this is general for crustaceans), whiile older ones tend to shed once every 6 months or so, unless injured.

[wastememphis]

Tomorrow is the three week mark on my tank, and I'm getting anxious... my water is going to be tested tonight to see if it's safe for fish. Here's the question... I saw a bule ribbon eel, it's on hold for me till saturday... is a 29 big enough for one?? The guy at the store knew the size of my tank when i was talking to him... and said as long as I had the water tested and it was fine... and if i get a pvc tube for it to hang out it, it would be fine. The problems are... the eel is already large I'm guessing three feet if not more. It would also eat my pepermint shrimp... and I was wondering if i could put reef type things in my tank if the water is tested fine. Like xeina polips or something??? I want mandarin with reefs since the tank isn't too big so it will just be a look at a reef. But the ribbion eel is beautiful... I don't think my tank is big enough.

[OrionGirl]

No, a 29 is not big enough for a ribbon eel. They are not a good fish for a newbie-or even many experienced feepers-they are known to be difficult to get feeding and maintain. Eels are also very good at eating crustaceans--the shrimp would likely become a snack.

Mandarins should not go in newly setup tanks. Sorry--I know how pretty they are, but they need a sizable population of pods to feed on while juveniles. Most will acclimate to prepared foods, but this takes several months. In small tanks, they will clean out the pod population in short order, then slowly starve to death. Mandarins and scooters are in the same family, and both are prone to starving, especially in new and small tanks.

In general, I urge people to wait until the tank has been stable for a minimum of 6 months before adding corals. They are more sensitive to water conditions that most fish, and when they die, they can be a major pollutant. Remember--the nitrogen cycle is not the only thing that must be balanced--it's just the one we can test and track.

[Benallen]

Hey there again guys, Thanks for all the help, but being the newb I am, I still have more questions. Right now my tank is about 2 months old, the nitrogen is O and everything else is fine too. Just to be safe a couple weeks ago I bought some cheaper heartier fish, 3 damsels and 3 seabea clowns and a pink tip anenome, they're all doing exceptionaly well. My question is when should I get rid of these fish and put in some better ones (and more expensive too!), I'm also interested in corals, does anyone know which corals are heartier and easier to maintain than others? and also good for newer tanks?

P.S. I have a 65 gallon tank with a canister filter and a biowheel 400 with some powerheads to boot, also I have about 25lbs of live rock, so in a few years I wouldn't mind having an amazing aquarium

thanks alot!
Benallen

[Gealcath]

Heres some good advice "beware the LFS wanting to make a quick sale". Sounds like the LFS wanted to get rid of the Ribbon Eel so they said it would do fine with good water (it would probably die in the LFS if they didnt sell it)

[wastememphis]

Hey! Sorry I havne't posted in a while... my tank cycled. I've had it for 3 weeks and 3days (as of today) It's a 29 gallon with 35lbs of sand and 45lbs of live rock... I bought two pepermint shrimp to take care of some anemones and so far I have found two small crabs and a few really small snails which must have came in the live rock. Nothing intresting has happned... but today when I got home from work there was orange/yellow looking stuff on my highest rock. I'll post two pics of it... close and far... I'm not sure what it is... I tryed to get it off by moving my hand above it for current, but it didn't want to go anywhere, my shrimp just wanted to see what was going on. So I just took the pics and I'm posting them, my water was tested on thursday and it was fine. I don't have a test kit to tell you what it is at right now but the temp and salinity are fine. Thanks to any replies.

[wastememphis]

close up.

[ben72227]

wastememphis, if you find "stuff" in your tank that you are not sure what it is, this may help: Hitchhiker FAQ (http://reefs.org/hhfaq/)

[wastememphis]

Hey!

I got a Maroon Clown fish and a Long Tipped Anemone, my shrimp went after the anemone for about a minute untill I could get them away and the anemone back into the bag... right now the anemone is in the tank with the clown and the shrimp are bagged in the water, I fear that they will attack the anemone and kill it, right now about 6-10 of the tenticles look pinched but other than that it looks fine. I posted a picture of it. I'll prolly just bring the shrimp back to the store and give them back. The anemone was moving a little but fell off a small rock and rolled over and I waved it back up, a few mins later while it was moving around it fell and went upside down again and the stem seemed to inflate then I moved it into a spot where it couldn't fall over night... any help or input is appreciated. thanks.