Non-attaching anemone

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goroboy

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Jul 15, 2007
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Hello,

I am new to this whole thing, specially the reef part. About two weeks ago I went to the store and couldn't resist on buying a sebae anemone (H. Malu)together with two ocellaris clownfish (big mistake). The seller gave me an excellent price and included a Harlequin crab with it. He told me I wouldn't have any problems with the anemone and explained me a lil' about its care. I wish I hadn't bought it without doing further research first.

My problem is that the anemone isn't attaching anywere. It continues to float around the substrate. I was told she would pick her own spot and get attached there but she hasn't. Then I was told she might prefer a higher place on the tank to get more light, so I put her on top of the rock to see if she would attach there but she didn't, she went back to the substrate and 'til now continues unattached.

Other than that the anemone is feeding well. I have given her shrimp twice besides feeding her with CombiSan.

Is there anything I need to do to get her attached? is her not being attached a sign of disease or illness? what else can you tell me about the anomene's care?

BTW The harlequin crab has taken the anemone as its territory and hardly leaves her.

My aquarium specs are the following:

60 L (16 gal) Reef Tank
Equipt.-

Filtration: Dolphin 500H cascade filter, counter-current Oddisey Skimmer, Sunny 1200 Power Filter
Lighting: 10 W 12,000 K white light, 10 W Blue Moon Actinic
Other: 150W heater with thermostat, 11 kg of assorted live rock, 4 kg of coral sand and 2.5 kg of live sand from an established aquarium.

Added elements:CombiSan

Food:
Fish; MarineGrow granules, AntiBacterial granules
Corals & Inverts; chopped fish, chopped shrimp

Inhabitants:
Fish: 2 Chrysiptera Parasema (Blue Yellowtail Damselfish)
Inverts: Starfish (unidentified species), Sebae Anemone (H. Malu), Harlequin Crab, 3 turbo snails, 1 hermit crab
Corals: Polips

My levels have remained quite stable over the last couple of weeks. Friday's are the following:

Ammonia mg/l 0
Nitrite mg/l 0
Nitrate mg/l 2.5
pH 8.5
kH mg/l 170
Phosphate mg/l 1
Calcium mg/l 400
SG 1.026
Temp 24-25ºC
 

Fishieness

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Jan 14, 2006
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you dont have anywhere near enough lighting for that anenome. sabaes like higherlighting. i really wouldnt suggest anythign besides MH.
but as far as the not attaching, you can sometimes corner them in somethign like a breeding net or one of the little containers that LFSs use. jsut put it in the tank with the anem and a piece of live rock. thatll give it more time to attach before being blown around.
 

goroboy

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
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you dont have anywhere near enough lighting for that anenome. sabaes like higherlighting. i really wouldnt suggest anythign besides MH.
but as far as the not attaching, you can sometimes corner them in somethign like a breeding net or one of the little containers that LFSs use. jsut put it in the tank with the anem and a piece of live rock. thatll give it more time to attach before being blown around.
hey, thanks for the reply...I am aware (now that I've read a bit more) that anemones need strong lighting but unofrtunately I am in no position to provide it.

BTW What's MH?
 

severum mama

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Dec 30, 2006
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Metal halide. Is there a chance that you can return the anemone? Without proper lighting, it will die.
 

goroboy

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Jul 15, 2007
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I think that's what i'll do...

How can I know which inverts and corals I can host with my current lighting? I know I can't trust the dealers on that because they are only looking to sell:devil:

thx :)
 

Fishieness

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Jan 14, 2006
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you really araent able to keep anything healthy and vibrant with you lighting except for nonphtosynthetic corals like sun corals.
 

goroboy

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Jul 15, 2007
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what kind of lighting setup would you recommend? how many watts/sq meter are required? My guessing is the following:

I did a lil' research and at equador latitudes at ground level, the sun irradiance is around 1,000 w/sq m at peak hours. Nevertheless, taking into account sundown and sunset hours in which the irradiance is muuuuch lower, the average sun radiance per day is of about 250 w/sq m, again, at gorund level. If I knew water's light attenuation index, calculating the wattage needed should be rather easy; multiplying water's attenuation idex by X meters deep (average reef depth) and dividing the 250 W/sq m by the result.
 

goroboy

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
68
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what kind of lighting setup would you recommend? how many watts/sq meter are required? My guessing is the following:

I did a lil' research and at equator latitudes at ground level, the sun irradiance is around 1,000 w/sq m at peak hours. Nevertheless, taking into account sundown and sunset hours in which the irradiance is muuuuch lower, the average sun radiance per day is of about 250 w/sq m, again, at ground level.

We also have to take into account the rate at which light decreases with depth (depending upon the amount of light-absorbing dissolved substances and the amount of absorption and scattering caused by suspended materials)given that reefs are produced several meters underwater.

The percentage of the surface light absorbed or scattered in a 1 meter long vertical column of water, is called the vertical extinction coefficient (K).

If I knew marine water's vertical extinction coefficient, calculating the wattage needed should be rather easy by knowing the average reef depth and dividing the 250 W/sq m by that depth's K and multiplying it by my tank's base area.

Another way is determining the reef's Secchi depth to determine the euphotic zone (the depth of the water, whether in a lake or an ocean, that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur): "Turbidity in lakes, reservoirs, and the ocean can be measured using a Secchi disk. This black and white disk is lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen; the depth (Secchi depth) is then recorded as a measure of the transparency of the water (inversely related to turbidity). The Secchi disk has the advantages of integrating turbidity over depth (where variable turbidity layers are present), being quick and easy to use, and inexpensive. It can provide a rough indication of the depth of the euphotic zone with a 3-fold multiplication of the Secchi depth." (taken from wikipedias article on Turbidity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbidity)

Now, after having written all that I've come across an interesting fact: the euphotic zone extends from the ocean's surface downwards to a depth where light intensity falls to 1% of that at the surface -->which means that practically at the reef they get the same amount of sunlight as at the surface --> which leaves me with my original number of 250 W/sq m...sorry for having you read all that, but I thought I'd share with y'all my info.

If my tank's surface is of 1.75 sq m I guess i'd be needing around 450 watts (1.75 sq m X 250w/sq m)...

Can someone tell me if this number is right?
 
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