Anemone Needs Light?

[dankolle]

I'm going to set the new VHOs on a timer to come on around 11:00 and go off at 1:00 then slowly ease them into the new lighting cycle. My MH setup is all DIY, so it is cheaper than the others, but it doesn't put out the same intensity you would get from a professional setup (IMO)

 

[motorcyclereefer]

Just allow it to acclimate it to the light and you might be able to save him!

 

[dankolle]

I was down at the same LFS I bought him from, and he said some of their anemones actually bleach themselves. He showed me a few that were under an overflow pipe and were completely white, but they received them full of color. I am a little upset he allowed me to purchase a bleached one without telling me, but I guess it is just as much my fault for not asking...

 

[fastrd400]

I bought him this way about 5 months ago. The LFS said it was a special nem that was white...he got it in a shipment with an RBTA. I asked him about it being bleached and he said it wasn't and that was how he was going to look.

Should I get the 250w MH (or higher?) or do the LED spotlight do you think?

White Nems are not translucent! Yours is very, very bleached.

Well for now i would say get the lights. I wouldnt do the leds just because they are low output. And keep us posted! And best of luck to you!

Not true, I have seen, and know plenty of people keeping nems under LED's. They are all fine, colored up, healthy animals.

Becareful adding so much light so quickly, your anemone is really bleached and adding so much to it so quickly could kill it. I know you said it was climbing the rocks for more light but, 175w of MH on a 55 is more than enough light for a BTA, so again be careful you don't add too much too quick.

+1, listen to Brian. Adding too much, too quick could end in a disaster for you.

 

[BL1]

I was down at the same LFS I bought him from, and he said some of their anemones actually bleach themselves. He showed me a few that were under an overflow pipe and were completely white, but they received them full of color. I am a little upset he allowed me to purchase a bleached one without telling me, but I guess it is just as much my fault for not asking...

When anemones bleach themselves it's almost always caused from stress and/or poor tank conditions (water quality, lighting). The anemones will purge everything from themselves (water, zooanthelle) in order to "flush" out their system and get healthy again. IMO it sounds like your LFS isn't really handling their nems appropritately.

 

[BL1]

Oh, also on a side note since I think this is the first time I've seen about your nem troubles. Nems use zooanthelle (their coloration) as food to sustain themselves. Since yours is bleached it can't do that, so you'll have to feed several times a week to keep it alive and that will also help it recover it's coloring quicker.

 

[dankolle]

Ok guys, I have all of my lighting installed and am working the tank up to the new intensity. I have running 2x 175w 14k MH for 8 hours (normal lighting from before). I added 2x 40w HO 12k Fluorescent that I am also running for 8 hours. This weekend I just got my 2x 110w VHO 12k Fluorescent lamps installed that I am going to run for 4 hours with a +1 each week. The tank is so beautiful with this lighting right now. But in about 4-5 months I am going to swap the 2x 40w HO for actinics.

BL1: I feed my bleached anemone twice to three times a week with my other fish. He eats a whole bunch of brine / mysis / silver sides (depending on what I feel).

Updated pics, note the second anemone is not the bleached one (duh!) My clowns host in both anemones, it's really awesome!


IMAG0350 by x2boarder, on Flickr


IMAG0334 by x2boarder, on Flickr

 

[dankolle]

It's been just over a week with the new lighting installed. Still working on my sliding light clock, but I have noticed the tips of the bleached anemone have some color on them, and I have never noticed this before.


IMAG0360 by x2boarder, on Flickr

 

[buiwe17]

I have had a nem for 4 months with the same coloration. Mine, however has pink tip... I was told it was bleached as well when I first added a pic on here. It has since reproduced and now I have 2 white nems. Any explinations??/ They seem fine and dont move around, and I feed them often.

 

[little_fish]

Nems will often split when they are experiencing serious health issues. Basically the nem is splitting in the hopes that one of the clones might survive where the mother colony wont.

 

[buiwe17]

So how long will the bleached nem live?

 

[yote]

So how long will the bleached nem live?

Bleaching isn't a death sentence for anemones.It just means that they need a little extra TLC.
When ever your dealing with a bleached anemone you just need to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need to survive until they get their color back.Feed it daily with something other than brine or mysis.I personally prefer raw table shrimp,clam strips,or squid twice a day for bleached anemones.

 

[buiwe17]

Cool thanks

 

[little_fish]

+1 yote