I added a long tentacle anem into my aquarium about a month ago and was doing great for 2 weeks but now... For the first week and a half the anem was doing great, attached to a rock near the bottom within an hour of introducing it, eating krill and clam with ease. My two ocellaris clowns loved it but not to much. 3 days ago it shrunk up to nothing and spewed a nice stringy funk from its mouth. I was assuming it was just exchanging its fluids, since the next day it was out and about again, but let go from its rock. It has now been floating around the tank for 48 hours. Tank is a 30g cube, has a 24" 4 bulb T5 fixture, with all new bulbs, 75G HOB filter, 750gph koralia, 30lbs live rock Water Parameters: Salinity: 1.024 Temp: 81°F pH: 8.2 NH3: 0.25ppm NO2: 0ppm NO3: 0ppm PO4: 0.3ppm Calcium: 300ppm Strontium: 4ppm Magnesium: 1150ppm Iodine: .8ppm
Usually at work when amen spits out stringy stuff its not a very good sign. Is this rank linked to your others? Raffle grabber
Nems need high light... 4 bulb T5 might not be enough... Second.. They like the salinity high to thrive... More like 1.026... and last, the temp is way too high... 77 78 is a better temp for them... I have had corals come in looking great for a week but after that crash. Sounds like the same thing. He will either dance around to a higher spot in the tank for more light or flow or he will dance right on around until he completely dies.. I wouldnt force it but I would start with a subtle change. Maybe lower the temp slowly, if that doesnt work try upping the salinity, if that doesn help... well.. it just wasnt ment to be.
Calcium seems a bit low. Also there is something to be said about your Ca:Mg:Sr ratio and how it effects your livestock. It varies from source to source but maybe one of those things might b ur issue
Thanks guys, I'm slowly bringing my temp dowm, I'll start work on salinity after that, and I'll look into messing with my Ca:Mg:Sr ratio as well. oh and its not connected to my big system
Just an update: Tank temp is down to 78, salinity is up to 1.026 and I started getting my calcium up a bit. Am planning on adding another 4 bulb T5 fixture (I asked for one for christmas from my parents). The anem decided to meet my koralia last week and his foot got diced up quite a bit, however he is now attached to a rock and starting to heal and grow a bit. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who pitched in their 2 cents on this. I really appreciate it a lot!!! I've been doing this for over 2 years now but as always I learn something new every day!!!
Right, there is always something new to learn, I set my first saltwater tank up in 1973 and I still learn things all the time. All these new guys are always coming up with questions I have to research before I can offer any help at all. I admit most of what I know is from experience, but sometimes that is enough. Like my dad always said," take a man with money and a man with experience and put them on a deserted island. Come back in a month and the man with the experience will have the money and the man with the money will have the experience." Ain't it so ??
