Unhappy Anemones

[aimeeross]

Hi,

 

My 40 gallon reef tank has been up and running for nearly two years now and currently has 4 anemones, two are green bubble tip (the original split) and two Heteractis brought 5 months ago approximately.

 

My tank has a mixture of soft and hard coral and I test it every week. Water changes are done once a fortnight and about 20%, salinity is constant at 1.025.

 

I have broad spectrum 150w LED's that are currently set to 60% white 40% blue.

 

The bubble tip anemones have always looked good, they are small but always extended, eat well and good colour.

 

The other two however move frequently but stay under rocks or in gaps and have never extended well like they were when I first got them. They are both good colouring and one looks better than the other but both are only about the size of a golf ball when they are the size of a fist when fully extended. I target feed each week (sometimes fish steal the food back again) and feed with phytoplankton each week.

 

The worse off looking one almost appears flat on top as if it has bumps instead of tentacles.

 

I will put photos up tomorrow when the lights are back on but I am at a loss as to what to do, I have two percula clowns who host them and may be irritating them? and everyone else in the tank is so happy

 

Please help.

[jestep]

What type of Heteractis? The genus includes several species including sabae's and riterri's which are extremely difficult nems.

 

But, it's not uncommon for unrelated anemones to not settle in the same tank which may be the case with yours. Most likely you'll need to remove them from the tank, as there's no way to combat whatever chemical warfare is occurring between the different species. The same thing is fairly common when people try to put haddoni's in a tank with BTA's, and the BTA's go crazy and never stop moving.

[reefernanoman]

What type of Heteractis? The genus includes several species including sabae's and riterri's which are extremely difficult nems.

 

But, it's not uncommon for unrelated anemones to not settle in the same tank which may be the case with yours. Most likely you'll need to remove them from the tank, as there's no way to combat whatever chemical warfare is occurring between the different species. The same thing is fairly common when people try to put haddoni's in a tank with BTA's, and the BTA's go crazy and never stop moving.

That's why I only keep BTA'S and no other types of anemones in the same tank. Good advice.

[Andrew_Reef90g]

BTAs do well with magnificas and crispas usually. If these are magnificas, they are very difficult anemones and you may not have the means to care for them.