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FAQs on Anemones and Lighting, Lamps/Bulbs
Related Articles:
Anemones,
Bubble Tip Anemones, LTAs,
Cnidarians, Colored/Dyed Anemones, Acclimating
Symbiotic Reef Invertebrates to Captive Lighting,
Coldwater Anemones, Marine
Light, & Lighting,
Related FAQs:
Anemone Lighting 1, Anemone
Lighting 2, Anemone Lighting 3,
Anemone Lighting 4, & FAQs on
Anemone Lighting: Science/Application,
Design/Fixtures, Duration, Quality
and Intensity, Trouble/Fixing,
Makes/Models/Manufacturers,
& FAQs on: Anemone
Systems 1, Anemone Systems 2,
Anemone Systems 3, &
Anemones, Anemones 2,
Caribbean Anemones,
LTAs, Condylactis,
Aiptasia Anemones, Anemones and
Clownfishes,
Anemone Reproduction,
Anemone Identification, Anemone
Compatibility,
Anemone Selection,
Anemone Health,
Anemone Behavior,
Anemone Placement, Anemone
Feeding, |
All lamps/bulbs are NOT created equally...
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I really am hoping you will help me!, Anemone Lighting Hi Robert;
<Anthony Calfo in your service> I have a question about
lighting/anemone health that I would really like to solve. The tank is a
60 gallon hexagon, 76 degrees, pH at 8.25 and Strontium added about once
a week. I have a long tentacle anemone that has good color
(pinkish-white foot, light green tentacles with pinkish hues at the
ends) and a Tomato Clown as his buddy. I have kept him since November,
and used to feed him pieces of raw shrimp.... <nothing larger than
1/4-1/2 inch I hope... else not very useful to the anemone... they will
sting and ingest it, but regurgitate it as a ball (familiar?) with
little/no digestion. A common problem. Consider that such large chunks
of food would never filter down through a reef water column without any
one of a number of fish tagging it first. Unnatural indeed. Anemones eat
fine plankton like everybody else> but when the Tomato Clown adapted
to him, the Clown takes anything I give the anemone out if his
tentacles, so I have stopped feeding him (which worries me). <yes...
a problem indeed. The anemone needs weekly feedings at minimum> The
anemone appears to be getting smaller and not opening as much as he used
to. <attrition after just a few weeks I'm sure> The clown still
loves him and his color is good. I think my trouble is in the
lighting... (I think, anyway). The tank has 2 perfecto 15 watt fixtures
with a Triton Bulb and a 50/50 Coralife bulb. <Wow...yes. Weak in
intensity and perhaps not even remotely useful if they are older than
6-10 months (spectral sway/exhausted phosphors)> I was going to
retrofit them to an AH Supply Bright Kit (1 36 Watt and a 36 Watt
Actinic) but the rep from AH Supply said that 72 Watts would still be a
waste of time/money. Thankfully he was honest... because I had my credit
card in hand. I don't want to lose the anemone!! Since it is a hexagon,
and it is 27 inches from the hood to the floor of the tank, he suggested
a I look into Metal Halide. Then, I found this pendant MH:
http://www.lampsnow.com/17penfix.html <indeed... fluorescent lighting
is only effective for high light reef animals if the tank is VERY
shallow (less than 16 inches or the animal is kept in the top portion of
the tank). An ideal lamp for you would be an Iwasaki 6500K halide. On
150 watt bulb will be fine. MH lamps are the best bang for the buck...
the Iwasakis specifically have been tested to remain true for nearly
three years (!) before beginning to sway significantly. That's a lot
better than changing expensive fluorescent bulbs every 6-19 months. MH
is the better choice indeed for you. But I am specifically recommending
Iwasaki 6500K, Ushio or Aqualine 10K specifically. Most other brands
have some significant detraction in my opinion> What do you think???
What should I do!!?? Thanks in advance!! <you won't regret the MH, my
friend. Kudos to the honest salesman. Anthony Calfo> Regards, Edward P.
Kelly
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