Is there enough lighting?
Lighting Recommendations for Anemones – 6/14/08
Hi,
<Hello John, Brenda here! >
First let me say that your site has been extremely helpful and I have learned quite a bit from reading other posts.
<Great! >
As for now, I am a little confused about lighting. I recently changed my tank to a 40 gallon breeder 36x18x18 from a 36 gallon bow 30x15x24. I took my Power compact light and combined it with another giving me 4 x 65watts of light for the 40 gallon breeder tank. My question is; is this enough to keep anemones, such as bubble tips, carpet and Sebae?
<You could get away with keeping an E. quadricolor (bubble tip), but you may find that you have to increase feedings to satisfy this anemone. I do not recommend keeping any other species of anemones under power compact lighting.>
Should I go with more lighting?
<More lighting would be my choice. I consider power compact lighting to be borderline in this case and can be the difference between surviving and thriving. >
Maybe do 6x39w T5 or am I just wasting money by upgrading?
<The 6 X 39W T5, with individual reflectors, would be a nice upgrade. >
I would like to keep some anemones, I have a Sebae now and it is doing fine, but I would also like to try out some LPS and SPS hard corals and some sea fans.
<A 40g tank is much too small for mixing species of anemones. I do not recommend mixing species unless you have a system of a few hundred gallons or more. I also do not recommend keeping a carpet anemone in a 40g. >
From what I can see they take quite a bit of light. Between T5, power compacts and metal halide it is all just too confusing and the more I read from your site the more confused I am getting. At one point I was convinced I should go Metal Halide and now I am not so sure.
<I am a huge fan of T-5 lighting. I have kept anemones under T-5, PC, and Metal Halide. With the T-5 you do not have the heat issues that come with the metal halide. You also have a longer bulb life. If you decide to go with the T-5, be sure to select one with individual reflectors. Without the individual reflectors, the T-5 lighting is comparable to power compact lighting. If you go with metal halide, I would go with two 175 watt bulbs. With the lighting I have recommended, you will be able to keep LPS, SPS and sea fans.>
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, John
<You’re welcome! I hope this helps! Brenda >

Re: Is there enough lighting?
Lighting Recommendations for Anemones – 6/14/08
Brenda,
Thank you for all the information. I will go with the T5 set up and stick with the 1 anemone that I currently have, without adding anymore. Thanks again for all your help. John
<You’re welcome! Brenda >

Anemone bleaching
New Bulbs Shocking the Anemone, Clownfish Fighting – 6/4/08
Hi WWM
<Hello Joe, Brenda here!>
I love this site it is so helpful every time I come across a problem.
<That is good to hear, thank you! >
I have a reef tank that is about 3-4 years old. I was neglecting it to an extent this past year and it has the same power compact bulbs in there for 2 years!
<Yikes! These should be changed out about every 9 months. >
I have a couple corals, flame angel, six-line wrasse, sand sifter goby, and a BTA. The BTA was doing fine under the lighting I had, it was brown in color and was looking healthy. I just replaced the lights (thank god) and added 2 false Percs. They are hanging out near the anemone and for the first week they were fine. Now they will not stop fighting, locking jaws and spinning around. Constantly they are battling and this has been going on for about a week.
<You may have two females. If so they will fight to the death of one or both of them. >
I have also noticed my anemone is now starting to turn whiter towards the top of it. Could this be from replacing the lights?
<Yes. >
Should I only have them on half of the normal cycle?
<I recommend putting some window screen over the tank for a week or so to get the anemone used to the light. What size tank is this on, and how many watts of PC do you have? How much is day light and how much is actinic? >
What can I do about the clownfish fighting?
<If they are both females you can’t do anything except remove one. How big are these clownfish? It is not uncommon for newly introduced clownfish to fight. However, you will have to be the judge and decide if they need to be separated or if they are possibly working things out. >
Thanks Joe
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

My quadricolor -Glowing E. Quadricolor, BTA, Lighting Change – 5/21/08 Hi Gang, <Hello, Brenda here! > I have had my E. quadricolor for over two years and he has even been host to my clownfish. <Great! > When I first acquired him he was small and eventually grew. At the time I had a 55 gallon tank and power compact lighting. At that time my E. quadricolor looked like most I see in captivity. He had a brown/orangey color to him with some dark green and pink tips though you had to look hard on the tip of the tentacle to see the pink. Anyway, I had decided on upgrading my light and tank several months ago and my wattage went up substantially. I now have 2-250watt MH and 2-96watt actinics. Ever since the upgrade my anemone began changing colors. <It sounds like your previous lighting was borderline and your anemone is now thriving. > His green began to get more of a lime tone to it very bright.  The orange is still there but mostly on his base and disc. When the lights go out this anemone GLOWS!! Is this normal?? <This is the lighting that is causing this. > I sent a picture of what he looks like now and how he glows when the lights are off with just the lunar lights. Can he be getting too much light? <It is possible, however, if the anemone is not roaming, and appears healthy, I would leave things alone. > Is that even possible for this anemone? <Yes, it is possible, but I do not believe this is the case. > He still eats, never moved since I placed him in that rock the first day, and is still sticky. <Perfect! > He still basically my same old BTA but just a glowing version that looks really cool but has me worried that he may not be happy. <No need to worry! It sounds like you have a happy, healthy anemone! > Thanks in advance. <You’re welcome! Brenda >

New Anemone Hiding in Low Light Area – 05/16/08
Hi Guys!
<Hello Frank, Brenda here!>
You've been so helpful in the past with equipment/tank questions I figured you were the natural choice when it came to livestock questions too.
<Thank you for the positive feedback! >
I usually do a TON of research on anything before I buy it and so I've been waiting for a LONG time for my tank to settle before I finally bought the anemone that I want (a beautiful greenish bulb-tip anemone).
<An excellent choice! >
It came via FedEx yesterday (I'm a fan of Live Aquaria for good livestock since the stores in my area charge outrageous prices and aren't that great to begin with), and went into my tank at night after the lights were down. I thought I had a good place for it at first and the current blew it all over the map so it didn't attach there and so I picked up the little aquatic tumbleweed and tried another spot I liked (and thought it would too). That time, it stuck. Seemed to have a good hold and opened up and also started moving a bit (deeper into a sort of depression in the rock).
<This is not unusual. >
After watching for a bit and thinking all was well, I finally went to bed. When I woke up... he was nowhere to be found (a mild panic moment set in at that point). Looking a little more carefully, I found he'd attached himself within the rockwork in the back a fair distance from where I left him last night and where the current would blow him if he lost his grip.
<He’s searching for a suitable place to call home. This is normal. Make sure you have all of your intakes protected, or your anemone will become shredded if it should lose its grip. >
I've got a pretty open system, not a rock wall. Firmly wedged into a rock crevice, as I know these guys like, I could obviously NOT detach him without doing serious damage so decided to let him find his own way to the light (luckily for me, there's not much light in the back of the tank).
<The anemone having a firm grip is an excellent sign. >
He's opened himself up pointing towards the back wall and, even though there isn't a whole lot of light there, he hasn't moved. His foot sticks partway out to the front of the tank, but the big beautiful tentacles are all, sadly for me, pointed backwards and fully open.
<Unfortunately this anemone does not realize that you want him to be the center of attention. >
I know they move around a lot, but I'm concerned that he may stay facing that way and die a slow death of light deficiency (perhaps a bit of over dramatic since it's only been a day, but hey, I like him).
<If water parameters are up to par, this anemone will be fine. Give him a few weeks to find his way. He is stressed from shipment, and needs to be left alone. Only handle this anemone if it detaches and is being taken for a ride in the current. >
How long should I wait and see if he moves before I start to try other measures and, if I do have to, which ones would you use?
<I don’t recommend moving the anemone unless it is in an immediate physical danger. >
I've heard that pointing a small power head directly at the foot can encourage an anemone to move, especially this type. Thoughts?
<This will cause more stress, on an already stressed anemone. Shipping is extremely harsh on these creatures. This anemone needs to finish acclimating to its new environment. This may take a few weeks. >
Will obviously wait, but just want to be ready when/if it happens. Thanks so much for all your help in the past and hope to hear from you soon!
<You’re welcome!>
Frank
PS For reference, 75 gallon reef, Outer Orbit HQI T5HO, established for
about 4 years in one form or another (dramatic rescue operation about a 6 months ago when 50 gallon sprang a leak, but all same water, rocks, etc).
<Brenda>

RE: New Anemone Hiding in Low Light Area – 05/16/08
Thanks Brenda!
<Hello Frank! >
Will give it a few weeks to see what it does/where it goes.
<Good! >
I did decide to use a little trickery on it, though. It's way down low in the tank so I simply used a loose piece of live rock to cover up the hole in the rockwork from which it's getting direct light. Still getting diffuse, but figured that might help it a) avoid light shock from the T5HOs and b) encourage it to seek out more light when it's ready.
<It may, but I would just let it work through the acclimation process by itself. >
One question on feeding, I have been told that this is a species, which
requires additional feeding 2-3 times a week.
<Typically, yes. >
I know the dangers of overfeeding anemones, but the illustrious Bob Fenner was clear that this one needed it.
<If the anemone is healthy, I would try to feed it 2 – 3 times a week. Feed small portions, smaller than the anemones mouth. In heavily feed tanks, anemones do not need to be fed as often. >
I'm wondering how soon to start feeding (i.e. while it's still in hiding?) and whether this is in addition to the frozen food I add to the tank daily which includes some of the dietary requirements of the anemone.
<You can try feeding tiny pieces now. Target feeding something like Mysis shrimp, may be the easiest using a turkey baster or syringe. >
Thanks for all your help and I'll let you know how it goes!
Frank
<You’re welcome, and I’m looking forward to updates. Brenda>

Anemone Lighting, poor lvstk. mix... poor response, referrals lacking    3/12/08
Hello,
<Hi Matt>
I just purchased a 150g reef ready tank that is 30 inches deep. I am confused as to which lights I need. My tank will be FOWLR and anemones and hopefully an eel.
<Not a good idea to mix fish that are not compatible with anemones, you more than likely may lose a few.>
<<... refer them to where...>>
I really think I need the glass canopy on the tank because of evaporation and the eel.
<And to protect the light fixture and reduce UV, especially with HQI lamps.>
Will the new T5's work?
https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/239340/product.web ) or will I have to go with some sort of metal halide because the tank is so deep.
If I do have to go with metal halides, can I still use a glass canopy.
Maybe you all have a better suggestion or idea that I'm not thinking of?
Please help me.
<To keep anemones in that deep of a tank, metal halides or HQI would be the way I'd go.
Read here and linked files above. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
Thank you,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Matt

BTA lighting needs 03/09/2008
Hi guys (you rock!)
<<Hello, Andrew here....Hmmm...Do we "live" rock? .....he he he>>
I turned my old 14g BioCube into a qt tank for my 75g, and I got a green BTA the other day, it's about 2", very small, and I stuck him in there for the time being, is there enough light in there to sustain him for a while? it has a 24w 10000k daylight, and 24w true actinic...he found a nice spot on a piece of rock about 5" from the surface and seems to be happy there. when the time comes to move him to the big tank, I'm just going to move the entire rock he's on...so is there enough light in there to sustain him?
<<As long as it seems happy in there, I would not worry too much. I would agree that when you move this, take the rock and all to the other tank. A word on quarantine tanks here for future. Its always best not to use live rock in the quarantine tank...Reason for this is because its an idea place to harbour parasites and for them to move from one inhabitant to the next. The best thing to use is pieces of PVC pipe, like house drain pipe parts and a bare bottom to the tank. This way, there is nowhere for anything to attach too>>
Thanks, Rob
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Sebae Anemone, Lack of Lighting – 3/5/08
Hi Crew,
<Hi Ashley, Brenda here!>
I recently purchased a small Sebae anemone for my 55 gallon tank. In this tank I have 2 false Percula clownfish, 2 Peppermint shrimp, 2 Scooter blennies, and a number of snails and hermit crabs.
<Crabs can become predators to anemones.>
I have 2 Emperor filters going and a 40 watt 48" light and a 65 watt 24" light.
<I strongly recommend a protein skimmer in place of the Emperor filters, especially when keeping anemones.>
The worker of the fish store said this should be enough lighting for the anemone.
<This is not even close to being enough lighting for this anemone.>
The clownfish are still very timid and have only explored it a bit and nothing else in the tank gets near it. The levels are as follows: specific gravity - 1.024,
<Needs to be 1.026>
pH - 8.2, ammonia and nitrite - 0, KH - around 7, nitrate - 20ppm,
<Nitrates need to be zero.>
and temp is generally around 80 degrees. It has only been a couple of days and for the most part it seems fine but a bunch of its tentacles shrink sometimes during the day, although at night when the lights are off it seems to extend more fully. It's nestled in the sand but I'm not sure if it's fully rooted. It is the occasions when the tentacles get small that worry me. Is this normal behavior or does it need more lighting (is yes, how much).
<Anemones do occasionally shrink to exchange water and to expel waste. However, this animal does need a lot more lighting. I recommend two 175 watt (minimum) metal halide or as many 54 watt T-5 bulbs (with individual reflectors) that you can get over the tank.>
Thanks,
Ashley

Is My Normal Output Fluorescent Lighting Suitable for Anemone and Corals? (The Short Answer Is…No) – 02/12/08
Hello,
<<Hiya, Joan!>>
I read and then reread your article on lighting.
<<And?...>>
I have used Vita-Lites for many many years and thought they would be fine for my introduction of inverts, an anemone to start with, and maybe a coral or two.
<<Mmm, you will need to be more specific than “a coral or two”…and some specifics about your tank would be a big help too...oh, and do read up on our site re anemone systems/mixing with sessile inverts (not recommended). As for the Vita-Lites…these are a great “daylight” spectrum fluorescent bulb, but being a NO (Normal Output) bulb you need a fair number of them over the tank, with actual “numbers” depending on the light-requirements of the organisms you plan to keep. And while it is possible to keep some coral species under NO fluorescent lighting (I did so back in the late-eighties and early-nineties), I don’t recommend this for keeping Anemones>>
The Fish Store says No, I need MORE.
<<Without more information/detail re your system and its proposed inhabitants, I must agree…and I certainly do where the Anemone is concerned>>
I.e. 10K etc and recommend the Coralife compacts.
<<You don’t “need” 10K bulbs; these are usually suggested because they provide a “balance” between what is suitable for/useable to the photosynthetic organisms and what is pleasing to the human eye. In fact, if you like or prefer a lower Kelvin temperature (e.g. – 5500K – 6500K), these will generally provide a better output/PAR rating watt-for-watt than the higher Kelvin temperature bulbs. A mix of 10K and 6.5K bulbs provides far more intensity, as well as light in the more “useful” wavelengths, than a mix of 10K and Actinic bulbs>>
I am sure they are great, but do I really need that much light?
<<The answer here likely is, yes…I am doubtful your NO fluorescent bulbs will support an anemone>>
Especially when a retrofit is $200+ on sale.
<<Unfortunately, the price of lighting suitable for keeping many/most of the reef-associated photosynthetic organisms often proves to be as much as one-third the cost of the entire reef system. If you do decide to upgrade, I would like to recommend T5 fluorescent lighting over the PC fluorescent lighting. Not that the PCs can’t work, but the T5 is better technology in my opinion, and has greater bulb selection/allows more flexibility over the PCs. The smaller size of the T5s will also allow more bulbs to be fitted/placed over any given tank size>>
Please drop me a short note with your ideas.
<<You have my thoughts…do write me back if you wish to discuss further>>
Joan in Seattle
<<Regards, EricR in Columbia>>

Need Lighting Help 01/23/2008
Hello,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I have had a 55 gallon FOWLR tank for over 10 yrs now and want to upgrade my lighting system. I have nothing fancy right now, but was
thinking of switching to T5's. I have always wanted an anemone and know they would probably prefer MH's, but I just can't afford them.
<<even though MH are the best lighting you can provide, T5 with individual reflectors and good wattage can suffice (depending on what anemone you want to house), all be it, not the best route>>
I could really use your help on what direction to look at for a new system, number of bulbs, wattage, etc. Thanks for your help!
<<<Simplest answer is get the best you can buy for your budget. You will want a good spread of tubes, preferably full length and full front to back to give great lighting coverage through-out the aquarium. Aim in the region of 250w or more preferably. You will also want to aim to keep a nem high up in the aquarium, say top 9 - 10 inches of the tank>>
Tiffany
<<Thanks for the questions, A Nixon>>

Sick Sebae Anemone, Not enough lighting. – 12/2/07
Dear Crew,
<Hello Sami, Brenda here>
I read a lot of your answers regarding anemones and the Sebae anemone in particular, but still have 2 questions regarding my Sebae that I got 2 days ago. It would be great if you could comment. The first is whether or not I can touch the anemone and turn it around (it has been upside down since noon today). I read somewhere that this was a very bad position, as its tentacles cannot breathe this way. But I also read that one should leave the anemone alone as much as possible. So, should I turn it around (if so, with my hands and gloves??). By the way, it is white (and I know I have to get it brown and healthy now). I fed it mysis shrimp which were sticking on its tentacles and it did eat. I intend to get Selcon also.
<It sounds like you have a very sick anemone. How was it acclimated? You can try turning it over, but it is likely it will just turn it self over again. I would definitely wear gloves.>
The second question concerns my lights: I have a 40 gallon breeder tank, so it's not too deep (< 18"). I have the Coralife Lunar Aqualights (2x96 watts I think). I have the white ones on from 12:00 to 6pm and the actinic on from 7AM to 8PM, the lunar lights from 8PM to 7AM. Is this ok?
<2x96 watts of PC lighting is not enough for this creature.>
FYI, I have 70lbs LR, a wet-dry trickle filter, an Aqua C protein skimmer. I have two false clowns, a royal Gramma, a lawnmower blenny and snails/hermit crabs/1 emerald crab, 2 conch snails. I have 2 mushrooms. The tank is 4 months old.
<A 4 month old tank is not old enough. Anemones need established environments, 6 months to one year.>
Salinity: 1.025
<1.026 is better.>
temp: 78
Calcium: 420
Alkalinity: 4
<I’m not sure what method you are using for testing. See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alkalinity.htm >
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate: 0
Magnesium: 1200.
<I would aim for the 1300 – 1500 range.>
Thank you guys so much!
Regards, Sami
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

Re: Sick Sebae Anemone, Not enough lighting. – 12/4/07
Thank you for your comments below, Brenda.
<You’re Welcome!>
I turned the anemone around and fed it (it did eat, at least)... I will try and nurture it back to health. Hopefully it works..
How much lighting would be needed in your view? (I read that 4 watt per gallon, so in my case 160 watt should be sufficient, and thus thought that 2x96 watt was all right)...?
<This is only a rule of thumb, and not a good one in my opinion. You also have to consider that 96 of the watts that you have are actinic which are more cosmetic than beneficial compared to the daylight bulb. See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/actinicfaqs.htm and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/heteraccrispa.htm If it were me, I would go with a 2x175W watt metal halide or a 6x39W T-5 setup with individual reflectors.>
Kind regards, Samira
<Good luck to you! Brenda>

Lighting Upgrade For A 25” Deep Anemone Tank – 12/03/07
Great Morning to you all!
<<Hiya Jane... Or should I call you “double-oh?” [grin]>>
I am a WWM junkie--so yes, I am current on reading and research.
<<Ah well...junkie or not...there’s always something bearing research/worth reading...>>
I am upgrading a 2 year old 30g 2 fish, excessive live rock, bubble coral, 2
no longer small bubble tip anemone, 4 mushroom, 1 tree coral, small clean up crew-- aquarium w/130 watts pc dual actinic/dual 10,000 k.
<<Mmm, indeed... As a WWM “junkie” I’m sure you know our general take on mixing motile and sessile invertebrates>>
Can you tell me what the acronym for that is? Kidding.
<<Hee-hee! I think it is called T-R-O-U-B-L-E >>
(side note my bta have doubled in size and bubble coral is right at 12" in
full extension--forcing the upgrade)
<<Yikes...no kidding!>>
What I have recently purchased is Remora-Pro w/Mag-3, Rena Filstar xP2,
<<I hope the canister filter is for “chemical” filtration and will be serviced regularly>>
couple of Zoo-Med 270 gph Power Sweeps on a 56g tank.
<<Hmm...is better...but really, you need a tank twice this size considering you are housing a pair of BTAs...and that large Bubble Coral. Do also consider setting up the old 30g tank as a sump or refugium for this new tank>>
This is the part where I cheesed out on research: the new tank dimensions are 30lx18wx25h. Length is an issue in relation to available watts on 30"
light fixtures. OOPS! Not finding anything over 150w in a 30" ready made.
<<I see...you must be referring to fluorescent fixtures. And I agree...not likely to find enough “punch” for your present livestock>>
I am not an electrician, so building a fixture is out of the question.
<<You don’t have much room to work with anyway...time to consider a “single-point” light source>>
Considering MH at this point due to depth/height of tank.
<<Ah...very good>>
Amazing how "blast, that's a great price on the tank/stand combo" turns into "now I know why."
<<Yep...lighting can often equal a third or more of the total expense>>
Two options-- SunPod HQI 30" 250w OR Hamilton pendant 400w HQI (app 16" wide). Is the Hamilton overkill?
<<You could probably get by with less (250w), but given the depth of the tank and the presence of the anemones...not really overkill in my opinion...especially if you are leaning toward the higher Kelvin temperatures. And I do think the Hamilton fixture to be the better choice re quality/reliability>>
And will the light disperse throughout the tank given the 16" length of the light fixture in relation to tank dimensions?
<<Much depends on the design of the reflector. The general rule-of-thumb is to figure one MH bulb for every two feet of tank length (or width, as the case may be). In other words, one MH fixture for a 2-foot tank, two MH fixtures for a 4-foot tank, etc.. But, given that this fixture could be positioned a good 12-inches above the water’s surface, you should get adequate spread on this 30” long tank...especially if you keep the most-light demanding organisms away from the perimeter>>
I do intend to "grow" in this hobby- i.e. acquiring and propagating coral. Suggestions greatly appreciated in regards to lighting--or anything else
I have overlooked.
<<As stated, I do think you could get by with a 250w pendant fixture. I would recommend the LumenMax 3 DE HQI pendant (http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=OE&Product_Code=SSL32DHP&Category_Code=PEN). This is an excellent reflector that will maximize the output of the 250w bulb. Do note that this is just the fixture...a separate ballast and bulb would still need to be purchased (my vote goes to the IceCap electronic ballast paired with a Ushio 10000K DE bulb). Initial cost will be more than the Hamilton product. But you will be getting a better reflector design, a more energy efficient and cooler running ballast, and a better bulb...in my humble opinion. As well as savings on continued energy costs with the 250w vs. 400w fixture>>
Peace, polyps and plankton,
Jane (in search of a 12 step program for my marine addiction) Bond
<<Shaken, not stirred... Eric Russell>>

Anemone Lighting help! Using WWM   11/21/07
I recently purchased a very healthy looking Condylactis Anemone from my local fish store. When I got home, I realized that my lighting was insufficient. I have fairly bright lights, but as I received the aquarium, hood and all, for free, I didn't think anything of it other than the fact that it all worked.
Now, the anemone is doing fine in my tank now (a 40 gallon tank with 20 pounds of live rock, 2 Ocellaris clowns, a small yellow tang, 5 turbo snails, 7 small hermits, and a camel shrimp.) but I was wondering if I could have a makeshift setup for a little stronger light.
<Maybe>
My grandmother, an avid gardener, has a few lamps that she doesn't use any more that were formerly kept in a greenhouse during the winter. Her plants all did wonderful under it, and I was wondering if an anemone would do the same.
<Possibly... depends on the light quality, intensity... Do be careful with the fixture around saltwater... and make sure this unit is plugged in/through a GFCI...>
I will be moving to a 100 gallon tank that I am also receiving for free at the beginning of next year, and I will purchase a light that is sufficient at that time.
However, until mid January or so, what should I do to keep my anemone thriving?
<Read... Here: http://wetwebmedia.com/condyanemones.htm
and the linked files above... and re the fish species you list... the Yellow Tang needs more room... and re the use of Ground Fault Circuit Interruptors... Bob Fenner>

Another Soul Confused By The Light
Lighting For Heteractis Crispa/Malu 10/18/07
Thank you for the bounty of information that you provide and the selfless amount of time you give that makes this site possible.
<You're welcome.>
I have a 95 gallon Wave Tank (L 48 x W 25 x H 24)
My current lighting is by 2 65W CF 10000K and 2 65W CF True Actinic 03 Blue
I would like to attempt to keep Heteractis malu or Heteractis crispa Anemones.
<A very difficult anemone to keep/acclimate.>
If I upgrade my lights to 2X150W MH Lamp + T5 HO Lamps 2x54w Actinic 460nm 2x54w Actinic 420nm would that be enough light for them?
<Kathy, I think it would be borderline for this anemone as they do require intense lighting. Do read here and linked files above, make absolutely sure you want to try keeping one.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/heteraccrispa.htm>
Thanking you in advance,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Kat

Anemone Lighting 8/8/07
Hello Crew,
<Hi>
I am in the process of getting a tank that is 72x24x30. The plan is getting either a LTA or Carpet anemone species tank and need to know the thoughts on lighting such a deep aquarium. Either I was thinking of T5 lighting which I could find 4 4x36 fixtures having 39 watt bulbs each, or a Metal Halide fixture that has 3 150 watt or 250 watt bulbs which is 72 inches. I'd like to go the T5 route due to cost and heat issues but didn't know what type of lighting for a deep tank like this. My LFS says go with T5's but I'm always concerned with people not having correct knowledge.
<Yes, your LFS is wrong. For a tank 24" deep, metal halide lighting will be needed, and I would go with the 250 watt system. Do read here on anemones, know what you are getting into.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm>
Thank you for your time and effort.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Lighting, Anem. sys...   7/28/07
Hi WWM crew.
<Hello Ted>
First off I must say I love your site even if the amount of information can sometimes be daunting. I have learned a great deal, even if some of it was a little late.
<Better late than never.>
I have a 35 gal. aquarium that has been set up for about three months now and it has been doing fine so far on very inadequate lighting. There is about 20 lbs. of live rock, a few blue/green chromis and a couple of false percula clowns, an assortment of hermits and snails, a blood cleaner shrimp and an anemone (if I knew then what I know now). The anemone is Macrodactyla Doreensis as far as I can tell, and had I been more knowledgeable I would have waited much longer before adding such a sensitive inhabitant even though he is very attractive and interesting. All the chemistry is good as per suggestions from WWM and all inhabitants seem to be doing just fine, eating, moving and interacting just as I would hope and expect.
<Ted, even under the best conditions, anemones usually won't last more than a year. Your tank is much too small for keeping anemones for any length of time.>
Now to the real question I set up the aquarium with 20 watts of fluorescent lighting as I was told this would be sufficient for now.
<Ha, who told you that baloney.>
I have since learned that this probably not correct
<Not probably, is so.>
so I purchased a 2 x 96 W power compact fixture for the aquarium, 1 - 12,000K and 1 - actinic. I am now wondering how to transition from 20 W on a 12 hour schedule to 192 W and on what schedule? Should I simply remove the 20 W and start with the new light on a shorter day and build up?
<Yes.>
Or should I go with 12 hours of light with some of those hours at 20 W and some at 192 W slowly moving toward all 192 W and no 20 W? Perhaps a mix of these would be best?
<I'd just stay with the PC system.>
I know that the new light level is going to be a shock to the inhabitants but I want to minimize it as much as possible. I have also seen where the actinic is on for longer than the daylight lamp, is this necessary, recommended, or just a little better way to do things?
<Mostly aesthetic reasons...a softer light to start and end with. I like to set my timer up so the lights never go off or on in a darkened room.>
Thank you for your time and the abundance of information,
<Do read here and linked files above. Learn their requirements/needs.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
James (Salty Dog)>
Ted

Lighting, SW, upgrade... reef/anemone...    6/13/07
Hello wonderful crew!
<Don>
I currently have 2 Condy's and have a PC 2 96w with one half true actinic. I also have a double strip light that came with my 54 corner.
41Lx28Wx23H. I have read all the FAQ's I could possibly find. So should I change out the actinic for another bulb and what amount of Kelvin should it be 10 K?
<I would... this would be fine... down to about 6,500 K>
Should I then put actinic bulbs into the double strip light with actinic or 18000K or smaller K bulbs.
<The latter IMO, and smaller... Unless you prefer looks over function of the higher incandescence...>
They would be 20 watt bulbs each in the strip. Also I will be upgrading when the $ comes in of course. The lighting I looked at 2X150W MH Lamp 2x39w Actinic 460nm2x39w Actinic 420nm 9 blue LEDs/9 white LEDs or 2X250W MH Lamp 2x39w Actinic 460nm2x39w Actinic 420nm 9 blue LEDs/9 white LEDs?
<The former would be my choice... the latter are too hot, bright...>
And let's play pretend that I plan on keeping other anemone's that require the most demanding lighting.
Obviously never mix species in the same tank. Or would you recommend another light or is 2x250 MH too much for a 54?
<Not until you know much better what you're doing... Too much else that has to be accounted, adjusted for...>
Oh yea one more thing I battled ich and had to unfortunately put my tomato clown back in the main tank due to water supply went bad and got it fixed only after 2 weeks of treatment/main tank fallow and it's been a week and a half later and no signs of ich or scratching. Of course I put the heat to 90 for a couple days and all my inverts survived and I didn't mean to put it that high but all turned out ok. So the question is I have now 4 Chromis in my new quarantine tank and planned on putting them in the main tank after their nice 4 week vacation but how long does one wait to see if ich comes back?
<Mmm, about this long... Really... the Clown may have induced/developed immunity... all, any new fish/es may contract...>
(I have read all FAQ's and realize it could take several months) but still wanted your opinion on the matter. I would hate to take the clown out and put him in the q tank with Chromis and start formalining them all. Thank you very much for your time and endless efforts to help us all. Please be patient with all of us as we love your answer's/assurance.
Don V.
<I am hoping... and think you may be too... that the Crypt is "all gone"... Bob Fenner>

Ballast Died 911, anem. hlth.    4/25/07 
Hi crew,        
I hope everyone is doing well. I have a bit of an emergency and I am hoping that someone may be able to lend me their expertise. Today, 04/24/2007, my Icecap 660 ballast bit the dust. I have rewired everything changed the fuse all to no avail. I have ordered a new ballast and, since I needed them, four new 110W watt VHO bulbs. I ordered two URI Aqua sun bulbs and two Actinic 03 bulbs. I have a sebae anemone that I have kept now for approximately three years. I have the ballast and the bulbs ordered next day air, but since I missed the 1 PM cutoff they will likely no arrive until Thursday, 04/26/2007. What can I do for my anemone in the mean time?
<Mmm, a light directed toward it from the outside? Likely this brief time in the "dark" will not be a problem>
When I arrived home this afternoon the anemone was rolled into itself is the best that I can describe what I saw. I put a table lamp (shade removed) with a 25W standard fluorescent plant bulb in it as close to the glass as possible where the anemone presides in the aquarium. I seriously doubt this is doing any good but I really don't want to lose this animal that I have worked so hard to help thrive in captivity. Your expedited response would be greatly appreciated as I am nearly at wits end about how to help it get through this safely. I am also concerned about the sole mushroom anemone in the aquarium as it required light to thrive as well. The only other inhabitants of the aquarium are a maroon clown fish, a yellow tail blue damsel, a lawnmower blenny, a skunk cleaner shrimp, a long spine sea urchin, a pencil urchin and various hermits and snails.                                                                                                              Sincerest thanks,                                                                                                                                      Michael Burroughs
<There are times in the wild when there is little sunshine for days on end (big storms)... I would not be over-wrought here. If these animals are in good shape, they'll be fine. Bob Fenner>

Lighting Needs for Anemone Tank; Kilowatts?  – 04/16/07
Thanks for all your help with my anemone and thanks heaps for the site you gave me.
<Thank you for the compliments.>
It really helped me understand what my anemone was going through.
<Awesome.>
I have read through and searched article on lighting but it is all so confusing as I don't understand fully of what all the jumbo language is.
<Well that's what I'm here for, clarification.>
I have a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with only a few bits of live rock, about 2 inches of shell grit (live sand) on the bottom, it is mainly a fish only tank and also houses a bubble tip anemone and a Catalaphyllia.
<Well with these critters you in essence have a reef tank, the anemone especially is a very particular critter, as far what it likes and doesn't like.>
At the moment there isn't sufficient lighting and I was wondering what the requirements for this type of tank is?
<Mmm for a tank housing anemones of this size you could go for a bank of T-5 High Output fluorescents or even a few Metal Halide pendants. Either one could potentially be appropriate.>
E.g.. How many KW is sufficient enough
<KW? As in kilowatt? As in equals 1000 watts? I wouldn't go by this measurement to pick your next lighting system.  Perhaps you are referring to the watts rule or the watts per gallon quote as I call it, neither are a good way to pin-point how much light you need. In aquariums quaint past it may have been a good measure of lighting amount but other than that it's a pretty dated and inefficient manor when it comes to measuring the amount of light for your photosynthetic animals. With so many different types of lighting and the arrangements they are put in; types of lighting, brand of bulb, brand of ballast, kelvin temperature of the bulb, brand of reflector, reflector shape and material the reflector is made up of....there just too many variables to make the WPG rule reliable. What I recommend is measuring the P.A.R. rating or the amount of lumens the lighting produces.>
at the moment I am only running a marine Glo light and 2x power Glo lights.
<You do need more/different lighting to meet the animals needs.>
All 3 are only 3ft long but. I am just using what I have around until I know the best way to light up my tank.
Thanks
<Welcome, AJ.>

Anemones and Lighting  - 3/12/07
Hello,
<Hello, Brandon here.>
Can you tell me if this bulb (follow link) would be good to use for anemones, Sebae or Rose and which anemone would be better to keep.  
<Firstly, no this bulb will not be even remotely adequate.  Anemones need much more light.  I would suggest reading up on lighting and different types of lighting here, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm  Of the two anemones that you have listed, I would say that the E. quadricolor is the better selection, this is more of a “beginner“ anemone.  I still would suggest much more research on your part before you select an anemone for purchase.  Here is a good place to start, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm >
Also can you mix tomato clowns with other clowns, I've heard they are some what aggressive and territorial.
<As a general rule of thumb you cannot mix clown fish.  They tend to get very territorial, and this can lead to deaths.  There was a point in time that I had no choice but to keep four Premnas biaculeatus together in a 75 gallon tank.  This did not go very well.  It is possible to keep juveniles together as long as they are juveniles.  It would be extremely helpful to know what size volume of water we are talking about housing your prospective purchases in.>
http://cgi.ebay.com/24-in-REEF-SUN-ZOO-MED-AQUARIUM-LIGHT-50-50-close-out_W0QQitemZ220089033820QQcategoryZ46314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
Thanks,
<You are welcome.  Brandon.>
Josh

Hi, I read about what type of lighting the anemones need, but how much do they require as in hours of light?  - 02/21/07
Thanks for your help!
Leigh
<Hey Leigh, JustinN with you today. Anemones need a minimum of 8 hours of light a day, in my opinion. A tropic time setting would be more appropriate here, being closer to 12 hours a day. Hope this helps! -JustinN>

Sebae Anemone, Research Idea "The Ripple Effect" MH Shimmer  2/5/07
Hello guys,
<Hi Brandon, Mich again.>
I know that this is the second time that I have written today, but I was reading up on allelopathy at your site when I came across an extensive amount of information on anemones.  I have had a very "happy" Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa) for quite a while now.  I read a reply that stated that MH lighting was preferred for them.  I would like to share a bit of information with you all.  I was running a 55 gallon tank with three four foot 110 watt 10k daylight, and one four foot 100 watt actinic 03 on an Icecap 660 ballast. This translates to 440 watts of light or eight watts per gallon.  The H. crispa was meh ooookaaayy, but I could tell that he was not going to make it past oh say a year at the very best.  I bought a 75 gallon from a person that thought that caring for his fish was too much work and not a labor of love.  Oh well his loss right?  
<Right!>
So in the course of placing it I had a bright idea.  Since the tank was bigger, I would transfer my micro reef to it, and create a somewhat bigger micro reef.  I moved my lights, and all of my organisms.  Here is where it gets interesting.  Somewhere in the course of all of this some errant water escaped the tank.  Anyone see where this is going?  It (un-beknownst to me) had dribbled down a cord.  A cord that was connected to the ballast.  The ballast that was not waterproof.  I don't know if any of you believe in God, but I do now.  I turned the lights on, and they did not come on.  So in one of my finest aquatic genius moments, I touched the ballast.  
<Yikes!!!>
I think that I am lucky I am not dead.  
<Glad you're OK.>
Excuse the French, but there is really no other way to say it, I got the holy h-e-double hockey sticks shocked out of me.  
<I'm envisioning your hair going from straight to curly!>
I am kind of glad that I did though.  
<Really?>
This was on a Monday (My Sunday), Tuesday morning I was in the LFS buying a MH retrofit that I had seen for $899 USD with a 20% discount.  Like I said labor of love.  
<Cha-ching!>
I set it up, hooked up all the ballasts, and turned it on (electrocution free, I put the ballasts on the outside this time and drilled some holes, it's ugly but safer.)  
<Safety is the more important issue.>
The MH system has less light wattage, but there is a "ripple effect".  EVERYTHING, fish and all immediately responded.  The H. crispa stopped moving and perked up immediately.  I think that I have a pretty hardy one (it was "thriving", according to them, under PC at the LFS), but I am willing to bet anyone a million dollars that it is not really benefiting from the MH itself, and more from the "ripple effect".  I have been diving off of the coast of Belize, and this looks more natural.  Perhaps this is one of the keys?  
<Perhaps.>
Everything that I have read suggests that most Anemone species thrive under appropriate MH and die off rather quickly under anything else.  Yes I think that a year is quickly for an immortal.  
<?>
I hope that this information is useful, and that it will further someone's research.
<Thank you for sharing!  An interesting observation.>
Thank you all for the wonderful work that you do,
<Welcome! -Mich>
Brandon R. Foster

Re: Nitrite & Anemone 1/29/07, BTA sys./lambda 
Dear Mr. Fenner/James
Thanks for the Article on Anemones.
<You're welcome>
One thing to clarify though, I use 4 Osram Compact Florescent Lamps: CFL (Daylight) each with 120W/6500K and the CRI: 85 therefore altogether they produce 480W of daylight. My tank is an 80G tank (43L x 18W x 24H). Please let me know whether the lighting will be adequate for the Quadricolor Anemone.
<With your 24" tank depth, it will be borderline unless the anemone decides to move to the upper one third of the tank.>
Also let me know how to measure whether a bulb is full spectrum, broad spectrum or wide spectrum. It is by the CRI value?
<CRI is Color Rendering Index.  An index number of 100 would most duplicate the sun's spectrum at high noon.  Keep in mind that light intensity is very important here in regards to keeping photosynthetic animals such as the Quadricolor.>
Thanks for your support,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards,
Akila

Re: Nitrite & Anemone/BTA Systems 1/30/07
Dear Mr. Fenner/James
Thanks for your advice.
<You're welcome.>
Please let me know what you can recommend for my tank. I intend to use Compact Florescent Lamps as they are energy efficient. Do you think I should increase the number of 120W/6500k/85CRI bulbs to support species like anemone. I already have 4 bulbs so should I increase it up to 7 or 8?
<I believe two more additional tubes of the same wattage should do the job here.  I would go with 10K lamps rather than the 6.5K.  As to efficiency of the compacts, yes, they are efficient, but you have to keep in mind that you will be running a total of 720 watts to do the job  three 150 watt HQI's could do, also resulting in less heat above the tank and more light penetration into the water.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards,
Akila

Lighting/Anemone Systems 11/16/06
I have a rose bubble anemone, and just purchased some new lights. My new light has a 150 watt metal halide, as well as about 60watts of fluorescent lighting.
<Should be fine here, depending on your tank depth.>
I started it out at 12 inches above the tank, <tank bottom?> and it seemed to effect
<affect>
the corals and anemone nicely.
Now I have it at about 9 inches; the anemone is about as low as it can get, and is not looking awesome.
Should I move the light down, or up, or might something else be wrong; my water parameters and temperature are pretty much right on.
<Depending on the length of your photoperiod, you might want to go with a lower photoperiod and gradually increase it.  A good current in the tank also
benefits anemones, helps to clean them of their waste.  Depending on which corals you have, you may also have a little allelopathy going on here.
Do read here and linked files above for more info.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Thanks!
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best Regards,
Holland

Lighting/Anemone Systems 11/18/06
<Holland, in future queries, do not inject your comments into the previous query, just reply to it.  Makes it a little tougher to sort/place, when two queries are integrated into one.>
I have a rose bubble anemone, and just purchased some new lights.
My new light has a 150 watt metal halide, as well as about 60watts of fluorescent lighting.
<Should be fine here, depending on your tank depth.> (tank is 36" deep)
<<With this depth, you will definitely have to go with HQI/MH lighting.>>
I started it out at 12 inches above the tank, <tank bottom?> (from the tank top) and it seemed to effect
<affect>
the corals and anemone nicely.
Now I have it at about 9 inches; the anemone is about as low as it can get, and is not looking awesome.
Should I move the light down, or up, or might something else be wrong; my water parameters and temperature are pretty much right on.
<Depending on the length of your photoperiod, you might want to go with a lower
photoperiod and gradually increase it.  A good current in the tank also benefits anemones, helps to clean them of their waste.  Depending on which corals
you have, you may also have a little allelopathy going on here. (what is allelopathy?)
<<In short, it is chemical aggression that takes place among the corals.
Some corals are more potent than others in this regard.>>
Do read here and linked files above for more info.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Thanks!
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best Regards,
Holland

Anemone Lighting 10/14/06
WWM Crew how goes it.
<Going OK.>
Long time reader FQAer. I have a 260 watt capable PC light fixture on a standard AGA 55 gal tank currently running 130w 50/50 on FOWLR. I got 75lbs LR and LS (3"+) I want to house anemones and a few softies what would be the best combo of bulbs for this fixture?
<Really not recommended to mix anemones and corals, especially in a small tank.  As for lighting, will all depend on which type anemones you wish to keep. A Bubble Tipped would be one that would do OK under 260 watts of PC lighting. Read here and linked files above.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm>
What should I replace my Fluval 404 with? Since canister filters are not good for reef system;
<Misconception here in my opinion.  I use a canister filter with no problems at all. The problem that lies with the canister filters is in not being cleaned weekly and allowing the detritus to turn into dissolved nutrients.>
also plan on having a very light bio load 1 goby, 2 clowns, 1 yellow tang, 1  blenny,
<Not a "very light bio load" for a 55 gallon tank.  Will soon be too small for the tang.>
a 10 gal sump with ASM  G-1 or G-2 skimmer coming soon, don't know which one.  What are you thoughts.
<A good skimmer, I'd get the model that would handle a larger tank.  Most folks upgrade to larger tanks, and will be one less expense if you don't have to buy another skimmer.>
I am just looking for some expert opinions and advice thanks!!!!
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone Lighting 10/16/06
Thanks for the reply Salty Dog, well I planned on getting one bubble tip or one sebae for the clowns and have you heard of sewing them to rocks for placement?
<Not in my lifetime.>
My friend that propagates corals said that's what he heard to do. Well If I can't have them I can't have them.  What soft coral do well in a smaller system with PC lighting?
<Again, how much PC lighting?>
With the Canister you say take it apart and clean once a week rinsing everything with (tap water)?
<Mainly removing the old filter media and replacing/cleaning with new.>
I also have a Marineland 200 bio wheel on the tank I know its only rated for 50 gal but I have the 404 also, I just thought the bio wheel would help and it has.  Do you think that 10k or 6700 day light for soft corals?
<I'd go with the 10K.>
I have read so many different things and been told sooo many opposing opinions.  What I want is a clean cut, you can have this and not this, and you need this on your tank set up.
<All this info available on the Wet Web Media, do learn to use and learn.  I will start you off with a couple of links.  Do read linked files above, also.   http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/soft.htm>
Also Just want to know what the best Anemones are for a 55 with PC lighting.  For the Maroon and gold stripe clowns, I was really just thinking of some shroom's and Ricordea but what you guys say goes, I am tired of the LFS's all saying something different and opposite.  THANKS! Again
Sorry about all the jabbering,
? 1:  Best anemone(s) for 55 with 260w pc fixture (with which combo of bulbs)
<Would go with a Bubble Tip here.>
? 2:  Best softies for 55 with 260w pc fixture (with which combo of bulbs)
<Do search/read, all this info is on the WWW, keyword, lighting.>
I will decide which one I will go with just have to weigh the options, I sincerely appreciate the help You aquarist are AWESOME!
<Jacob, in future queries, do reply to the original so we know what was talked about.  We get hundreds of queries weekly and cannot remember verbatim what was discussed on each particular query.  Also do a spelling/grammar check before sending, so we don't have to do it, and no abbreviations please.
Thank you, James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone Health And Lighting   9/11/06
Dear Crew
<Greg>
I am relatively new to SW and fish tanks in general but I am giving it a shot, so far I love the hobby. Right now I have a 20 tall with 2 Top Fin 20 filters and a 20 watt bulb. I know it is not a lot of lighting but just can't afford to upgrade at the moment. I have 30 lbs of live sand and 30 lbs of live rock. In the tank I have 1 Condy that has footed nicely but 2 days ago I introduced a LTA (appears healthy). The LTA has yet to take foot to anything and is just floating around the tank. I was reading some of your articles and came across something about an anemone not "footing" because of a chemical war. So last night I removed my Condy and placed it in a hospital tank that I have set up. Could the reason that the LTA is not footing because of the chemical war? The next morning the LTA has still yet to "foot" to anything. Please help...
The 2nd part of my question is that currently I have 1 Maroon clown in my tank, but he has yet to take to either my Condy or my LTA. My LFS said that the clowns rarely take to a Condy, but it should love the LTA. Is it the just type of my clown that doesn't like anemone's or have I not giving it enough time with my LTA?
<Oh boy o boy.  Your 20 gallon high is much too small for keeping anemones.
They are sensitive to changes in water parameters which can shift very quickly in small tanks.  Your lighting isn't near enough for keeping any anemone alive.
They are a photosynthetic animal that requires bright light to survive.  Also keep in mind that in the home aquarium, under proper conditions, anemones rarely live more than a year.  Did the LFS tell you your tank and lighting are inadequate for anemones, or was he just interested in making the sale?
Do read here and linked files above, especially lighting.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>  
Thanks dearly,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Greg Lewis

Can gods make tanks that are too small to illuminate Anemones properly?   8/23/06
Hi
<Hello>
    My name is Trevor and I was wondering how much lighting I need for a 5 gallon 10 in. high minibow tank. I will have a bulb tipped sea anemone in it.
<Not for long likely...>
  I'm pretty sure the 15 watt bulb that comes with it is not enough.  Please respond as soon as possible
<Very hard to keep such a small marine system stable "enough" Trevor... particularly for animals such as Anemones. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
and the linked files above. Trying to apply sufficient light/ing here will create heat/temperature vacillations that will... Bob Fenner>

Lighting For Anemone- One Challenge Met!   8/19/06
I bought a Sebae Anemone and thought I had strong enough lighting, but after reading on your site that people often don't, I figured I should ask.  I have is: 2-150 10,000k Powerpaq Metal Halide Bulbs, 2-130 Dual Actinic 420nm & 460nm Bulbs. My tank is 90 gallons, and I need to know if I have made a mistake so I can do what is right for the little guy.  Thank you so much for all of your help.-Emily
<Well, Emily, from the lighting standpoint, I think that you're just fine. The lighting that you are using will provide enough energy for the anemone to prosper in this sized aquarium. Now, you need to address the other issues of water quality, food, and flow, and you'll have a beautiful animal that will thrive for years! Keep reading, and good luck with the challenge! Regards, Scott F.>

Lighting Upgrade For A BTA   8/17/06
Crew,
<Scott F. here tonight!>
Some background: I have a 55 gallon (48" long X 18" deep) that has
been setup for about a year and a half now.  After researching and reading through all your FAQs on BTAs, I purchased one about two weeks ago. My current lighting is 260 watts (4 * 65 with 2 of them daylight and 2 actinic) of PC bulbs.  The BTA seems to be doing well, stayed right in the spot I picked out for him, eating well, etc.  Based on what I've read through your FAQs, 220 watts of PC lighting is the bare minimum for keeping a BTA in a 55
gallon (found this info in an Anemone Lighting FAQ answered by Steven Pro).
<Yep...really bare minimum for long-term maintenance of these animals, in my opinion.>
I'm interested in upgrading my lighting without trashing the whole thing, I have a 48" Outer Orbit fixture.  An idea that I was considering is leaving the 2 65 watt actinics in the hood, removing the daylight bulbs and replacing them with one or two halides retro fitted.  Some options would be two 175 watt 10k bulbs on each end, two 250 watt 10k bulbs, one 175 watt in
the center or one 250 watt in the center.  Do you think just one 175 watt or 250 watt in the center would be adequate?
<I'd go with one or two 150 watt double-ended pendants, myself, like Reef Optix III's.>
If I used just one halide bulb in the center I could leave the PC sockets on the ends and place shorter length/wattage bulbs on the end (like a 32 watt bulb on each end). I'd like to upgrade it in some way that will help my BTA to thrive without replacing the entire lighting system.  Thanks in advance for any input you can give me on this and thank you VERY much for the great info you guys have compiled on your site.
Here's a link so you can check out how the BTA is looking:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/nickterp/clownanem.jpg
Nick
<Thanks, Nick. I think that a simple addition of a halide or wo will do the trick! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Long Tentacle Anemone and lighting.   7/22/06
Hi guys!
    I just bought a purplish green LTA yesterday from my LFS. In there tank it looked great, so I purchased the LTA and now it doesn't look to hot. it just lays on its side, this evening I noticed it was turned inside out. As soon as I fed it some thawed out frozen food (Prime Reef), it became very responsive and the tentacles inflated and it looked happy for about 5 min then it let go of the food and just started to close up. I have tested the tank's water, you name it I tested for it and everything was perfect. the only thing left is maybe the lighting. My lighting is 1 10k 65w PC and 1 65w Blue Actinic PC for a total of  130 Watts of lighting. My tank is only a 20
gallon that is 17" tall with 2" of sand then the PC lights are about 2.5 inches from the top of my take making the LTA only a total of 17.5" away from the light. is this enough light for this thing? My LFS told me it was but after reading allot of forums I am not to sure now. what is your opinion on this?
Thank You
Josh
<<Josh:  I hate to tell you this; but, you should probably take the anemone back.  Usually most anemones sold as LTA are Macrodactyla doreensis (MD).  MD anemones will only bury their foot in a deep sand bed.  Thus, you should probably have at least 6 inches vs. the 2 inches you have.  On top of that, they can get very large.  Mine is about 15 inches across.  Your best bet for a starter anemone would be a Bubble Tip Entacmaea quadricolor clone that has split in another reefkeeper's tank.  They are pretty hardy and you won't be trying to take care of an anemone that was just pulled out of the ocean.  Best of luck, Roy>>

Lighting issues??? Really just misplaced Anemones   7/6/06
Hi there crew!!  I'm new to your pages and find it very helpful.
<Change in number... pages/them>
It  has answered a lot of questions
<It/they>
for me but one. what
<Cap.>
type of lighting would work  best for me?? I have a 40 gal breeder tank 36x18x16 currently with 45 lbs LR and 60 lbs LS crappy but after mod's (thanks' to you guys) acceptable sea  clone
<Product, capitalized>
1 50 (took me almost a week to tune right) penguin 400 bio wheel
<Dittos>
filter (no fiber media just baskets with matrix by SeaChem
<>
to help keep leaves down) two MaxiJet 400's for current and a homemade 5 gal refugium (for my mandarin buddy  
:o) ).  I currently have 4 types of damsels , two Percs , a zebra goby ,  a mandarin , a skunk shrimp , a peppermint shrimp , a emerald crab ,  some turbo
snails ,  some hermits , some polyps (couple different types) ,  some buttons , a BTA ,and a LTA.
<These anemones are misplaced here>
Everyone has been doing great!! but the two  anemones are new to me and I know I need better lighting for them.
<Actually... they should be moved elsewhere. Pronto>
right now I  have three fluorescent 50\50 2 being 18" the other 24". Now my question is what's  better PC or T5??
<For the animals listed, likely the latter>
I have got many mixed answers about this question from LPS
<Talking to Scleractinia?>
and figured I need to find better help. I'm interested in maybe adding a coral or  two but want to make sure I get right lighting so if I do decided to I can. I already know that the anemones need more light I have had them for about 2 months now and they look good I watch them eat I have even seen them move around  
to different spots in the tank. the LT I have even seen make a home at the bottom of the tank he's been there for a month now and hasn't moved but still  
eats regally . I feed tank 2-3 times a day morning feeding being frozen Mysis and frozen rotifers second being marine snow liquid (the fish go nuts for this  
stuff lol) the third but not all the time being super soft sinking pellets with  krill which I crush so its like a powder so power heads blow it around.
I'm  almost for got to mention the rotifers sometimes get switched up for frozen invert food (its green in color and stinks lol). Everyone seems to be very
happy  in this little environment I have created but I know they would fair well with  better lighting. please help me make the right choice here so I'm not
just  blowing money away.  Thanks in advance!! :o)    Mark  
<Mmm, I'd be moving the anemones, not fooling with the lights. Bob Fenner>

Re: lighting issues???   7/7/06
Hi there. Thanks for the input. Thing is I really want to keep anemones.   What should I change to keep these guys.  If its to remove damsels not  a prob.
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm
scroll down to the tray on "Anemones"... read... re their Systems, Compatibility...>
I got them in the beginning to cycle tank and they have just stayed!  thanks for the answer on the PC or T5 question. PC is what I myself was leaning  
towards. Now would 2 96 watt bulbs be enough?
<Please read re... >
Please help me with keeping the   anemones the perc. clowns love them. What would you change. Thanks for  everything!!                                                                Mark
<Keep reading! Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Anemone feeding/lighting and Tank Upgrade - 5/11/2006
Lisa (or whomever the aquarist guru/happy helper of the day is),
<<Ha! This is Lisa again.>>
Thanks for getting back to me sooooo quickly.
<<You're welcome.>>
In response to your question regarding my lighting for the anemone-this is what I've got on the (still 30 gallon) tank: Current Dual Satellite Lamp- 65 watt 2-lamp with lunar light (Dual Daylight 6,700/10,000 K and Dual Actinic 420 Nm/460 Nm).
<<I have never used this myself.>>
I was told at my LFS that the lighting is sufficient for the corals and anemones, but I've seen many examples of disastrous consequences of poor advice while reading your FAQ's.  Was I misinformed?
<<Not entirely.  Certainly not enough light for SPS, or an anemone, in my opinion.  Proper supplemental feeding of the anemone will surely help.  Is this the lighting that will go on the 72-gallon you are moving to?  If so, I would look into upgrading.>>
Everything still seems to be perky in there, but one never knows.  I am feeding the anemone every 4-5 days with a small piece of raw shrimp or a small ball of formula one frozen food.
<<Not still frozen, I hope?  Small meaty foods are the way to go. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonefdgfaqs.htm, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm.>>
I guard him from the sneaky thieving shrimp or put a strawberry basket over him for awhile so he has a chance to decide if he wants to eat the food, or spit it out.  I AM somewhat unsure of the feeding technique- do I gently shove the food into his mouth or just put it on his "lips" waiting for his response?  I don't want to gag the poor guy, but I don't want to starve him either.
<<Do read the linked files. Is he no longer ‘sticky’?>>
As for my new setup- here is what I'm planning.  I've spent the last three days reading FAQ's (and subsequently eating nothing but beer and Cheetos)
<<Diet of champions, to be sure!>>
but I'm still a little unclear, so if you would humor me with some constructive criticism:
72 gallon display with 1 inch oolitic sand (and an area of deeper sand-about 3 inches as my firefish likes to burrow)
Filtration:
15-gallon sump/refugium with 6" sand bed of coarse- medium grade sand (taken from my current tank with a 2-21/2 inch sand bed.  Bad idea?)
<<Not a bad idea to use it from the other tank, no.  My preference for DSB’s is oolitic sand.>>
and some "spaghetti" algae.
Aqua C Remora Pro with Mag-3 pump (hanging on sump)
<<Good skimmer.>>
Rena XP3 canister filter (trying to decide if I should filter/return directly from tank or in sump after skimming) with charcoal, nitrate sponge.
<<I do not employ canisters on my reef tanks.>>
Water movement:
SEIO M820 Powerhead
the 1200 Powerhead off the cheapie SeaClone skimmer
couple of airstones (necessary?)
<<No.>>
Visi-Therm Stealth 250 watt heater
I'd like to move my existing fish but add a beefier cleanup crew... but many of the packages I see for sale seem excessive.  Do I really need 18 Scarlet Hermit Crabs, 15 Astrea Snails, 15 Cerith Snails, and 45 Red-or Blue-Leg Hermits?
<<You don’t NEED any of them.  It is a personal choice. I add ‘clean-up crews’ for interest/bio-diversity.  Ultimately it’s our job to feed properly/deal with organics.>>
I was planning to add a couple of Bumble Bee snails, a sifting type star or two, and another tiny hermit crab.
<<I would pass on both the BumbleBee snails and the sand sifting stars.  These stars quickly eat up all available organisms in DSB’s, and perish.>>
My poor abused fairy wrasse actually seems... happy... in the tiny 10-gallon quarantine as of right now.
<<She is finally getting a break!>>
She is not hiding all day anymore and will actually eat Formula One from my fingers.  I hate to put her back into the tank with the other nasty wrasse.  He's prettier, but I think he will go if I need to make a choice.
<<I think fairy wrasses are much more attractive than 6-lines.>>
Again, thanks for the assistance -
Stephanie D.
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>

Re: Anemone feeding/lighting and Tank Upgrade - 5/13/2006
Hi Lisa-
<<Hey Stephanie.>>
Thanks for the links to all the anemone information.  I truly appreciate the patience and the lack of flaming at my stupid questions!
<<Not stupid at all!>>
All those hours I was browsing on WWM- how did I miss that (could it have been the beer)?
<<Haha, maybe!>>
I'd been looking at all the local stores in my area for a book on anemones but couldn't find one.  My poor anemone was never "sticky" from day one.  I will read some more of the FAQ's, and if I can't provide a suitable environment for him I will return him rather than have him slowly die.
<<A wise choice if you can’t care for the animal. Do try though!>>
We are planning on upgrading the lighting but not sure what we're doing beyond that. I've spent time looking over the site regarding specifics on lighting.  Since I can't seem to find anywhere that sells bowfront hoods (and only the hoods) it looks like we will be building our own (maybe this weekend!).
<<Do you mean a lighting hood?  A normal fixture is fine to use on a bowfront tank.  If you mean a cover, All Glass has a few different types.>>
Do you have a recommendation- lighting type or wattage that I should be looking for in order to sustain my corals and anemone?
<<In the 72, I would really recommend metal halides.  2- 150 or 175 watt lamps.>
I couldn't seem to find a standard formula for this, and many of the different postings in the FAQ's give different recommendations.  I am once again thoroughly confused but I truly want to provide the correct environment for the marine life I have, rather than return them to the LFS.
<<I understand. It can be confusing.  Do look for a unit/bulbs of 6,500K-10,000K >>
Again, thanks for your patience and for helping to "get the word out" about proper fish care.  It helps us ignorant but well-intentioned fish lovers immensely.
<<If only everyone was so well-intentioned!>>
Stephanie D.
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>

Lighting For Anemone  - 05/10/2006
Hello Crew!
<Hello Nicole>   
You guys (or gals) are awesome! I have a question. I know a local breeder of clowns here in MI and he has some Pink skunks and ocellaris clowns. <I live in MI, out of curiosity, who is the breeder?> My question is, is there an anemone that my light can support? I have a 29g (30x12x18) tank with mostly LPS, Shrooms and Polyps and my light is  PC 2x65w Dual Daylight (67000 & 10k) and Dual Actinic (460 & 480 I believe). Also are there any deep water SPS I can keep as well?
<Your lighting should support a Bubble Tip Anemone.  Pavona (Lettuce Coral) or Encrusting Horn Coral would be two that I believe could survive with your lighting providing these corals are be placed in the upper third of the aquarium.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
  Nicole

Lighting/Reef/Photoshock?  - 04/27/06
Dear Wet Web Media Crew,
I have a 240 gallon aquarium with 65 gallon sump.  The Tank is 72" long, 24" wide and 32" high.  I have three 400 watt metal halides mounted in the canopy about 10 inches off the surface of the water.  The center bulb is a 20000K and the two sides are both 15000K.  I recently bought a Long tentacle Anemone and acclimated him for my tank.  I have a mated pair of large yellow stripe maroon clowns in the tank that were extremely happy to have their new friend and bed.  The female has been in the anemone almost the entire time.  Constantly shoving her nose and rubbing her entire body all over the new anemone.  I have been running the lights for about 12 hours a day.  This morning, the anemone was so small that the clown fish could not even get into it.  It was shrunk up to a very small size.  Is it possible that I over exposed the anemone to the light, or is the clown fish too aggressive with it?  <The anemone more than likely went into photoshock.  I suggest shortening the photo period to two hours and gradually increase by 30 minutes every other day.> I took him out and put him in a bowl away from the clown fish this afternoon and he seemed to come out after a few hours.  I did notice some little brown and black dots on the ends of his tentacles.  Could these be a form of burn from the metal halides.  
<Don't believe so.> I thought that 31 inches of water would be enough of a buffer for the anemone in the bottom but maybe I should give him some cover.  I have him down in the sump right now which I am setting up to be a refugium with actinic bulbs. He seems to be doing fine now, but I would like to put him back in the display tank.  The clown fish just hang out around where the anemone used to be as if they are sad.  In putting the anemone back into the display tank, should I point one of the inlets from the sump towards the anemone or do they like it more still?  <Indirect current.  Wavemakers are great in this regard.> Should I be feeding the anemone something?
Wouldn't do that until it starts blooming nicely.  Do read here for more info on anemone keeping.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
Thank you very much, You guys are life savers.  
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks again,
Dustin LeCave

Lighting For a 30" Anemone Tank - 04/26/06
Hi all.
<<Hello>>
I just want to say that I am addicted to your site and have learned so much in just the couple days I've been reading.
<<Good to hear...and do keep reading!>>
Glad I'm not terribly busy at work right now.
<<Ha!>>
My question is about lighting a 36 gallon, 30" wide bow front reef tank.  The tank has 45 pounds of live rock, 40 pounds of sand, and a hang on the back - 3 gallon refugium with multiple macro algae.  The refugium lighting is on when the tank lighting is off and vice versa.
<<Mmm, if this "mix" of macro algae includes Caulerpa species you may want to consider a 24/7 light cycle for the refugium to forestall the algae going "sexual"...do some (more) reading here, and follow the links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpafaq5.htm >>
The livestock is two percula clowns, one coral beauty angel, one star polyp, one pom-pom xenia, one green carpet anemone (not doing so well right now.  I'm about to do a water change and see if that helps), a few blue-legged hermit crabs and two turbo snails.  
<<Be sure to read through our FAQs re "Carpet Anemones": http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemfaqs.htm >>
The width of this tank isn't as common as others (24" or 36") so finding appropriate lighting can be a bit difficult.
<<Sounds like you need a metal halide pendant fixture, mate>>
I currently have a Current USA Power Compact Orbit fixture with one 65W Dual 6700K White/10000K White SunPaq Power Compact Bulb and one 65W 7100K Blue Power Compact Bulb.  This works out to be 3.6 watts per gallon.
<<Not enough for the anemone, in my opinion>>
My LFS says that this should be enough, even for the carpet anemone.
<<I disagree>>
I just found a 30 inch 2 X 250 HQI Metal Halide Power Compact
(http://cgi.ebay.com/30-inch-2-X-250-HQI-Metal-Halide-Power-Compact-new_W0QQitemZ7718407940QQcategoryZ46314QQcmdZViewItem) on eBay.
<<Yikes, pricey...and "more" than you need really>>
My question is will 630 watts (17.5 watts per gallon) be too much for the tank?
<<The "watts per gallon" rule is a "basic" guideline at best...many things to be considered here.  But for your specie of anemone, no, I do not feel this would be "too much".  But I also think you could do well with less.  A single 250w MH pendant with a 10,000K bulb would be fine for your tank.  If you think you "want" some actinic lighting as well, some pendants feature supplemental PC lighting as well>>
On a side note, does adding supplements such as Reef Plus help coral growth or are regular water changes just as or more effective?
<<I do like the Seachem products, and adding vitamins to your system is always of benefit>>
Would dipping the silversides that I'm feeding the green carpet anemone in Reef Plus be beneficial?
<<Possibly, but I prefer Selcon for this (more HUFAs/fatty acids).  You should also vary the anemones diet (marine fish flesh, shrimp, krill, and squid)>>
Thanks for taking the time to read my question.
<<No problem, is what we do <grin> >>
Hopefully I'll be able to put the computer away for a bit tonight so my fiancée' doesn't kill me.  :)
<<Not a "pet fish" person, eh>>
Ryan Mullinax
<<Regards, EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank II - 04/26/06
Thanks Eric.
<<Welcome Ryan>>
I definitely don't have any Caulerpa in the tank.
<<Ah good, many folks utilize Caulerpa with great results, but in my experience...sooner or later it will "turn" on ya.  Best to use one of the multi-cellular macro alga such as Chaetomorpha or Gracilaria...in my opinion>>
I did plenty of reading before getting the refugium.
<<Excellent my friend>>
I don't have a canopy for the tank and would prefer not to hang lighting from the ceiling.
<<Mmm, does limit your options>>
Do you have suggestions for fixtures that may have feet that can sit in an elevated position on the tank and that may be cheaper
than the item on eBay?
<<Indeed I do...Current USA has 30" MH fixture that sets on top of the tank called the 'SunPod PowerPaq HQI Lamp'...and ...Coralife has a MH fixture that "Clamps" to the top rim of the tank called the 'Aqualight Advanced Series Hang-on Tank Mount Fixture'.  Search these out on the Net and see what you think>>
Really appreciate all the advice.
Ryan Mullinax
<<Is my pleasure Ryan.  Regards, Eric Russell>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank III - 04/27/06
Thanks again Eric!
<<You bet!>>
Just an FYI, the carpet anemone looks to be doing great right now.
<<Good to know>>
I never realized how much these guys shift their body mass by
doing their internal water changes.
<<Indeed>>
Back to the reading!
<<Excellent!>>
Ryan Mullinax
<<Regards, EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank IV - 04/27/06
One last question, I promise.
<<No worries mate>>
Both of these fixtures come with 14000K MH lamps.
<<Yes>>
All the reading I've been doing suggests that a lower Kelvin rating is better.
<<Agreed>>
Would these bulbs be better/worse/comparable to a 10000K bulb?
<<The 10K bulb would be "optimum" in my opinion, but you can get by with the 14K for now and replace with a 10K when the time comes.
And in case you are wondering...the 150w DE lamp will be ideal on your 15" deep tank>>
Ryan Mullinax
<<Cheers my friend, Eric Russell>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank V - 04/27/06
150W DE lamp?
<<This is the wattage and type (DE or Double-End vs. SE or Single-End) Metal Halide lamp in the fixtures I described previously.  EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank VI - 04/27/06
Gotcha!  Thanks again Eric.
<<No problem>>
I'm breaking my promise and am going to ask one more question.
<<Alrighty>>
How important are lunar lights?
<<They're not>>
The fixtures I ordered (2 Coralife Aqualight Advanced Tank-Mounts) don't have lunar lights.
<<Nothing to worry about...the current marketing rage>>
I'm not concerned about the fish spawning.  Do lunar lights do anything for corals or are they just for aesthetics?
<<There has been some discussion/argument for their value in inducing spawnings in both fish and corals...but they are hardly essential to reef keeping.  My opinion...they're there for the "aquarist">>
Thanks,
Ryan
<<Always welcome.  EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank VII - 04/28/06
FYI, the Coralife Aqualight was a month backordered from Marine Depot so I ordered a 30 inch 2 X 150 HQI Metal Halide Power Compact w/ two 65 watt Actinics from eBay.  I got the 10,000k bulbs with this.
<<Mmm, a fixture with a single 150w bulb would have been fine on this tank...and more economical.  But your carpet anemone (do consider keeping this a specie tank) can handle/will appreciate the intensity, just be sure to acclimate it to the new lighting when it arrives:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcrllgtfaqs.htm >>
Thanks for all the advice.  Have a good one!
<<Welcome, and same to you my friend.  EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank VIII - 04/28/06
My reasoning behind getting the two bulbs is that this fixture has a fitting for an MH bulb on each end.  So if I only got one bulb one side of the tank would be shaded.
<<Mmm, no...a single MH bulb centered on this tank would have been fine.  The anemone; which should be on the substrate by the way, would have found its optimum placement.  But like I said before, two MH bulbs will also work...just more than you needed>>
I know I shouldn't keep a lot of livestock that will fight with the anemone or that will get eaten by it.  I was thinking some LPS.  Suggestions (or links) on what to/not to keep in this tank?
<<Your tank is really too small to consider keeping corals with the anemone...these animals are measured in "feet" at maturity.  They also have the capacity to release nematocysts (stinging cells) to the water column to sting other critters if they are feeling crowded or threatened.  Best not to tempt fate my friend.  Regards, EricR>>

Lighting a 30" (Wide) Anemone Tank VIA  4/29/06
>> no...a single MH bulb centered on this tank would have been fine.<<
True, but the fixture I ordered had the MH bulbs on the far ends so I couldn't have placed a single bulb over the center.
<<Understood...no worries my friend.  Eric Russell>>
Ryan Mullinax

Anemone lighting... other cnid. choices - 04/16/06
Dear Bob (or whoever else might receive this FAQ),
<Jodie here on this beautiful afternoon>
My tank has been fully cycled (for the 2nd time) for about three weeks.  It is 40 gallons and the current inhabitants include a yellow tang, goby, and domino clownfish/damsel.
<This is a domino damsel (not clown) who, I hope you understand, will likely grow up to be a holy terror.>
I upgraded my lighting to 175 watt power compacts with built in fans by JBJ. I want to add photosynthetic inverts such as corals or an anemone.
<I cannot/will not recommend an anemone to you with this lighting.>
In your opinion, which species of coral or anemone would you recommend for my relatively immature system?
<No anemones, as they require stable systems and very intense lighting.  Some good beginner softies would be 'shrooms (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm) or the ever-popular zoanthids (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthid.htm).  Both of these are pretty hardy, come in a variety of colors and sizes, and would give you some good (and needed) experience before moving on to more advanced-needs corals.>
Thank you in advance.
<And thank you for letting me flex my spell-checking muscles.  Cheerio,  Jodie>
J. Ferrante

Re: Anemone lighting... other cnid. choices - 04/16/06
Thank you Jodie and just two more brief questions): Isn't that enough light that I have- according to my calculations, that's almost 5 watts per gallon? (well-- almost). To be exact - 4. 44444.  Really, that isn't enough for an anemone?
<This is a matter of personal opinion/experience for me.  I was advised that 3-5 watts per gallon was needed, and yet both BTA and Condy failed to thrive.  Added MH and voila!  Happy anemone.  You could try it, but be prepared in case of a similar scenario.  You didn't mention the depth of your tank -- and yes, this can make a difference.>
Well thanks for making me aware of that then. I guess you need halides for them.
<Again, some may not but in my experience I would recommend it wholeheartedly.>
And another thing- I read the pages you directed me to and is it ok to keep polyps in high nitrate levels ( about 35 ppm). How can I get them down if not?
<Discussed at length on WWM.  Read re: nitrates at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm >
Thanks again in advance,
JF
<John, if you want anemones then you should experiment with some hardy soft corals first, learn how to get/keep your nitrates down, and read-read-read.  Be aware that they have a tendency to wander, stinging things along the way, and sometimes getting sucked into powerheads (yes, killing everything in the tank).  They are beautiful and interesting, but also a huge commitment.  Cheers,  Jodie>
(ahha - used spell check this time-- sorry)
<Much appreciated!  jb>

Condylactis Lighting/Feeding - 02/22/06
I've read many of your lighting/feeding articles and am having a little trouble determining if my lighting/feeding is adequate for my giant Condy.
<<Mmm, ok...let's see if I can help.>>
I have a 46 gal tank that's about 16 to 17" in depth.  The Condy is situated in a crevice of rock at the bottom of the tank.  I have a light from a previous tank that overhangs this tank a bit (it's a 4' light on a 3'tank).  Since I already invested in the light for a tank that cracked I really wanted to see if I could continue to use it.
<<I see>>
Here are the specifications of the light:
Orbit 4 X 65 watt PC fixture.
It contains SunPaq Dual Daylight (10,000K & 6,700K), Dual Actinic (460nm & 420nm) and a Lunar Light 2-65w Dual Daylight & 2-65w Dual Actinic lamps
<<Ok, got it...I think.  This is probably "enough" light on this tank for the Condy, though it would appreciate/benefit from replacing one of the actinic bulbs with another daylight bulb.>>
I run the Daylight lights from 8:00am to 5:00pm and the Actinic lights from 7:00am to 6:00pm.  I also have some Xenia in the tank that is growing nicely and spreading.  Other members include a large clown who came along with the Condy, a goby, a cleaner shrimp, a hermit crab, and a reef lobster.
<<I'd keep an eye on the lobster...will likely dine on its tankmates sooner or later.>>
All get along nicely.
<<For now>>
I feed small amounts twice a day.  The clown rounds up as much shrimp and formula 1 as it can and eagerly stuffs the food into the Condy.  Should I be feeding the Condy in addition to this?  If so, what?
<<If the pieces are small enough...and you can truly ascertain the anemone is ingesting the food (and keeping it in!), then fine, let the clown feed the anemone.  But much of the time, what the fish gives the anemone is not really accepted even though it seems the anemone eats.  These animals really prefer food items much smaller than most people realize.  Do try target feeding "diced/minced" meaty foods (not brine shrimp!) and see how the anemone responds.
The Condy and clown are new to the tank and look great!
Thanks for your help - you folks are great!
Frank
<<Welcome Frank.  Regards, EricR>>

Lighting For Anemones  - 2/21/2006
I want to keep a Bubble Tip anemone down the road, but would like to invest in the lighting now.  I was looking at getting a power compact system with 4 55 watt bulbs (2 10 k ultra daylight and 2 ultra actinic blue) for a total of 220 watts of light. The Bulbs would be mounted probably no more then an inch or so above the water level.  I have a 55 gallon aquarium.  Do you think that this would be a sufficient amount of lighting for the Bubble Tip anemone or should I invest my money in something else?
Thanks,
Ryan
Madison/Milwaukee, WI
<Well, Ryan, although I'm a big fan of power compact lighting, I think that for better long-term success with anemones, you'd be better served by investing in metal halide lighting. Sure, you could keep many corals under low-mounted PC's; and in fact, I've seen people successfully keep anemones under PC's, I'd still recommend halides (preferably the double-ended variety) for more flexibility. Conventional reef-keeping wisdom suggests that you could compensate for less intense lighting with more feeding, I'd be inclined to stick with the halides for the intensity and "bang-for-the-buck" that they provide. Hope this helps! Regards, Scott F.>

Lighting/Inverts  2/18/06
Hi,
I have a 180 litre marine tank set up with 2 percula's and 2 yellow tailed damsel's. I have around 25 kg of live rock and 2 finger leather corals. Water movement is 20x tank volume per hour and I have a external with activated carbon and ROWAphos.
My lighting is 4 T5 bulbs, 3 of which are actinic and one blue. Would this lighting be enough for me to introduce a Anenome? <If your tank is 18 inches or less deep, you should be able to keep a Bubble Tip Anemone.  I would replace three of the bulbs with 10K tubes.  Other anemone species will require a great deal more light.  James (Salty Dog)>
Regards
George

Anemones & VHO lighting    2/17/06
We are looking at dual 400 watt metal halides. Would that be sufficient to light our tank? What would the
ideal wattage be to keep anemones happy? <The two 400's will be great.  I'd go with 14K's.  Keep in mind with potent anemones such as the carpet/others you will be risking the lives of your other fish.  Eons ago I've kept carpets and have always lost a fish or two to them.  I'd try to select the least potent anemone that the clowns will accept as a host but much, much better just to have a species tank devoted to just clowns/anemones. Do read here on clown/anemone compatibility.   http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Clown_anemone/Clown_anemone.htm>
Thank you, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Jeri

Post-Purchase Sebae Anemone Lighting Questions   2/8/06
I have a 46g tank that has been running for almost a year. I recently bought
a Sebae anemone. I currently have 220 watts of lightning (PC, Dual actinic and actinic blue). Would that be enough?
<Ah, the classic "Buy first, ask questions later" method, likely leading to more unintentional animal deaths than anything else. Always, and I mean ALWAYS do your research prior to making ANY purchase, lest you end up in a situation such as yours. Granted, the jury is out on reef aquarium lighting (and likely will always be), but 220 watts of Power Compact lighting on a 46 really isn't sounding good to me at all - *especially* for such a high-light creature as a Sebae Anemone. Assuming the anemone has all of its Zooxanthellae, thrice-weekly feeding of silversides would be recommended to keep the anemone in good health, and, if at all possible, a lighting upgrade may be in order. However, and rater unfortunately, most every sebae anemone offered for retail sale these days is bleached or dyed - if yours is yellow or white, it's going to need some extra TLC on top of all of that - daily feeding would certainly not be out of the question, nor would a lighting upgrade. I'd personally recommend nothing less than Metal halide lighting for any anemone species, Aiptasia/Majanos not included, of course.>
Thanks for all your help.
<Good luck with your new acquisition! Mike G>

Green tip anemone lighting   1/10/06
Hi All, <Hello Brian>  
  Thanks in advance for your time.  I have a 100 gallon marine aquarium with a 10 gallon sump wet/dry filter, protein skimmer, five fish and one green tip anemone.  I have a small clown fish that is housing in the green tip. My tank is built into a wall with ventilation, but lighting/heat can be a problem.
  My water is fine, but I am concerned about my lighting.  After extensive research on your site and the web, it seams the general recommendation is 3 to 6 watts per gallon.  Thus, for my tank I would need 400 watts (HOLY COW that is a lot of light).  Currently I have two 40 watt 50/50 florescent bulbs and one blue fluorescent bulb, with all three being 4 feet long. What are your recommendations?  Am I good as is or should I make adjustments. <No, you are not good.  Your 120 watts of lighting relates to 1.2 watts per gallon.  Without knowing your tank dimensions I cannot suggest any lighting.  The depth of the tank is going to make a difference in the lighting you need.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks again. <You're welcome>
Keep Diving!
Brian Decker

Re: Green tip anemone lighting   1/11/06
Me again, <Me too>   
The dimensions of my tank are 5 feet long and 24 inches deep and 14 inches wide.  If you recommend alterations to the lighting armed with the dimensions, then would I be able to use a light fixture from a hardware store for VHO lamps? <If you don't plan on adding any SPS or LPS corals you can get away with VHO with your tank depth.  I'd go with four 60" 140 watt VHO's.  You would be better off to buy two VHO ballasts that will handle two lamps each and buy two sets of end caps with mounts from an online store such as Premium Aquatics or Drs. Foster Smith.  These run about $9 a pair.  If you use the URI lamps they have a built in 180 degree reflector so a internal reflector wouldn't be needed.  Your not going to find the color temperature lamps you need at the hardware store, probably know this but thought I'd mention it.  Also, in future replies, do reply with the original content so I'm able to see what I've mentioned.>   
I humbly defer to your expertise, thanks.<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Lighting  - 01/03/2006
Greetings from St. George, UT. <And from Bay City, MI> I like so many others am benefiting greatly
from your site.  So right to the question.  After reading hours worth of
information on your site, I'm still a little (lot) confused on lighting.  I
am about to step up from a 30 gal marine tank to a 150 gal.  Another one of
my hobbies is cabinet making, so I'll be making the aquarium stand to match
the cabinets in the house.  In doing this, I plan on lighting with a retro
fit system that I can build right into the hood.  I really want to
concentrate on RBTA'S, with very few other inverts and/or fish.  Knowing
this, what would you recommend on lighting...HQI's, HO's etc.  The tank
measures 60"w X 24"d X 30"h. <Gary, with a 30" high tank you will definitely need to go with HQI or MH.  For keeping BTA's I'd probably go with three 175 watt 14K Metal Halides (14K).> Second question would be, what are the components to complete a retro kit of
what ever lighting system you recommend. <For each unit you will need a MH 175 watt ballast, lamp holder with reflector.  Foster&Smith sells the lamp holders and ballasts complete with plug and play cords leaving a professional looking install with no wiring needed to be done by you.>
Thanks in advance for your assistance. <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Gary

Lighting/Anemones - 01/01/06
Hello everyone and happy holidays!
<<Happy holidays to you>>
I have read and read everything I can about lighting and seem to have gotten myself more confused. (My fault not yours!)
<<Mmm...I'll see if I can add to your confusion <grin>.>>
I have an existing 60g (mostly fish) and a 20g that has some anemones
<<!!!>>
and mushrooms that I would like to combine into my 60g.  I
realize that I will need to remove most of my fish and I SHOULD NOT combine different anemones (this is another story).
<<An all too common one, sadly enough.>>
I would like to know what you suggest my lighting to be in the 60g so that I can plan this move and be prepared from the start.  Here is all the info I "think" you need: I currently only have NO lighting on the 60g with the following occupants: Coral Beauty (need to remove), Maroon (gold stripe) Clown (need to remove), Yellow Head Jaw Fish, Engineer Goby (need to remove), Chocolate Chip Star (either remove or place in
refugium), Sea Cucumber, Cleaner Shrimp, A few small hermits and one snail, 45+lbs live rock, sump w/protein skimmer, and I just added a refugium.
<<Excellent>>
My 20g has: 2 BTA w/2 small clowns (each "attached at the fin" with one of the BTA's), 1 Caribbean Anemone, 1 Curlicue Anemone, 1 brittle star, some mushrooms & button polyps, 1 flame scallop, and a Blue Damsel.  All I have for filtration is 20+lbs of rock, two powerheads, and a Coralife 72w lighting (which I want to place on my refugium).
<<ok>>
My plan/wish is to remove the fish that I noted above from my
60, and add the BTA's, small clowns & damsel, mushrooms,
scallop & polyps, and the rock and sand to the 60g.  Eventually I would like to add to this down the road with organisms that are compatible.  So, do you have a suggestion for the type of lighting I need to upgrade to on my 60g?
<<Assuming the anemones will be the showcase, and thus of primary concern, I would opt for a pair of 150w DE metal halides.  Or, if the dimension of the tank is such as to accommodate...a single 150w DE metal halide.>>
I am in the process of building a canopy so I can use retro fit lighting kits.  My budget is $300 for now,
<<About right for a single MH retro kit w/ballast.>>
but I would be open to building it in a way to add lighting as I go.  Side note: I have since realized that I should not mix
anemones and will not do so moving forward.
<<Very good to hear.>>
But, for some reason they all play nice in the 20g.
<<Tis a time bomb...>>
By this I mean they have all grown since placed in tank (the BTA's & fish came with the established tank when I acquired it 2 months ago), never moved, and the Caribbean has slowly darkened in color from white to light brown.  The tank came with NO lighting and I added the Coralife a month ago.
<<Helpful, but really still not enough.>>
I am just wondering if I should leave well enough alone and keep them all together in the 20g???
<<I wouldn't...do continue with your plan.>>
Anyway, thank you for the help and I hope this was not too long in
getting my point across.
<<Not at all mate.>>
Jim
Phx, AZ
<<Regards, EricR...Cola, SC>>

Reptile bulbs for anemones? - 11/25/2005
Hello,
<Hello>
I had just sent you an email regarding my plan for a 16 gallon reef tank.   It is to have 2 Percula Clowns (mated pair).  I am planning on keeping a Carpet Anemone in it as a host for my Perculas.  
<Bad idea.  Carpet anemones get 3 feet in diameter and more.  Defiantly NOT a small tank anemone.  Try smaller anemones like true rock anemones (not the tiny nuisance anemones they are around 6 inched in diameter and easier to keep in small tanks.  I really think if you did have an anemone in that tank it would become a clown fish tank and that’s it.  They are very territorial around their host and may kill any tank mates in such a small tank.  Please reconsider.>
I have heard that I need about 4 watts/gallon for adequate lighting. 
<This is very low for any anemone especially a carpet anemone, and the rule of watts per gallon is not really reliable.> 
So 64 watts would make sense but can I put a 100 watt bulb (too much?!?!) on also it has a night light on it (once used for an anole).  What would be your recommendations on how to use this?
Thanks
<No, reptile lighting and standard light bulbs for humans are NOT suitable for any saltwater use.  Please look into compact fluorescent lighting at 2x96 watts for that tank.  Anemones need extremely high levels of light, and the carpet is no exception.
If you absolutely must have an anemone that is the minimum to have first for lighting.  But I caution you to reconsider.  Anemones need pristine water quality and are very hard to keep in any aquarium, much less small tanks.>
<Justin>

Re: Carpet Anemone Lighting - 11/26/2005
Hello,
Thanks for the quick response.  I reconsidered and have decided to get a fake or synthetic one.
<<Mmm, would do "without" personally...but probably better than the alternative.  EricR>>

Ball of Confusion.. Lighting confusion, re BTAs  11/15/05
Hey crew,
<Clare>
This is a curiosity question that has been bothering me. Ok it is about the watts per gallon, for inverts.
<Only a very general "rule of thumb">
I was thinking (kind of a confusing question, but bear with me) isn't a BTA the same in a 100 gallon as in a 30 gallon, so say you have 110 watts of VHO on your 30 which is about 4 watts per gallon, and 400 watts of MH on the 100 which is 4 watts per gallon, wouldn't this BTA not care about the tank size, but recognize the difference in the light?
<This "rule" is related to some sort of typical depth per gallon of systems, light reaching animals near the bottom...>
I mean I am sure the BTA doesn't care about watts per gallon but it cares about the quality of light it is getting right?
<Quality, quantity and duration>
I know this is kind of confusing but I was just wondering....
Thanks,
Clare
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm scroll down to the articles, FAQs on Anemone Systems, Lighting... Bob Fenner> 

Anemone Lighting 11/1/05
Howdy Gang,
<Hi Dana, Adam J with you here tonight.>
I am currently in the contemplating stage of "If I get A, will I need/want to upgrade to B in 6 months?"
<Mmm…I’m sure there’s a good joke in there, I must need some sleep. Honestly it really depends on your current wants and if you expect them to change. Mine did with my tank and yes I have had to pay for the upgrades.>
Well, I have seen the big picture with my new 65 gallon acrylic setup. I want a FOWLR but have the lighting capabilities to be successful with some beginner/hardy anemones down the road. 
<Well to be honest, in my opinion, there are no hardy/beginner anemones most perish within six months in captivity. Be sure to do lot and lots and lots of research before purchase.> 
I am not looking to spend an arm and a leg but want to keep that anemone option available. (Is $400 reasonable?)
<Less than what I spent on my lighting, reasonable is rather relative, depends on how “addicted”/into the hobby you are; are you “hardcore” or casual? What type of lighting system is in question is also an important detail and most importantly which animals you wish to keep/targeted by your lighting.>
The tank is something like 48"L x 18"W x 18" H (Silly metric tanks!). 
<Hey, Hey now…us Americans don’t take to kindly to those kind of thoughts little missy……there you got a joke out of me.> 
I've read and read, and read some more, and with each FAQ I read, I get pulled to another type of lighting. I understand the different types of lighting available (great resources here!) but I want to make sure I am being as knowledgeable and responsible before killing something my system wasn't capable of supporting.
I live in Japan and my electricity bill can be hefty, so I am looking for effective lighting that won't overheat the rooms and send electricity bills sky high.
Ideally, I'd like to get a complete hood I can suspend (I think they look sharp!). 
<I agree.> 
So here is my dilemma. Do I go with one of the combos with a 150HQI and 2x65 CF? All CF lighting...4x65...4x95? I've read for FOWLR systems 5:1 is OK but with Reef tanks, 5-10:1 is needed. 
<Well if you want to attempt anemones I really like the lighting system with the 150 watt HQI.>
Finally, I have seen in some pictures on the net hoods that are 1/2 the length of the tank. Can I do this if I meet the needed ratio? For example, If I can get a 36" that meets the ratio, would that be acceptable, or do I need a unit that reaches the entire length of the tank? 
<It’s okay to have a lighting system that is shorter than the tank if its suspended with an efficient reflector, I’m thinking of pendants MH pendants here really not fluorescence (though generally when using one metal halide bulb you should choose one per every 24”, so 2 would be better for your tank).>
Thank you again for the help and hope the FAQ crew makes the millions they are worth!
<Thank you for the kind words. We keep getting raises but the pay stays the same! Ok……you got 2 jokes. The pay is being able to help folks like you in need and watching you succeed. Self-satisfaction or ego-food as I like to call it is the best pay of all.>
Dana
Tokyo, Japan
<You are welcome, Adam J.> 

Magnificent/Ritteri Anemone Lighting  10/31/05
Hello,
<Hi Ben.>
At the moment my lighting consists of 2x150w 10k MH's and 1x150w 20k MH in between. Also a t8 blue for first on last off. I have a Ritteri and wondered if this lighting was ok. 
<Mmm, maybe. To be honest the only time I ever saw a healthy Ritteri was directly under a 250 watt metal halide (single ended) but the HQI’s are quite efficient so it may be enough. Having said that the lighting may or may not matter in this case as the anemone rarely adapts to captivity anyway.> 
The lights are 9" off the water surface and the anemone is 6" below the surface. I also have 50k bulbs which could be used instead of the 10k's.Which Kelvin do anemones prefer? 
<Most photosynthetic organisms prefer lighting in the 6500K to 10000K range.> 
any advice is great, thank you.
<Quite Welcome.>
Ben Hustwayte 
<Adam J.>

Please help with anemone.... 10/25/05
Okay here is what I have:
45 gal tank
14 inch wide
19 inch deep
36 inch long
Lighting: Coralife compact fluorescent and lunar Aqualight which includes: One 96 watt True Actinic and One 96 watt 10,000k fluorescent.
40+ lbs live rock
three false percula clowns
some mushrooms
green star polyps
cleaner shrimp
Just purchased what I was told to be a green carpet anemone (I guess it is, not sure though as no pictures really look very close to mine)
Anyway my question: After reading many posts on your site I have come to the conclusion that I should not have purchased this anemone.
<AGREED> 
Needless to say it has been about a week and the anemone seems to have gotten a lot of its color back from when I got it but it is kind of shrinking up and not looking so good.
<your lightening is only 2 watts per gallon, 4-6 is usually recommended and halide lightening is a must, I would return the specimen ASAP or find someone who can properly take care of it> 
LFS told me that I have enough lighting for it.
<they lied> 
<<Ian, you cannot disparage here, the person may have simply been mistaken.  MH>>
Is this true?  Also, could the star polyps be affecting the anemone already?
<probably not the carpet anemone is one mean creature!> 
(chemical warfare). Not sure if I should give this back to the store as they will probably kill it also or just leave it and hope for the best. 
<It will die either way try to find someone nearby that has an established reef aquarium with halides and VHOs they may be able to save this poor creature! IanB> 

Lighting  10/3/05
Good Morning,
I have a 55 gallon tank that currently has 2 65 watt 50/50 pc.  I want to
upgrade that setup so that I can have soft coral, some hard corals, and
hopefully an anemone.  I've been looking at a setup that has 4 96watt power
compacts 50/50.  Would that be enough light for the kinds of creatures I've
described?  Would I be better off spending a few extra dollars and get a
fixture that included pc and metal halides? <Anne, that fixture will give you plenty of light for what you intend to keep (7.2 watts per gallon). I like the looks of halide/PC lighting myself.  Not a good idea to keep anemones with corals as anemones will and do move and will sting along the way. James>
Thank you
Anne Canfield

Not the typical anemone lighting question  10/2/05
Hey Crew, <Hey Bryan>
Everybody always asks, "Is this enough lighting?"  Hey I have even asked
that before, but what I am really looking for is "for how long?  I have a 55
gal with 4x96w power compact with 4 lunar lights.  How many hours should I
run at full blast, half lit, and just lunar? <Depends on what your keeping.  Ten hours would be my starting point for corals/anemones. Just to insert something here, its not recommended to keep corals/anemones together.  Lunar lighting is purely aesthetic. Here is an article you can read.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/
Thanks, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Bryan

Lighting Anemones  9/23/05
Hey guys, Bryan here again.
<Hey Bryan-Scott F. with you!>
I have read and read and read and keep finding
different levels required for lighting 55 gal with 2 LTA's (beautiful, I might add, and the Clarkii has claimed them both)  I have been told that I don't have enough.  I have 2 - 110w VHO Actinic lights, one is blue and the other is white.  That puts me a 4w per gallon; I do have the equipment to add an additional 60w of light (30w Blue and 30w full spec). That would put me just over 5w/gal.  Should I add these lights, and is that sufficient
enough?
<I've always tried to avoid "watts per gallon" measurements, but it sounds like you're on the right track here. My thoughts on lighting anemones are short and sweet- As much lighting as you can offer! Obviously, the other aspects of husbandry, such as water quality, etc. are important, too.>
Also, one last question, should I worry about a little string matter than comes from the foot of the anemones.
<I would not be overly concerned, unless there are large quantities of this stuff and the animal appears otherwise declining. This is probably just some mucus from the attachment point of the anemone and is nothing to be overly concerned with.>
Thanks, Bryan
<My pleasure! Regards, Scott F.>

Lighting options for an anemone - 9/16/05
I am looking for an affordable light solution to keep anemones in my 72 gal bow front. My 2 40w bulbs that came standard never maintain an anemone for more than a couple weeks. <Very sad actually. I would definitely upgrade if you can afford it>
I have seen Jebo light systems on sale with 4 65w bulbs (2 daylight/2 actinic) included for as low as 115.00. <Not sure this ideal either.> Are these Jebo units what you would consider average or better? <Not exactly familiar with that particular brand but the lighting requirements of anemones is really what we are after, eh?> The price seems much cheaper than Coralife or Current units, and I would rather wait if need be than to get the Jebo and not have it do what I need. <Exactly. First do research the type of anemone you would like to keep. A good start can be found here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm then look for a light to meet the requirement. Price can become an issue then but not before. Personally I keep anemones under halide lighting (PFO Lighting systems) and have even had reproduction to full fledged adults under this lighting. Please be aware that feeding is also extremely important to the longevity of anemone keeping. Let us know if there are still more questions. ~Paul>
Thanks
Gary

Anemone lighting 8/25/05
I need help finding a cheap light for an anemone. I want it to be effective
for my 2 clowns. Its a 55 gallon tank 48'' long. I was wondering if you knew any
place to buy them online or in New York for less than $100 because I just
wanted to get an anemone and now I have to spend loads of money on different
filters and lights and the anemone itself. I'm 14 and paying for everything myself
so I need to be as careful with my money as possible. Thank You
<Marshall, I know of no place where you can get the lighting required to support an anemone for less than a $100, even building it yourself.  You might do a search on metal halides.  I've heard people getting used pendants for under $100, but then you would still have to buy an appropriate bulb for it....about $80-90 bucks.  James (Salty Dog)>

BTA and Lighting 8/9/05
Hi there, I was wondering what you would recommend
lighting wise for a BTA in a 55 gallon tank (18 in
deep) because I know how you can't always go by a watt
per gallon method. I had tried to find an answer on
your web site and found one question that was close to
mine.  You had recommended 4x96 watt PC Lighting for
the BTA in a 55 gallon tank, but my question was about
the Orbit fixture made by Current.  I was wondering if
you had any thoughts on this fixture in comparison to
other PC's.  I have read places that this fixture
gives off much more light when compared to other
lighting fixtures.  If this is true I was wondering if
you thought I could use the 4x65 watt Orbit fixture or
do you still recommend getting the 4x96 watt fixture.
Thanks for all of your help.
Dan
<Of these choices, I would go with the four 96 watters. Bob Fenner>

Anemone lighting 7/15/05
Hey guys, I'm writing to you on the topic of my Long Tentacle Anemone. I got
him about 2 months ago. I put it in the tank to wander and find a good spot.
Well it picked the lowest part of my tank. My tank is 29 gal 18 inches deep
with 130 watts pc lighting. I feed it almost everyday with Mysid shrimp bits.
<... this is all?>
He has doubled in size since I bought it and has got a more deep brown-green
color. I assume he's healthy? My question is Should I upgrade my lights since 130
watts is a bit dismal? The anemone expands huge everyday then slowly retracts
its self at night.  Thanks for your time.
-Aaron
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Lighting An LTA - 06/08/05
I recently (about 3 weeks ago) purchased a Long Tentacle Anemone. My tank is only 18 inches deep and the anemone is 4-5 inches off the bottom of the tank.  I hear that these anemones take SO MUCH light.
<<For long-term care/good health, yes.>>
Well I feed mine twice a week with Selcon soaked raw shrimp chunks, and he's doing awesome.
<<Good to hear, though the anemone will appreciate/feed better on fine minced pieces rather than "chunks.">>
I got him in the tank and stuck it into a hole I thought suitable and within the next day it was anchored and fully expanded to twice his LFS size.  I also noticed that he was a fluorescent green color under my lights, and under LFS lights it was dull brown.  My question is should I move it up higher or leave it where it is
comfortable?  It is under one 65-daylight PC and one 55-actinic PC.
<<Do consider the reason the anemone is making itself bigger is because it is trying to "get what it can't" from an inadequate light source.  Not saying this is definitely the case, but I would recommend switching out the actinic bulb for another daylight bulb, or better yet ADD another daylight bulb.  And I would not try to move the anemone...too easy to cause damage.  As a motile invertebrate it will find its own place.>>
Also would this anemone co-exist with frogspawn coral (without of reach of the frogspawns runners of course)? or would a chemical battle be under way?
<<Chemical aggression is always an issue...as is physical contact when/if the anemone decides to relocate.  Anemones are best kept/cared for in specie specific tanks.  And unless the tank is very large (hundreds of gallons, and even then not always so), only one to a tank please.  Consider having a look here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ltafaqs.htm and at the associated links in blue.>>
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

Lighting for BTA 4/28/05
Dear Mr. Fenner, I just recently purchased a new 48” compact light 2 x 65w Actinic and 2 x 65w 10,000k. I have a 75 gallon tank 48L x 18W x 20D. I have 60 lbs of live sand and 50 lbs of live rock. I have read most of your articles about Bubble Tips and some answers are close to what I need so I want to be sure. Will the light that I purchased be enough for a Bubble Tip Anemone to survive? 
<It is enough for the anemone to survive, but it may not maintain it's bright color. Also, as always, be sure to feed a marble sized piece of meaty seafood about once a week.>
I have another 48” fluorescent fixture that I can put on it but it would only add 80 more watts. What would you recommend? 
<I would suggest using the additional light as long as heat does not become a problem.>
My next question is how long should the lights stay on. Currently I leave the 10,000k with the Actinic on during the day and just the Actinic on at night? Is this correct or should I turn the lights completely on and off for day and night? 
<Fish and corals need a period of darkness. A total photoperiod of about 12 hours is usually good. You can use multiple timers to stagger the time that different lights come on and off, but you should have at least 10 hours when all of the lights are off (some background room lights are OK.)>
My fiancée and I are really enjoying the tank and all of the creatures that seem to be growing out of the live rock. Anemones would really complete the tank. Your site is the most informational I have found yet. 
Thanks for all of your efforts and advice. Grant Citron Lafayette, LA 
<Thanks and Best Regards. AdamC.>

Anemone Lighting
Hi, So I suppose the only choice I really have is the BTA ? Is there a
preference to which colour of BTA it is and will make them want to host it
more ? <Dana, as stated below, your present lighting isn't enough for even the BTA.  Read some of the FAQ's on anemone lighting. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm
Thanks <You're welcome>
----- Original Message -----
> Anemones
> Hi, Is there a host anemone for the Amphiprion ocellaris that doesn't grow
more than 1 foot in diameter and can handle PC lighting 3-4 watts of light
per gallon (tank 26inches deep) and is pretty hardy? <Unfortunately, with
the 26 inch depth of your tank, there are no anemones you could keep with
your lighting.  Thanks <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone Husbandry
Hey whassup,
Its Miles again
<Scott F. at the keyboard today!>
I have a question to ask y'all. I have a 55 gallon reef
tank. I have a power compact light and it has 2 bulbs. The blue bulb is 60 watts and so is the white bulb. So this leads you to the question. Would a Haddoni carpet anemone live in the kind of light that I have.
<In my opinion, probably not. You really need intense light for these animals. Granted, I like PC's and think that they are great, but I believe that they are inadequate for long-term well-being of anemones. These animals require intense light, which is best supplied by... you guessed it- metal halides! In my opinion, the expense of metal halides is justified, and should be thought of as the "price of admission" for the husbandry of anemones. Think long-term when keeping these animals, as their potential life span in the wild is decades, perhaps even centuries, according to some studies. The aquarium survival rate of these animals in the long-term is, unfortunately, quite dismal, so we need to do everything possible to provide optimum environmental parameters for them.>
I was planning on putting it at the top of my aquarium.
<A good thought with PC lighting. However, the animal will reposition itself to a place of its own choosing.>
I currently have 2 clownfish that will use it when it arrives. So I was just wondering if it would live if I put it at the top.
<Well, "live"-yes- assuming that the other environmental conditions are in order. "Thrive"- questionable...Not impossible- just questionable. We really need to consider the long-term needs of these animals when planning for their husbandry.>
If it won't which I hope that it will live, how many more watts do I need to sustain that anemone?
<Not so much a "watts" issue as it is an intensity issue. I'd think about a 150watt metal halide pendant (Like a Sunlight Supply Reef Optix III double-ended or a PFO model). Metal halides provide maximum and optimal intensity for photosynthesis.>
Best Regards, Miles
<My pleasure, Myles. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Anemone Technicalities
I have spent weeks researching anemones, and they're all just advice. But in terms of BTA, RBTA's and more common anemone species, they don't go in depth about the PAR requirements...the pH requirements, the appropriate temperatures, the distance from the light etc. etc. I'm looking for more technical aspects of anemone care...I go to a reef forum that always has newbies who always wants to keep an anemone.  
We give them the general advice, but more advanced reefers are more difficult to advise as they feel they are more knowledgeable but I would like to provide information that will provide an anemone with an environment where they would THRIVE and possibly live to the species lifespan, not just survive.  Many argue that you can keep them in 50/50's and PC's, but I'm a firm believer that natural sunlight and MH should be the only options (in terms of responsible reefkeeping) that an anemone should be kept under, but I would like more technical information to back up why so any help would be great.  Thanks.
Tro
>>> Greetings,
Be happy to lend what I can, but I'm curious about something. You say you lack the "technical" info, yet you're of the opinion that they should only be kept under metal halides? I'm just wondering what empirical data or train of thought you are basing that on? Also, just out of curiosity, what forum do you speak of? At the end of the day, EVERYTHING we keep should be kept in natural sunlight, even the fish. That is after all what they've evolved under for millions of years. ANYTHING else is artificial, be it metal halide or PC lighting. I can type at length about theoretical advantages to keeping any animal in sunlight vs. artificial light, at the end of the day though it's just theory. The bottom line is that keeping animals under natural sunlight isn't practical for most of us obviously, so we pursue other options. I prefer metal halides for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it's the most natural looking of all the options. However, I don't use it because I think it's the ONLY way to keep my anemones happy. I know that intensity or PAR is more important than the ultimate source of the light in question. PC lighting does a fine job of giving certain organisms what they need, as long as there is a sufficient quantity of it. But WHAT is that quantity? For E. quadricolor, the practical reality is that they not only do well, but grow and thrive under a wide variety of setups. It's quite adaptable in both the green and rose color morphs. It will live directly under 400w halides, but doesn't always need them. It will live and grow under a 200W PC setup depending on the depth that it's placed. I've seen them live and thrive under a wide variety of conditions from 7 gallon nano tanks with 60 watt lighting to fancier setups with multiple 400 watt or 250 watt HQI fixtures. They are found quite deep in the wild often enough, under PAR conditions that are far LESS than what we place them in when they arrive in our systems. It's for this reason that you will not find any hard, black and white data on PAR requirements and such. Much of it depends on the individual animal, where it was collected or what conditions it was grown under in captivity. I've seen E. quads live for many months in relatively low light setups, then get placed under a 400 watt halide and then reach up for even MORE light, when they displayed no such tendency under the lower wattage PC setup. Kind of counterintuitive, but I've seen this happen.
I can't tell you how far away to keep it from the bulb, as that all depends on what bulb you're speaking of. Also, it's rather hard to strive for a "natural" lifespan when you're speaking of an animal that is basically immortal in the wild. In short, I cannot provide you with any ammunition to back up your "metal halide only" stance, as it's really not the bottom line truth of the matter from either from an empirical or theoretical standpoint. Any acceptable PAR range that I give you would be rather wide, and for that reason almost useless. I'm looking at a tank right now with 6 E. quads, and 3 of them have chosen some relatively shaded areas to reside, while the other three are more or less under the halides.
Feeding is another area where there is much debate. Some of the nicest E. quads that I have seen are almost NEVER fed. I feed because I think I should, and obviously every animal needs to eat. However just as with many corals, how much food the animal needs to be fed directly depends on who you talk to. I will say that I've seen splitting as a common stress response to being over-fed in captivity.
Good luck
Jim<<<

What Anemone With This Lighting?
Dear Crew,
You guys rock!  I have a quick lighting question for you. I have a 29 gal 30x12x18. Live Rock and live coral tank that I am just starting. I have a Power Compact Coralife Aqualight 30" 1x65 watt light. Would I be able to house any types of anemones with this? If not, what kind of lighting should I add to accomplish this? Thank you. 
<Devin, you would need 2x65watts preferably both 10K tubes. You would be able to keep a bubble tip with that set up. Check the Anemone FAQ's for more input. James (Salty Dog)> 

BTA Lighting
Hi, I have a 170 gal marine tank which is 5ft L by 26inch deep and was wondering is 400watts enough lighting (2x 150 watt halides and 2 x 48watt daylights) for a BTA and most corals?
<The lighting set up you describe sounds perfectly adequate to keep a BTA and pretty much any photosynthetic coral. Check out the following link for more information on Bubble Tipped Anemones and their care (including lighting requirements)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm.  Good luck, Mike G.>

Lighting/Anemone
Hi Crew, 
<Hello Bill, James carrying the ball this time.>
Recently I have been reading the FAQ's on Anemones as I have become interested in keeping one. As always there seems to be many conflicting opinions on how much light one needs to keep an anemone healthy. Therefore, I am seeking the opinion of one of you to help me out.
Currently I have a 90 Gallon setup for about 18 months with fish and live rock. I have a 6" sandbed that has kept my nitrates to near zero for quite a while now. The tank in general is in great shape. There is a nice population of pods and all inhabitants are doing very well. At the present I have a power compact fixture on the tank. It has 2 55W 50/50 power compacts in it. From what I read, this would not be enough light to keep a BTA. Is this correct? Some of the FAQ's seemed to hint that this could be enough light if the BTA positioned itself high enough in the water column, but I'd rather be safe and go with a little more light. 
<Yes, anemones do move.> 
I'm looking at going with a new power compact fixture that houses 4 bulbs rather than the 50/50's. I think this would give me double the amount of light I'm getting now. JEBO 48" 220W(55wx4) Power Compact lighting. I would include 2 55W 10000K Super Daylight and 2 55W ultra Actinic. 
<I would go with one ultra actinic and the other three at 10K> 
Will this increase my lighting enough to safely keep a BTA, or do you have another suggestion? 
<With a deep tank as yours, you will be borderline. Do you have room to incorporate the old fixture and the new? This should do it. I'll post some info on this. You may have not read these. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm >
Thanks, Bill 
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>