anemomes/lighting question / filter question

[dandy1969]

First, I am brand new to salt water tanks. My tank has been setup for 4 months now.
I have a 30 gallon tank. 30" long standard tank. I have 2 T5 lights (one white and one blue). I bought an anemone a week ago and yesterday I came home and I thought he was dead. He has limp and fell upside down. I called my friend that is helping me along with this and she told me to move him up high on a rock close to the lights. About an hour and a half later he looked normal again. I dont think I have enough light but she says she had an anemone with the same lighting for years. Anyone have thoughts on this? Everything else in the tank is doing great!!

Also, can someone tell me the advantages of a canister filter opposed to a standard hanging filter on a 56 gallon tanks? I'm going to do another one later on and trying to do a little research.

Thanks!!!

Danny

 

[DFW]

Hi Danny!

We hope that you succeed with your salt water tank so that you will continue in the hobby! A few things will help you toward that end. You should read a lot about everything that you are wanting to do! The club has a library that can be checked out at the meetings, and libraries should keep books on reef keeping. For instance, had you studied up on anemones you would have likely run in to the idea that anemones require stable conditions that are normally associated with tanks that have been set up for a year or two, and hobbyists that have been in the hobby for a while. It takes time to learn how to provide for these creatures properly, anemones being somewhat more challenging than say, for instance, some beginner fish and corals. Often anemones die needlessly for lack of proper care.

Most will say, I think, that you need more light to keep an anemone, but, if you can get it to stay near the top of a rock structure near the top of the tank right under the lighting, it might be ok. And you should feed the anemone 2 or 3 times a week, in my opinion, as big a piece of shrimp, or even better, silversides, as it will accept. If it won't accept a large piece, offer smaller pieces until it takes it. If it won't take food today, try again every day until it does. If it is healthy, and hungry, it will grab the offering and eat it. I feed mine every other day, usually.

David