My wife’s tank PLZ HELP!!!

[huppy_222]

To start off I’m a fresh water guy so please forgive my ignorance but my wife has a 40 gallon breeder and she does plan to upgrade her tank in the future. But she currently has 2 clown fish, a star gazing blenny, a blue buffalo tang, a small thing of pulsating xzenia, and two bubble anemones. The tank has been set up for 5months no algae blooms as of now. It has a canister filter rated for a 100gal tank a power head I don’t know the size and a in tank protein skimmer. The problem is with the bubble anemones they have been in there for over a month and they won’t stop moving and won’t find a happy place. I have watched hours of videos and filters through a lot of the bta threads but to no solution. I can give a full tank build shortly also we tested all of the parameters and nothing was high. They were master test kits I don’t trust the strips. I’m hoping someone can cast some light on the subject on this matter please. A food list would be awesome and anything I can’t test for to make them blossom would be awesome I’m about to clear the Lfs shelf of coral stuff to make them thrive! And thanks ahead of time for the help

 

[CoralB]

Welcome!!

 

[Cell]

Welcome to the forum! You have found yourself on the Meet and Greet forum. I recommend starting a new thread in the Anemone and Clownfish forum or Reef Aquarium discussion forum for more targeted help if you aren't finding the answers here between all the greetings. It makes it easier for those trying to help too. When a bta can't find a suitable spot in a tank, assuming parameters are in acceptable range, light and flow are the first things I'd look at. A full tank picture can be very helpful as well.

 

[Dom]

To start off I’m a fresh water guy so please forgive my ignorance but my wife has a 40 gallon breeder and she does plan to upgrade her tank in the future. But she currently has 2 clown fish, a star gazing blenny, a blue buffalo tang, a small thing of pulsating xzenia, and two bubble anemones. The tank has been set up for 5months no algae blooms as of now. It has a canister filter rated for a 100gal tank a power head I don’t know the size and a in tank protein skimmer. The problem is with the bubble anemones they have been in there for over a month and they won’t stop moving and won’t find a happy place. I have watched hours of videos and filters through a lot of the bta threads but to no solution. I can give a full tank build shortly also we tested all of the parameters and nothing was high. They were master test kits I don’t trust the strips. I’m hoping someone can cast some light on the subject on this matter please. A food list would be awesome and anything I can’t test for to make them blossom would be awesome I’m about to clear the Lfs shelf of coral stuff to make them thrive! And thanks ahead of time for the help

First, please don't rely on the Local Fish Store. You will spend a lot of money on product. They make money and you will likely compound the problem by adding more product to the tank.

If your Anemone is moving around, it is looking for a location in the tank that has suitable light and flow. If the Anemones are constantly moving, It suggest to me that there isn't a spot in the tank, suitable for the anemone.

If you do not have power heads to add flow to the tank, spend your money on that, not LFS recommended products.

Also, lighting is critical. What kind of lights are you running?

 

[56longroof]

Welcome to R2R. Alot of great advice on the bubble tip. I had a nem decide to go on a walkabout once and ended up plugging up the siphon on a hob filter. That was probably 30 years ago and I still remember that lesson.

 

[DDenny]

 

[Gman83]

Welcome!

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R. Some good explanations given for you.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

a warm welcome!

 

[1112-425XL]

 

[PharmrJohn]

First, please don't rely on the Local Fish Store. You will spend a lot of money on product. They make money and you will likely compound the problem by adding more product to the tank.

If your Anemone is moving around, it is looking for a location in the tank that has suitable light and flow. If the Anemones are constantly moving, It suggest to me that there isn't a spot in the tank, suitable for the anemone.

If you do not have power heads to add flow to the tank, spend your money on that, not LFS recommended products.

Also, lighting is critical. What kind of lights are you running?

First time I've seen flow mentioned. That was my first thought.

 

[huppy_222]

What’s the nitrate, phos, and alk parameters? What kinda of lights? Nems move when the are not happy

In shorthand all were good cause that was my worry if it will help I will do it again with exact parameters the light is a hygger 72w full spectrum auto on off it’s on all the time for consistency it is on the second setting from the lowest been the red and blue lights and the whole question/ help part was trying to make them happy

 

[huppy_222]

What does she have for lights? They need strong light. I feed my bubble tip nems nothing but light and whatever they happen to get when I feed fish. Mine thrived under 400 par with no direct feedings for years.

72w hygger auto on off it is on 24/7 at the second from the lowest setting there is also a glass lid in between it is on the red and blue light no whites.

 

[dank.reefer]

72w hygger auto on off it is on 24/7 at the second from the lowest setting there is also a glass lid in between it is on the red and blue light no whites.

Did I read this correctly? Your lights never turn off?

Fish and corals/nems need to sleep too. Your nem may be wandering around looking for somewhere to take a nap.

 

[huppy_222]

First, please don't rely on the Local Fish Store. You will spend a lot of money on product. They make money and you will likely compound the problem by adding more product to the tank.

If your Anemone is moving around, it is looking for a location in the tank that has suitable light and flow. If the Anemones are constantly moving, It suggest to me that there isn't a spot in the tank, suitable for the anemone.

If you do not have power heads to add flow to the tank, spend your money on that, not LFS recommended products.

Also, lighting is critical. What kind of lights are you running?

I appreciate your advice on the local fish store I’m just to that point of finding a solution but we unplugged the wave maker upon addition and let them settle in then they hid left it on during this as it was the first week then they would unattach and go flying to avoid the horror stories we unplugged the wave maker to avoid shredding repeated a few times finally we left the wave maker unplugged they have now went a little longer in each said spot ( an observation I made is the clown fish and the blue tang would swim in the corners and nowhere else with the power head plugged in too much flow?) now lighting is a hygger 72w auto on off it is on 24/7 on red and blue lights it is on the second from the lowest light setting.

 

[huppy_222]

Did I read this correctly? Your lights never turn off?

Fish and corals/nems need to sleep too. Your nem may be wandering around looking for somewhere to take a nap.

Agreed you read it right that was something never covered in all the videos I watched but consistency was sooo

 

[dank.reefer]

A good starting point for lights is 8-10 hours a day. Depending on how powerful the lights are. I run mine from 10:00 to 20:00

 

[huppy_222]

Welcome! Let the coral addiction begin! Nems….. I had a period of running lights very low (like moonlight low) because of a bloom and my stupid rock flower nem crawled all over my tank like it was a BTA. As a few others have said, it could just be your particular nem likes to wander. It could also be a lighting issue. What lights is she running and at what strength? This is going to be important for coral health down the road as well.

Agreed the light is a hygger 72w led auto on off it’s is on 24/7 it is second from the lowest setting and it’s just red and blue light

 

[NanoNana]

Agreed the light is a hygger 72w led auto on off it’s is on 24/7 it is second from the lowest setting and it’s just red and blue light

Yeah, lighting is probably your issue. I’d suggest searching lighting for you size tank here on the forum and reading all 20,000 threads (just kidding but read a lot of them). The hygger 957 (I think that’s their 72 watt) is really a planted tank light more for fresh water. If you can, see if your LFS can rent you a par meter so you can check par in different spots in your tank.
Do not light your tank 24/7. You will have unending algae issues when your lights are strong enough to grow algae. Everything in your reef tank needs day and night. Most ppl run lights 8 or less hours. A new light is likely in your future.

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board. hello from PA!

 

[huppy_222]

Yeah, lighting is probably your issue. I’d suggest searching lighting for you size tank here on the forum and reading all 20,000 threads (just kidding but read a lot of them). The hygger 957 (I think that’s their 72 watt) is really a planted tank light more for fresh water. If you can, see if your LFS can rent you a par meter so you can check par in different spots in your tank.
Do not light your tank 24/7. You will have unending algae issues when your lights are strong enough to grow algae. Everything in your reef tank needs day and night. Most ppl run lights 8 or less hours. A new light is likely in your future.

Knock on wood no algae issues but yes it is a freshwater tank light and I’ll probably have to rent one from brs from the sounds of it the saltwater legs in my area isn’t overly expansive and the other one is a Petco sooo I’ll get the lights on 8 hours and report back thank you