Please help identify!

[chelli]

I have 12 of these in my tank. Can you identify? I hope the picture is clear enough. Any help will be appreciated. Many thanks!

http://www.wkxn.com/anemone1.jpg
http://www.wkxn.com/anemone2.jpg

these pics are off cuz I haven't quite learned how to photograph them well.
but the whole tank pics are awesome!

http://www.wkxn.com/wholetank3.jpg

 

[roka64]

Are you talking about the anemones?

 

[Sadielynn]

They look like bleached anenomes ,with gaping mouths what is your lighting, how old is your tank. They look like they are about to die they are certianly not healthy ..and why would you boast 12 ?

 

[chelli]

Oh, no, not boasting.. needing help!!!

A friend of my parent's decided to go from salt to fresh because they did not have the time or funding to keep up a saltwater tank. Well, I happen to have plenty of time and love for saltwater tanks and just not that much money. So they gave all their stuff which was 13 anemones, 1 snowflake moray eel, about 80lbs of live rock, and 1 tiny hermit crab to me weeks before Christmas. I already had a terrific base of live rock, 2 clowns, 1 damsel, 2 huge engineer gobies, 1 large hermit crab, 2 feather dusters, sponges of sorts, and snails. I do not have adequate lighting I've learned from my research and need someone's advice on how to get adequate lighting without breaking the bank. I have a standard tank 40 gal tall I guess it's called. The bulb is actinic blue 10k 48" single flourescent. I have a decent protien skimmer, power head, canister filter as additional filtering and frequent cleanings (twice monthly) and water changes (weekly). I have had these creatures, the new ones, for a month now and they have only improved in health if you can believe it (they had these creatures 3 years before I received them and when I received them they were sunken into rocks and were dark and sickly looking at best). I read that you can make up for inadequate lighting by feeding tiny portions of shrimp to your anemones each day but not so much that it dirties your tank. The hermit crabs appear to be taking care of the anemones while the clown fish help the engineer gobies build crushed coral mounds all over the tank. The snowflake eel just eats hand-fed shrimp when he's hungry and hides the rest of the time. So to all you saltwater experts, what am I doing wrong so that I don't lose what I've invested so much time, love, and money into? And, are these bad anemones to have? Just give it to me straight please.. don't worry if you think you are going to hurt my feelings, i need the help.. many thanks!!!

 

[Sadielynn]

They are just about on their las leg . What I would do is look for MH T5 combo if you are good at DIY yourself you could do a DIY light ...What is your budget you can get lights for anywhere from 300 and up to light that tank ...SInce you say it is a tall tank those are a bit harder to light and to get lighting that will penetrate to the bottom of the tank but it can be done. The other issue is that you have a fairly new tank. and that you will need to get rid of about 11 of them . You can feed them 2-3Xs a week this is stressful , the eel will also pose a problem in a 40 with your stocking list ....
So to the straight forward . Your tank can not support 1 let alone 12 anenomes they are bleached and dying , it is hard to say from the pics but they look like sebae anenomes .... Sebaes are normally a brown/tan color ...The gaping mouths is a tell tail sign that they are dying ... If they die /disinigrate in your tank you will likely suffer a crash...I dont think there is much now that you can do for these anenomes now as they suffered for to long , you may wish to try a silver slide or pipette some mysis to them , if the food dosent stick to their tenicles it is likely they are gone ... Sorry for the bad news ....As for the boasting comment I am sorry that did not come across right I am sorry ...

 

[chelli]

Well, good news and bad!

The food is sticking to tentacles very well. They moved around a lot in the first couple of days (3 weeks ago) and have since locked into place. I have a VHo kit we bought in peices but when it arrived my fiancee had ordered 60" bulbs and we were fitting a 48" bulb tank so all that money was wasted. (Long story on not being able to return the $150 ballast and 2 $50+ each bulbs and he's an electrician so we were going to DIY) So now I'm stranded on the lighting, let's say until Feb. My tank is really old. It's over 4 years old itself.. the newly added stuff is 3 years old but has only been in my tank 3+ weeks... maybe 22-25 days ago. When I received them they had a tiny bit of color but look much like they do now, only pressed flat like pancakes with no tentacles showing. I am trying to find a recent picture for you to see so you can see how far I've come in helping them "not be pancakes". Pancake looking anemones are bad right? Fluffy ones that eat are good right? I'm asking 'cause I don't know, not 'cause I'm a smarty pants person. And in 10 words or less why is it bad to have 12 anemones in one tank? I'm asking because they are 3 years old or older and have existed all together with the eel and all in that nasty tank they were in with "shop" lighting as the only lighting and to me have improved since coming into my tank. I'm confused to say the least. Ok, I've found 3 more pictures that have better "color" and are more up to date.. I'm trying to plead my anemone case here.. LOL I really don't want these babies to die and I have NO where else for them to go and I'm 30 days away from better lighting. LFS for saltwater stuff is more than 50 miles away and he's said he will not usually take hand-me-down anemones and such-fish only! So help me help these guys live!!!
here are the additional links, I sure hope these pics show what they look like to me in real life.. I wish you guys could just visit my tank!! LOL
http://www.wkxn.com/one.jpg
http://www.wkxn.com/two.jpg
http://www.wkxn.com/three.jpg
ok..pacing around the floor like a three year old waiting for mommy to give her toy back.. tell me they aren't dying..

 

[Sadielynn]

Something like this should help you with lighting http://cgi.ebay.com/400-Watt-Metal-...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem . (I also have on our site a company who does lighting that gives our members a certin % off thier order...)
As for the anenomes usually they will walk stinging stuff in the process and when healthy can expand upwards of 12 -18 inches which is why I say that is too many .... Continue to feed them the fact that there tenicals are sticky is a GOOD sign.... But they are still in a world of hurt , and I wont ice it they do look bad !! But there is a chance with good nursing they can pull through this ...
Here is a MH light http://cgi.ebay.com/400-Watt-Metal-...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
then Ebay your stuff or offer it up here on the classifieds ...As for the eel he may pick at your fish ,corals and inverts so keep a very close eye on him

 

[chelli]

Thank You!!!!

I am an avid eBay fan! I order stuff there all the time.. I WILL find something there. I am glad you have given me hope.. no matter how little.. I don't want these guys to go belly up. One more question today and I will stop torturing you. What do almost dead anemones look like? Does the color look better on them in the newer "better lighting" pictures? The newest pictures look like they do in real life. the other pictures are super bright due to the camera dealing with the flourescent lighting. When I removed the lighting and used flash, I got a better picture. I've read into your photography threads and found lots of good, useful stuff on there too! Ya'll are too kewl and are the bomb!! I am going home to surround my tank with love and start looking for affordable lighting! Again, many, many thanks just for the "HOPE!"

 

[Sadielynn]

A healthy anenome will look something like these http://www.diversionoz.com/Steve/images/tclown1.jpg
not a perfect pic but it will have a more tan color to it ..... Dead anenomes will tend to look "white" Or flourecent in color or appear to be "melting "into a pile of goo , They dont look a whole lot better but time and tender care that you seem to be willing to give to them they have a chance ,small but a chance once you get them nursed you may consider giving them to more experienced reef keepers that can also care for them properly keep your perameters in check look for some better lighting keep feeding them a couple times a week and keep us posted K

 

[chelli]

Kewl!

That is great.. I have several that look like that close up and have good tan or almost brown color.. but i have several that look stringy and sad.. even when puffy.. if that's the term for it.. and that's my problem.. I have no one to give these too.. I'm in Alabama dear..I'm really impressed that we have electricity.. no reef fans or otherwise.. everyone I know gave them up and sent their stuff to my house. I even have a homeless urchin on the way to the house this month.. My tank's turned into more of a refugee camp than a hobby tank! But, my heart is so deep into it.. I can't let 'em die just because someone wants a loveseat where their saltwater tank used to go.. I have tanks on the side of my bed.. tanks in the family room.. I even have empty tanks with full equipment under my house just in case I have to set one up in a hurry.. I did used to work at night at a petstore just for the learning aspect of it but it wasn't a saltwater friendly store.. they had one sad 50 gallon with two fish for sale in it.. they would rotate those two fish and some live rock for sale but that was it.. dull and lifeless. so this is a great experience compared to that.. again, many thanks!! I appreciate your time!!!!!!!!!!!!!