SG Raising HELP

[Boykin]

Ok so I have been getting mixed info about the SG in a tank with
anemones, my hydrometer says the SG should be between 1.020 to 1.023 and on another forum I was told it should be 1.025 to 1.026..... can some one please tell me what the safest SG should be for the anemone and the fish, and then should I reise it all at once of little by little? I'm guessing little by little but anemone isnt doing so hot... other then thet the water cond. is fine and the temp is a little high (82*) but I'm working on lowering it and the tank is a 20L gl.

 

[ReefRaff]

Depending on how much water you evaporate, I would replace evaporated water with some saltwater till you get it were you want. i don't have an anemone, so I can't speak to that. But from what i gather, If you mostly have fish, then the 1.023 range is preferred. Corals, tend to do better at 1.025-6. Don't haul your chickens to the market yet, others will respond.

 

[Boykin]

I have one fish, 3 pepperment shrimp, 3 hermit crab and one anemone LOL.... yeah I'm waiting

 

[Lance M.]

Anywhere in the 1.023-1.025 range is fine. The most important thing is to keep it constant.

Here's some questions:

What lighting do you have?
Also water params? KH? pH?
How often do you do water changes?
Do you feed the anemone?
What type of anemone is it?
How much live rock do you have?
What filter do you have?
Do you use a skimmer?
How long has the tank been setup?

 

[Boykin]

Its a 20gl long

coral frag(2)- ones a purple polyp the other I'm not sure

Pepperment Shrimp(3)

Hermit Crabs(3)

Black and white clown(1)

yellow popyls (I think)

white brittle star fish (3 so far that I have found)

Equipment

Lights- "coralife" 2 compact fluorescent( 1; 65 watt actinic -1; 65 watt 10000k)


Filter
"Fluval" 205 canister (40gl) * we are getting the skimmer attachment for it this weekend*

SG @ 1.021
Temps. is @ 82*
KH is @ 10*
Cal. is @ 480
PH is @ 8.3

tank was up and runnin with just rock for about three months I have live animals in it for about two +/- weeks now so I have done one water change becuase I was told by a friend the my CAL and Kh was to high and THEN it was at C 540 and 13* I'm not sure what kind he is but I can find you the best pictures I have of him.....he has a red base... tomorrow I will try to get a better picture, I just dont know thats its good to be messing with him. I have had his about a week and a half and have fed him a few times.... I didnt wat to over do it. the tank has about 16 - 24 pounds of rock in it. ( really dont remember)

 

[Ziggy953]

Is that a condy? If it is it could just about live out of the water....those are tough anemones! As for the SG I keep my tank at 1.024 I have a LTA and am getting a BTA and the LTA seems very happy along with my fish and corals...

 

[Boykin]

I really have no idea, dont laugh at me but I got him from petco........

I will try to get a better picture up tomorrow when they lights are on....

Also you guys are going to have to teach me what all the, LTA,BTA, ect. I am new to all of this

 

[Lance M.]

Yea it looks like a condy, also Boykin mentioned it had a red base so it's probably a condy.

LTA- Long Tentacle Anemone
BTA- Bubble-Tip Anemone

Tank looks fine. Try and keep the water conditions stable with as little fluctuations as possible.

Maybe add a powerhead for some more water movement.

I have a BTA in 1.023, pH 8.3, KH 12. I have a 20 gallon high with the same light fixture as you except the fixture is closer to the surface of the water and it has moon lights lol.

 

[Boykin]

yeah I would like to move it closer but any closer and we cant get into the tank should I just raise the SG or should I do it little by little?

Thank you for all the help!

 

[MT79]

As Lance M. said 1.023-1.026 is fine. Stability is the key. I prefer 1.025-1.026, that is closer to what is found on natural reefs. Since your using a hydrometer, which are notorious for being inaccurate, somewhere in the middle like 1.023-1.024 would allow for some inaccuracy with out being too high or low. If you decide to raise it, using SW for top-offs is a good way with out doing it too fast. Running at 82 degrees will not be an issue as long as it's stable.

a week and a half and have fed him a few times.... I didnt wat to over do it.

I would feed weekly at the very most. Once or twice a month would be better IMO. Target feedings are usually not even necessary if you are feeding fish in the tank meaty foods. The anemone will get everything it needs from the light and left over food. HTH

 

[Boykin]

I would just like to say that I LOVE you guys! ya'll are VERY helpful, I moved to this forum for another because they where very rude and I love it here!

I have fed him scallops, and I hate feding thoses cause the store I went to will not allow you buy just one and they bad so fast, as far at what I'm feeding my fish its just little pebblets I wouls lioke to feed him better I just dont know what.

My anemone the past two day has bleached, only one once a day though.... I feel like it was the SG, is he going to die? should I go get him some food? Its funny thing is the aiptasia in my tank is fine (I'm working on getting rid of it) and this little thing that came on a frag that I think is a pizza anemone it also fine (pic*) maybe he was just a bad buy, I got him from a petco, because the lighting wasnt anything near what it should have been and I would like to save him.

What should I use instead of the hydromeater?

Pic* This is the thing I think it going to be some kinda pizza anemone, that is the best picture I can get, its so hard to get a nice picture of things that are only about as big as a pinky nail, maybe I can get a ID on him.....
YOU KNOW WHAT?!?!

after looking thro some of the other pictures he looks like theses guys.... they are some kinda mushroom

 

[melosu58]

What should I use instead of the hydromeater?

Use a refractometer. They are much more reliable.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...fractometers&ref=3969&subref=AA&N=2004+113761

 

[Lance M.]

I like those pink mushrooms.

One thing you find out about chain stores like Petco, Petsmart, etc is they like to mismark the livestock, usually to make the name more appealing to the customer. Like violet gobies are sold as dragon eels in a freshwater section but they are really brackish water fish and not eels.

I've fed my anemones pieces of raw shrimp, squid, flakes, and mysis shrimp.

 

[Boykin]

oh yeah I know all about that.....we learned that when we got our first midas and they said the would get up to 6" and they get WAY larger then that and the we went through like six red devils before we got our second midas.....

 

[TheChad]

Is that a condy? If it is it could just about live out of the water....those are tough anemones! As for the SG I keep my tank at 1.024 I have a LTA and am getting a BTA and the LTA seems very happy along with my fish and corals...

I keep mine at 1.024 SG as well...

Ziggy, My LFS told me I shouldn't keep an Anemone if I have corals, because the anemone will move around the tank and cause havoc.

Is that true? I would like to get an Anemone, and hopefully my clowns will host it (I know its not 100%), But I havent gotten one because of what the LFS said...

-TheChad

 

[Boykin]

I think once the anemone finds a good spot he will stay, but until then he will move or at least what mine did.... as for the clown I'm sure he would be MUCH happier with a friend and home, and its just cool to watch the clown feed the anemone.

 

[MT79]

Usually as Boykin said they will find a spot they like and settle down. However there is always a chance it will start to wander again. It could be stress from say a lamp change or for no apparent reason at all. Some species of anemones have more potent stings than others and pose a greater risk. Some also tend to wander more than others. The LFS is right in that there is always some risk w/ anemones and coral together.

 

[kimberly]

I really have no idea, dont laugh at me but I got him from petco........

Of all the places I have purchased livestock from, I have had some of the best luck with my purchases from Petco. I am fortunate to have a store that has a good saltwater section (most Petco's do not).

It is just imperative that you are knowledgeable about the livestock and have a good eye for judging the item's health, because you will not be able to count on the info from them. However, this is how you get great deals (for example ...

Button polyps were on sale for $19.99. They just happened to be attached to large pieces of live rock (about 7 pounders). Live rock goes for about $9 / lb. So Petco sells me about 15 pounds of coral covered live rock for $40.00.

I also got a beautiful 8 - 10" bta (orange tips) for about $24 in extremely good condition (most other places did not have anything of this size and/or quality, and what the other stores had was usually over $60). I placed him in my tank about 4 - 6 months ago and he hasn't moved once.

The list goes on and on with incredibly good luck with soft corals and fish, so don't be embarrassed, consider yourself fortunate if you have a good Petco nearby. Be sure to go often, as you can never tell when you will find a $50 specimen on sale for under $20.

P.S. I do not work for Petco.

 

[Boykin]

LOL yeah thats what we got and thats why I really dont know what I have in my tank and need IDs (only one) but we went one night and there was a small rock with tons of polyps on it and we ended up paying $1.75 for it... thats why I do go there pluse while I'm still learning, the animals arnt high in price so if something happned 1st I feel bad because the anmial died but I'm not as worried about the money I spent.... like my VERY mean BFC was only 40$ and at the saltwater stores he would have gone for 60$ or more, theo nly reason why I said "dont laugh at me" was because on the other forum I came from I got ridiculed bad for every thing!

 

[rayjay]

hopefully my clowns will host it
-TheChad

Maybe it's nitpicking, but an anemone hosts the clownfish, the clownfish doesn't do the hosting, it is the hosted.