Anemone questions

[CoryB]

My current set up is a 29 bio cube. Everything tests perfect.

My lighting is DIY 10 6w leds and 10 3w leds. My BTA seems to be happy latched onto a hole in a rock and tips are out with good color.

One of my questions is light intensity. Right now I have this light at about 30%. How do I know if the nem is getting enough light? When should I turn up the intensity or should I just leave it at 30%? I don't want to bleach it and it seems to be happy but don't want to create problems as well.

Secondly I made the decision long ago to not get a protein skimmer but with the new nem and pair of clown fish. Is this something I should think about doing? I plan on getting more nems and coral as well.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading.

 

[Rmckoy]

I don't have led so I think I should leave the lighting question for someone more experienced with that to answer .
As for the nem and skimmer
I have had a ritteri anemone for the last year and being notoriously the hardest nem to keep I seam to be doing pretty good .
I went away for a weekend last May and got a friend to check on things for me , needless to say I came home to a over heated tank and a white nem .
Since then I have nursed her back to colour .
And she has found a place she loves .
Pretty high up on the rocks , right dead centre lol I'll attach a picture .
So they say a anemone that travels isn't a happy anemone .

As for a skimmer ?
What's your set up ?
Size , stock , filtration ?
I wouldn't personally run. Reef without a skimmer ,
But It can be done and successfully ,
I only have a canister filter that I only run Purigen and filter floss .
I rely on the skimmer and 2lbs of rock per gallon as my main source of filtration .



This is the most recent picture .

 

[Rmckoy]

It's a little darker then the previous picture ,
It's taken after lights out too .

 

[CoryB]

My setup is a 29 bio cube, about 30lbs of rock, 4in sand bed, and in the back filter floss (that I change once a week) and the stock bio balls. That's it for filtration.

Like I said I'm not seeing an issue with anything but I want to be proactive and make sure my animals survive.

Stock is pretty bare for now
2 OC clowns 1 in in length.
1 BTA about 2 inches in diameter.
I plan on adding a small CUC and maybe another fish and more nems and coral.

 

[bribo12]

You should be fine. If it is not stretching or moving constantly I'd say it's happy where it is. I wouldn't mess with the light intensity.

 

[Rmckoy]

My setup is a 29 bio cube, about 30lbs of rock, 4in sand bed, and in the back filter floss (that I change once a week) and the stock bio balls. That's it for filtration. Like I said I'm not seeing an issue with anything but I want to be proactive and make sure my animals survive. Stock is pretty bare for now 2 OC clowns 1 in in length. 1 BTA about 2 inches in diameter. I plan on adding a small CUC and maybe another fish and more nems and coral.

I have 3 clowns , my ritteri is 12" - 16" dia
I also have a small maxi mini carpet anemone .
I have a bigger bio load and don't think I would change running my system without a skimmer ,
Have you researched anything good or bad about bio balls?
I think every system is different . And the only way you will know if you need more filtration / nutrient extracted from the system is to test .
As long as it is working for you though why change it ?
If it's not broken don't fix it

 

[CoryB]

Thanks for the responses.

I will leave the lights alone, and just monitor.

You are right it's not broke just looking to make sure I'm not setting myself up for failure.

As far as the bio balls, I have pre filters because I read they do collect a lot of fish poop and such. If I could do it over I would take them out and put live rock in but I don't want to do that now and risk crashing the system.

I do want to add some more base rock but again don't know the best way to add it to an established system.

 

[Rmckoy]

Adding more rocks is fairly easy .
If you are buying dry dead base rock ,
That is clean and cured you can just place it in .
Be careful adding rock from another tank or something that has been out if water .
I recently added 70 lbs to the existing 75 lbs I had already .
I bought all the livestock from a guy that was closing his tank .
I put some of the rocks directly into my tank and took the rest and had them in a bucket and cycled them letting everything die off .

 

[CoryB]

Ok thanks for the help. I'll just continue on monitoring everything.

One more question. My nem is open in the morning and by the time I get home it's closed in its cave. I am assuming the one clown that's hanging out by him is trying to host but the nem refuses. Is this a problem, can my clown bully the nem to death? The clown is about as big as the nem.