continuing anemone issues

[k8edid]

I'm having some issues keeping anemones from committing suicide in my tank. It's a 90 gallon tall, I have 4 T5 bulbs of various types that I can control individually, water is good (just did a 20% change yesterday using RO based medium salt mix). Tank is well established for several years.
So, I have tried several times to keep a bubble tip for my clown fish pair. It usually takes a couple of days, but then the darn anemone decides to go into hiding over night. It then hides and shrinks until it basically disappears.
YYesterday, I did the water change, went through the acclimation process, and added a new healthy large bubble tip. I fed some thawed mysis, as usual about 6pm, the anemone accepted some placed near it with the squeeze bulb, and 30 minutes later I began the cycle of gradually turning off the lights.
This morning, the blasted thing has gone into hiding already. My husband is going to have a fit when he notices, and insist that I'm on my way to killing another one.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? I don't have a problem with fish, and I still have the very first fish that I ever bought, which is healthy and vibrant.

[350gt]

Im in the same boat, i cannot keep btas or mushrooms for some reason... They shrivel up and disappear, I've been wanting to try again....

I do have a tube anemone thats been with me for a good while though...

[Kristy]

That is not a lot of light for an anemone in a deep tank like that. You would definitely need it placed right below the light and high in the tank. Also, easy on the feeding. They mostly make their own food with the light. The nem could be dispelling waste after the feeding - they tend to deflate down to nothing to dispel waste - but then will inflate up nicely again within a couple hours.

What is your flow situation? My bubble tips (we have six of them) like quite a lot of flow but if they are directly being blasted with it, they'll get stressed.

Some of the anemones for sale in the fish stores are doomed before you even get them home. They have a rough time during collection and transport. I would advise getting one from a fellow MAAST member, as those are generally much healthier, are used to tank conditions, and will have a much easier adjustment.

[aquasport24]

Don't feed them in the first a couple of days, it's hard to try to digesting anything while it's stressing in new environment. Let it settle in first then feed it.Good luck .

[THE_BEAST]

Do you have a heater maintaining the same temp all day every day. My nems would move around a lot. Then I got a heater and boom haven't moved at all! Maybe that could be the problem. But also the light issue too

[Big_Pun]

I've been very lucky with BTA's. like stated above I put then in a spot where they can extend into the flow but tuck back in if they feel threaten also I have never directly fed my nems. the light should give them plenty of energy to live with a few pieces of food that floats by when I feed the fish. what are your water parameters like

[aquasport24]

They will be moving around til they find a sweet spot, you need to place a panty hose around the power head while it on the move.

[k8edid]

Thanks for all the advice. I don'Thanksk it's the lights as I am actually growing some Duncans at the same level in the tank. Flow is good and not directly on the anemone. Water tests all good. I have 3 heaters spaced around the tank and a 4th in my overflow to manage temperature fluctuations. So,you can understand why I'm perplexed by the problem.
The anemone has now come back out and almost in the exact same place that I put it yesterday.
Maybe I just panic this morning.

[aquasport24]

Good to hear..wow , too many heaters.One nice size heater should do it, it doesn't get that cold here anymore. The more equipment the more things can go wrong.

[Dean]

I had a hard time keeping nems also until I stopped purchasing them online and bought from local people that had them in in their own tanks for a long time. I would suggest to anyone wanting a nem to buy a clone from another individuals tank or a nem that has adapted to aquarium life in someone else's tank first. Between this forum and the Austin forum there is always someone selling a nice one.

- Dean

[Bill S]

I'll second or third the advice on buying a clone. They will have a much better chance of surviving. Also, how old is your tank? Nems tend to like older established tanks.

[k8edid]

Thanks everyone. I have tried getting the clones from people that I know, and those didn't do any better unfortunately. This one is an attempt to keep the clowns from killing the Duncans with their "love." So far, so good. This one has found a spot directly under the spot that I put him to begin with, and he uses the rock that he came in on to hide under when the lights go out. After the lights come back on, he gets around to extending out into view.

I run 4 small heaters as a double redundancy. Those are also on 2 different circuits. This hobby is one of trial and error. My first tank in 1990 was a FOWLR with an under gravel filter. I shut that down and sold all when I moved to Texas. Took a couple of years before I got back into it.
I have had my share of disasters, leaks, bursting hoses, equipment failures, vacation non-feeders (people). So, I have made everything that I can have some sort of backup. Spare pumps and hoses in the cabinet for that "o heck no" moment. I have built my own denitrator and such.

My current tank has been in continuous operation now for almost 10 years. I have had a couple of other tank configs over that 10 years, but have kept coming back to this one. Now I'm getting impatient to try a "new" config of a shallow tank, say 8' x 1' x 1' or so. Usually I get the new one set up physically, put some new water in it, and start transferring sand, rocks, heaters, etc. and by the end of a week everything gets moved. This time I am also adding some new plumbing to the house - a sink with tap and drain, and a small RO unit that attaches to the tap - in the wall next to the placement of the new tank hidden by a pantry type cupboard.

My husband has been a cancer patient and when he was not doing well, his favorite activity was to watch the tank. Beats the heck out of what's on the tube.

Thanks.

[Dean]

You know, I also wanted nems mainly for the clownfish / anemone symbiotic relationship. When I did find the right BTA for my tank my clowns did not want to have anything to do with it. They LOVE their toadstool leather coral and would have nothing to do with any mere BTA. The great thing about that is you don't have to worry about where the toadstool may end up in the morning. Much more than you can say for anemones. I ended up selling and trading my anemones off because sooner or later they would take to wondering around. Besides, the clowns thought they were stinky or something.