Nitrate!

Blackheart wrote:
how new? if you're a "newbie", you probably shouldn't have an anemone.

Too late. I jumped in with both feet. grin But, I think you are
right. I wouldn't recommend somebody getting in like I did.

I heard that it's "hard", but then I've been told that about a number of
things. Orchids, for example, and, I have quite a few orchids that
bloom regularly. However, I think an aquarium is considerably harder,
more demanding, and less forgiving.

Seems like my nitrate is subsiding. It's already down noticeably and I
did another 10 gallon water change. I'll check again tomorrow.

--Kurt

Anemone, tough call. I got 3 bubbletips and they slowly die.
They need good water quality, strong light, sometimes manual feeding, and
most of all (on my case),
Be far from the filter since they move a lot and get trap on
filters/powerheads.

I think I'm done with them since I got some coral. Besides clownfish will
hide most of the day and become more territorial.

As I said once, do everyting you can (water changes/manual feeding/get some
lights) to keep it alive but under your conditions my advice would be to
take it back to your LFS and trade it for something else.

Good luck,

Ruben




"KurtG" wrote in message
news:zinhh.243$_X.22@bigfe9...
Blackheart wrote:
how new? if you're a "newbie", you probably shouldn't have an anemone.

Too late. I jumped in with both feet. grin But, I think you are
right. I wouldn't recommend somebody getting in like I did.

I heard that it's "hard", but then I've been told that about a number of
things. Orchids, for example, and, I have quite a few orchids that
bloom regularly. However, I think an aquarium is considerably harder,
more demanding, and less forgiving.

Seems like my nitrate is subsiding. It's already down noticeably and I
did another 10 gallon water change. I'll check again tomorrow.

--Kurt

RubenD wrote:
Anemone, tough call. I got 3 bubbletips and they slowly die.
They need good water quality, strong light, sometimes manual feeding, and
most of all (on my case),
Be far from the filter since they move a lot and get trap on
filters/powerheads.

I've lost two: One to predation and the other to a powerhead from hell
(1800 l/hr now removed).

So far, all are doing much better. The bubble tip is staying put, but
the ritteri does move around. I have two smaller ones that the clowns
ignore and they seem to have found a home and are staying put as well.

--Kurt

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:55:08 -0500, KurtG
wrote:

RubenD wrote:
Anemone, tough call. I got 3 bubbletips and they slowly die.
They need good water quality, strong light, sometimes manual feeding, and
most of all (on my case),
Be far from the filter since they move a lot and get trap on
filters/powerheads.

I've lost two: One to predation and the other to a powerhead from hell
(1800 l/hr now removed).

So far, all are doing much better. The bubble tip is staying put, but
the ritteri does move around. I have two smaller ones that the clowns
ignore and they seem to have found a home and are staying put as well.

--Kurt

Kurt,

If, as you are implying, your anemonies are still thriving, your water
conditions are possibly not too bad. It may be that the testkits are
giving false readings. If so, you are trying to fix something that
"ain't broke". Remember that hobbyist-kits are not very accurate, even
when first bought, and deteriorate rapidly with age. If you can, take
a small polybag of water to a LFS for confirmation of your readings.
If you are a regular customer, they may make tests free.

Regards, Fishnut.

wrote:
Remember that hobbyist-kits are not very accurate, even
when first bought, and deteriorate rapidly with age. If you can, take
a small polybag of water to a LFS for confirmation of your readings.
If you are a regular customer, they may make tests free.

I bought another kit just for this reason. Most tests correlate well,
but Nitrate is the big difference. One is registered at 25 and the
other 50 (I can't remember if it was ppm or some other measurement).
The newer kit had the lower value.

My Bubble anemone was the one that was ailing. I had starved it of
light hoping to get it to move out of the back. It finally moved, but
it didn't look very well; hence, the panic.

I've slowly increased lighting & water quality, and it's looking much
better. It's clown is bordering on a psychotic obsession (!), but it
seems happy as well.

The ritteri and others look great.

--Kurt

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 10:39:00 -0500, KurtG
wrote:

snip .
It's clown is bordering on a psychotic obsession (!), but it
seems happy as well.

The ritteri and others look great.

--Kurt

I have always viewed all clowns as being psychotic. They do suffer
from excessive compulsive behavior



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

Most if not all lFS here in the states use the same exact hobby ty0pe
kits they sell to test water. MOst foks wil not pay big bucks for
higher end kits and IMHO they really are not needed either, so its
kind of hard to have a LFS sell low end but use a high end to check
water. Its like owning a Ford dealership but the owner drives a Chevy.

NItrates are a by product of what and how much you feed. Reduce
feeding amounts and even amount of times yu feed, and look at what yur
feeding. Also look at the water osurce. Lots of water has high nitrate
already. Are you usuing a rodi unit for water? Is its filters in good
shape? You can add macro algae like Chaeto morphia, or even some types
of calurpea, as they are good at exporting nitrates. Shaving brush
p0lants also work as does some corals like Xenia and yellow polyps.


On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 14:34:43 GMT, wrote:

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:55:08 -0500, KurtG
wrote:

RubenD wrote:
Anemone, tough call. I got 3 bubbletips and they slowly die.
They need good water quality, strong light, sometimes manual feeding, and
most of all (on my case),
Be far from the filter since they move a lot and get trap on
filters/powerheads.

I've lost two: One to predation and the other to a powerhead from hell
(1800 l/hr now removed).

So far, all are doing much better. The bubble tip is staying put, but
the ritteri does move around. I have two smaller ones that the clowns
ignore and they seem to have found a home and are staying put as well.

--Kurt

Kurt,

If, as you are implying, your anemonies are still thriving, your water
conditions are possibly not too bad. It may be that the testkits are
giving false readings. If so, you are trying to fix something that
"ain't broke". Remember that hobbyist-kits are not very accurate, even
when first bought, and deteriorate rapidly with age. If you can, take
a small polybag of water to a LFS for confirmation of your readings.
If you are a regular customer, they may make tests free.

Regards, Fishnut.



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

I also have made a resolution to never ever buy anyhting but fish and
clean up crews that are capable of moiving aorund on its own. Never
ever will I buy any mobile corals. Its a never ending hassle keeping
them happy. If its not food its water if its not water its light, if
not light its current flow, if its not current flow its
location........the list never ends, and just when yu think they are
happy where they are at, and re-arrange everything to suit "their"
chosen location they pack up and move again.


On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:55:08 -0500, KurtG
wrote:

RubenD wrote:
Anemone, tough call. I got 3 bubbletips and they slowly die.
They need good water quality, strong light, sometimes manual feeding, and
most of all (on my case),
Be far from the filter since they move a lot and get trap on
filters/powerheads.

I've lost two: One to predation and the other to a powerhead from hell
(1800 l/hr now removed).

So far, all are doing much better. The bubble tip is staying put, but
the ritteri does move around. I have two smaller ones that the clowns
ignore and they seem to have found a home and are staying put as well.

--Kurt



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

Tristan wrote:

I also have made a resolution to never ever buy anyhting but fish and
clean up crews that are capable of moiving aorund on its own.

I think the moto is "don't fight it". They seem to have a mind of their
own.

I've been trying to reward them with additional light when they stay in
the spot I'd like them to. But, they'll up and wonder for no good
reason, but I reduce the lighting until they return. Then I increase
lighting again. Don't know if it works, but it does seem to.

--Kurt