Hermit v. anemone and Starfish v nitrates

We have compact florescents and the tank is about 2 mos post cycle.

 

I hate to say it but that anemone may be doomed what with your lighting, the age of the tank and the fact that it's in a tank with a chocolate chip star (who eat anemones as well as corals).

 

+1. Anemone's need powerful lighting and very stable tanks; shouldnt even be considered till the tank is somewhere around 12 months old

 

I agree with everyone about your lights but with regards to your question on the ID

It seems to be a condy

 

The anemone looks like Condylactis gigantea. They go by Condy for short. A pretty popular (and inexpensive) anemone, they do not have as stringent light requirments as their brethren. I have one in my tank. I run PCs. Now, do I recommend you keep yours under PCs? NO!!!!! I lucked out. Mine lived. Probably because I fed it silverside pieces every week or two religeously and didn't require it to sustain itself off my awful lighting.

So what to look for RE: Condy demise...the base needs to be a deep reddish color. Yours looks a little bleached. Probably stress. That is one thing. It needs to be able to attach easily to the rock. Most importantly, the tentlicles must be 'sticky'. If they are slimey, get it outta there. If an anemone goes in your tank, it likes to take the tank with it.

Now, the HC. Time for that to go. Also, the CC starfish need to go back as well. I have a Coral Banded Shrimp that will sift through the tenticles of mine looking for food, but that is all you should see....kind of a symbiotic relationship between a cleaner and something else.

Also, Jason is right about the age of the tank. You may be able to get away with six to eight months, depending on the tank, but 12 months is a very good number. When did I get mine? Right before the tank cycled. The anemone gods were looking after my condy (and me for that matter) when I came into the LFS that day.

 

We went back today and they are Condys.

Why do the Chchip stars have to go? After the second water change today, the levels seem to be down and they are starting to look better (starting to, not 100% or even close). As for the lighting, we have tons of Zoas growing all over the rock and they are thriving, we are gonna see how the anemone does in a couple days, his base is really light, so is another one in the tank they had, but the other two have bright red bases (idk crabby anemones?)
anyways thanks pharmrjohn for your input, prey to the anemone gods for me!

 

Zoanthids require less light than anemones do. The anemone is very light because it's lacking the zooxanthellae algae that keeps it alive. This is most likely due to it not having enough light.

 

:sweethearDoncha just love it when they use big words? *Swoons*

 

It was this color in the store along with 2 others that had the bright red bases.......