Anemone is bleaching. Too little light?

tjohnson139

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Hi

My Sherman rose anemone is bleaching. I think it's because of low lighting, but I can't tell. The anemone split, and half of it is hiding under a rock. They both eat but don't look happy.

I bought a fairly inexpensive par meter off Amazon. With the light intensity I was using, it showed about 75 par at its peak time at the anemone level. I turned the lights way up today and the level is now 162 at its peak time at the anemone level.

Was it low light that bleached it? I don't think it was too much light.

Also, since the par meter was only $100 off Amazon, is it accurate enough to even tell?

Thank you all!!!

20250827_174951.jpg 20250827_174840.jpg
 
So... anemones can move on their own. If they need more or less light, or more or less flow, they'll move to a spot they like better.

Bleaching typically is a response to too much light or poor chemistry. At 75 PAR, I'd say too much light wasn't the problem.

As for moving and hiding, anemones often do that after a split. But, again, they can find their own spot with conditions they like.
 
So... anemones can move on their own. If they need more or less light, or more or less flow, they'll move to a spot they like better.

Bleaching typically is a response to too much light or poor chemistry. At 75 PAR, I'd say too much light wasn't the problem.

As for moving and hiding, anemones often do that after a split. But, again, they can find their own spot with conditions they like.
Thank you. It's a new tank. Finished its cycle mid-June. Anemone and clowns added toward the end of June. Parameters look ok to me though. I tested three days ago:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 3-ish
Salinity: 1.023
PH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0
Phosphate. .1 to .2
Temp: between 77.5 and 80.

Thanks for all your help.
 
I think it is due to new and not settle tank. Try to accelerate tank maturity with seeding life sand and live rock. Your anemone split due to stress. Try to keep temp , salinity stable. BTA do not require a lot of light or water movement.
Good luck.
 
It's better to be 1 year in for anemones. But I added mine after 4 months too it was fine. But not thriving,. after a year the tank. It is now the biggest one I have and thriving so don't worry it will move on it's own especially for too low of light. I added one it disappeared for like a month. Now it's creeping out of the rocks. On its own
 
Increasing your par that much is a big change. It would be better to do it slowly over time to allow it to adjust. Imagine if the sun was twice as bright for you tomorrow.
 

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