Observations - The Tank After a Week

It's is a week ago tomorrow that the new inhabitants were "rescued" to my tank (and this week's tribulations explain why "rescue" is in quotes).

I don't have anything much planned today for the tank except to monitor the anemone.  I may do another ZooPlex feeding for the Clowns and drop in some pellets to see if the Cardinals are interested in food today (they haven't eaten much to speak of).

I've since learned that it is indeed possible to nurture a bleached anemone back from the brink.  It takes at least a month of constant care and attention (including ACTUALLY doing the right thing, intent will get you nowhere), which I think I have in me.  The anemone, being in the house not even a week yet, has already attained an esteemed place in the household - everyone is concerned and it's the first thing we check every time we approach the tank.

I've cut back the daylights to 4 hours.  We'll see how that goes.  Actinics will still be running for about 12, though.  I'm going to pick up some Mysis shrimp so that I may begin to feed the anemone something beneficial - the grocery bag of sea parts has a chemical used in detergents, plus it includes phosphates which short term will promote algae growth, long term will gain notoriety with nitrates and require water changes.

Here are photos of everyone today.  They are taken with actinics only using the flash from my phone.

The anemone is looking nice and full if only slightly bleached - it's at least progressing.

With the current low lighting conditions, I don't expect much growth out of the
mushrooms.  I do hope, however, they can at least maintain themselves.

Star polyps seem to be doing fine in mostly-actinic lighting.

Also, looking at my water tests, I see ammonia and nitrites trending down.  Nitrites were actually at zero today, and ammonia is half what it was yesterday.  And nitrates have been steady for three days, too.  All good news.  Perhaps within the next few days both ammonia and nitrites we stay at zero.  Then I can stick to watching nitrates solely.

While I'm at the LFS for the Mysis, I may pick up a phosphate test kit.  Just one more thing to over-analyze, I suppose.  But it's good information to know.