As the popularity of keeping corals and anemones in aquariums continues to increase with each passing year, the number of people that are reaching out with questions about their corals is also increase too.
The long tentacle anemone has proven to be a big hit recently with more and more people choosing to add it to their aquariums.
Although it is a relativley beginner friendly anemone to keep in a tank, we have noticed a number of people reaching out about the long tentacle anemone lighting requirements to try and make sure that they are offering their coral the best environment possible.
Due to problems with lighting for anemones being so common and one of the main reasons that long tentacle anemone anemones end up dying, we wanted to publish a dedicated article on the topic to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
How Much Light Do Long Tentacle Anemones Need?
As with most corals, the long tentacle anemone needs a moderate to high level of lighting in order to do well.
Just keep in mind that some of the cheaper lighting units on the market have inaccuare control dials as well as inconsistent bulbs.
This is a very common problem that we see time and time again as people think that they are giving the ir long tentacle anemone a moderate light intensity because that’s what their light is setup as but their long tentacle anemone shows symptoms of problems with light.
The more expensive lighting units tend to have better quality bulbs as well as more accurate dials so that you can be sure that you are providing your anemone with the correct amount of light.
It is definitely worth spending a bit more money on a quality lighting unit if you are serious about keeping corals and anemones in your aquarium.
What Type Of Lighting Is Best for Long Tentacle Anemones?
In our opinion, the best type of lighting for long tentacle anemones are LED units.
They have a number of advantages over other types of lighting such as being more energy efficient, having a longer lifespan and they also emit very little heat compared to other lights.
LED units also have the ability to produce a wide range of colors which can really make your aquarium look amazing.
If you are looking for a specific color of light for your long tentacle anemone, then LED units are definitely the way to go.
What Is The Best Lighting Schedule For Long Tentacle Anemones?
We recommend a 12 hour light cycle for long tentacle anemones with the lights being on for 12 hours and then off for 12 hours.
This is the lighting schedule that we have found to work the best in our experience.
Of course, you can adjust this schedule to suit your own needs and other lighting schedules can work well for long tentacle anemones but the rest of your tank setup will come into play on this too.
Where Do You Place The Long Tentacle Anemone For Optimal Lighting?
As the long tentacle anemone requires a moderate to high level of light, you will need to place it somewhere in your aquarium where it can receive the correct amount of light.
We recommend placing the long tentacle anemone towards the top of your aquarium as this is usually where the highest concentration of light is but other lighting setups with high intensity may require you to place your long tentacle anemone lower in your tank.
We have a fully guide going over long tentacle anemone placement that goes into more detail on this as well as how to ensure it gets the water flow and nutrients it needs too.
Do Long Tentacle Anemones Like White Or Blue Light?
In our experience, long tentacle anemones seem to do best under white light with a blue spectrum but this is not essential.
Some people have had success keeping long tentacle anemones under blue light or even a mix of the two.
A 14-20K color spectrum seems to work well for long tentacle anemones but as with most things, the rest of your tank setup will also come into play.
Are Led Lights Good for Long Tentacle Anemones?
Yes, we believe that LED lights are the best type of light for long tentacle anemones.
This is because they are more energy efficient, have a longer lifespan and they also emit very little heat compared to other lights.
LED units also have the ability to produce a wide range of colors which can really make your aquarium look amazing.
If you are looking for a specific color of light for your long tentacle anemone, then LED units are definitely the way to go.
