anemone care

[bsmith22]

My 55 gallon tank is 3 months old. Water conditions are good:
pH 8.3
Spg 1.023
Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and phosphate all 0. Double checked readings with "That Fish Place" in Lancaster yesterday.
Calcium 450

I have been wanting to get a pair of clownfish, but want to get them an anemone or plate coral for them to host in before I buy the fish.

What types of anemones or long tentacle corals would survive in a tank this young (if any).

I have T5 lighting and am not interested in getting MHs (if that matters).

Also I've read that its best to just release the anemone into the tank and let it find a suitable place to rest on its own. Is this correct?

The only fish in my tank atm are 2 Blue yellow-tail damsels. They can either stay or go... and a variety of snails & hermits.

 

[Nereaga]

How much wattage of T5's do you have?

I would not put an anenome in a tank younger than 6 months old. HOWEVER, I broke that rule already! I have a BTA in my 4 month old tank and he is doing great! I also have tons of SPS too. Although, I downgraded to a smaller tank and my rock was 2 yrs old.

I would remove the damsels if you plan on adding any other fish, as tey are bullies and are not good fish, IMO.

I would also up your salinity to around 1.025-1.026 before adding in any corals, as 1.0264 is natural seawater levels.

You can release the anenome anywhere you like, but if is not getting what it needs, he will move until he finds a good spot where he will get what he needs. He might never find a good spot and constantly roam.... You never know...

Brad

 

[Anemonebuff]

If you are planning on making the tank for anemones only than you can place the anemone just about anywhere. But if you are planning to add corals later than I would suggest making a rock "island" and place the anemone there, it will isolate the anemone to avoid any warfare.

How many T5's do you use and what is the total wattage and color temp of the bulbs?

What flow are you using?(GPH)

Are there powerheads in the tank?

What clowns do you want?(Different clowns host different anemones)

 

[bsmith22]

I have a TEK T5 HO lighting package from ReefGeek.
Bulbs are:
UVL Super Actinic 75/25
ATI Blue Plus 54W
ATI Aquablue special 54W/ 12000K
GE 6500 Daylight 54W

I will raise my specific gravity with my next water change.

I guess I can wait a few more months to get one just to be sure it makes it. I will just continue adding my hardier corals until then.

The damsels were added near the end of my cycle and have been doing great. I will most likely move them once I start adding other fish.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[bsmith22]

I have 2 maxi-jet power heads for flow. One 600 with eco-mod and the other is a 400.

I'd like to get a pair of Ocellaris. I know they can do fine without an anemone to host...but I like the looks of them.

As far as other corals, I have zoas and ricordea mushrooms now, but plan on getting more in the same family. Not really loving any other types of coral atm.

 

[Anemonebuff]

You have enough light for just about any anemone or coral. IME the damsels will be fine, particularly with clownfish. I had one of my original damsels for 4 years.

Also your SG is fine, I had my BTA(Bubble Tip Anemones) in a 55 years back and my SG was 1.023. Stability is more important IMO. I also had 4x110 watt VHOs. They split numerous times and hosted my tomato clown and later a Clarkii.

Do some research on the clowns you want, after you decide which kind you want then you can research the compatable anemone.

My clown was hosted by a Toadstool at one time:

She now is hosted by my Bubble coral:

My Clarkiis lived in this carpet anemone until I sold the anemone(ate too many of my fish):

Now they live in this leather:

 

[bsmith22]

I know the types of anemones this type of clownfish host in the wild, but trying to find them for sale is another story.

I have seen clowns hosting a lot of different type corals, so I guess they adjust to whatever they may have available to them.

 

[Anemonebuff]

I no longer keep anemones. I do kind of miss them, however, they take more work and are far more unpredictable than corals. I like the fact that corals stay put.

 

[afboundguy]

One thing to consider is what kind of corals you plan on keeping further down the road... BTA's like to move a lot and split and when they do they'll destroy a tank...

+1 on the waiting until the 6 month mark but that's just my opinion...

I've also seen clowns hosting softies and other LPS and it's kind of a cool sight plus you don't have to worry about it moving and killing other corals...

 

[abulgin]

You have enough light for just about any anemone or coral. IME the damsels will be fine, particularly with clownfish. I had one of my original damsels for 4 years.

I don't agree with this statement. His only daylight bulbs are the Aquablue special and the 6500 daylight. The TEK fixture is a fine fixture, but even with its individual reflectors I don't think this configuration is enough "for just about any anemone or coral". This would be fine for corallimorphs and some of the lower light loving LPS, but I think you'll have a hard time keeping an anemone or SPS happy, unless you place them very high in this tank.

Also your SG is fine, I had my BTA(Bubble Tip Anemones) in a 55 years back and my SG was 1.023. Stability is more important IMO. I also had 4x110 watt VHOs.

Again, I don't agree. Almost anyone you ask and any book you read will tell you that SG lower than 1.025 in a reef tank is too low long term. As stated above, SG in reef tanks should be in the 1.025-1.026 range.

I think the OP is setting himself up for failure with an anemone given the fact that he has zoas and shrooms, which are very noxious and will likely wage chemical warfare on any anemone in the tank. Also, you need to worry about power heads, as anemones seem to have an affinity for intakes.

If it were me, given your current stock and lighting fixture, I would find a lower light loving LPS, like a bubble coral, for your clows. Also, note that often times captive raised clowns will not take to an anemone or similar looking coral for some reason, so nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Anemonebuff]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14721973#post14721973 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abulgin
I don't agree with this statement. His only daylight bulbs are the Aquablue special and the 6500 daylight. The TEK fixture is a fine fixture, but even with its individual reflectors I don't think this configuration is enough "for just about any anemone or coral". This would be fine for corallimorphs and some of the lower light loving LPS, but I think you'll have a hard time keeping an anemone or SPS happy, unless you place them very high in this tank.



Again, I don't agree. Almost anyone you ask and any book you read will tell you that SG lower than 1.025 in a reef tank is too low long term. As stated above, SG in reef tanks should be in the 1.025-1.026 range.

I think the OP is setting himself up for failure with an anemone given the fact that he has zoas and shrooms, which are very noxious and will likely wage chemical warfare on any anemone in the tank. Also, you need to worry about power heads, as anemones seem to have an affinity for intakes.

If it were me, given your current stock and lighting fixture, I would find a lower light loving LPS, like a bubble coral, for your clows. Also, note that often times captive raised clowns will not take to an anemone or similar looking coral for some reason, so nothing is guaranteed.

He has 4 T5 54 watt bulbs with a variety of spectrums. The T5s that he has will be fine for SPS corals near the top and LPS and anemones lower. You may want to do some more research on t5s.

Secondly, 1.025 is the average reef SG, which means that there are places with SGs that are higher and lower that support the same reef life. I used to keep my old tanks(29 and a 55) at 1.023 with anemones, LPS and softies under VHOs(110 watt x 4) and was very successful at keeping them all. I keep my current tank at a SG of 1.024 and my corals are growing wonderfully.

As far as the chemical wafare goes, I will agree that ,IME, anemones and shrooms do not agree with eachother. However, I did not have any problems from having anemones and zoas touching.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I can almost tell the salinity of my tanks by looking at my anemones (( 4 Haddonis and 1 LTA )). Anytime it varies from 1.026 they look "off", I would recommend keeping it at 1.026.

Any time those anemones come into contact with any of my zoas they zoas close up.

(( should note the LTA is in a tank by itself, I have found the LTAs and Haddonis don't do well in the same tank together. ))