Anemone experts, I would like to ask your opinion please

[sugartooth]

Hello,

Initially, I wanted to end up with Haddoni's for Picasso and Rod's clowns I have. However, it seems that I would not be able to properly house them long term in a cube (55 gal) tank.

The dims on the tanks are 29"x22"x20" (approx.)

The lighting will be 250w halide DE suppl. w/ T5's
I will have a vortech in there as well.


It seems the only option I have is the BTA, is this correct? I really like the look of the Haddoni, are there others that resemble it but won't get too large for the cube?

If BTA is my only option, are there such things as yellow BTA?

Thanks very much for any info and suggestions.

 

[reefman13]

Actually, I would say that you would be okay with one Haddoni if that is something you want. You will just have to feed it sparingly if you plan on having it long term.

BTA's can grow quite large as well, I have seen some at the 20" mark.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Yea, I agree. Before I sold it, my BTA was bigger then my Haddoni, and have had the Haddoni longer.

I feed mine ( have two Haddonis ) about twice a month, and their growth rate is pretty slow, but still healthy.

Here is a picture from a couple of months ago (( before I sold the BTA )) the yellow/tan Haddoni has been with me for about 7 years now, the blue one about 8 month. The blue one doubled its size since I got it because I was feeding it often, now I have cut back.

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks very much, I thought if BTA get too big, they just split and you can thin them out?

You can't do so with a Haddoni, correct?

 

[Toddrtrex]

Mine ( the one in the picture ) had split several times, and was still as big -- and I rarely fed it.

I personally haven't heard of a Haddoni splitting, and I know that mine haven't. I believe that they will form a bud that will fall off (( or normal spawning. ))

 

[SPARTAN VI]

Wow, how hard was it to remove that huge BTA from your tank?

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11432772#post11432772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SPARTAN VI
Wow, how hard was it to remove that huge BTA from your tank?

At first I was going to sell it with the rock, but the night before I moved the rock a bit -- just to make it easier to get out. When I woke up the next morning it wasn't happy with how I left it and it started to move. I got really lucky with the timing and was able to move it into a tupperware container (( with holes in the lid )) to hold it while I was at work before the buyer showed up.

 

[traveller7]

Re: Anemone experts, I would like to ask your opinion please

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11432216#post11432216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sugartooth
Initially, I wanted to end up with Haddoni's for Picasso and Rod's clowns I have. However, it seems that I would not be able to properly house them long term in a cube (55 gal) tank.

Tank is fine for either if landscaped appropriately.

I would not provide Haddoni as a host for ocellaris or percula clowns.

 

[sugartooth]

traveller- Thanks very much, are there options that would be more suitable that look similar to haddoni?

 

[ssagent]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11432491#post11432491 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
Yea, I agree. Before I sold it, my BTA was bigger then my Haddoni, and have had the Haddoni longer.

I feed mine ( have two Haddonis ) about twice a month, and their growth rate is pretty slow, but still healthy.

Here is a picture from a couple of months ago (( before I sold the BTA )) the yellow/tan Haddoni has been with me for about 7 years now, the blue one about 8 month. The blue one doubled its size since I got it because I was feeding it often, now I have cut back.

I like your blue handdonis. Really nice!

 

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11432928#post11432928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sugartooth
traveller- Thanks very much, are there options that would be more suitable that look similar to haddoni?

None that are commonly available(mertensi) or have high success rates(gigantea).

Haddoni in small spaces are very successful fish eaters, sometimes, even the clowns it is hosting.

 

[GSMguy]

Finding a healthy gigantea in your area would be ideal.

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks GSM and traveller. Are there different types of gigantea? Why is it so difficult to find and care for?

I ask because I did a quick google and some say it's easy to moderate to care for...also, it doesn't look much like the haddoni. The pictures I see look like a LTA.

Is this correct or is there a different kind?

Thanks again.

 

[garygb]

Maybe you are looking at Condylactis gigantea, because Stichodactyla gigantea doesn't look anything like a LTA. S. gigantea is one of the three species of carpets and it looks like a carpet. S. gigantea can be hardy if you get a good specimen to begin with; however, often they do not ship well and generally are less frequently imported compared to S. haddoni. S. gigantea is the smallest of the three species of carpets, S. mertensii the largest and S. haddoni somewhere in between. Also, S. haddoni is the least demanding of the three. Of the host anemones, BTA's and S. haddoni are generally considered the easiest to care for successfully in aquaria.

 

[sugartooth]

Thanks garygb, you were right. I was looking at the wrong gigantea....it was Condylactis and not Stichodactyla.

I hope I am able to find a healthy S. gigantea local to me.

I also hope I am able to keep them succesfully!!

Wishing you the season's best everyone!