Anemone Recomendations

[MHG]

Foe my birthday I will be trating myself to a purchase from Vivid aquariums. Likely a pair of ocellaris clownfish and an anemone. Any recomendations as far as the enemony goes?

I have 60 gallon cube with shallow aragonite sand bed, about 50 pounds of BRS eco rock and some branch rock on the bottom...Tons of LED lighting

I will have both sps and lps corals..

 

[deangelr]

Natural hosts available in the trade are gigantea and magnifica, I would go with one of those anemones..

 

[MHG]

Natural hosts available in the trade are gigantea and magnifica, I would go with one of those anemones..

Any idea as to a vendor? I do not see either of those on Vivids web site and a google is not looking to easy...

 

[deangelr]

They are not too tough to find.. I will send you a PM for some vendors..

I am sure vivid could find you one within a few months if you call them and are willing to be patient (given you said you would like to purchase from there).

 

[rssjsb]

Do you have any experience with anemones? Giganteas and magnificas are challenging to keep, even for experienced reefkeepers. It's hard to find a healthy one and they need very specific conditions to thrive. Gigs get huge and produce a lot of waste. And both of these nems need very high rates of random, chaotic flow. I think you'd need a substantial boost in water flow to achieve what they need.

Other types of nems BTAs, LTAs are easier to keep. The downside is that your clowns aren't natural symbionts so they may take a long time to figure it out, which can be frustrating. Mine took almost a year. I think it helps if the clowns are young. Once they pick a host and start spawning, I think it's harder to get them to move into an anemone that isn't a natural host.

 

[MHG]

Sorry...sometimes I think the nature of my question implies I am new...

I was looking at RBTA and LTA's but before I commit, I figured I would ask...

 

[OrionN]

In a 60 g cube it is difficult to arrange enough flow for Magnifica or Gigantea. It can be done if you get small anemones and essentially only keep the anemone and not much other coral. With a sand bed (need to be about 3 inches or more), I recommend a H. malu or a S. haddoni for anemone. They don't require tons of flow or tons of light. They are very colorful and beautiful also. They will settle on the sand bed and not wander and kill coral in a small tank

 

[MHG]

In a 60 g cube it is difficult to arrange enough flow for Magnifica or Gigantea. It can be done if you get small anemones and essentially only keep the anemone and not much other coral. With a sand bed (need to be about 3 inches or more), I recommend a H. malu or a S. haddoni for anemone. They don't require tons of flow or tons of light. They are very colorful and beautiful also. They will settle on the sand bed and not wander and kill coral in a small tank

Well I can easily add an inch or teo of sand to the back sides of the tank. That area is empty so hopefully he stays put. Vivid had small green carpet nems starting at $90.

 

[rssjsb]

Sand nems are good if you've got enough available space and want to avoid problems with corals.

What fish are you keeping (beyond the clowns you want to get)? Haddonis are very pretty, but can catch and eat fish, especially in a smaller tank. A malu or LTA may be a better option unless you've got a species tank.

 

[OrionN]

Please keep in mind that Carpet is a danger to fish other than clowns, especially fish that move around on the sand bed like dragonette. Bright green carper is great. You won't have problem getting A. percula to move into one.

 

[bLac2]

Like some of the other members here have mentioned, it is quite hard to keep the anemone you're looking for. Although if you feel you have the proper experience to attempt it, by all means go for it and keep us posted on your success! As far as a basic "fun to watch" if you will, would be a basic BTA and two of your liking clowns... You might see a split or a host! You never know! Either way, keep us updated on what you do!

 

[MHG]

As far as my fish go: I have a corris wrasse, two chromis, a fire fish, a dispar anthis and I am looking for to clowns...I was considering a mandering but my corris wrasse allone has desimated my pod population so I will probably not...

I did have a diamond goby but he has been my only death so far. Not sure why but I maye replace him or get some sort of blenny


I have about an 8" X 8" empty space on either side of my overflow. Since that area is sort of on the back of my rock work, I wont have any corals within a foot or more... I was consideing addins sand to that area and getting an BTA, LTA or Green Carpet. Assuming I can get it to stay put.

I rarely see any good nems at the LFS so since ordering online requires auch a big expenditure to avoid shipping, my plan was to get the pair of clawns and the nem (as well as a piece of coral or a small clam). That would be about it for my livestock (except for my few corals on the front and top of my rock work).

This vid will give you an idea on the space...(I dont have the last of my corals yet)

http://youtu.be/KEwzQt85pVk

 

[rssjsb]

You can't keep a BTA on the sand. They set their feet in crevices in the rock. You could do an LTA but may need add some sand. I would avoid the haddoni.

 

[OrionN]

You will loose fish if you keep a Haddoni

 

[deangelr]

You won't have problem getting A. percula to move into one.

Talking haddoni or gig? I was never able to get my percs to associate with S. haddoni.. Drive me nuts, and as aggressive fish eaters they will eat percula clowns which are the smallest and weakest swimmers of the clownfish IMO.. I know several reefers to loss percs to haddoni.. This is not a combo I would try without precautions..

 

[MHG]

I have planty of space on my rock if I get BTA. But as I can get a LTA online for $30 I will probably go that way.

 

[Crkbaby]

I love my sebae anemone if you can find one bothers nothing and has been healthy for me for years hosts my clowns just fine. A BTA is the way to go if you are in a hurry though.

 

[MHG]

No hurry. got another month or so till my birthday when my tank reaches 6 months. I figured I would do an online order...

 

[rssjsb]

I have planty of space on my rock if I get BTA. But as I can get a LTA online for $30 I will probably go that way.

If you've got any corals on your rocks, an LTA is a better way to go. I would characterize them as slightly harder to get acclimated than a BTA, but won't pose a threat to corals on your rocks. BTAs move, so you can't count on them staying put in the space you've set aside for them.