Anemone substitute for Clownfish?

[ichthyogeek]

I'm debating getting a pair of clownfish for my 55 (A. ocellaris), and was wondering what would be a good anemone substitute? I love the way that clownfish live in anemones, but I'm not good enough to take care of a nem yet. So what's a good coral that looks like an anemone, but is much easier to care for? Preferably not toxic like Sarcophyton leathers, and not too stingy. A lower price range would be good too!

 

[ThRoewer]

Believe it or not, but in my opinion giganteas are actually pretty easy. Besides high light, good flow and halfway decent water quality they have not too much demands.
I keep a tan one from LiveAquaria now for over half a year in a 10 gallon tank. I don't bother with testing water quality and by now water changes are also rather sporadic, yet the anemone is doing OK (it would likely do great with weekly water changes)
The really important thing is the light. I have it under a Kessil A360WE (though a N would be better) which I run at 100% intensity and 80% color with slow ramp-up and down.

The only issue with gigs is that they may need treatment and during that time also excellent water quality.

As for substitutes - I can't really recommend corals as they either might endanger the fish or the fish may damage them.
Green star polyps may work if you let them grow over a suitable structure (ceramic bowl or large flowerpot). At least one of my percula pairs liked those. In fact they liked them better than all the anemones I tried (BTA, malu, crispa, maxi-mini). The only one they finally accepted was a gig.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I'm still reluctant to get a Gig because they are known fish eaters. Not so much the clownfish but other tank inhabitants. I'm going to get rid of my 4 BTA's and probably get a larger green BTA. I had one I bought from Petco back in March but it didn't make it. Too bleached and too sick and of course I didn't have any Cipro for treatment. I will order some in the near future so it's on hand when I get a new to me anemone no matter the species.

 

[shifty51008]

Ive had clowns use:
Hammers
Torches
Frogspawn
Toadstool
Shrooms
Kenya trees

Now wether or not they will go into one of them for you is up to the clown.

 

[Jrsdaddy]

I've always had luck with clay flower pots before introducing a nem, most can't resist it for some reason.

 

[davocean]

Hammer and frogspawn have worked well for me

 

[Jrsdaddy]

Also becarful with certain corals cause they may discolor and sting the clown.

 

[ThRoewer]

I'm still reluctant to get a Gig because they are known fish eaters. Not so much the clownfish but other tank inhabitants. ...

I think much of those reports go back to wrong choices of fish for an anemone tank. The other reason may have been that the eaten fish had already health issues and got caught for that reason.
So far I haven't lost anything and my non-clownfish go scary close to the gig to steal food.

Hammer and frogspawn have worked well for me

And how was the outcome for the corals?

A LFS had one of those butt ugly ocellaris x maroon bastards in a large frogspawn and the fish killed it (and then died himself of brook).

 

[rffanat1c]

Are you talking about blood oranges?

 

[ichthyogeek]

My only concern with anemones, is that I'm keeping small fish that make good food for the nems (shrimp gobies, dottybacks, banggai cardinalfish, and a dwarf angelfish are all on the potential stocking list). I'm also not that attentive to water quality as I should be, and while my light (BML 14000K for reefs) is powerful enough, I can't say that I would do as good of a job as needed. And the potential for anemone melt is quite scary, as is the price for the anemone, and the potential for it to move. There might not be enough space for the anemone to actually grow to its full potential, which is yet another problem.

 

[DanDashO]

BTAs are fairly resilient, I recently moved mine to a 20 high with nothing but a CPR bakpak skimmer and a two 2' T5s (one 10k, one actinic blue) I don't think that fish being eaten or stung is an issue, I don't think I have a single fish that hasn't had an encounter with the nem. Most fish know to stay away from anemones anyway.

 

[shifty51008]

And how was the outcome for the corals?

A LFS had one of those butt ugly ocellaris x maroon bastards in a large frogspawn and the fish killed it (and then died himself of brook).

i know that wasnt directed tward me but the hammers and frogspawns actually did great with the clowns, still grew like nothing changed.

 

[ThRoewer]

My only concern with anemones, is that I'm keeping small fish that make good food for the nems (shrimp gobies, dottybacks, banggai cardinalfish, and a dwarf angelfish are all on the potential stocking list). I'm also not that attentive to water quality as I should be, and while my light (BML 14000K for reefs) is powerful enough, I can't say that I would do as good of a job as needed. And the potential for anemone melt is quite scary, as is the price for the anemone, and the potential for it to move. There might not be enough space for the anemone to actually grow to its full potential, which is yet another problem.

Shrimp gobies may be at risk when they leave their burrow and get disoriented. Maybe dwarf angels can also accidentally run into an anemone, though I've never experienced this with healthy dwarfs.

Dotty backs are way too good at navigating crazy mazes at high speed to get caught by an anemones.

And banggai cardinals are basically anemone fish. I've caught one actually snuggling up with a malu and another pair liked to hang out right at the edge of my largest gig until the resident percula pair got suspicious of them and chased them away. These guys actually kept in loose contact with the anemone via their long fins.
In the wild you find them hovering over all kinds of anemones, and the juveniles may actually swim between the tentacles.
Though those I would never be concerned about.

i know that wasnt directed tward me but the hammers and frogspawns actually did great with the clowns, still grew like nothing changed.

Not at all. But sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn't. That's what people should be aware of before trying this.

 

[kajhurley]

I currently have a Clarki hosting a large goniapora.

 

[shifty51008]

A goni imo is a bad sub, they are already a delicate coral and clowns can get rough with anemones

 

[Coelli]

I have a friend whose tank has been overtaken by xenia and his clown pair are insanely happy.

I'm setting up a xenia tank and if my clowns didn't already have a nem I'd consider moving them over to the new tank. Or maybe I should anyway, I'm sure the BTA would love to have two less residents. :lol: It also hosts a pair of anemone crabs and is quite the crowded house.

 

[kajhurley]

the goni was hosted before in a show tank at the lfs. he is happy to host my clown.

 

[Reeferside]

I've seen clowns host zoa colonies lol, get an RBTA !!