Anyone keep Sea Apples?

[Western_reefer]

I noticed that no one keeps Sea Apples. Why is that? The LFS that I got my Carnation coral has like 5+ and they were selling for about $35 each. They look gorgeous when they are open! I'm going to buy one in the near future.

 

[bosshog]

I've only ever seen them for sale once. They were beautiful critters. I'd like to know about keeping them too.

 

[slapshot]

I had one for awhile. Got scared when my SPS collection grew. He was great found a spot up high on a rock and never moved. I just could not take the pressure of a bad day losing everything.

 

[Versus]

I noticed that no one keeps Sea Apples. Why is that? The LFS that I got my Carnation coral has like 5+ and they were selling for about $35 each. They look gorgeous when they are open! I'm going to buy one in the near future.

When they die, so does everything in your tank.

 

[Western_reefer]

When they die, so does everything in your tank.

I know.

 

[Versus]

I know.

Oh well in that case yeah get one. Second it looks sick shoot it out of a water balloon slingshot though.

 

[uhuru]

I plan to keep one or two with my new tank. They are very well suited for NPS tanks that continuously dose phytoplankton based on what I've read.

Here is a great article about them.

Here is an excerpt concerning toxicity:
"In general, it is only when a sea apple is extremely stressed that they will actually release the toxic chemicals that are capable of wiping out an aquarium, and many people have had one of these animals die in their tanks without any evidence of toxic release. Furthermore, there are many animals that we commonly keep in our tanks (in particular some sponges and zooanthids) that have much more potent chemical defenses than do sea apples. So, basically the main reason that sea apples are potentially dangerous to a reef aquarium has less to do with their chemical defenses than with the fact that they move around and are more likely to meet an unpleasant end in our reef tanks than an equally toxic sponge or soft coral."

 

[Stumped]

Not that it's very surprising, but LiveAquaria has one in one of their office tanks. It's first shown at about the 20 second mark of this video. Notice the Anampses feminus that swims by it as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPqOqxAfN8

 

[uhuru]

There is an australian one going up on DD tonight! I would get it if I had my bigger tank up and running. Hope someone here picks it up though!

 

[stunreefer]

I kept one for three + years until I added a few more angels... the little tips are apparently irresistible!