carpet vs. ritteri vs bta

[annetate]

which of these will host better with my clowns? I had a beautiful ritteri that lasted about 3 months before it shrunk under 260 PC. I have since switched to 2x175 MH 14k. If i were to find another ritteri, would it survive? I've heard different opinions on carpets. Is there any different in the personality between different colors? Blue, Green, Red? Care factors involved? Do they eat your fish? I want to hear everything I can about these guys. I have purchased a Gbta, but i left for 3 days, came home and it was completely gone! it hid behind the rocks for the week or so i had it. so i'd rather not get one of those because of that, and everyone has one. can i hear some experiences and knowledge on these 3 anenome's? pictures would be great too!
here is a pic of my clowns..here
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=158248&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

 

[SDguy]

Since it can be very hit or miss which anemone or even if any anemone will be accepted by clowns in captivity, I would suggest instead to get the anemone which your tank is best suited for. Most carpets get BIG, and like sand to have their foot in. Magnificas (ritteri) are notoriously difficult to keep, requiring mega flow and light,and also get big. BTA's are the easiest of the three mentioned to keep, IMO. If you had problems with one, then I would suggest a bit more research, and make sure you have ideal tank conditions, rather than moving on to an even more difficult anemone. By the way, clowns don't need an anemone to be happy. Here are some useful links:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm (with tons of more links in blue at the top)

Hopefully someone can chime in with other useful links.

 

[annetate]

i'm more interested in keeping the carpet, i am looking towards the electric green or blue. any experience with these? please, i can't find them anywhere?

 

[Clarkii01]

They really prefer halides. I have an eletric green one. You gotta keep em' well fed so they dont try to cath your fish though. They are really cool and worth the work you put into them.

 

[RichConley]

You dont have enough light for a Ritteri. That being said, some of the BTAs look almost exactly like a magnifica and are hard to tell apart. Find yourself a nice colorful BTA...


(I've got one thats foot is pink, tentacles are green, and tips are purple...pretty nice.)

 

[Clarkii01]

Agreed.

 

[pelochas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7024977#post7024977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
You dont have enough light for a Ritteri. That being said, some of the BTAs look almost exactly like a magnifica and are hard to tell apart. Find yourself a nice colorful BTA...


(I've got one thats foot is pink, tentacles are green, and tips are purple...pretty nice.)

well how much light do need for a ritteri? i would of thought 2 x 175w mh lights above a 75 gal standard tank would be enought, or am i wrong?

 

[kris4647]

You arent wrong......

Agreed.

Disagreed

I kept a Ritt in that size tank with that light scheme for two years.
Downside is it will climb to the top of the tank and shade everything below it and they can get large. And they are difficult to get in healthy condition. Lotsa heartache going down this road unless you are lucky.

Is there any different in the personality between different colors? Blue, Green, Red

Nope.

Will they eat your fish?

Its a possibility.

Carpet wouldnt be a bad choice really considering your options. I dont know what your tank parameters are like, though.

BTA's are notorious for roaming, but are the safest bet in your tank. Look for clones of the original Rose Bta's, I paid $250 for one five years ago before the chinese or whatever versions started showing up.


Best of Luck

Kris

 

[annetate]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7024977#post7024977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
You dont have enough light for a Ritteri. That being said, some of the BTAs look almost exactly like a magnifica and are hard to tell apart. Find yourself a nice colorful BTA...


(I've got one thats foot is pink, tentacles are green, and tips are purple...pretty nice.)

are you saying i don't have enough light w/ 6.5 wpg to have a ritt? or a carpet? or what?

 

[SDguy]

What exactly happened to the GBTA you had?

 

[annetate]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7030141#post7030141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
What exactly happened to the GBTA you had?

well, it was roaming around hiding behind rocks where it wasn't visible. i moved the rocks around a little, and within a day or so it was rolling around the tank trying to find a new place to stay. i left it that way, went home for thanksgiving and when i came back it was no where to be found. i found a little slim on the gravel but no anenome. i turned up all the rocks and looked everywhere for him. he just disappeared? i also had a LT and it got shocked by a kalk overdose and never recovered and died. i obtained my rit before i should have. i was not prepared with proper filtration and lighting, never should of had it, but it was beautiful, i would like another one of those if i could ever find another one that color!!!???? purple base with bright green tenticles? anyone find one of those anywhere?

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7029092#post7029092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by annetate
are you saying i don't have enough light w/ 6.5 wpg to have a ritt? or a carpet? or what?

I've got a friend with a ritteri, and it climbed to the top of her rockwork and sat about 6" below a 400w 6500K bulb, and looked like it still wanted more light.

THese are about hte most light demanding organisms out there.

as to BTAs, theres a nice one in this thread
http://www.bostonreefers.org/FORUMS/showthread.php?t=17511&highlight=pink+base

mine looks exactly like that, but with pink tips.

 

[Clarkii01]

I know. Thats what I was trying to say in my earlier post. Ritteri's are one of the most light demanding oragnisims out there and its just not a good idea. My bubble tip hasnt moved in over a year! so thats not always the case! They are nice.

 

[Flighty]

Many of us have been leaning more away from the "need super high lighting" for magnificas but they nearly always will seek out the highest light they can get in your tank. Just because they go towards higher light doesn't mean they need it to survive.

That does not change the fact that they are a very very difficult organism that really shouldn't be attempted without a ton of research and preparation. There is very very little chance that a ritteri that you order from an online retailer or find at the LFS will survive even if you do have good tank conditions for them.

 

[phender]

Cindy has a very valid point. IMO, very few anemones actually die from lack of light. That would be a very long starvation/malnutrition process. Most anemones (especially ritteris) probably die of something else first.
That fact that most people who have success with ritteris, also have intense tank lighting, may be more because those with the expertise to choose a healthy anemone and keep it alive, tend to have very brightly lit tanks.

I am currently doing some non-scientific experiments with a small S. gigantea and a small H. magnifica(ritteri) to see if I can keep them healthy and growing with PC lighting.

 

[annetate]

well guys, here's some news. i just purchased a bright green carpet from my lfs. i think i will be very happy with my decision. I'll post some pics when i get it in the tank.

 

[kris4647]

Flighty I agree with everything you and Phender have said......cept

leaning more away from the "need super high lighting" for magnificas

I'm sorry in seven or eight years of keeping these critters, long term success,IMO, is tied to this intense lighting and picking a healthy speciman. Maybe not in that order..

Most Ritteris I have owned without the MH/MV lighting will roam constantly. Or in an accidental experiment say you lose a halide in a multi-light source tank. The ritteri will invariably move to other source of intense light. This isnt happenstance, they are seeking out the light.

I have two three year old Ritteri's and thats just my opinion. Havent posted in a while, maybe some remember me ....

Best of luck

Kris

 

[delphinus]

Personally I would recommend halides for magnifica.

I think the problem is that without the "point source" of a halide, the lighting in a tank lit by fluorescents (VHO or T5 or whatever) or PC is that the lighting is diffuse which will encourage restless wandering.

IME, they will seek the strongest source of light and gravitate towards that. Without that anchor the wandering will be random. I second Kris's observation of the one halide being off and the anemone moving closer to the remaining light. It happened to me a few times and would wander within 20-30 minutes of the light turning on. ("Oh, the sun's over there now .. okey dokey off I go.")

It may be that the intensities of halides needed may not be as much as what some recommend, although I personally feel "more is better". But that's just IME. But it makes sense, they reside in shallow water so they're accustomed to light far more intense than any light bulb.

I did keep mine under 2x175's for a while. It worked to a point, but eventually grew a little restless when I moved it into a taller tank (making the bulbs further away). But it was far too big for any smaller tank so my hands were tied on that. If I were to do it over again, I'd not bother with the 175's (or I'd not bother with this species). But I'm thinking 250's would be fine. 400W "would be nice" but not "mandatory." (Just my opinion though..)

April will mark my 5th anniversary of keeping this anemone. :celeb1: LOL anniversary party! :lol:

 

[ca1ore]

I have found H. Magnifica to be relatively easy to keep, IF the tank is designed around the anemone. For example, in my current 180 gallon reef tank I have most of the coral on one end of the tank, with a single, large and very tall rock at the other end . It is on the top of this rock that the anemone lives.

The top of single rock is about 10 inches below the surface of the water and sits directly below a 250 watt HQI 10,000K light; additionally, there is very strong current and surge that moves across the top of the rock.

The anemone has been perched there for almost two years (in order to move it has to retreat down the side of the rock AWAY from the light) and has grown to be approx. 16 inches in diameter. I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns that live in the anemone. It gets 2-4 silversides every week - no other intentional feeding.

The only downside is that my Magnifica is not the most colorful specimin - base is a a light violet, with cream colored tenticles.

 

[annetate]

i had a H magnifica and it lived for abotu 3 months when i didnt even have a sump, stupid hang on the back filter, so i imagine if i was properly set up like i am now, it would have lived with no problem?