Chosing the right anemone

[WaffleWalffle22]

(summary of all this is below so you don't have to red through it all if you don't want to...) So, as I've said a lot, I'm going to be taking down my 14g, cleaning it out, and setting it up again so I cant start new (all due to stupid, dumb hair algae!) Anyways, I'm going to be upgrading the lights in the aquarium to 72w PC which will be about 5w per gallon of light. I do want to keep an anemone in the tank, and I want to explore every single one of my options before I make a decision. I want my tanks to be different, so since I have RBTA and GBTA in my 34, I don't want to keep any type of Bubble-Tipped anemone. The next thing I was thinking about is a LTA, however the tentacles are a lot like the long tentacles of my roses in my 34g, so I'm not to crazy about getting an LTA. However, I really want to try a carpet anemone, but I've heard they are hard. Is it possible I could keep one (no other corals, just the single carpet and a clown or two) with the 72w PC that I'll be upgrading to? I'll probably have one 36w 50/50 bulb and one 36w 10,000k daylight. The next anemone I'd like to try is a Retteri, but I hear those are very hard. What would be the minimum lighting it could have in a 14g? I may upgrade the lights to MH. What other anemones that are unlike LTA or RBTA/BTA can you guys suggest for the lighting I'll have (54w 10,000k Daylight & 18w Blue Actinics) and what anemones could you suggest if I decided to get MH?

SUMMARY: When I re-set up my 14g, I'm going to upgrade the light with 1x 36w PC 10,000k Daylight bulb and 1x 36w PC 50/50 bulb. I want to keep one anemone in the tank with no corals or anything else with it. Just the anemone and one or two clowns. I don't want RBTA, GBTA, or an LTA... Here's the ones I want...

1. Carpet (blue, purple, or green)
2. Retteri

I know they require lots of light and care, but which would be easier and what is the easier one's minimum lighting requirements?
What other anemones that are unlike LTA or RBTA/BTA can you guys suggest for the lighting I'll have (54w 10,000k Daylight & 18w Blue Actinics) and what anemones could you suggest if I decided to get MH?

 

[davocean]

I don't think light will be as big of an issue as space requirements.
All those nems are going to outgrow a 14g pretty fast IMO.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Yeah... but I don't really care if they are pressing up against the sides. The anemone and clowns are all that will be in there. If it gets too big, I can always sell it and buy a smaller one... then I have a couple of bucks more!

 

[Toddrtrex]

I would be surprise if you could even find a Haddoin and/or Mag that would be small enough to fit in that sized take for the get go. Both of those anemones are difficult to find healthy, and are poor shippers.

A Mag will very much care if it is up against the sides, it will end up climbing the sides in an effort to get more light.

In the end it is your tank, and you can do what you like, but IMO neither of those anemones will work in a 14 gallon tank.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

What anemones unlike BTA/RBTA and LTA can you guys suggest for my 14g?

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15285220#post15285220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaffleWalffle22
What anemones unlike BTA/RBTA and LTA can you guys suggest for my 14g?

To be honest, I can't suggest any anemone for a 14 gallon. All of the hosting anemones will get too big for it. Then there are water quality/stability issue that come into play with a small tank. I have tried it in the past with a BTA, and it was a huge pain in the butt.

But, if you really want to do it, the only one that might work is a BTA, which you stated that you don't want to do.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Well, I was thinking if It came down to this I'd get a LTA. Will an LTA work?

 

[Toddrtrex]

In my opinion/experience an LTA would work for about 6-9 months -- assuming that you could find a healthy small one to begin with. With the small ones that I have kept over the years they seem to grow fairly quickly --- compared to the larger ones.

I bought a smallish one back in Jan/Fed, it has nearly doubled in size already --- and I give it a couple of pieces of krill about every 3 weeks.

 

[Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15285248#post15285248 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
To be honest, I can't suggest any anemone for a 14 gallon. All of the hosting anemones will get too big for it. Then there are water quality/stability issue that come into play with a small tank.

+1

Remember why you are taking the tank down this time? Besides the size issues of the anemones (and those aren't small issues), keeping stabile, pristine water conditions in a tank that size is no easy task, even for experienced hobbyists.

Kevin

 

[bpkenn]

Not to high jack, but i figure i'd post my situation as it may be of benefit to the OP.

I am in a similar situation with the 14g BC, but for the lighting i plan to do an LED Retrofit. Talking probably 200 par at the sand bed. I also have a media reactor with High capacity gfo, and a sapphire aquatics skimmer in chamber 2, and ATO to maintain water level due to skimmer.

What is my best bet as far as anemone? i was thinking GBTA. Is there a hosting anemone that will grow slower? I'd like to keep whatever free frags i can pickup in there also.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I wouldn't put a BTA in a 14. If you do, don't plan on keeping any frags in there -- they will get stung.

The last BTA that I has was over 15" across when I sold it.

 

[bpkenn]

how long did it take to get to that size? Any suggestions on what i can put in the tank to get the onyx clowns to host in?

 

[Korrine]

None of the nems are recommened for the minimum tank size that you have. I guess that's all that needs to be said. It's your tank and you can try it

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'll echo what Todd said about the LTA's. I had one, purchased it at about 3-4" and when I sold it, it was about 10", that was the growth in about a year and a half. If you are dead set on getting an anemone, then you are basically limited to a rbta or a bta.

 

[davocean]

I definitely wouldn't recommend LTA's either, they seem pretty delicate from my exp, as well as getting big.
Only option IMO would be a BTA, and chances are that it will just split when stressed, and good chance of that.
I personally wouldn't even bother w/ anything less than a 30-40g tank for any host nem.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

I've decided to be smart about this and not take my chances with an anemone in my 14g. I've decided to fill the 14g with hammer coral for my clowns to host in and cover the rocks in recordia.

 

[Korrine]

sounds lovely.