Opinion please
- Thread starter rcr
- Start date
aandfsoccr04
Active member
I like anemones and think they add a lot to a tank. There's always the danger that they will walk on corals and kill them.
D-Nak
Active member
It depends on the size of the tank and the anemone you plan to keep. For example, since haddoni are sand dwellers you don't need to worry about them trampling your SPS. However, most -- if not all -- anemones have powerful stinging nematocysts and can kill nearby SPS if they can touch it.
phender
Active member
There used to be a reef "guru" who said that anemones don't live on the reef and should never be kept with sps corals. A lot of people believed him and he would berate them if they tried to argue. The fact is that BTAs, magnifica, crispa (sebae) and gigantea and merten's carpets often/usually live in and around sps corals in nature.
The "guru's" opinions were reasonable, but he fabricated facts to support them. Anemones can move and sometimes their sting will kill corals (not always, it depends on the type of anemone and the type of coral). On a wild reef, its no big deal. In your tank, it can be devastating. Personally, I keep anemones with corals in my display tank. Every once in a while an anemone will damage a coral. Normally this happens as the anemone grows, and I can move the coral. Ever once in a while it happens when an anemone moves, but usually stinging damage occurs over time and not from an anemone moving past or over a coral.
It is best to get to know your anemones a little before trying this. It takes some experience to know how to keep anemones in one place and to anticipate when they might be "on the move".
The "guru's" opinions were reasonable, but he fabricated facts to support them. Anemones can move and sometimes their sting will kill corals (not always, it depends on the type of anemone and the type of coral). On a wild reef, its no big deal. In your tank, it can be devastating. Personally, I keep anemones with corals in my display tank. Every once in a while an anemone will damage a coral. Normally this happens as the anemone grows, and I can move the coral. Ever once in a while it happens when an anemone moves, but usually stinging damage occurs over time and not from an anemone moving past or over a coral.
It is best to get to know your anemones a little before trying this. It takes some experience to know how to keep anemones in one place and to anticipate when they might be "on the move".
I was thinking I would try a small island in hopes the anemone would stay on the island. The island would only be the size of a mouse pad. This will be a rebuild so I have the ability to place the anemone and the use any tricks to try and keep the anemone in place or just let it find a location it likes then stock the tank with corals. Any tips on pointers would be great. Thanks for your help.
rssjsb
New member
This is a good approach as long as it's positioned so that the anemone can choose a place on the island that has the flow and lighting it's looking for. As long as conditions are good and it can find a spot on the island it likes, it will likely stay on the island.
Be aware that BTAs can wander as your lights age, though, so even if it finds a spot and sticks there for a long time, it's still a risk to put a colony of prized SPS on the island with it.
Be aware that BTAs can wander as your lights age, though, so even if it finds a spot and sticks there for a long time, it's still a risk to put a colony of prized SPS on the island with it.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
I have done this in the past, and there are a few concerns/issues that need to be thought about before doing it.
First, do you want a rock dwelling, or sandbed dwelling anemone?
After doing an E. quadricolor (( rock dwelling anemone )) with SPS, decided against doing that again --- took up too much SPS real estate and the clones would move (( the main anemone never moved )) and sting the SPS.
I prefer to do this with sandbed dwelling anemones, for me S. haddoni and M. doreensis. Should note that both of those prefer lower flow than SPS, so getting the flow just right can be tricky. IME, any frag/coral that fell into either species of anemone was toast.
The good old days (( before my back made me have simpler tanks ))
First, do you want a rock dwelling, or sandbed dwelling anemone?
After doing an E. quadricolor (( rock dwelling anemone )) with SPS, decided against doing that again --- took up too much SPS real estate and the clones would move (( the main anemone never moved )) and sting the SPS.
I prefer to do this with sandbed dwelling anemones, for me S. haddoni and M. doreensis. Should note that both of those prefer lower flow than SPS, so getting the flow just right can be tricky. IME, any frag/coral that fell into either species of anemone was toast.
The good old days (( before my back made me have simpler tanks ))
nogascans
Member
I have a pair of anemones in a 90 bow front (euro), including a Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa, on left in picture), and an unfortunate purchase thru Aquacon of a Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla helianthus, upper right, IN DOG HOUSE).
The Sebae is a model citizen and has settled in nicely between a pair of rock towers. Its sting (if any) has no apparent effect on the SPS or LPS around it. Just not interested in hosting with clowns.
The Haddoni (which is very sticky) has had a habit from very beginning of moving around a lot, and always finds a way to run over and sting something (no fish though). I finally got him moved to right side of tank while I find another tank to put him in. It has been responsible for damaging a Monti Cap, pair of Acros, and seems to pull a draw with Green Star Polyps.
Sincerely,
David
The Sebae is a model citizen and has settled in nicely between a pair of rock towers. Its sting (if any) has no apparent effect on the SPS or LPS around it. Just not interested in hosting with clowns.
The Haddoni (which is very sticky) has had a habit from very beginning of moving around a lot, and always finds a way to run over and sting something (no fish though). I finally got him moved to right side of tank while I find another tank to put him in. It has been responsible for damaging a Monti Cap, pair of Acros, and seems to pull a draw with Green Star Polyps.
Sincerely,
David
D-Nak
Active member
If you go with the island approach, make sure the island is not close enough to a tank wall where the nem can touch it, even if it is attached to the island. If the nem isn't getting enough light, but can "feel" something that it thinks it can climb, it will try to climb it. I had both a BTA and magnifica do the same thing -- they would go to the edge of the rock and touch the wall, trying to lean against it. BTAs will detach and float on occasion. I have never seen a mag do this, but I heard that they will if they are very unhappy.
OrionN
Moved on
it depends on what anemone you want to keep. Other than BTA, if you keep an anemone happy, it will not move. All bets are off with BTA, they seem to move without reason at times.
In order to keep anemone in reef tank, you need to know about the habit and preference of the anemone. Will you have a sand bed or able to accommodate sand bed dwelling anemone? and other factors... light current........
Here is a picture of one of my 65 gallon tanks. It was full of SPS but due to the overgrowth of the SPS I took most of it out. In this tank, there are 2 H. malu (Malu anemone), 2 S. gigantea (Gigantea anemone), 2 S. tapetum Maxi (Maxi-mini carpet), countless S. tapetum mini (mini-mini carpets) and one small E. quadricolor (BTA). As my anemones get larger, they do sting some of the adjacent corals. Also as the SPS growth, It start to shade my anemones so I have to prune them. At the end, I decided to do the mother of all prune which is to remove 3/4 of my corals, include the entire R side and the top of the L side as it was growing our of the water.
An island right under the light with a flat, smooth rock on top and plenty of circulation works well for H. magnifica, but will not work for other host anemones. You got to now enough about anemones to choose which species then go from there.
In order to keep anemone in reef tank, you need to know about the habit and preference of the anemone. Will you have a sand bed or able to accommodate sand bed dwelling anemone? and other factors... light current........
Here is a picture of one of my 65 gallon tanks. It was full of SPS but due to the overgrowth of the SPS I took most of it out. In this tank, there are 2 H. malu (Malu anemone), 2 S. gigantea (Gigantea anemone), 2 S. tapetum Maxi (Maxi-mini carpet), countless S. tapetum mini (mini-mini carpets) and one small E. quadricolor (BTA). As my anemones get larger, they do sting some of the adjacent corals. Also as the SPS growth, It start to shade my anemones so I have to prune them. At the end, I decided to do the mother of all prune which is to remove 3/4 of my corals, include the entire R side and the top of the L side as it was growing our of the water.
An island right under the light with a flat, smooth rock on top and plenty of circulation works well for H. magnifica, but will not work for other host anemones. You got to now enough about anemones to choose which species then go from there.
OrionN
Moved on
I forgot to attach the picture of my 65 g tank
The carpets in my tank are Gigantea Carpets and Todd's carpets are Haddoni Carpets. Haddoni carpets are fish eater. They can and likely will eat some of your fish. Be prepare that this may happen. The time fish get eaten is when they just got put into the tank and got chase by other fish, or when you do something to the tank and frighten the fish. Consider put a basket over the carpet during these events so that they won't have an expensive meal.
IMO, Gigantea carpets are nicer but they are considerably more difficult to keep.
The carpets in my tank are Gigantea Carpets and Todd's carpets are Haddoni Carpets. Haddoni carpets are fish eater. They can and likely will eat some of your fish. Be prepare that this may happen. The time fish get eaten is when they just got put into the tank and got chase by other fish, or when you do something to the tank and frighten the fish. Consider put a basket over the carpet during these events so that they won't have an expensive meal.
IMO, Gigantea carpets are nicer but they are considerably more difficult to keep.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Pfr4jAxrzgE&desktop_uri=/watch?v%
Another question. What type anemone is this and I assume you want that much flow on it? I was leaning towards a blue or green carpet anemone. How much flow and lighting would they need?
Todd would love to repeat what you have done with that tank.great job!!!
Sorry for all the newbie questions.
Another question. What type anemone is this and I assume you want that much flow on it? I was leaning towards a blue or green carpet anemone. How much flow and lighting would they need?
Todd would love to repeat what you have done with that tank.great job!!!
Sorry for all the newbie questions.
