Planning a dedicated anemone tank

[HiImSean]

After having issues with a RBTA in my mixed reef I think I'm going to start an anemone dedicated tank. I'm picking up a 48x24x16 tank this weekend and using a 40br as a sump. I've got some base rock that I'm going to start curing to use since the project wont be ready for a while. What kind of equipment would you recommend for an anemone only tank? Would you use LEDs, T5s, or MH? What kind of powerheads would be best to reduce risk of shredding a nem? I have 2 AI Sol on my 90g tank but I think I'm going to pick up a 7bulb T5 that I could use on on either tank so the Sols could also go on the nem tank. I'd get a fairly large skimmer and maybe add a fuge to the sump as well, I've never ran one. I was thinking of keeping just BTA but was considering carpets too, what would you recommend for a beginner at anemones?

 

[addictedreefer]

LEDs would be my recommendation. IME, they are very hit or miss with SPS, but my nems love 'em. For flow, I would go with a good closed loop with sea swirls.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Your Sols should be fine. Controllable power heads like Gyre, Vortech, Tunze or Jebao would be best.

 

[addictedreefer]

Your Sols should be fine. Controllable power heads like Gyre, Vortech, Tunze or Jebao would be best.

If this is a nem dominated tank and he wants to avoid a shredded nem, closed loop is the best option.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

If this is a nem dominated tank and he wants to avoid a shredded nem, closed loop is the best option.

Ok. Yeah I didn't mean that those pumps are better than closed loop. I've never run a closed loop system so I can't say one is better than the other. My point was that wave making capability is better than constant flow. Constant flow works fine but I've noticed over the years that my nems are happier otherwise.

 

[addictedreefer]

Ok. Yeah I didn't mean that those pumps are better than closed loop. I've never run a closed loop system so I can't say one is better than the other. My point was that wave making capability is better than constant flow. Constant flow works fine but I've noticed over the years that my nems are happier otherwise.

There are controllable pumps that can be used on a closed loop. Together with sea swirls you can create nice randomized flow. If I were designing a nem-only tank from scratch, I would definitely go that route. Can't beat the peace of mind.

 

[HiImSean]

Super excited!

 

[OrionN]

If this is a nem dominated tank and he wants to avoid a shredded nem, closed loop is the best option.

Close loops also have intake. This intake shed anmones just as well as any PH, unless you defuse the close loop intake to an ugly portion.
IMO, using the controable large volume PH like Vortech work best. You just need to know your anemones and keep them happy.
Close loops, huge return pump and low power internal PH, I used them all. I like my vortech best. All my tank now have Vortech in them.

 

[mcfa2403]

A common misconception with BTA's is that they are high light when really they are a moderate to high light nem. They do fine under LED and will definitely show the best color under them this way. However, mine have always had the best health under T5. Personally I would try to retro fit a T5 with the two sols and run the sols on blue only. T5 will give you the health and the sols will give you the pop.

For powerheads I really like the Vortechs as my nems like the wave function and because of the ease of fitting the mesh that comes with on them, but any powerhead you can cover will do. For a tank that size the MP40's would be the way to go and would give you a good amount of control. I also like the wide flow by the Vortechs as I don't feel like their are any spots in my tank that are just getting direct jet-like flow.

Personally if I had an adequate skimmer and were doing mainly BTA, with maybe some Haddoni, I would run minimal LR. Reasoning for this is you could center the rock to keep it away from things like intakes and powerheads. This would also remove areas of shading the nems could crawl under. IME healthy BTA walk rather than detach and float and do not like walking across sand. Also Haddoni tend to prefer the sand bed and less rock means more real estate on the sand for them. This is all just my opinion though.

Pristine water is not necessary for BTA but it doesn't hurt either and for filtration I believe that a quality skimmer will be the biggest component. I might recommend carbon for alleopathy but I doubt it is necessary. Refugiums are cool but if you have a good skimmer it really is just one more thing to care for.

A project that might be worthwhile, depending on the type of rock you are using, would be to drill/chisel holes in the rock at locations where you would want to place BTA. That way you could lower the flow for ~10 mins, place the nems foot in the crevice and hold until it attaches and then you would have some degree of control over where it is in the tank. It could still move but you would greatly increase the chance of it staying there.

 

[gibbous]

Following along as I am planning a very similar tank myself, and have many of the same concerns regarding best lighting and protection from the CL/PH. Never had a problem with BTA's and Vortec's before, but agree that the smaller rock structure away from the sides of the tank might help keep them away. I was leaning toward a gyre and T5's. Or a single MH bulb over a narrower tank. Or something else entirely...

Please keep us updated.

 

[m0nkie]

for my anemone tank..

I used Gyre and Vortech. 1 Gyre is enough to push my 100gal around and the Vortech creates random flow. my Gigs really like vortech random mode.

BTAs islands.. as long as you design the rocks with lot of crevices for their foot to attach, they usually don't move around.

LED is more than enough. I think nems look better under LED. However, I heard ppl say that BTAs retain color better under T5. Morphs more under LED.

only need basic equipment: heater, powerhead, led, and a skimmer. If you keep the stock level low, don't even need a huge skimmer.. With LED, chances are you won't need chiller either. Here in Cali, I chill most of my tanks to 77. Nem tank run from 77-83 through out the year without chiller

 

[nemmy]

I like LED due to the fact they are a point source light. They are a small light that spreads to a larger footprint. Yeah t5s are freaking awesome and love them don't get me wrong but at the same height in the tank they send the same par out across the board. With LED you can kinda trick a nem to be in the general location that you want it to be.

Say I have a magnifica, and I have a 6 bulb t5 fixture and lots of high rock spots that get a lot of par, the nem will wander hardcore trying to find a good spot since t5 will evenly spread par over the length of the bulb. If I have an LED cranking par to one specific spot the mag is more likely to stay there because as he goes left and right par will diminish if another LED isn't next to it overlapping.

Then take a haddoni for example. If I was doing a species only tank I would just do a sump loaded with rock and the tank almost all sand. With T5 he could pick anywhere in the whole tank to stay put due to even par. If the LED was center of the tank with shaded sides he would probably end up somewhere center of the tank. Granted water quality and flow also need to be good.

 

[gibbous]

I like LED due to the fact they are a point source light. They are a small light that spreads to a larger footprint. Yeah t5s are freaking awesome and love them don't get me wrong but at the same height in the tank they send the same par out across the board. With LED you can kinda trick a nem to be in the general location that you want it to be.

Say I have a magnifica...

Then take a haddoni for example...

How about the BTA? I can only speak for what I'm planning, but a dedicated BTA tank of this size in my mind would eventually have many specimens in it that would take up enough space that the spread of T5's would be advantageous.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

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[HiImSean]

I'm picking up a T5 fixture tomorrow. I may remove a few bulbs and retrofit some LEDs into it. It's a 7bulb so it could stand to loose a few

I played around with some rockwork in it and I love these dimensions. I put my 40br next to it and I am now liking the idea of a frag tank next to it haha

 

[mcfa2403]

Check out the euroquatics LED T5 (they call them E5) bulbs, easy way to get the dawn/dusk LED pop without rigging you fixture.