ready to try anem again, what kind?

[FishWife1]

My tank is now 2 months shy of being 2 years old. It's been stable for a long time. I tried a couple of bta's during the first year and they split several times and gradually disappeared. I know the tank was too young and one of the bta's wasn't very healthy to begin with.

I have a 30 gal. cube with a 10 gal. sump. Circulation is via a Tunze 600 gph and a Koralia 1200 gph, plus the return from my sump ~400gph. Lighting is 150W Phoenix and 2 T5 actinics (can't think of the wattage now - 24" fixture). Salinity 1.025, pH is 8.3, calcium ranges around 375-400, temp is around 78-80.

I have 2 small fish - a 1 1/2" maroon clown and a 1 1/2" Royal Gramma. I also have a cleaner shrimp, a huge queen conch, a sandsifting star, and a sea slug, a number of lps, a few softies, and a nice Maxima clam (got him teeny and he's now about 2 1/2").

The tank has been skimmerless for about 3 months. My skimmer pump broke and it took that long for one to come in. I have some grasses, I don't feed heavily, and I have a low fish load so things have been fine. The pump just came in yesterday so I figure, if I do get an anemone, I will start up the skimmer again. It's been so nice and quiet without one I kind of hate to do it.

My clown has been hosting in a couple of fuzzy green mushrooms for about a year now, but they have really taken a beating and have one by one disappeared. We are down to the last 'shroom and it is kind of shrunken up. She is not a happy clown.

My sand bed is only about 2" but I would like to find something that would stay low in the tank because there is room around the base of the rocks and across the sand. Most of the corals are higher up.

I know, I know, a bta is my best bet. I had one for years in my old tank. I would like something different, though, maybe a carpet...?

Suggestions and advice would be appreciated.

thanks - Laurie

 

[littleshark]

Carpets get too big for a 30. Haddoni would be able to live in it for a few months but they're fish eaters. Try LTA long tentacle anemone. They are the next step up to BTA and live on sandbeds.

 

[Titus77]

Also, try a tube anemone...your clown may love it so much, that she will want to see what the inside looks like

 

[Toddrtrex]

Odds greater that a tube anemone would eat the clown, compare to host it.

If you try an LTA, I would suggest putting in some more sand. A small one would be fine with only a 2" sandbed, but the bigger it gets, the less happy it will be with only 2".

 

[Titus77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12735373#post12735373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Titus77
Also, try a tube anemone...your clown may love it so much, that she will want to see what the inside looks like

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12736592#post12736592 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
Odds greater that a tube anemone would eat the clown, compare to host it.

I know that. That is why a said that she would see the inside of it. :eek2: And I was just joking. I have three, and only one of my clowns ever ventured inside of it . Other that that, I have had great luck with them. They are huge too. One that has purple tentacles and a green mouth, one with pink tentacles and a black mouth, and one with pink tentacles and a green mouth. They are pretty cool, and cheap too.

 

[Slakker]

To be totally honest...I think a BTA would be perfect for your tank. I know you've had bad luck with them in the past, but it's the natural host for your maroon and the two would be awesome together. I believe they stay the smallest out of all host anemones, and are generally the hardiest.

 

[crsswift70]

I second LTA if you want it to stay on the bottom.