Which nem for onyx perculas?

Martini5788

Martini5788

New member
Sometime in the future, I would like to get an anemone for my pair of onyx perculas. So I can start doing research early on, I want to know which they will most likely
Host to? Also, I am new to saltwater and would like one that is easy to care for and not incredibly demanding in terms of care, lighting, feeding, sensitivity. I've read that perculas will host a lot of different anemones but I am looking for what people would suggest to be a good beginner anemone and the clowns are going to like. Thanks!
 
Good chance they will take to a bubble tip anemone. It's not their natural host in the wild but in captivity true percs adapt well to bubble tips. I would start with that.
 
I do believe this list is right.

-True percula: Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla mertensii.
-False Percula: Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla mertensii.
-Tomato: Entacmaea quadricolor.
-Cinnamon: Entacmaea quadricolor and Heteractis crispa.
-Clarkii: Entacmaea quadricolor and Heteractis crispa.
-Pink Skunk: Heteractus crispa, Heteractus magnifica, Macrodactyla doreensis, and Stichtodactyla gigantean.
-Orange Skunk: Stichodactyla mertensii and Heteractis crispa.
-Saddleback: Heteractus crispa, Macrodactyla doreensis, and Stichtodactyla hadoni.
-Sebae: Entacmaea quadricolor and Heteractis malu.
-Maroon: Entacmaea quadricolor.
 
clown_anemones.jpg


Found this on google images. Easier to look at.
 
I have heard horror stories about carpet anemones, so having one of them scares me quite a bit. And from my understanding, ritteri are really difficult to keep alive. Is this true or am I mistaking them?
 
There are quite a few of us that love our Ritteri and other anemones.

Hummm.. Welcome to the Anemone and Clownfish area.

Take a look at all the threads in here. There are not only picture threads but there are also conversations about them.

While the only true 'water' option for a new person is a tear coming from an eye, anything else larger than that needs to have some degree of understanding and grasp on it.

A BTA might be good for beginners just starting out with an already established SW tank. Moving up the chain you will need to have a more mature tank and better control/understanding of the levels in your tank to have stability.

Look at this thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2481439

and this one:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2213154&highlight=ritteri
 
I have seen the ritteri in person and I think they are gorgeous, my concern is that my lack of experience would unfortunately cause its demise, and I don't want that to happen. I wouldn't be getting one for atleast another 6 months when my tank will be more mature
 
I agree,go with a bta first.They are the easiest hosting anemone to start off with.I have had btas for about 8 years before I attempted a ritteri.I have had it for alittle over 2 years now and is doing great.
 
BTA and H. magnifica can/may cause your Onyx to loose color. IMO, best anemone for Onyx are the Gigantea carpets.
 
OrionN said:
BTA and H. magnifica can/may cause your Onyx to loose color. IMO, best anemone for Onyx are the Gigantea carpets.
Click to expand...

^^^^
That!

A Heteractis magnifica might turn your onyx into normal percula while Stichodactyla gigantea (maybe also S. haddoni & S. mertensi) usually brings out the black in percula and may even turn normal looking percula into onyx.
 
Martini5788 said:
Ok well it looks like carpet it is. Because I love the coloring of my clowns and wouldnt want to change that
Click to expand...

Please understand that gigs are the most difficult anemone to keep alive. Even experts with well established top of the line systems struggle with them. That is not consistent with your indications that you are looking for a hardier anemone. If you must go with a carpet, go with a haddoni. Though they are not natural perc hosts, I have gotten them to host percs and ocellaris in the past and the darker coloration is well developed on the clowns. Haddonis are not "easy" anemones, but are still in another league from gigantea.
 
Which nem for onyx perculas?

Ok definitely not a carpet then hahaha. The main reason for me wanting to attempt an anemone is because my clowns just wander aimlessly around the tank, they seem lost almost. I wanted to wait awhile before getting into a reef system with anemones and corals and such. Maybe I will get them a fake one lol. Or try a bubble tip, since those seem easier
 
Last edited:
The hardiest "anemone" for clownfish I know is a flower pot.
It also has the benefit of not changing the color of your clowns ;)
 
Haha very true, unfortunately it doesn't exactly match well with the rest of the tank so I'm trying to come up with another option that is more aesthetically pleasing
 
All of the information above is correct -- the second table of host anemones is more accurate than the list before it.

I recommend taking a chance with your Onyx clowns and try a BTA. Once you're comfortable you can swap it out for a gigantea. IME Onyx clowns can hold their color with both BTAs and magnifica, though there definitely are confirmed reports of the loss of black. My Onyx babies have a magnifica host and remain jet black. I think getting yourself comfortable with anemones is more critical than the color of your clowns, though I completely understand the concern.

Sebae anemones -- or what many retailers refer to as sebaes -- are often bleached (completely white) and unhealthy, or even worse dyed with bright colors (most frequently yellow). After the dye wears off, you're left with a bleached nem. They tend to be hard to acclimate and slowly die. If you can find an established one, they are relatively easy to care for.
 
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