Anemone Tank for Beginners?

[32Bit_Fish]

Hi All,

I want to have an Anemone Tank with maybe 1 or 2 clown fish. This will be my FIRST Salt Water Quarium. Would this be a challenge for me?

I have a TEN gallon tank and I want to turn it into a beautiful reef tank.

Single Bulb Power Compact Lighting system (40W) maybe one of the most important items on my shopping list. I want to have some hardy Anemones and not sure 4W per gallon light would be enough for them.

I would appreciate some advices and recommendations.

 

[sasquatch]

32bit, now thats a tall order, cant say its not been done,wouldnt say it should be done,anemones(other than aptasia) require very stable paramaters, achieving this in less than 10 gallons (-rock,sand equip etc) would require constant attention, the water changes alone would be a major hazard just from salinity variables. Best suggestion is use the 10 for a sump and do up a bigger tank with proper lighting and filtration, a clown/anemome tank is a beautiful thing but the learning curve can be expensive and heartbreaking, best of luck. Steve

 

[32Bit_Fish]

man..:rollingey

So what can I have in a 10G tank? Originally I was going to set up the 10g with some soft coral and couple shrimps. But some people posted some of their tank photos with crown an Anemone. That makes me envy.

:bluegrima

 

[Cartman89]

Actully if you have suitable lights you could have a anemone and a clownfish THOUGH I do not know if the clown will have a relationship with this anemone but this one is a beginner one.


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=619
I was going to get one of these when I started but I didn't. Make sure you add Iodine to the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They can actully be kept in a 10gal, numerous people I know have had them in 10gal, 15gal, 20gal, 55gal, 125gal.

 

[BoomerD]

Wow...where to begin...

First of all, an anemone is NOT a beginner animal. They tend to be touchy at best, and require a matured stable tank.
By matured, I mean a MINIMUM of 6 months since the cycle completed, preferrably a year.
A 10 gallon tank COULD house an anemone, but because of it's size, it's VERY difficult to keep things stable enough for one to thrive, PLUS, with that small of a water volume, little things cause big problems...fast.
If you REALLY want to have a 10 gallon reef, then by all means do so, but stick with soft corals for the first year. That allows your tank to mature, gives YOU time to learn more about keeping these animals, about maintaining the tank, and allows you time to acumulate the equipment needed to do it right.
Everything you'll need will be fairly expensive, lights, QUALITY protein skimmer, live rock, etc.
Take your time...patience young jedi, patience...

BTW, Cartman, anemones don't need any addition of iodine. In reality, NOTHING in your tank does. Water changes should replenish any and all trace elements that the tank needs.(with the possible exception of calcium and alkalinity buffers)

 

[Cartman89]

Wow...where to begin...

First of all, an anemone is NOT a beginner animal. They tend to be touchy at best, and require a matured stable tank.
By matured, I mean a MINIMUM of 6 months since the cycle completed, preferrably a year.
A 10 gallon tank COULD house an anemone, but because of it's size, it's VERY difficult to keep things stable enough for one to thrive, PLUS, with that small of a water volume, little things cause big problems...fast.
If you REALLY want to have a 10 gallon reef, then by all means do so, but stick with soft corals for the first year. That allows your tank to mature, gives YOU time to learn more about keeping these animals, about maintaining the tank, and allows you time to acumulate the equipment needed to do it right.
Everything you'll need will be fairly expensive, lights, QUALITY protein skimmer, live rock, etc.
Take your time...patience young jedi, patience...

BTW, Cartman, anemones don't need any addition of iodine. In reality, NOTHING in your tank does. Water changes should replenish any and all trace elements that the tank needs.(with the possible exception of calcium and alkalinity buffers)

Really they don't need Iodine? huh? Interesting. I knew that water changes replenish trace elements but I thought you need to add an extra dose. And thanks for telling him that anemones need and established tank I forgot to mention that. Yeah 6 months MINIMUM!

 

[32Bit_Fish]

Actully if you have suitable lights you could have a anemone and a clownfish THOUGH I do not know if the clown will have a relationship with this anemone but this one is a beginner one.


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=619
I was going to get one of these when I started but I didn't. Make sure you add Iodine to the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They can actully be kept in a 10gal, numerous people I know have had them in 10gal, 15gal, 20gal, 55gal, 125gal.

Thanks for the link. But I think the Condy Anemone eats fish. It stated on their website.

"The diet should include feedings of fish, mussels, shrimp, or other foods of this type. "

Also I have a question about Doctor Foster and Smith. Are they a reputable source for live stocks? I see they have varieties of marine fish. Have anyone ordered live stock from them?

 

[BoomerD]

Thanks for the link. But I think the Condy Anemone eats fish. It stated on their website.

"The diet should include feedings of fish, mussels, shrimp, or other foods of this type. "

Also I have a question about Doctor Foster and Smith. Are they a reputable source for live stocks? I see they have varieties of marine fish. Have anyone ordered live stock from them?

MOST anemones will eat fish. That's what they do...The condy is not considered to be a clownfish hosting anemone, (although some will) and still isn't a beginner animal.
Dr.s F&S are reputable, for livestock as well as dry goods, but IMO, their shipping rates are too high.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

MOST anemones will eat fish. That's what they do...The condy is not considered to be a clownfish hosting anemone, (although some will) and still isn't a beginner animal.
Dr.s F&S are reputable, for livestock as well as dry goods, but IMO, their shipping rates are too high.

I visited my LFS and they don't have that varieties of live stocks available. And I think some of them are dying too and saw dead fish in the tank too.

So I want to start my FIRST SW tank with some healthy live stocks at least. Initial experience is very important to me. I dont want to end up with a tank of dead fish or corals.

Are there any other reputable source for live Stock online?

BTW, I just checked shipping rate at Doctors Foster and Smith. I think they are reasonable and $35 for next day air is good. I used to order Discus online and people use Delta Air to ship live fish to me. It normally costs me $75 for one shipment

 

[Cartman89]

Thanks for the link. But I think the Condy Anemone eats fish. It stated on their website.

"The diet should include feedings of fish, mussels, shrimp, or other foods of this type. "

Also I have a question about Doctor Foster and Smith. Are they a reputable source for live stocks? I see they have varieties of marine fish. Have anyone ordered live stock from them?

But a customer comment said that he had one with a clown fish that hosted it. That's why I gave you that link. I have ordered from them, they are probably the best online fish store. If the fish dies within 2 weeks they will refund your money. I bought a goldentail moray.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

But a customer comment said that he had one with a clown fish that hosted it. That's why I gave you that link. I have ordered from them, they are probably the best online fish store. If the fish dies within 2 weeks they will refund your money. I bought a goldentail moray.

So they would give you healthy live stocks, not something that is dying and ill? I've got burned before by online purchase live fish. I ordered a group of fish and several of them turned out to be sick and low quality. I would prefer local purchase live stocks, but it seems that I'm running out of options here.

Well, it's good to know Dr. Foster and Smith are reputable and honest dealer. I may give them a try in the future.

 

[BoomerD]

Regardless of where you get your livestock, you SHOULD quarantine all new animals for 4-6 weeks, just in case...nearly all marine fish are wild caught, as compared to less than 10% of freshwater fish. That makes the chance to bring in a diseased or parasite ridden fish VERY high.

 

[cheeks69]

Hi All,

I want to have an Anemone Tank with maybe 1 or 2 clown fish. This will be my FIRST Salt Water Quarium. Would this be a challenge for me?

Yes it would be a challenge as Hosting Anemones are some of the most difficult animals to keep in captivity and as mentioned small tanks are prone to drastic swings in parameters which isn't good for any invert.

If you REALLY want to have a 10 gallon reef, then by all means do so, but stick with soft corals for the first year. That allows your tank to mature, gives YOU time to learn more about keeping these animals, about maintaining the tank, and allows you time to acumulate the equipment needed to do it right.

Excellent advice

Make sure you add Iodine to the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been keeping different hosting anemones for years and have never added Iodine or any other Trace elements

RHF:

I do not presently dose iodine to my aquarium, and do not recommend that others necessarily do so either. Iodine dosing is much more complicated than dosing other ions due to its substantial number of different naturally existing forms, the number of different forms that aquarists actually dose, the fact that all of these forms can interconvert in reef aquaria, and the fact that the available test kits detect only a subset of the total forms present. This complexity, coupled with the fact that no commonly kept reef aquarium species are known to require significant iodine, suggests that dosing is unnecessary and problematic.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

 

[lcstorc]

IMO Anemone and beginner do not belong in the same sentence. They are very picky animals and slow to show stress. Particularly in a small tank it would be difficult to keep one.
I also follow the rule of not adding anything I cannot test for which means I do not add iodine or any other trace element except via water changes.

 

[Charlie97L]

32 bit, is this still the same tank from your other threads, that's the old hospital tank?

if it's been treated with copper, like you said before, it's not suitable for anemones either, or anything other than a Fish Only system. just making sure.

 

[32Bit_Fish]

32 bit, is this still the same tank from your other threads, that's the old hospital tank?

if it's been treated with copper, like you said before, it's not suitable for anemones either, or anything other than a Fish Only system. just making sure.

I dont think the tank had any contact with Copper. However I did use the tank as a hospital tank before. Umm.. maybe I just get another tank..

 

[burning2nd]

I TRYed 3 times with a anonome....

its really not that hard.

stable tank. (could be done in a month, or a year) (depends on your skills)
light depends on what you get..

smaller will be harder.

bigger the better (and eazyer) (but at more cost)

i feel the same as you, i rather pay more in a lfs, knowing what im geting right there and then, (and then race like hell home)

then get something sick or crappy looking

good luck..

 

[cheeks69]

its really not that hard.

stable tank. (could be done in a month, or a year) (depends on your skills)
light depends on what you get..

I disagree ! I don't know of any new tank that is stable in a month particularly if it's a completely new setup, there's no doubt it will be in bacterial flux for at least several months.

 

[blue02celi]

32Bit,
Try seeing if there ia a local club around you, sometimes they know where to get stuff that you might not see at your lfs ( group buys, or might know where to get specific critters shipped to them cheaper) they usually have meetings and help newbies get started. As for dr fosters, I believe they sell anemones that already have a clown fish compatible with it (host or whatever) but like stated before, you might find out the hard way why its not suggested for beginners.
Good luck, I'm also a newbie

 

[BoomerD]

I TRYed 3 times with a anonome....

its really not that hard.

stable tank. (could be done in a month, or a year) (depends on your skills)
light depends on what you get..
good luck..

Gonna disagree with ya here as well. I've kept anemones for about 20 years, and a new tank is just no place for one. It takes the better part of a year for a new tank to go through all the different cycles and phases, and many of them can be very challenging. A BIG part of that 1 year, is the learning curve for a newbie hobbyist. This hobby has a fairly expensive learning curve as it is, and when you start throwing anemones into that mix, it can get REAL expensive...fast. One dead anemone not caught soon enough, can throw a tank into a major ammonia spike, that can wipe out a tank. PLUS, few of us start out with the best equipment that our tanks actually need to support a sensitive animal like an anemone. (lights, skimmer, etc) and waiting a year, gives us the opportunity to upgrade a little at a time, as we learn what is better quality/better suited for our tanks.