What do I need to know?

[proverbs308]

I am new to the reef scene, and would like to put an anemone and clowns in my new tank, but I need to know the basics of keeping them. What can you guys tell me? The things that I know I don't know is what they eat, how to transport them, how to handle them, and what are their lighting requirements if any. Thanks everyone.

[framerguy]

Anemones need a well established aquarium (a year or more) with stable water conditions as close to natural sea water as possible. They require very intense lighting such as metal halide or several T5's. Most I can think of eat meaty foods (including fish in the aquarium). Anemones are difficult to keep alive. I don't want to scare you away from keeping them really, but when they are removed from the ocean the animals they were hosting suffer and most likely die. Look at soft or LPS corals for hosting an anemone fish such as clowns instead. They are MUCH easier to keep and often just as interesting and pretty and aren't as dangerous to the other inhabitants. That's my 2 cents.

[amc78cj7]

They eat fish and corals. Next question.

[blue_eyes53813]

Also anemone need a VERY slow acclimating before being added to a tank. And I agree with the above. Strong lighting and established tank.

[CMG]

Originally Posted by framerguy

Anemones need a well established aquarium (a year or more) with stable water conditions as close to natural sea water as possible. They require very intense lighting such as metal halide or several T5's. Most I can think of eat meaty foods (including fish in the aquarium). Anemones are difficult to keep alive. I don't want to scare you away from keeping them really, but when they are removed from the ocean the animals they were hosting suffer and most likely die. Look at soft or LPS corals for hosting an anemone fish such as clowns instead. They are MUCH easier to keep and often just as interesting and pretty and aren't as dangerous to the other inhabitants. That's my 2 cents.

What sps's can host an anemone fish? In would like to look them up if you know their names. This sounds like a better route for me. Also, do all anemones come from the ocean? All corals? Or are they liek fish where they can also be tank raised. Thanks.

[michael_cb_125]

All "hosting" anemones will host ANY clownfish. But not all clownfish will host with any anemone. Certain clown species are more picky than others.
Also some anemones are tank raised. Mainly the Bulb tipped anemones come from captive sources. MANY corals are aquacultured. So you can get many of your specimens from reef-friendly sources.
~Michael

[kathywithbirds]

corals are separated into groups -- soft (no calcium skeleton), Long Polyp Stonys (there's a skeleton and fleshy parts extend and retract), Short Polyp Stonys (skeleton and shorter fleshy parts, generally so short it's hard to tell sometimes) and zoanthids ("zoos"). Clowns will host in the LPS sometimes. And sometimes they don't ever host in anything at all. Especially tank raised clowns, they're generally said to be less likely to host in something.

Some attractive LPS for clowns are torch, frogspawns, ummm... htere's a third one in this group... they're "euphylias" I know I spelled that wrong. These are very stingy corals. Clowns have hosted in lots of things though.

[michael_cb_125]

My clowns switch from several corals. They host in Frogspawn, torch, hammer corals. Hairy shrooms, GSP, Xenia, and candycane coral.
Kathy is right the tank raised clowns seem to lose the instinct to dive into an anemone.

[CMG]

Ok, thanks a lot. I liek the hammer corals they are pretty. I didnt realize that clowns would host anything other than an anemone. Interesting. I really like the all black and white ones without the orange faces.

[kathywithbirds]

ooo I like those too. Hard to come by around here though.

Doni (Woodstock) and Billyr98 have onyxes. They start out orange and white and black and gradually the black starts taking over. COOL coloring.

[msbdiving]

I disagree with anemones being hard to keep. They do need an established aquarium though. I lost 1 out of 2 rock anemones when I first started. My guess is the tank was too new and I rushed it. The second anemone I lost was due to the lfs not being gentle and tearing the foot.

I have had the rock anemone for about 3 years and a green BTA for 2yrs. As for them eating fish and corals never lost a one to them.

[Briang]

I've had a beautiful rose anemonie for 1 year then it got to be 16 inches across. It wouldn't divide on it's own so I divided it myself 4 months ago into 2-8 inchers now they are each 12 inches across and I'm going to have to get rid of 1 due to space. They really are beautiful. It was amazing to watch them regenerate a new mouth. I feed them a couple very thin shavings of either fish,shrimp or scallops soaked in phytoplex and micro-vert for about a 1/2 hour. While soaking,I take a fork and stab the shavings to ensure it penatrates. Not sure if that is needed but it helps relieve stress.lol. In my 75 gal. with 20gal sump I have 355 watts of PC lighting and couldn't be happier. My softies and LPS and monties grow like weeds.

[Briang]

Originally Posted by msbdiving

I disagree with anemones being hard to keep. They do need an established aquarium though. I lost 1 out of 2 rock anemones when I first started. My guess is the tank was too new and I rushed it. The second anemone I lost was due to the lfs not being gentle and tearing the foot.

I have had the rock anemone for about 3 years and a green BTA for 2yrs. As for them eating fish and corals never lost a one to them.

I've never lost any corals either. The only time my rose ever moved was shortly after I divided it myself .I find that with proper current,not too little or too much, just enough to keep his tentacles happily waving at you, and properly feed mine stays where it's been for over a year. My foxface did run into it once but survived. Now if only I could teach my dog to stay!!

[msbdiving]

As for lighting requirements I would recommend MH or t-5's. I kept my BTA under pc's for about a year with target feeding. The pc's were 1X65w 10K and 1X65w actinic. This was in a 40g 14" deep. It didn't grow too much, but really took off with the MH.

[KodiakBear]

When I first started out (not really too long ago) I really wanted an anemone, even tried to buy one from the LFS. In hindsight I'm glad he didn't sell it to me. My tank wasn't mature enough, nor did I have sufficient lighting. He referred me to a hammer coral instead. It is very easy to keep, and the fish love it.
On a side note, love the screen name!
proverbs 30:8 "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread"