These are possible clownfish/anemone combinations.

[Basile]

These are possible clownfish/anemone combinations. The following indicates the
most preferred anemone to least preferred for each type of clownfish. THERE IS
NO GAURENTEE THEY WILL MATCH UP WITH ANY ANEMONE.
.
.
False Percula Clown Amphiprion ocellaris







Carpet anemone
Ritteri anemone
Saddle anemone
Bubble anemone


.
Percula Clown Amphiprion percula






Carpet anemone
Ritteri anemone
Saddle anemone
Bubble anemone
.
"Sebae" or Clarkii Clown Amphiprion clarkii



Sebae anemone
Long Tentacle anemone
Ritteri anemone
Carpet anemone
Saddle anemone
Bubble anemone
.
Tomato Clown Amphiprion frenatus




Bubble anemone
Long Tentacle anemone
Sebae anemone
.
Maroon Clown Premnas biaculatus





Ritteri anemone
Bubble anemone
Long Tentacle anemone
.
Pink Skunk Clown Amphiprion perideraion






Long Tentacle anemone
Sebae anemone
Ritteri anemone
Carpet anemone
Saddle anemone
Bubble anemone
.
Bubble anemone = Entacmaea quadricolor

Bubble Tip Anemone - Entacmaea quadricolor











Long tentacle anemone = Macrodactyla doreensis

Sea anemones: Actiniaria.com












Sebae anemone = Heteractis malu


Fish Information Service
Sebae anemone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sebae Anemone: The Ideal Candidate for a Marine Aquarium? - Associated Content












Ritteri (Maroon) anemone = Heteractis magnifica

Heteractis magnifica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

YouTube - Heteractis magnifica sea anemone









Carpet anemone = Stichodactyla gigantean

Report: Stichodactyla haddoni (Rcvd: 1/9/00)












Saddle anemone = Stichodactyla haddoni

Haddoni Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni)

Stichodactyla haddoni - ReefPedia








.
In regards to the compatibility list it should be noted that captive clowns will not always take to
an anemone regardless of the fact that the chosen anemone is a suitable host. It is best to try
and pick a clown that is already living with an anemone otherwise it is not a sure bet that they
will accept each other.
.
Keeping anemones is possible. Feedings are required as often as twice a week or as little as twice a
month. Anemones get approximately 80% of their nutrition from photosynthetic processes, but they
do require physical feedings of shrimp, squid, brine, silversides, etc. to maintain an equalized balance
with their zooxanthellae
.
Anemones are actually fairly complex creatures, and lighting requirements need to be met before
purchasing one. Before considering placing one in a system, it should be noted that they will limit
your choice of corals in future (should you feel you are interested in corals later on).
.
Anemones move on a regular basis eventually finding a semi-permanent location in the tank. But
sooner or later they will wander again. This is a consideration because anemones are VERY
aggressive creatures and they will try to sting a competing coral into submission.
.
When picking an anemone they should show immediate retraction when touched. They should be
physically attached to something within the tank and have coloration within their bodies. A
translucent anemone may mean that it has expelled its zooxanthellae and a starving anemone may
take 3 or more months to die. Studies have shown that even naturally white colored anemones do
poorly in captive systems. Any anemones purchased should be of the pink, brown, red, green
variations. BEWARE THAT SOME BRILLIANT COLORS ARE FAKE. THE ANEMONE HAS
BEEN DYED. This color will fade and may kill the anemone.
.
Much like many corals anemones will always have a period of "cleaning" for lack of a better term.
During this period the anemone will retract its tentacles into itself and a small amount of waste will
be expelled (usually brown in color with notable balls of matter within). This period can last 48
hours. Should the anemone be retracted for any longer a period of time then it is very likely it is
dying. Remove it before it falls apart. Should an anemone get sucked into a pump or powerhead,
just unplug the pump and don't touch. If it hasn't been damaged by the impellor it may slowly pull
itself out.
.
If this all sounds too complicated then it is probably best not to keep anemones. However, the
relationship between anemones and clownfish is remarkable and with enough diligence, healthy
anemones can be maintained.
.
SOMETHING YOU RARELY SEE - A TRUE PERCULA IN A BUBBLE ANEMONE

[Basile]

Anemone's can die from bad water conditions, over stressed condition such as lack of food and poor lighting or bad quality of water.

Personally I have not lost a rose to any of the above, only to Power heads and filter intakes, but that was in my early years of owning them.

I feed them every 3 days ( babies that are under 3 inches that is) and the larger ones are fed once a week.




I have never had a rose die from splitting either as I keep the water pristine with water changes.

I have all live rock and live sand to help keep it as clean as possible, a huge clean up crew and plenty of pods to keep it all cleaned up.
Loads of snails, some queen conchs, Medusa worms, Bristleworms ,red crabs and large green brittle stars,and a lot of other funny looking critters come alive at night.


Personally I think it’s the building block of a healthy tank . A large clean up crew that will eat all of the waste and excess food, thus keeping the tank sparkling clean and clear.

I have no algae at all on the glass in my large rose tank because of the clean up crew. I do however get a white film on the glass and I use the floating Mag Float on it every 2 or 3 days. I never disturb my tank, all rock and Caulerpa that I keep in the tank is left undisturbed. Caulerpa is kept in check by the yellow tang somewhat but I do thin it on occasion. It helps to keep the water clear and adds a natural appearance to the tank. (just my opinion again).

Also I sell what I harvest so if you are looking for some, check the "For Sale " section.


Continues here Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere

[Basile]

A SHORT ANEMONE GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

This is short beginners guide on how chose and keep anemones - It is only the author's experience/opinion and it cannot be guaranteed that this will be relevant for everyone or anyone at all.

This is because anemones are as individual as you or I, and one can tolerate high water flow, another of same will not - it's just the way they are.

Remember that you are taking a creature, which in general opinion is hard to keep, out of the wild, out of the ocean. If you desire to keep one of these creatures you find out as much as you can about them. If you find you just can't keep these creatures - STOP. They are not an inexhaustible commodity; they are ancient animals which may live for hundreds of years in the wild, sustaining many generations of clownfish families. That is until a keen reef keeper comes along, and kills it within a matter of weeks!!

There is no shame in not being able to keep anemones - some, even keepers who can maintain the most exotic of SPS corals, cannot keep anemones.

Before you buy an anemone, do as much research as you can on the animal in general, and the species you want to keep. Most aquarist use the "12 month rule" when considering if their tank is matured enough to keep anemones.

This 12 month rule allows:

a ) the tank to mature and become less susceptible to condition swings, &

b ) the aquarist to gather enough knowledge on water conditions, parameters and correction techniques, so that they will be able to give anemone keeping their best shot.


BUYING

Firstly, when purchasing an anemone remember that they have been pulled form the reef and bagged, flown half way across the earth to get to your tanks - they are tired and shocked.

Reputable importers will house the anemone for at least 1 week before passing them to retailers. This 1 week period is important as it gives the anemone time to adjust and relax. Similarly when the creature arrives at the retailer, it should be given a period to rest. This rest time is very important to the anemone and should be observed, so when purchasing ask your LFS to hold it for you (offer a deposit) - this gives you the opportunity to rest the anemone and should there be a problem, it will happen in your LFS tank and not yours (not very nice, but once you're out that door the anemone becomes your responsibility, so those extra few days will help you distinguish between a healthy animal or the opposite).

Your anemone should be healthy by this time but look out for the following before making a final purchase; a couple of signs of a sick anemone are:-
Open, gapping mouth - An open mouth can be classic sign of a dying anemone, a final gasp of life!
Foot or body tears - invite bacterial infection and almost never heal
Pale colour - lost or expelled zooxanthellae?
Rolling around unattached - pedal disc (foot) damage?
An anemone that doesn't react to stimulus - generally not a good sign.
A deflated anemone may not indicate a problem, however it is recommended that you ask for a further day in the LFS tank to make sure that it has just routinely deflated and is not sick.

When you are happy that the specimen in question is healthy, and you want to purchase it, do so. Conscientious LFS will house their anemones in a tank with either a Velcro like substrate, or a very course gravel, thus making it a lot easier and safer to collect the animal from the tank. If they are housed in a tank with rocks, and the anemone has a hold on one, offer to buy the rock.

If it is not practicable to purchase the rock, the LFS must remove it manually. This should be done by gently shocking the animal to deflate (watch for the shock - a good sign) and easing it from the rock gently. This should be done with the thumb in a massaging motion, no objects other than that should be used. If done properly, and with an anemone with a good hold is being purchased, the process could take an hour or upwards to complete. Tearing the pedal disc (foot) at this point would be disastrous - a certain invite to bacteria followed by death (not good).

Once in the bag, get home as soon as possible. When in a bag, an anemone continues to expel used water, which may be loaded with waste matter, also discharged nematocysts (stinging cells). Oxygen also continues to be used. Combined, this makes the water foul - not a nice place to be!

AT HOME

When at home open the bag immediately to allow oxygen exchange. Acclimate to the temperature in your tank for about half to one hour by floating the bag. Now start to add a little water bit by bit (say 10% every 15 minutes) to allow for adjustment to your tank parameters.

After around 2 - 3 hours you should be able to release the anemone to the tank.

ANEMONE PLACEMENT

Reading up on your preferred anemone will give you an idea of where they would ideally like to live in your tank, but here is a very short, general guide.
Bubble Tips have particularly soft columns so liked to feel surrounded. A favourite thing for them to do is to squeeze into a crack of the living rock and only show they're oral disc to the world. You can encourage a bubble tip to stay in once place by allowing it to feel safe. It may find its own cavity, all well and good. If not try placing it to a structure which has an underhang, then it can peep out from underneath, or create a suitable hole in the rockwork for it to squeeze into.
Stichodactyla Sp (carpet anemones) seems to like to having their foot wedged between the substrate and a rock on the tank floor. This again facilitates retraction to a safe place if needed. The speed at which this anemone can retract and deflate is astonishing!! An exception to the foot in the substrate is the Gigantic carpet anemone (S Gigantea), which can also favour rockwork. This is a rarely imported anemone however.
Macrodactyla Doreensis likes it foot an column buried deep in the aquarium substrate.
Heteractis Magnifica's like being high in the tank, often on top of the highest rock, or on the tank wall with its oral disc directly beneath the tank lighting.
Heteractis Malu/Crispa seems to like being on the tank floor, with its foot buried in the sand, or under a base rock (or both).
Once in the tank and in the desired place (however it may move to somewhere it wants) leave the creature alone for the 1 week "resting period". This is very important in anemone health. Don't feed it, touch it - anything - just leave it!

Exceptions to this is if the anemone is in danger; then you should intervene to make is safe. Another is if it has lost its zooxanthellae (see below); you should start to feed as soon as it will take the food.

An important general rule here - disturb the anemone as little as possible from day one. Don't shock, don't move it, don't force into anything it doesn't want - LEAVE IT ALONE. An anemone that is constantly bothered will turn face up and die - simple as!

A common trait for newly introduced anemones (especially BTAs) is to wander about trying to find the perfect spot. It must be able to satisfy the following conditions for it to settle down - light, food, and flow. make sure you have all three right within the tank, or the anemone may wander forever and stress out, leading to death.

After the first week or so, if you believe it is settled, feed a little. Almost any meaty fare can be used, and you will know if your anemone doesn't like anything - it will spit it out!! You can use mussel, squid, gamma fish, brine shrimp and whole cockle. Feel free to try any sea faring meaty food.

When feeding, allow the food to drop or drift into the tentacles, at most little press into the tentacles using a planting stick - wobble it a little to elicit a feeding reaction (looks like a little like a "shock" but less dramatic). Food should never be forced into the mouth of the anemone - you will do untold amounts of damage to the mouth and actinopharynx (posh word for the multi-purpose sac inside which can be a stomach, digestive cavity, bowel and even a reproductive sac) [see further info on feeding below]
__________________

[Basile]

PROVIDING THE RIGHT CONDITIONS


LIGHTING

A survey has shown that many successful anemone keepers light their tank at a level of 4 watts per gallon. This is not really a reliable way to tell if you have enough light for your anemone. Metal Halide lighting is preferred and in my opinion essential for anemone health. It has been heard of an anemone kept in a tank with a number balanced tubes and over-indulgent feeding. However, there is no reason to subject an animal that is used to bright illumination in the tropics, to anything else.

For example, Heteractis Magnifica loves light, and serious anemone keepers will not even consider keeping this animal in less than 400 watt metal halide lighting!

Bubble Tip Anemones (E Quad or commonly know as BTA) on the other hand, can do very well under strong T5 lighting. Read up on your preferred anemone and find out what lighting it needs.

You may notice a colour change (usually a darkening or increase in intensity of existing colour) under bright lighting and this is a sign of zooxanthellae production. (zooxanthellae is a primitive algae that live within the tissue of a number or corals, clams anemones etc. It utilises waste products from inside the animal (ammonia wastes) and converts them into food, releasing an amount of glycerol and organic acids which the anemone shares.)

On the flip side, if lighting is not adequate, a loss of zooxanthellae will occur and the anemone will "bleach" or lose it's colour. This is a bad thing, and if this happens you should look to rectify this immediately.

If an anemone wanders looking up-stretched or seeks the highest point in the tank - it may need extra lighting. (In the case of Heteractis Magnifica it will normally seek the highest point in the tank an may not need more lighting)

On the other hand, the anemone may go into hiding, away from the light - this may be it's way to deal with the shock of bright light again, but they should come back out in a position they like. If, however your anemone has not re-appeared after a week or so, (which happens) suspect the worse and set about finding it. This behaviour is often displayed in sick anemones. You may wish to turn it's rock, or delicately move the rock to another area of the tank.

SG

SG need not be adjusted from the normal level maintained for tank mates, however it has been noted that higher success has been achieved using full strength sea water at around 1.024 - 1.026


TRACE ELEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS, ETC

Should be ample if performing water changes at the correct level per week/month. People have theorised that the following are essential for anemone health - zinc, selenium, iodide iron, even copper. Interestingly enough, a survey from Joyce Wilkerson states that people who used normal tap water to make up they're tank water had higher success in keeping anemones alive for more that 24 months. This is not advised by myself, as tap water can contain harmful substances that may cause death or pollution in a reef tank.


TEMPERATURE

Nothing out of the ordinary here. Anything within a rang of say 24oC to 26oC - a steady temperature is more important than an exact level.


CURRENT

Very important in anemone health - without one they will wander round the tank forever. Current is used in the wild to enable the anemone to catch prey swept through it's tentacles. It also helps to rid the anemone of waste products and mucus, helping to repel bacteria. A moderate to brisk flow is generally appreciated, but it does vary between anemones. You will find that the anemone will choose where suits it best. Heteractis Magnifica appreciate very strong flow indeed. Don't blast them round the tank, but be sure to provide a flow suitable to their needs.

VERY IMPORTANT - Powerheads suck, literally and figuratively sometimes, and it is not advised to keep anemones with them. With their tendency to roam the tank looking for the best sunbathing spot there is the danger of it being sucked into the impeller and damaged. Find an alternative way of water movement such as a closed loop system.


TANK PARAMETERS

Should be at a level suitable for most reef tanks, with efforts to keep them optimal. By aiming for the best water conditions possible, you will give your anemone the best chance of long term survival in your tank.

Optimum water parameters are generally accepted as:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - <10mg/l, preferably 0
PH - 8.1 to 8.3
Calcium - 400 to 475 mg/l
Alkalinity - 7 to 10dKH


FEEDING

This is a very individual choice which should be made together with your anemone. Offer food once a week to start with - this will condition the anemone. After that, well, you could continue to feed, or reduce to occasionally.

With adequate lighting, anemones do not need such gross feeding as once a day or once a week even. You have to find a balance between feeding, pollution and anemone health.

If an anemone is healthy it will grow. This can be a good indicator if it is receiving enough food. Some grow by utilising tank lighting only. If you have an anemone that grows without food then reduce you feeding to only monthly, or bi-monthly - to ensure that it receives all elements that cannot be obtained from the light (like fats and proteins)

If an anemone shrinks, then it is not receiving enough food (and or light).

PLEASE make an informed decision about your feeding regime though. Just because near starvation works for some, does not mean it will for you. You must watch your anemone carefully. If you feel you have a nice healthy specimen, decrease direct feeding, if however this causes your anemone to shrink, step up feeding again.

It is very tricky to get this right so if you're not sure, feed little an often. Your anemone will tell you when it's full by not accepting the food.

Feed a varied diet, as you would your fish. Variety can be the spice of life!!


CLOWN FRIENDS

If you want to keep clowns make sure that your anemone is around three time bigger than your fish – clownfish can be very boisterous, and mean to anemones, and as said earlier a bothered anemone will just turn face up and die.

Some clowns will only take up residence in a specific anemone. Here is a short list of which clowns take up residence, in which anemone, in nature:

Entacmaea Quaricolor
A Bicinctus
A Clarkii
A Ephippium
A Frenatus
A Melanopus
A Tricintus
P Biaculeatus
Stichodactyla Sp
A Bicinctus
A Clarkii
A Occelaris
A Percular
A Perideraion
A Sandaracinos
A Sebae
A Tricinctus
Macrodactyla Doreensis
A Clarkii
A Perideraion
A Polymnus
Heteractis Magnifica
A Akallopisos
A Bicinctus
A Clarkii
A Melanopus
A Nigripes
A Occelaris
A Percular
A Perideraion
Heteractis Malu
A Clarkii
Heteractis Crispa/Malu
A Bicinctus
A Clarkii
A Ephippium
A Melanopus
A Percular
A Perideraion
A Polymnus
A Sandaracinos
A Tricinctus

SPLITTING AND SPAWNING

Anemones can reproduce sexually or asexually, depending on species and it's environment. For example, the bubble tipped anemone, Entacmaea Quaricolor, can split in the aquarium, and also produce gametes for sexual reproduction. This species has also "mouth brooded" progeny released from the oral cavity (but it is unclear if that was a result of sexual or asexual reproduction).

Splitting in the aquarium may not always be related to reproduction, per se, and may be a survival tool that anemones use to ensure a continuation of genes. To give an example of how this may be, a lot of anemone keepers, especially those of bubble tipped anemones, report a split occurring at the same time there was a flux in water parameters. Another would be the physical damage of an anemone too, the stress related to such damage can result in splitting.

I would hypothesise that these artificial situation replicate certain natural actions that would be experienced in the sea, and again, giving an example, the splitting as a reaction due to shifting water quality could replicate stormy conditions and splitting in this situation may help anemones disperse themselves on storm currents.

As well as Entacmaea Quaricolor, other anemones like Heteractis Magnifica, and in certain circumstances, the Stichodactyla species can also use this asexual method to reproduce or maintain genes.

Spawning activities are not rare in the aquarium and have been linked to a number of things including moon cycle, and conditional shifts. I have experienced the later after performing a large, much needed water change in my aquarium. My Entacmaea Quaricolor, spawned for 3 consecutive nights afterwards. I can only again make a crude link to the two, but again, one could hypothesise that it would link into spring tides well nutrients for example.

Although it is quite a joy to watch, the mass release of gametes (sperms and eggs), in a closed environment such as the aquarium, this task of nature can cause problems. Skimmers tend to go into overtime trying to remove the sudden increase of organics resulting in overflows in collection cups. Paradoxically, this release of new life can also have the opposite on existing life by way of suffocation. The resulting reduction of oxygen in the aquarium can cause major problems. In some cases, it is worth running carbon, increasing skimming, and performing a water change.


MIXING ANEMONES

The fascination for keeping anemones can become so much that you may want to add another to your aquarium. As you have read above, anemones contain stinging cells, and in addition to facilitating feeding they are also used for protection - against predators and also other organisms that may want to pinch their prime location! This can sometime be born out in the aquarium when the keeper introduces another anemone.

One anemone may discharge nematocysts in order to "fight off" another anemone at distance. This can be loosely termed as allelopathy. This allelopathy can result in the burning of corals, and stinging of other anemones in the aquarium. Hence, it is not uncommon for an anemone a keeper has previously keep alive and healthy for months/years, to suddenly decline when a new anemone is introduced.

Broadly speaking, one should be OK keeping multiple numbers of the same species, and difficulty only arrives when differing species share the aquarium. One must bear in mind the potency of one species nematocysts against the other. Unless you have experience of this, then before you attempt to keep two species together, you should obtain advice from others who have experience (why not post here!).

Generally, one can reduce the impact of allelopathy by running activated carbon and promoting heavy skimming.

BLEACHING

Bleaching is a general term given to the loss of an anemone’s zooxanthellae; so named due to the washing out of colour with the most severe cases the anemone appearing white. The term bleaching is accepted as the mass expulsion of zooxanthellae. This can happen for a number of reasons - mainly due to some sort of environmental stress. This covers excessive temperature changes, insufficient lighting, excessive lighting, excessive salinity change, etc. Physical stress can also cause bleaching.

The most commonly observed bleached anemone is Heteractis crispa. These animals arrive in your LFS an aesthetic white, but this is never their true colour; they should be a fawn/tan colour, or less commonly pink, green or silver/grey.

A supply of energy/nutrition for an anemone comes from the sugars made in the process of photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae. It doesn't take much to work out that if there are no zooxanthellae, there is a reduction in food. Where there are no other nutrition/energy routes, the anemone slowly starves to death, but in an attempt to survive they absorb their own mass, and hence the animal shrinks. One of the most striking example of this is the consumption of an anemones own tentacles. In bleached animals, you often find unusually short tentacles when compared to healthy specimens.

Bleaching can be reversed, but it takes a long time and commitment by the aquarist. In the first instance, excellent water quality should be provided. Lighting should be of the optimal strength, although initially, it would be best to acclimate the animal to stronger light over a period of time. Feeding should be regular, say every other day, and should only be in small quantities (10mm cube for an animal of less than 300mm say). Flow should be restricted slightly in case the animal has trouble attaching/feeding.

Over time, if one is lucky, a gradual change in colour should occur. This is the recovery of the zooxanthellae and is a very good sign. The colour change may be uniform, or it may be sporadic across the animal, but eventually, if all conditions are right, the entire animal will become "as new".

SICKNESS AND DEATH

For a variety of reasons, anemones sometimes just don't cut it in the aquarium. So how do you know if you anemone is poorly or dying?

A bleaching anemone is fairly straightforward in identifying, however, in some species instead of zooxanthellae being reduced and expelled first, the will instead consume their tentacles first. This is a particular problem in Entacmaea Quaricolor and Heteractis Crispa.

A sick anemone will more often then not hold a gapping mouth, and also their gut will spill out. These look like tiny curly strings of cotton. Anemones can still recover at this point, with the proepr care and conditions.

Finally, in death, anemones will start to sloth and melt. Tissue will decompose and sloth from the animal and it will look like slime. You MUST remove the anemone at this point as it will decompose to nothing leaving a huge mess and a resulting ammonia spike for you to deal with. Make no mistake, this final stage can take place over a few hours, so it is important for the sake of the rest of your aquarium inhabitants that you act quickly.


You can find some pictures of sea anemones in the following link: Anemones

This information has been written in conjunction with:

ULTIMATEREEF.COM - ANEMONE SURVEY & INFO THREAD JULY 2004.
CLOWNFISHES - by JOYCE WILKERSON
& MIKEY - ULTIMATEREEF.COM

[Basile]

Bleached anemones











Sick anemone
















Holding pen for sick anemone; don't let them hide in therocks its worst



Anatomy




1 hollow tentacle
2 pharynx faringe
3 gametogenic tissue (gonad)
4 column wall
5 complete mesentery (septum) s
6 cinclide
7 acontium
8 pedal disk
9 retractor muscle
10 incomplete mesentery (septum) Mesenterium
11 mesenterial perforation (stomata)
12 collar (parapet)
13 mouth
14 oral disk

[dr3ckz]

Great info! Thanks!

[Basile]

Would be nice if anyone owning one could give the problems or event they had with their anemone and how they dealth with it and the outcome. With of course pictures, thats cooler.

[jgking21]

Basile, get back to work on your tank!!! Just Kidding, nice of you to post all this info! I have no experience with anemones, just up for learning anything.

[Basile]

Originally Posted by jgking21

Basile, get back to work on your tank!!! Just Kidding, nice of you to post all this info! I have no experience with anemones, just up for learning anything.

I'm actually working on it at the same time. Letting things dry lol. So in the mean time .

[Sapphire]

Very good - perhaps this should be a sticky?

Would be a good reference, especially as the same questions come up frequently and are pretty much answered here.

[Clownfish518]

Good post. If I might make some suggestions

- Should not say "carpet" anemone so broadly. Stichodactyla ginganteas and S. haddonis do not host the same clowns. More specificity would be nice. Also, haddonis have the habit of eating fish, even clowns. And they do not ship well at all.

- Likewise, Heteractis crispa and H. malu host different clowns - the only clown a malu hosts is a Clarkii in general

- For perculas and ocellaris, Ritteri should be listed as the first anemone. The percula complex have a genetic pre-disposition to the H. magnifica that is stringer than imprinting according to studies done at the University of Copenhagen.

- Anemones may be dioecious or protandric hermaphrodites. BTAs are dioecious

- There are other methods of asexual reproduction besides splitting (longitudinal fission). They may also bud. LTAs and giganteas also can split

- Zooxanthellae is not the only type of symbiotic algae present in anemones. There is also zoochlorellae which is green, and gives green BTAs their characteristic color.

- the cnidae may contain one of two payloads, a neuro toxin (nematocyst), or a simple glue sort of payload to grab prey (spirocyst). This is what gives anemones a tacky feel, which is a sign of health. Cnidarians all have these cells - its where the name is derived from

- There is a lot of evidence that anemones engage in allelopathy beyond nematocysts. Hosting two different species can be very dicey and should be done in a large (100 gallons+) aquarium. Clonal anemone species are known to engage in warfare against rival anemone colonies. BTAs when splitting form a colony, and introduction of a new BTA specimen to a tank with an established colony will likely not succeed. I have witnessed anemones crawl across a reef to attack a rival when it is introduced. Also, sebaes (H. crispa) are notorious for not cohabiting with another species. They never fair well

- Steady pH is also a necessary water parameter. Dosing kalk or calcium reactors can affect pH and may not be compatible with an anemone

- Lighting should be MH. Some T5/anemone combinations may work, but the individual anemone may need more intensity. You may need to upgrade lighting

- Anemones do everything in slow motion. It might take two months (for a BTA) to six months (ritteri) for the anemone to acclimate and for you to know if it will be successful

Good start

[Basile]

Originally Posted by Sapphire

Very good - perhaps this should be a sticky?

Would be a good reference, especially as the same questions come up frequently and are pretty much answered here.

That be cool, since their's no sticky in this forum. But i'm just killing time, and having fun at the same time. Only moderators can do stickies. They will if they think its good enough. Thanks.

[Basile]

Originally Posted by Clownfish518

Good post. If I might make some suggestions

- Should not say "carpet" anemone so broadly. Stichodactyla ginganteas and S. haddonis do not host the same clowns. More specificity would be nice. Also, haddonis have the habit of eating fish, even clowns. And they do not ship well at all.

- Likewise, Heteractis crispa and H. malu host different clowns - the only clown a malu hosts is a Clarkii in general

- For perculas and ocellaris, Ritteri should be listed as the first anemone. The percula complex have a genetic pre-disposition to the H. magnifica that is stringer than imprinting according to studies done at the University of Copenhagen.

- Anemones may be dioecious or protandric hermaphrodites. BTAs are dioecious

- There are other methods of asexual reproduction besides splitting (longitudinal fission). They may also bud. LTAs and giganteas also can split

- Zooxanthellae is not the only type of symbiotic algae present in anemones. There is also zoochlorellae which is green, and gives green BTAs their characteristic color.

- the cnidae may contain one of two payloads, a neuro toxin (nematocyst), or a simple glue sort of payload to grab prey (spirocyst). This is what gives anemones a tacky feel, which is a sign of health. Cnidarians all have these cells - its where the name is derived from

- There is a lot of evidence that anemones engage in allelopathy beyond nematocysts. Hosting two different species can be very dicey and should be done in a large (100 gallons+) aquarium. Clonal anemone species are known to engage in warfare against rival anemone colonies. BTAs when splitting form a colony, and introduction of a new BTA specimen to a tank with an established colony will likely not succeed. I have witnessed anemones crawl across a reef to attack a rival when it is introduced. Also, sebaes (H. crispa) are notorious for not cohabiting with another species. They never fair well

- Steady pH is also a necessary water parameter. Dosing kalk or calcium reactors can affect pH and may not be compatible with an anemone

- Lighting should be MH. Some T5/anemone combinations may work, but the individual anemone may need more intensity. You may need to upgrade lighting

- Anemones do everything in slow motion. It might take two months (for a BTA) to six months (ritteri) for the anemone to acclimate and for you to know if it will be successful

Good start

Hey thanks, i'm researching and having fun at the same time. Thanks for your updates. Any other info will enhanced the thread and like saphire said maybe will become a sticky. Thanks again. One reason i'm on this is the number of people i see take on anemone without even have red about them. And they put them in terrible conditions; small tanks, poor lighting, bad water, and then they come here and cry for help. Its really ...i don't get it, sorry i don't. I research stuff i eventually want, so i don't mess up and don't pay for nothing. Anyway hope it serves as a info post for the would be aquarists lol.

[Clownfish518]

Your very welcome. I agree that too many people try anemones to the detriment of their health. They are not for beginners - the easiest of them is labeled as difficult.

One thing to keep in mind for anyone keeping anemones is that they have no brain or central nervous system. As a result they are incapable of learning or adapting. You must adapt the tank to the conditions they like; they will not adapt to the ones you provide should they not like them. What makes BTAs the easiest of a tough crowd is that they have a broader range of what is acceptable.

My problem child BTA would not accept a quality T5 fixture, and I had to switch to dual 150w MH bulbs on a 40 gallon tank. The acropora that is in the tank the MH was switched from is doing just fine under T5. That should give everyone some idea of the degree of difficulty these guys can be.

[Basile]

Originally Posted by Clownfish518

One thing to keep in mind for anyone keeping anemones is that they have no brain or central nervous system. As a result they are incapable of learning or adapting.

When i red that part LOL i though you where talking about the people Haha LOL LOL LOL


i have a question. My black clown; Amphiprion ocellaris are from the Australian region ( thats for the wild ones) mine are tank bred. I'm told that if i buy a bubble tip Anemone BTA like you say, that is not from the pacific but from the let say the Carrabeans; the clowns wont recognise it. Is that true??