Recomend an Anemone

[Dorsalfin1]

First I want to say thank you, you've all been very helpful!

I think I am ready to try an Anemone, water is testing very well and lighting is great.

So the question is: What kind of anemone should I try? I do have a p. clownfish, will it make "any" anemone a home? And lastly feeding, any recomendations there?

Again thank you guys, I will try to get a picture of the tank up in the coming weeks, I love this thing!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

I would not reccommend an anenome for the following reasons:

1. You need a very mature tank of at least a year old!

2. Anenomes have a tendency to move all the time and in the process can sting other corals and get caught up in your overflow or PH's and that can be messy!

3. Some of the various species do not have a longevity record in a home aquarium.

4. Clowns will accept other corals besides anenomes!

Having said that P.clowns host most common to Heteractis magnifica; Stichodactyla gigantea; S. mertensii. They may also accept other anenomes as well but more apt to go to the ones mentioned above.

I have a BTA in my 80 gallon reef aquarium and purchased the anenome after my tank was over 2 years old! Here is a pic of it with the tomato clown:

[MammaDuck]

With anemone there's more than lighting and water quality to take into account. A high number seem to become casualties when they are suck into intakes while on a walk about. Make sure all of you intakes are covered before introducing an anemone into the tank.

Clowns generally host with whatever they feel like, in may even take a while before they even attemp to host. Hosting may also be a key to anemone survival, it certainly increases it, as the clown will help feed it in a proper hosting scenerio. In the mean lime, target feeding with a clean, tank use only, turkey baster.

As for types to try, I would recommend a Bubble Tip. Carpet anemones have been known to eat small or slow moving fish when they are larger and most anemones are delicate, or at least have a short tank life. Dead anemones can also be very toxic to you tank as well. Extreme caution and research should be exercised when considering an anemone. Remember that hosting is important to the survival of the anemone, but not to a clown fish.

HTH

[Dorsalfin1]

OK, so maybe this is not the way to go. How about something like mushrooms? Selection choice and feeding?

[kram138]

I agree with all of the above. I originally got into sw tanks from fw tanks because of that image in my head of a clown fish hiding in the tentacles of an anenome. I really wanted to have that in my living room. The first try was with a Condi about three months after my tank was setup. Of cource this was a mistake. It lived about three weeks and when it passed, it destroyed the water quality very quickly taking a Bi-color Angel and a Puple stripe pseudochromis with it to the grave.

I waited almost two years to try another one which brings us up to date now. I bought a Long Tentacle in January and it is doing great. But after two years, my tank doesn't really fluctuate at all. I love having an anenome and watching the symbiotic relationship it has with my perc. Just make sure you can provide a good home for one. I hate seeing these beutiful creatures which can outlive any of us in the wild dieing in peoples tanks because they weren't ready.

A few tips. I agree with mommaduck about the turkey bastor. This is when they are relatively small. When they get bigger, they need alot of food. I feed mine everyother day pieces of squid or fresh caught tuna. I direct feed using long tweezers. Keep water quality excellent of cource, and add extra Iodide (test for it of cource so you don't overdose) once a week.

To answer you original question of what kind to get, I think a Bubble Tip makes a good first anenome. HTH

[Toadfish]

If you're going to get an anemone, get the buble tip. I had a perc. clown for a couple of days and realized that he wouldn't host(I have my reasons for this dawning). I traded the perc for a tomato and within 2 days the tomato which had hosted to my bubble coral on day one, hosted to the bubble tip. It is a fun thing to watch. The anemone opened up like never before, as soon as the clown went to it. You just have to weigh the pro's and cons regarding what ever livestock you add. If you don't mind risking a coral or two and feel as though you can deal with the water params effectively...go for it. BTW...it's not in a clowns best interest to host to a coral. Corals are stinging celled oraganisms just like anemones. The difference is that through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, the clown has not adapted defenses to corals the same way they have to anemones. How many clowns in nature do you think prefer a coral to an anemone?

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Toadfish writes: How many clowns in nature do you think prefer a coral to an anemone?

You make a good point here for sure.

This is only true in the wild unfortunately we are talking about our captive systems and in here lies the problem!

Since anenomes for the most part do not fare well in our systems with the BTA being the better choice as you mentioned our critters do find ways to adapt to our systems quite well.

Clowns do very well without anenomes and to save the sad demise of alot of anenomes that is why we prefer you have your clown accept other corals that are best suited for your system!

I had a flowerpot that a maroon clown went to and tried to feed it but I think it was one of the reasons for the death of the coral along with the fact the flowerpot should be left to the wilds as very few hobbyist can successfully raise these corals for any length of time!

You did make a very good valid point and thanks for bringing that to our attention!

[Toadfish]

I had the same thing happen with a perc and a flower pot. I think my new clown tried to host to the bubble and was stung by it. He had a couple of dark spots on him after a couple of days and decided to look else where. Thankfully he found the anemone.

[Hommeworks]

I bought a rose anenome 9 months ago. It remains very healthy. It has split 2 times producing 5 daughters. I keep a maroon goldband clownfish. He is very happy tripping from one daughter to another. Also, very protective of the anenomes.

[Joel]

I bought a bta over 2 years ago, it split once and has adopted 3 different clowns (1 large very mean maroon that was taken to the lfs and the current pair of saddlebacks)

[Mrs Smith]

Originally posted by Dorsalfin1
OK, so maybe this is not the way to go. How about something like mushrooms? Selection choice and feeding?

Now that's my kind of thinking!
(FWIW, I tried an anemone once. It was a disaster and a long story.)

Clowns will find a host if they need one. I had one host with a powerhead; I have one now hosting in xenia. If it needs something, it will pick something - don't worry about providing a host.

Shrooms are very easy to keep, don't require much light, and don't need to be fed. (You didn't mention what kind of lighting you had - and people's opinions on what good lighting is varies greatly.)

Leathers and toadstools are also potential hosts to consider, and are great additions to a growing reef.

Good luck!
Danielle