Trex
Valuable Member
Been keeping hosting anemones for about 20 years now.
Over the years I have kept;
H. crispa
H. malu
E. quadricolor
S. haddoni
M. doreensis.
I currently have an M. doreensis, 2 E. quadricolors, and 2 S. haddonis. Of the ones I currently have, one of the S. haddonis has been in my care for about 6.5 years now. The longest was 12 years, lost it to an infection (( before the treatment was known )).
---Obviously, starting with a healthy one is the key, a lot of the ones that you will see at an LFS aren't actually all that healthy.
---Understanding that there are different care requirements for each plays a huge role in the success of keeping one.
---Being a seasoned tank (( reef )) keeper helps --- the ability to tell that something is amiss before it becomes a problem cannot be understated.
---Knowing what species you want before hand, so that you can see if your tank is suitable. ie, an S. haddoni or M. doreensis would be a poor choice for a bare-bottom tank, since they are sandbed dwelling anemones.
---Knowing that this is a long term commitment; the anemone should be with you for decades.
---If given the proper conditions, anemones will not move. If they are moving, something is not right. Of course it isn't always easy to figure that out.
---Understand that E. quadricolors naturally split (( as do H. magnifica, but not as common )), and the "clones" will move and could sting your corals.
---S. haddonis are known fish eaters. IME, if you keep on for any length of time, it will happen.
---Can take months for them to go downhill, success is measured in years.
Worth all the headaches.
Over the years I have kept;
H. crispa
H. malu
E. quadricolor
S. haddoni
M. doreensis.
I currently have an M. doreensis, 2 E. quadricolors, and 2 S. haddonis. Of the ones I currently have, one of the S. haddonis has been in my care for about 6.5 years now. The longest was 12 years, lost it to an infection (( before the treatment was known )).
---Obviously, starting with a healthy one is the key, a lot of the ones that you will see at an LFS aren't actually all that healthy.
---Understanding that there are different care requirements for each plays a huge role in the success of keeping one.
---Being a seasoned tank (( reef )) keeper helps --- the ability to tell that something is amiss before it becomes a problem cannot be understated.
---Knowing what species you want before hand, so that you can see if your tank is suitable. ie, an S. haddoni or M. doreensis would be a poor choice for a bare-bottom tank, since they are sandbed dwelling anemones.
---Knowing that this is a long term commitment; the anemone should be with you for decades.
---If given the proper conditions, anemones will not move. If they are moving, something is not right. Of course it isn't always easy to figure that out.
---Understand that E. quadricolors naturally split (( as do H. magnifica, but not as common )), and the "clones" will move and could sting your corals.
---S. haddonis are known fish eaters. IME, if you keep on for any length of time, it will happen.
---Can take months for them to go downhill, success is measured in years.
Worth all the headaches.
