Anemone Build Thread

[bradleym]

I've always been a huge fan of anemones, and so every few years I will go through phases of mostly anemones with coral accents, or mostly coral with anemone accents. The last year or two has been the latter, and so predictably I've been feeling the pull for more anemones over the last few months.

Back when this started, I picked up a Chicago Sunburst BTA, but it wasn't enough to trigger a full shift, so I stuck it in my sump hoping to make room for it later.

These anemones are gorgeous! If you have a chance to get one I highly recommend it. Still, it wasn't enough to get me motivated. But then, two weeks ago, it happened. Many months ago, one of my favorite LFS got a Gigantea anemone in, and it promptly disappeared into the rockwork. A few months ago, it reappeared, bleached almost entirely white and with tentacles so short it was looking more like a Haddoni than anything. They've been nursing it back to health ever since, and I've been asking for them to put a price on it since I saw it. Two weeks ago I stop by and I see it. They had moved it to a nano tank with low lighting and low flow. Now only 3 inches wide, it has climbed halfway up the side glass, stretching towards the light and looking like a brown toadstool coral. I grab the owner, strike a deal, and...

I was told it used to be blue. I think it's looking more like a light teal so far, but I still like it either way. Eats well, holds itself right, and mouth stays closed. So, after two weeks in my tank, I think it's gonna make it. I'm pretty excited; it's my first Gigantea.

So now it's time. I have more good looking anemones in the sump than the tank. And this new guy is going to get BIG if I do everything right. My next post will be about the tank as it stands, and what I plan to change to accommodate this new phase. And I fully expect to keep collecting anemones once I start, so this thread will be where I will post updates on the "rebuild" of the tank to fit as many different kinds as I can.

 

[blaxsun]

Best of luck!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

This sounds like fun.

 

[Nano_Man]

Will be following your thread

 

[bradleym]

Best of luck!

This sounds like fun.

Will be following your thread

Thanks for the feedback! I'm hoping it will be as good as I am imagining it, lol

 

[bradleym]

So here is the tank. I have WAY too much coral. I need to start moving it en masse. Everything in section 1 (red) is colonies that will need to be sold/traded/broken down. Everything in section 2 (orange) is frags or larger pieces that I can sell/trade pretty easily as is, but are not in perfect health, and I may move them to my frag tank to heal up or frag first. Everything in section 3 (yellow) is an artificial material (frag rack, plastic egg crate, etc.) that unfortunately is grown over. I'll likely have to break a few corals to get those back, and then maybe store them as I won't be doing as much fragging for a while.

The part that concerns me most is section 1. I like the archway there, and so does the RBTA. But the Gigantea is going to want the top of the rock for the light and the flow. So I can't decide if I should lose all of the rocks and make a new archway, or if I should attempt to clean off all of the corals for the Gigantea and use what I have. I know Riterri like a flat space on top, and BTAs like a crevice on the underside. Any expert advice on creating an ideal footing location for a Gigantea?

 

[bradleym]

Quick update, I moved some corals out and moved some to the frag tank, just enough to bring up some of the anemones!

It's a little taller than I wanted, but the rock on top with a BTA can go back to the sump if the BTA moves. I'm blasting it with lots of flow, so hopefully it will be "encouraged" to move soon.

 

[bradleym]

With great difficulty, I relocated my last full size BTA from the sump just before lights out in the display. This brings my count to 5 up here!

This is probably how it will be for a few weeks now. I need to grow out my Gigantea, and one of my coral trades was for a green BTA, but it'll need some time to grow up too.

I'm hoping somebody local will trade me a rose for some corals, but until then, it's just a waiting game. Waiting, and telling myself I don't need the Magnifica I saw at the LFS over the weekend... but I digress.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

With great difficulty, I relocated my last full size BTA from the sump just before lights out in the display. This brings my count to 5 up here!

This is probably how it will be for a few weeks now. I need to grow out my Gigantea, and one of my coral trades was for a green BTA, but it'll need some time to grow up too.

I'm hoping somebody local will trade me a rose for some corals, but until then, it's just a waiting game. Waiting, and telling myself I don't need the Magnifica I saw at the LFS over the weekend... but I digress.

Anemones all look like they are doing well!!!

 

[bradleym]

Gigantea update: since I moved all the bigger BTAs upstairs, I moved the hospital basket to where the BTAs were. The light is much brighter, and the flow is isolated from the rest of the sump, so it doesn't fluctuate temp with the heaters, or alkalinity with the dosers. The gigantea has been improving in color quite well so I thought I'd post a picture to document it. Unfortunately the position it took up under the new lights is less convenient for photos but you can see it has a lot more color now.

 

[Seancj]

Those baskets are great at isolating anemones, but they also cut way back on flow. Giganteas prefer alot of flow so I'd watch how it does in that basket and be prepared to move it out into better flow if it starts to regress. Best of luck with it! You've done a great job bringing it back from the brink. It most likely would have died at the LFS.

 

[bradleym]

Those baskets are great at isolating anemones, but they also cut way back on flow. Giganteas prefer alot of flow so I'd watch how it does in that basket and be prepared to move it out into better flow if it starts to regress. Best of luck with it! You've done a great job bringing it back from the brink. It most likely would have died at the LFS.

Yeah I was thinking about that too. I have a small powerhead outside the basket to help with that, but I think it still wants more. I was kinda thinking about setting a pump outside the basket with a hose over the top to dump more flow on it. The hard part is getting enough flow without blowing the whole basket around, lol.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Following along, nice nems! I have been dreaming off and on lately of a nem tank so maybe I can live through you

 

[bradleym]

Today's project: adding flow. I added a hose to the basket, which provides more flow than any anemone should want. I pointed it straight down into the upper right corner. I then placed a rock under it to disperse it around the basket. I have the rock positioned so that, as the gigantea raises up, it gets more flow, and it gets less if it lays flat. Hopefully this will allow it to get exactly the amount of flow it likes best.

 

[bradleym]

My latest addition - 2 rose bubble tip anemones. They are currently hiding on the left side of the tank, but I'm sure they'll make up for it in the weeks to come. Also made a little more room in the display.

 

[bradleym]

Also a quick pic of the anemone nursery. The gigantea is looking much more blue at the moment, I hope this is close to it's permanent color.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

My latest addition - 2 rose bubble tip anemones. They are currently hiding on the left side of the tank, but I'm sure they'll make up for it in the weeks to come. Also made a little more room in the display.

looks great

 

[Nano_Man]

My latest addition - 2 rose bubble tip anemones. They are currently hiding on the left side of the tank, but I'm sure they'll make up for it in the weeks to come. Also made a little more room in the display.

Your nems look great and the bottom right nice nice

 

[bradleym]

One of my clowns started pondering an important life decision this evening. Neither clown has shown any interest in any other anemone before now. Hopefully these two will get better acquainted soon!

 

[bradleym]

This one is a @Tamberav appreciation post for contributing these beautiful anemone accents to my tank! I lost mine several years ago in a tank crash, and I am excited to have them again now.