Anemone in sps tank

[K-MAN]

So is it a bad idea to put an anemone in an SPS dominated nano tank???

 

[seafansar]

I wouldn't do it. It will eventually grow too big and sting your corals. And that's if it stays in one spot and doesn't sting them beforehand. How big is your nano?

 

[Sikryd]

I have 2 in my reef, but I have big cahona's

 

[K-MAN]

24 gallon aquapod
I just got a Picasso clown..want something for it to host

 

[aerius007]

I had one in my tank and as soon as I saw it moving I took it out. Try a few different LPS and see if the clown will host that. My clowns went from my rbta to a hammer coral in a matter of days.

 

[seafansar]

My dad has two in his 125 gallon reef. They have stayed in place so far, but I wouldn't do it in a nano. Not enough room if it does decide to move.

 

[ashton]

Its taking a risk. I wouldnt take the chance because i've invested too much into my corals and my pair of clowns will host the corner of my tank.

 

[TwistedTiger]

I've had clowns host in a green polyp toadstool. For about a week it closed up when they dove in but soon got used to it and stayed open. It has been my experience if you have proper lighting and feed the anemone on a regular basis it will stay put. I have a long tentacle in a 75g SPS and he stays put. I have good lighting and feed him fresh shrimp twice a week.

 

[subielover]

I wouldn't do it. I had a nano and waited until I upgraded to go for the anemone. You could always set-up a tank for anemones and clowns specifically.

 

[wicked demon]

I have had clowns host in ricordeas, they are perfect for a nano, also +1 on the frogspawn idea as well, might give the fish a little choice in the matter.

 

[bluebeltreefer]

i wouldnt do it in a nano, unless you introduce the anemone first and let him settle. then maybe you can arrange sps around or above him, where his tentacles wont touch it.

and then you can cross your fingers and hope he doesnt move. my anemone in my tank kills sps pretty quickly, in a matter of days.

 

[K-MAN]

am i right when is say that frogspawn and hammers still sting they just stay put?

 

[ashton]

Yes frogspawns and hammers are a LPS coral so they stay put because they are attached to a skeleton so you decide where you want to place it.

 

[reefdan]

I have had clowns host in ricordeas

mine do this too but it's not the same as them hosting a real nem. they know the diff.

i would skip the nem unless you set up another tank. get a 29g and plumb it into your 24g. best of both worlds

btw, just because you have a nem doesn't mean the clown will host it. clowns are weird about that stuff

 

[gflat65]

I had up to 8 GBTA's in a 125 loaded with SPS and never lost a single SPS. The only coral I lost in 5 or 6 years of keeping them was a Hydnaphora... One of the big mothers got comfy and zapped it. IME, when they move, they aren't stinging too much. Once they get settled in, they start looking for things to hit. I've had them walk over Acros with no ill effects (taking a couple of days sometimes to move on). However, given the size of your tank, you won't leave much room for anything else if you put in a BTA. I've had GBTA's greater than a foot in diameter (reds can get bigger from some shots I've seen).

 

[revhtree]

Honestly I have never had a BTA kill any sps either. I have a BTA touching and sitting right underneath some coral. This is where it settled a few weeks ago and the sps are just fine.

 

[Azurel]

I have 2 in my reef, but I have big cahona's

Your on the edge man.......


I have had RBTAs touch other corals with no ill effects, then move and settle and sting everything around. Not sure if it is something they sense or not. I wouldn't do it if you have tons of SPS. Depends on what you want to see more as well, an clown with anemone or colored sticks just sitting there doing nothing. Hard to beat the look of an anemone and clown hosting, it just says "the ocean".

 

[cherokee_dude]

I agree with the above statements. I have 4 (All split from a single RBTA) in my mixed 100g reef. They don't seem to be a problem when on the move, but once settled in have stung up a few softies and SPS. I have this crazy spaghetti type rock, so the foot is impossible to get. I wouldn't do it again in this tank. The worry is not worth it IMO.

 

[wicked demon]

mine do this too but it's not the same as them hosting a real nem. they know the diff.

i would skip the nem unless you set up another tank. get a 29g and plumb it into your 24g. best of both worlds

btw, just because you have a nem doesn't mean the clown will host it. clowns are weird about that stuff

2 things,
first- is that the clown rubbing itself on most corals is the same thing, especially mushrooms, they all have nematocysts, the coral/ nem will remove small debris and parasites that are not imbeded in the flesh, and yes they know the difference, thats why a clown will never touch a condylactis- and thats if they are wild, however, if they are aquacultured- especially ocellaris and percula- they may never host in anything.
By the way mushrooms and nems are in the same family, just because you see a dividing line doesn't mean the fish does. Also mushrooms can move and sting somthing the same as a nem.

second- species specific clowns prefer species specific anemones, for example maroon clowns prefer bubble tip but skunks like carpets, etc....