Ideas on an Action Plan for Anemones

[Ocean’s Piece]

I plan to get an RBTA for my reef tank. My tank is 3 months old and I’m waiting until 6 months minimum, stability, etc to put one in. I don’t have any fish or corals in there right now. I plan to get two clownfish for the anemone. I’m in no hurry at all to get fish or corals. I don’t want any corals to potentially die because of the stings from the moving anemone when it’s figuring out where it wants to set up shop. should I wait and get an anemone, let it settle in, and then add corals or is there any need to wait on adding corals after putting an anemone in. Again, I’m in no rush and I prefer safety over rushing to add it in.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

I think either option is fine. Of course waiting on the anemone first before corals seems the safest of routes. But, as you are probably aware, anemones can and do decide to move for one reason or another. So what's the difference? I think the most important thing is what you are already displaying. Patience and consideration go a long way in this hobby.

 

[sp1187]

personal experience I would advise against nems in a tank with corals.
I started with two. after multiple splits I have seven. and because of how my aquascape is constructed I'm having a difficult time removing them. I've lost corals and had to to do multiple moves on others because one particular nem won't pick a spot.
also not all clowns will use a nem as much as we would like them to. I have two ocellaris clownfish (tank bred) that have shown zero interest in my nems, euphyllia corals or any other corals in the tank.

 

[ZoWhat]

If your thinking is once a nem gets established in a certain area, you can start building corals around it....

But it will eventually move again and again based on seasonal temps, flow and lighting intensity changes

Nems are forever mobile, no rhyme or reason for their migration patterns

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

personal experience I would advise against nems in a tank with corals.
I started with two. after multiple splits I have seven. and because of how my aquascape is constructed I'm having a difficult time removing them. I've lost corals and had to to do multiple moves on others because one particular nem won't pick a spot.
also not all clowns will use a nem as much as we would like them to. I have two ocellaris clownfish (tank bred) that have shown zero interest in my nems, euphyllia corals or any other corals in the tank.

I really want an anemone but I may consider getting a few corals and put some clownfish in there and see if they host some corals (obviously ones that are more tolerant of clownfish movement) before getting an anemone. I won’t have many corals over $100 though but not saying I don’t want them to potentially die to an anemone. Also wouldn’t want it to take over my tank through splitting because I have a 32 gallon Biocube. It would be different if it was 100 gallons + ish. Thanks for sharing

If your thinking is once a nem gets established in a certain area, you can start building corals around it....

But it will eventually move again and again based on seasonal temps, flow and lighting intensity changes

Nems are forever mobile, no rhyme or reason for their migration patterns

Yeah that’s the bad part about them sadly.

 

[fcmatt]

Just buy cheap corals when wanting nems in your tank. Please don't buy a 100 dollar acro frag and expect it to do well when a dorky bta decides to park next to it. I deal with this exact problem and I would not add bta. Nope. They split and 1-2 becomes 6 or 7 in a year or two.

I would recommend a gig if you have the skillz to pay the billz of buying one and keeping it alive for many many years. (I am making the assumption you have no problem keeping acro alive for years on end.. otherwise forget the gig and learn with bta). Just know you will eventually redo the tank down the road as you gain experience to deal with more advanced critters.

Better yet.. find that regretful bta owner who has 12 in their tank and get one for free. There always seem to be 1 that a person can easily scrape off.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

Just buy cheap corals when wanting nems in your tank. Please don't buy a 100 dollar acro frag and expect it to do well when a dorky bta decides to park next to it. I deal with this exact problem and I would not add bta. Nope. They split and 1-2 becomes 6 or 7 in a year or two.

I would recommend a gig if you have the skillz to pay the billz of buying one and keeping it alive for many many years. (I am making the assumption you have no problem keeping acro alive for years on end.. otherwise forget the gig and learn with bta). Just know you will eventually redo the tank down the road as you gain experience to deal with more advanced critters.

Better yet.. find that regretful bta owner who has 12 in their tank and get one for free. There always seem to be 1 that a person can easily scrape off.

Could always build put a coral shelf off the side of your glass.

 

[fcmatt]

Could always build put a coral shelf off the side of your glass.

a bta, for no apparent reason at all, sometimes just releases from the rock and floats around. Often into a pump. Or will move all the way across the tank. I don't think anyone really understands why in most cases.

I have a small red bta attached for the last year and a half on my overflow box. I have no idea how it got there. And now it does not move at all. Same spot. Slowly growing.

The other, i dont know how many, hard to count, seem to stay put.

I would not count on them staying put long term. They pick where they want. Often on the opposite side of the rock so you cannot see them ;-)

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

a bta, for no apparent reason at all, sometimes just releases from the rock and floats around. Often into a pump. Or will move all the way across the tank. I don't think anyone really understands why in most cases.

I have a small red bta attached for the last year and a half on my overflow box. I have no idea how it got there. And now it does not move at all. Same spot. Slowly growing.

The other, i dont know how many, hard to count, seem to stay put.

I would not count on them staying put long term. They pick where they want. Often on the opposite side of the rock so you cannot see them ;-)

It’s seems like an anemone is just a game of chance where some will stay put for long periods of time and some will kill every last coral until it finds a spot. Still on the edge about getting one but this thread has made me lean more towards the no side when I was originally more towards the middle of yes and maybe

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Anenome move. If you want one in your reef tank, when the time is right, get one and do what everyone else does. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

 

[Timfish]

I haven't met a BTA yet that didn't go fo r a walk about sooner or later. If it helps over the decades I've had BTAs in my systems I've learn to expect a lot more activity and splitting around the summer and winter solstice.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I have a 125, and I have several RBTA on the left side, on a rock I call anemone island. They split and move around on the island, but they have never ventured across the sand to the main land.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I have a 125, and I have several RBTA on the left side, on a rock I call anemone island. They split and move around on the island, but they have never ventured across the sand to the main land.

Did you place it there when you got it or did it move around and just claim that island for itself. Awesome tank btw

 

[GaryE]

I have 3 green btas in my nem tank that are constantly moving around their rock. But they star on that rock. So far.

I also have two rock flowers on a different rock. One hasn't moved since I placed it, the other had been all over his rock.

I have two maxi mini carpets that have been in the same spot on their rock since day one. They overlap one another.

I have a haddon's carpet that's been on the move since I placed it in the tank. I'd prefer it to be in the middle, but he seems to like the front corner with his back to me.

My two rbtas in my reef tank are settled for now, but have moved quite a bit since I put them in.

@sarcophytonIndy , I'm about ready for another rbta if you have any ready.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Did you place it there when you got it or did it move around and just claim that island for itself. Awesome tank btw

I started with two on the rock, before adding any coral.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I have 3 green btas in my nem tank that are constantly moving around their rock. But they star on that rock. So far.

I also have two rock flowers on a different rock. One hasn't moved since I placed it, the other had been all over his rock.

I have two maxi mini carpets that have been in the same spot on their rock since day one. They overlap one another.

I have a haddon's carpet that's been on the move since I placed it in the tank. I'd prefer it to be in the middle, but he seems to like the front corner with his back to me.

My two rbtas in my reef tank are settled for now, but have moved quite a bit since I put them in.

@sarcophytonIndy , I'm about ready for another rbta if you have any ready.

I do have a couple that have split off recently.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I plan to get an RBTA for my reef tank. My tank is 3 months old and I’m waiting until 6 months minimum, stability, etc to put one in. I don’t have any fish or corals in there right now. I plan to get two clownfish for the anemone. I’m in no hurry at all to get fish or corals. I don’t want any corals to potentially die because of the stings from the moving anemone when it’s figuring out where it wants to set up shop. should I wait and get an anemone, let it settle in, and then add corals or is there any need to wait on adding corals after putting an anemone in. Again, I’m in no rush and I prefer safety over rushing to add it in.

I just moved 4 anemones out of my 120gallon . They were moving everywhere and zipping my frags and corals to death.

now I’m contemplating on a nano tank for just anemones . <30 gallons.

I hear ya!