If not BTA than what?

[martin.a]

I can not sleep, I can barely eat... I want an anemone.

Here is my problem: I want a pair of pink skunk clowns living with anemone. I am in Australia, meaning I can get BTA, H. magnifica, S. gigantea and H. malu. That's basically it.

Magnifica and gigantea are natural hosts for those skunks, the other 2 are not. But there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence that they will host BTA or malu, if no natural host is available. I need the fish-anemone mutualism, so sadly, no anemone is no answer here.

I am worried that I do not have the space required for magnifica or gigantea. With gigantea I am also worried it will eat my fish. Plus both are as difficult to keep as it gets. I was set to just get a nice BTA and hope for the best. But there are so many complains about BTA going berserk and taking over the tank. So maybe getting a BTA is like inviting a vampire for tea?

Here is the tank:

It's 5 feet long (CADE 1500), and as you can see I actually may have the space for magnifica on the top flats of the rock on the right side. (Those purple rocks are there only temporarily). Malu could fit as well, gigantea... not so. But I am worried that there simply is not enough space for magnifica there, given I am planning to have fish and corals in that tank as well.

What would you do? Get a BTA and brace for strict parental control? Or get a magnifica and hope it stays small-ish? There also is a tiny cost difference. BTA is approx. $150 AUD, magnifica starts at $700 AUD.

EDIT: I know that I can not put any demanding anemone in this tank for at least half a year.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Sounds like you have definitely done your homework.

 

[Baldyreef]

I can not sleep, I can barely eat... I want an anemone.

Here is my problem: I want a pair of pink skunk clowns living with anemone. I am in Australia, meaning I can get BTA, H. magnifica, S. gigantea and H. malu. That's basically it.

Magnifica and gigantea are natural hosts for those skunks, the other 2 are not. But there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence that they will host BTA or malu, if no natural host is available. I need the fish-anemone mutualism, so sadly, no anemone is no answer here.

I am worried that I do not have the space required for magnifica or gigantea. With gigantea I am also worried it will eat my fish. Plus both are as difficult to keep as it gets. I was set to just get a nice BTA and hope for the best. But there are so many complains about BTA going berserk and taking over the tank. So maybe getting a BTA is like inviting a vampire for tea?

Here is the tank:

It's 5 feet long (CADE 1500), and as you can see I actually may have the space for magnifica on the top flats of the rock on the right side. (Those purple rocks are there only temporarily). Malu could fit as well, gigantea... not so. But I am worried that there simply is not enough space for magnifica there, given I am planning to have fish and corals in that tank as well.

What would you do? Get a BTA and brace for strict parental control? Or get a magnifica and hope it stays small-ish? There also is a tiny cost difference. BTA is approx. $150 AUD, magnifica starts at $700 AUD.

EDIT: I know that I can not put any demanding anemone in this tank for at least half a year.

im months late to this thread but im wondering which one have you gone with?

 

[martin.a]

I went with a large green BTA. And I have second thought about this. My pair of pink skunk clowns are not much interested in it. Maybe with time... Still, I could not have a magnifica now, and I would rather not have it in the future. It's simply too big.
With the BTA I have ongoing dramas with walking, but it's also a lovely model for photos.

 

[DmitryB]

Hopefully it also doesn't start splitting!

 

[BryanM]

Wandering and splitting is what I would have cautioned against :(

 

[DmitryB]

Wandering and splitting is what I would have cautioned against :(

Yeah I had an RBTA that some vendor sent instead of a flower anemone I actually ordered. I thought ok, the Clowns will like it. They never even looked on its general direction. Then it started splitting. Twice. Then it started walking. I've had enough. It had to go. No more anemones for me.

 

[martin.a]

Yeah, those beasts can be surprisingly tricky. Although Magnifica very rarely splits, it has a tendency for walks as well. Anyway, either mag or gig would be too large for a 5' mixed community reef. I am afraid that I may have no options beyond BTA.

 

[Sam7]

Yeah, those beasts can be surprisingly tricky. Although Magnifica very rarely splits, it has a tendency for walks as well. Anyway, either mag or gig would be too large for a 5' mixed community reef. I am afraid that I may have no options beyond BTA.

any updated tank photos

 

[martin.a]

any updated tank photos

Thank you for asking! I just made a thread Coral my rocks!
Please, only say the world if you want more!

 

[Sam7]

Thank you for asking! I just made a thread Coral my rocks!
Please, only say the world if you want more!

sure post one here too ...shows the difference when you first posted your post above