Is an Anemone too much for a 2.5 Pico Reef?

[Alex808]

Seen a lot of discussion about what’s best for Anemones and tank size. Right now it may be too early to tell if this Anemone will last but so far it’s looking healthy. After 3 weeks in one corner it MOVED to another corner. First few days it moved all over the place and I thought it would stop. This morning I found it where it is and I’m trying to adjust my scape a little bit to keep my other corals happy.

Any other pico reefers here have Anemones or other aggressive corals in their little tank?

Will GSP die from touching Anemone too often?

 

[lolmatt]

Looks good, it may indeed bother your corals but to what end? If it's cool looking and happy I say go for it.

 

[Phil D.]

It moved to take advantage of the flow. How old is the tank? You should only add a nem after 6 months.

 

[Alex808]

Looks good, it may indeed bother your corals but to what end? If it's cool looking and happy I say go for it.

Yeah you’re right. The scape was meant to capture a big small look.

 

[lolmatt]

Tank age really doesn't matter for anemones as long as your parameters are stable. An experienced refer should have no problems keeping a bta happy and healthy even in a tank that's just finished cycling.

 

[Lukas75]

The only issue I can see you running into is it outgrowing your tank. My largest is the size of a dinner plate.

 

[Lukas75]

Also, put a screen on that HOB intake, you would be amazed what they can squeeze into. I found one in my sump this morning meaning it went through the overflow slats.

 

[Alex808]

It moved to take advantage of the flow. How old is the tank? You should only add a nem after 6 months.

I’ve heard that and heard other things about tank age before. Not saying you’re wrong but there are always folks proving that to be just something people say. The tank was a couple weeks old and set up with live rock and sand with water from an established tank before any corals went in. I’ve had 0 significant algae growth and the parameters have been very steady. The Anemone has looked better and better since adding it.

 

[Alex808]

The only issue I can see you running into is it outgrowing your tank. My largest is the size of a dinner plate.

I guess I’ll just have to deal with it when I get to that point. I have plans for a 40g breeder ultimately that’s where it will end up in the future.

 

[cloudisback1997]

I’m about to attempt this myself. I’m going to put a rose bubble tip in a 4 gallon.

 

[NY_Caveman]

This tank is way too small, I am sorry to say. That anemone could outgrow the tank in a few months. A 4 gallon is also too small.

 

[brandon429]

Move it out when it outgrows, and if you are feeding correctly it will in a few

As a transitional tank for it, nice job on clean skip cycle setup. Biologically it looks like a happy system, with good water change and feeding quality consistency it w just outgrow then needs to be removed. I don’t recall lots of anems like that in picos, if they ever all of a sudden died or anything, system seems clean and stable and good live rock off pics, it’ll probably do fine as it increases in mass

Old lfs had one of those anems twice the size of that pico, sure to outgrow ~

 

[cloudisback1997]

This tank is way too small, I am sorry to say. That anemone could outgrow the tank in a few months. A 4 gallon is also too small.

I’m actually pretty aware how fast they grow and split.

this is in a Nuvo 40. When I put this up I started with just one. Now I have about 30 in there. When it does outgrow I will just move it or take the splits to a fish store. Replacing the rock that he sticks to is not really a big deal either. I have so much in my established tanks. I will also add that having a brute container full of readily made salt water makes water changes a breeze.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I’m actually pretty aware how fast they grow and split.

this is in a Nuvo 40. When I put this up I started with just one. Now I have about 30 in there. When it does outgrow I will just move it or take the splits to a fish store. Replacing the rock that he sticks to is not really a big deal either. I have so much in my established tanks. I will also add that having a brute container full of readily made salt water makes water changes a breeze.

Cool. As long as you have a bigger tank available no worries at all. Not judging what anyone does, I have taken risks in my time too. I only wanted to dissuade those reading that might be new to reefing with a pico and no plan. FWIW.

 

[cloudisback1997]

4 gallon tank. The rock he was on was too big so I smashed it with a hammer. Fresh sand and established smashed live rock. Seems to being ok. May put a power head in there if I feel he starts to get unhappy. We will see