Mixing High end with low end anemones

[karamreef117]

Hello everyone, so what is the talk and discussion based on this subject of mixing anemones? I have a nano tank, with many anemones in it. I have a rose, rainbow, and black widow. All doing well and all living together. But now, I am thinking of collecting more anemones. I want to get a Chicago sunburst and put it in that tank. Good idea or an idea? I have heard so many things. I know people have done it before but it is very rare to read up on it. Just want opinions what are some thoughts and what is known in today's aspect.

 

[Hooz]

It seems to be a really hit or miss thing. I've found that people who have success run a lot of carbon.

I've had a 10g tank with Rainbows, Ultra Rainbows, Acid Rain (green) and ECC Warp Drives running for over a year now with no issues. All the anemones are happy and healthy. I'm in the process of upgrading to a larger tank. Once that is complete, I'm going to add more varieties (slowly) and see how it goes.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Hello everyone, so what is the talk and discussion based on this subject of mixing anemones? I have a nano tank, with many anemones in it. I have a rose, rainbow, and black widow. All doing well and all living together. But now, I am thinking of collecting more anemones. I want to get a Chicago sunburst and put it in that tank. Good idea or an idea? I have heard so many things. I know people have done it before but it is very rare to read up on it. Just want opinions what are some thoughts and what is known in today's aspect.

So, Sunbursts are a wierd bunch. Colorado and Chicagos don't mix well, rainbows and sunbursts fight chemically, my former LFS owner had a pair of Colorados that tried killing each other in opposite corners of a 50 breeder holding tank. I have yet to see any that weren't direct splits of a mother colony 'accept' another nem in the vicinity.

 

[karamreef117]

It seems to be a really hit or miss thing. I've found that people who have success run a lot of carbon.

I've had a 10g tank with Rainbows, Ultra Rainbows, Acid Rain (green) and ECC Warp Drives running for over a year now with no issues. All the anemones are happy and healthy. I'm in the process of upgrading to a larger tank. Once that is complete, I'm going to add more varieties (slowly) and see how it goes.

The same exact thing that's going with me right now. Expect I am not upgrading haha. I don't know if I want to run the risk of adding the nem and screwing myself up. I heard carbon is very very good which I already run a bag of but really a hit-or miss for most people. Something I should probably avoid. Good luck!

 

[karamreef117]

So, Sunbursts are a wierd bunch. Colorado and Chicagos don't mix well, rainbows and sunbursts fight chemically, my former LFS owner had a pair of Colorados that tried killing each other in opposite corners of a 50 breeder holding tank. I have yet to see any that weren't direct splits of a mother colony 'accept' another nem in the vicinity.

And that's what I am trying to get to. most is chemical warfare but could it also be from where you get it?

you know what it sounds like? it sounds like the same topic about anemones bubbling up and why and how they do it. Almost no one knows why and it is a factor of many things maybe that's the same thing with mixing ameones. just s many factors that one thing can not be the only thing.

 

[OrionN]

Anemones, BTA in this case, do not know if they are high end or low end. They don't discriminate and don't try to beat the Jones and get better home. A healthy BTA is a heathy BTA and require the same care.
Certain spectrum of color light will show off one variety better than other in term of highlight the color. More expensive anemone tends to get chopped up quicker before they can easily tolerate it, so maybe stressed, smaller and less healthy than the larger healthier cheaper anemones.
You can mix BTA without problem, but if you put a sick anemone in your tank, there is a possibility that other anemones will become infected also. There will be differences at various locations of your tank in term of current, lighting and food availability. Some locations will be better, and anemones at these locations will do better.

 

[Cell]

Tons of anecdotal evidence and hypothesis, but nothing concrete. More often than not, people have had issues mixing CSB's, but then there are cases where people have mixed them successfully as well. I've never seen any real controlled experiment.

 

[OrionN]

"Chemical warfare" means "in my tank some anemones did well, and the others did not."

What is toxic to one BTA will be toxic to another BTA. Just like toxin release at your house will kill you first before it affects your neighbor.
One can argue chemical warfare happens in different species (there are plenty of that), but not in the same species. Animal just not willingly release toxin that affect them in the environment just to suppress the growth of an anemone of the same species near it because the toxin concentration is going to be a lot higher at the point of release than further away. Just as you are not willing to burn your house with you in it in hope that the neighbor's how will also catch fire, and that he is in it.
The argument and proof again same species chemical warfare is plenty. In some tank, they are living and doing well together, there for there is no chemical warfare. The argument for chemical warfare is nil. There is no way you can proof that the anemone B died because of toxin release by anemone A. It is because the fault of the reefer. In the same tank, with the same species, whatever chemical that is toxic to anemone B will also be toxic to anemone A. With Anemone A doing well, one can argue that there is no "toxin" affect Anemone A, therefor there is no toxin affecting anemone B in the water.
Toxin directly injected to an animal is another matter entirely. We see plenty of cases where on coral of the same species attack another coral of the same species, but this is direct warfare, release toxin into the enemy, not into the water.
"Chemical warfare" does not make any sense. Any animal that evolved that type of offense will not last long and will not propagate any progenies and will get weed out of the population.

This is saying the same thing in so many different ways, it gets tiring.

 

[Cell]

Some sort of bacterial incompatibility between aquacultured and wild nems is the more reasoned hypothesis vs. chemical warfare for all the aforementioned reasons.

 

[OrionN]

Some sort of bacterial incompatibility between aquacultured and wild nems is the more reasoned hypothesis vs. chemical warfare for all the aforementioned reasons.

Yes, "high end" BTA anemones got chopped up a lot, much more than they should, result in a poorer heath new BTA anemone that is more susceptible to various problem and much less resilient and more prone to dying.

If I can tear a 1000-dollar bill to 2 or 4 bills of the same value, I will be tearing them up like crazy too.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes, "high end" BTA anemones got chopped up a lot, much more than they should, result in a poorer heath new BTA anemone that is more susceptible to various problem and much less resilient and more prone to dying.

If I can tear a 1000-dollar bill to 2 or 4 bills of the same value, I will be tearing them up like crazy too.

I agree with the bacterial incompatibility theory, although different strains of the same species may show different tolerance to chemicals and therefore "chemical warfare" could play a factor (idk to what degree though, not sure if anyone does)

 

[OrionN]

I agree with the bacterial incompatibility theory, although different strains of the same species may show different tolerance to chemicals and therefore "chemical warfare" could play a factor (idk to what degree though, not sure if anyone does)

Toxic chemicals are expensive, energy and resource intensive for animal to produce. Animals, BTA in this case, are using sexually reproduction and main method of reproduction. Any chemical, toxin resistant to a commonly exposed toxin convey a huge survival advantage and will be selected and propagate and disseminated quickly in a population.

We can consider all the BTA population is on "the same side", they compete against other species 99.9% of the time and they compete against each other a very small fraction of the time. Population on the same side do not start an expensive arm race against each other.

The Navy and Army have intense competition, but friendly like the Army/Navy football game coming up, but they don't developed weapons to specifically kill each other, although they each have formidable, and shared, weapons to kill their enemy.

There is no need for BTA to evolve specific toxin to kill another BTA.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Toxic chemicals are expensive, energy and resource intensive for animal to produce. Animals, BTA in this case, are using sexually reproduction and main method of reproduction. Any chemical, toxin resistant to a commonly exposed toxin convey a huge survival advantage and will be selected and propagate and disseminated quickly in a population.

We can consider all the BTA population is on "the same side", they compete against other species 99.9% of the time and they compete against each other a very small fraction of the time. Population on the same side do not start an expensive arm race against each other.

The Navy and Army have intense competition, but friendly like the Army/Navy football game coming up, but they don't developed weapons to specifically kill each other, although they each have formidable, and shared, weapons to kill their enemy.

There is no need for BTA to evolve specific toxin to kill another BTA.

I'm not sure why you're mentioning their method of reproduction in the first paragraph and i really don't have a dog in the race here, all i was saying is that different strains of the same species have different genetics and therefore some may be more sensitive to certain chemicals which may be released by other strains. In regards to your analogy about the army and navy competing against each other being the same as different strains of BTAs competing, i would doubt that they see the other BTA next to them and think to themselves "oh, that's my friend" or "he's on my side" as the army and navy have the capacity to do. Again, i really don't have any idea if there's any chemical warfare going on, just saying it seems possible.

 

[FSP]

Bacteria theory makes sense

A similar situation in aquaristics is mixing domestic strains of discus from different origins. It can work sometimes but you're generally better off sticking to one source.

 

[OrionN]

Saying that the BTA died due to chemical warfare is such a cop out. It is just my long-winded reason, or my opinion, why there is no chemical warfare when some BTA died and other not in a tank.

OP
As long as you can get healthy anemones, there should be no problem.

 

[karamreef117]

Saying that the BTA died due to chemical warfare is such a cop out. It is just my long-winded reason, or my opinion, why there is no chemical warfare when some BTA died and other not in a tank.

OP
As long as you can get healthy anemones, there should be no problem.

I agree and see the view you are coming from. It makes 100% sense as to why such anemones may have problems and you compared it to something we all understand. It’s going to be a risk and it doesn’t matter from where you view it. Getting a sick anemone is going to be hard to identify and that it self is a risk. Something I have to ask my self now. I haven’t started the progress but hoping to do so down the line. Going to do a lot of research and build trust with the seller.
Thank you for your response!