Reef Anemones: Friend or Foe? How do you make it work?

[revhtree]

At some point in your reefing career you've either housed an anemone in your reef tank or you've thought about doing it. Admit it! Anemones can make a beautiful addition to any saltwater aquarium with their color and movement in the current but throw corals into the mix and you could get yourself into some trouble. They move, they sting, they smother! They can even turn into a million powerhead pieces! So let's talk about this today!

1. Do you house an anemone in your reef tank?

2. How do you make your anemone happy and your corals safe?

 

[AZMSGT]

Great topic, I’m interested in the answers too. I have thought about adding a bubble tip a few times and then stop my self.

 

[ca1ore]

Very broad topic …. with a range of anemones with varying levels of challenge. I don't bother with bubble tips anymore - essentially large majanos . I keep magnifica anemones almost exclusively (though I do have a few maxi mini, or is it mini maxi, and some rock flowers). Hard to recommend the true host anemones (hetractis and stichodactyla) to any but the most experienced and accomplished reefers. Not only are they extremely difficult to acclimate successfully, they will lay waste to your tank unless you have planned in advance to keep one. Even then, they can still do significant damage.

Bubble tips are much easier, and much less capable of destruction, but aren't a natural host for many of the more common clowns. They can also split like crazy.

 

[Dixon B]

Isolation boxes or keeping them on separate rock islands are easy ways to control anemones.

 

[Colt13]

Anemones: friend or anemone?

 

[New&no clue]

My BTAs are on an island. A couple times they have tried to leave, but don't like being on the sand bed and will quickly jump back on the rock....

.....except for that one time one decided to go for a ride on my Turbo Snail.

 

[Tiger Brown]

Love that picture of the nem on the snail @New&no clue!

Back in 1989 we thought there were two kinds of anemones, and they were called Pacific and Atlantic. The pacific housed anemones and the atlantics did not. Clearly we knew next to nothing in the 80's but I did have great luck with fish. I also had a very large "atlantic" anemone, probably a Condy variant. I knew it wasn't likely to house clowns, but I had an ocellaris that loved it and was in it all the time. I currently have 2 BTA's and my clownfish couldn't care less about them. Anemones are weird, and clownfish are even more weird. They match up with me well.

 

[Jason mack]

I have 9 rockflower anemones 1 bta. And 4 others I forget the names now ..all in my 90g mixed reef ...love anemones...

 

[bam123]

BTAs love a hole or crevice for the foot and like to stretch to light and current. I always put them in first (after tank has had a long cycle) and have my lights on low and current moderate. The anemone will move its way to the top. I then slowly increase lights and current over several months. When the anemones are near the top, you are good to go.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Lets see. I think you can house maxi mini and rock flower nems with almost any corals. They do not move as much or sting or cause issues from what I have found. Come in all kinds of colors and great textures. I have many of both.

BTAs are not my favorites although I have some and have kept them over the years. I think they are beautiful, but I just like others more in my tank. BTAs for me move a bit more and bother corals more.

Haddonis wil not bother corals on the rocks as they stay in the sand, but they will move and they do like to eat fish. So, beautiful, but better in their own tank (FME). I have three in their species tank and love them with the 5 clowns.

Now, I just began with Malus and am loving them. The clarkiis moved right in, the nems settled great, they are gorgeous in texture and color. So far no fish deaths that I am sure of. May have stung my kole tang, not sure.
Plus, my damsels happily play in the nem when the clown goes off wondering to see the male (rather make sure he is staying where he belongs - in his nem).

For the average beginner, rock nems and maybe maxi mini. More adventurous keepers btas. Specialized or more experienced keepers carpets.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Oh, forgot the tube anemone that I had. More difficult to deal with and need lots of sand and just the right flow and food. Not recommend to average reef keeper.

 

[Han]

I tried keeping BTAs but they just kept splitting until my tank was wall to wall anemones and most of my corals got killed. If I try them again it would have to be in a dedicated tank.

 

[a4edwin]

had a haitian nem he was trouble. would travel the tank all the time got stuck in one of my pumps luckily my wife shut the pump off in time. ended up getting rid of it. ended up getting a long tentacle nem he's been great only moves around the base of the rock he's on.

 

[jk_s124]

I have never owned one, but plan on adding a bubble tip when I upgrade. I would also like to get a few rock flowers as well.

 

[Conrad Noto]

At some point in your reefing career you've either housed an anemone in your reef tank or you've thought about doing it. Admit it! Anemones can make a beautiful addition to any saltwater aquarium with their color and movement in the current but throw corals into the mix and you could get yourself into some trouble. They move, they sting, they smother! They can even turn into a million powerhead pieces! So let's talk about this today!

1. Do you house an anemone in your reef tank?

2. How do you make your anemone happy and your corals safe?

None at the moment, waiting on Haddoni Carpet I ordered. I had many over the years. Mini max and rock flower are the only two i'd recommend without precautions and preparation. Covered intakes, overflows and wavemakers a must. When they do live, they grow fast and large. Two adult Condy will fill 180gal.

 

[jk_s124]

Very broad topic …. with a range of anemones with varying levels of challenge. I don't bother with bubble tips anymore - essentially large majanos . I keep magnifica anemones almost exclusively (though I do have a few maxi mini, or is it mini maxi, and some rock flowers). Hard to recommend the true host anemones (hetractis and stichodactyla) to any but the most experienced and accomplished reefers. Not only are they extremely difficult to acclimate successfully, they will lay waste to your tank unless you have planned in advance to keep one. Even then, they can still do significant damage.

Bubble tips are much easier, and much less capable of destruction, but aren't a natural host for many of the more common clowns. They can also split like crazy.

How big of tank do you need for a magnifica?

 

[lpsouth1978]

I have 8 anemones in my Waterbox 230.6. There are 4 x 2" BTA's and 4 Haddoni ranging from 6"-16". So far I have had no issues with the Haddoni's, though I have accepted that fish may disappear at some point. The BTA's are super small so for now not a huge concern. I don't feed my nems but maybe once every couple months.

 

[ca1ore]

How big of tank do you need for a magnifica?

They can get truly huge. Had one exceed 24" in diameter; current one is approaching that in my 450.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Oh, forgot the tube anemone that I had. More difficult to deal with and need lots of sand and just the right flow and food. Not recommend to average reef keeper.

On the plus side any light will do for them

 

[jgvergo]

I have 3 FRAs...love them
Oh yea, I have a bunch of glass anemones in my overflow too!