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

[Conrad Noto]

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.

I ordered a Hoddoni should be getting here this week. If it takes fish it will go.

 

[lapin]

I ordered a Hoddoni should be getting here this week. If it takes fish it will go.

It will. Prob not a good to order one and go thru the QT/ treatment process just to give it up.

 

[lapin]

I have a small tank full of these

In the main display I only have 1 Ritteri. Unless you count the 4 large aiptaisa.

 

[sghera64]

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.

+1 +1 +1 +1 (please stop propagating)

 

[Xero]

i've done it 2-3 times before, but it always ends up getting too big and I have to remove it....

For some, this turns into a "nem-only" tank, and then usually this escalates into a "designer-nem-only tank, can't mix!" And then before you know it, you're a "cipro dip bro" and you "want to make your money back." It's a slippery slope. Naw, I'm good. I just want to grow a coral garden.

 

[BantyRooster97]

I have several (10+) all on anemone island, away from all my SPS.

 

[RudyinFL]

I had 1 bubble tip and it has split into 3. I did it for the clowns but wish I hadn't. They have moved all over the tank and stung a few corals. Currently they have settled in so I moved the corals away. But if they decide to move again I will be moving the coral again. I would take them out but they have their foot way back under the rockwork and would be a nightmare to take apart.

 

[radiata]

Other: It's a love~hate relationship...

 

[Blknovass]

Had RBA’s in the past and seemed like in a month I went from one to nine. They a beautiful but yea had to get rid of them they move too much.

 

[Nilo S]

Had RBTAs for years in my previous tank (softies and LPS tank), no issues. Once I moved them to my current tank (mixed tank), they spread all over and stung a few acro frags, so I removed all of them.

 

[Topekoms]

I have 8 bubble tips and 13 rock flowers in a 210 I love em

 

[Alan_J_MN]

I had a condylactis, who would not stay out of the overflow. Overnight it would get off its rock at the front of the tank, find its way through a cave, up and over another rock, find the slits at the bottom of the overflow, and squeeze through a 1/8" gap. I have a cover on the top of the overflow, so it's totally dark in there, so I didn't want to leave him in there.
I managed to get him out (at the bottom of 24" deep narrow 7/16" gap is not an easy job). After the 3rd time he was banished from the DT.

 

[tinhorse]

Started with 1 green bubble tip and at one point had 10...this was just in a 8 month period. Seems like they grow to 6" or so then split. My clowns love them but me not so much any more. I took out a couple and they left a little section of foot behind which grew into new anemones. I have offered them for free but I live on Vancouver Island and there are not many reef keepers in my neck of the woods... I have stopped feeding them and they only get a few pieces of brine or mysis shrimp when it reaches the big the fish dont get to it first.

 

[Jmas4]

It really depends. Rock anemones, I keep in my reef just fine. RBTAs however they move around a lot. Even when I think they are fine for months, they decide to move just one night. For someone who keeps a dense reef with many corals, this is a nightmare. Not to mention the risk of it getting stuck on powerheads.

 

[CTFIREMAN]

I have a large nem about 12” across. Pinkish purple, not sure of the species. PAIN IN THE BUT!!! Takes up way too much space and I am constantly worried it will decide to move nuking my SPS in its travels. Not to mention to two clowns that are hosting it are very territorial and destroy anything new I place within a foot or so. Can’t wait to get rid of it despite how beautiful it is

 

[Whasmack]

The Carpet Gigantea has been my absolute favorite over the years. It has never moved; but I'm pretty sure it's responsible for the disappearance of some of my fish... (Worth it!)
Had to post a pic with my hand for reference - makes my large colonies look tiny.

 

[webmanny]

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?

I've had 2 RBTAs for a while now. They have split in the past and I have sold them, which is good.

In my opinion, the reason some people have issues with them because they add them after everything is in place. In my opinion, they need to go into an aquarium first, this will give them time and space to move around and find their spot.

After they settle, you can add corals around then.

Please note this is just my opinion.

 

[SRQreefer]

I've always kept BTAs with no problems. Right now I have a red, a green (my first purchase after moving up from a FO tank) and a rainbow kind-of-deal in a mixed reef. They tend to stay put, in my experience, unless they split, at which time I just grab the wandering split and trade it in at my LFS. I've never managed to keep them "bubbly," but they are beautiful, regardless - and incredibly long lived. I've had one split or another of my green BTA for 12 years now and the red for 10. They have all survived all kinds of rookie mistakes, vacation chemistry crashes, etc. They take up a fair bit of space, but you can definitely keep them without torching any corals as long as you keep a watchful eye.

 

[ENGReef]

I currently keep 5 RBTAs in my mixed reef. I ended up breaking up my scape into three “piles” of rock. One for the nems, the second for lps, and zoa/palys, and the third for SPS.

Check out my build thread for a

 

[Shawn Blevins]

Don’t like them in my display because they would always travel and nuke corals they come into contact with. My new fish tank room I am trying a dedicated mangrove tank. So I decided to try some anemones for a species only tank due to the mangrove wanting high lighting so they should go well together