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

[Mortie31]

My magnifica, its been sat in this exact position for over 7 years now, it has tons of flow and light, I never feed it. It’s about 18- 20 inches across but has it’s own shelf, so isn’t an issue but I do have to keep it blasted with flow to stop it expanding anymore...

 

[Rivus]

What’s your secret with maintaining the bubbles in the tips?

Ignore them...the only care they get is a weekly 10% water change, no dosing, no direct feeding. They keep getting too big and killing my other corals. Once I figure out how to get rid of them, no more BTA's.

 

[Dag95833]

Started out with a bta that would not stay anywhere I wanted it. Then got a lta and they are pretty close. Always wonder what will happen if they make contact.

 

[musicsmaker]

To answer the question: yes I currently have anemones, and they are all rock nems. 8 rock nems in a 20 long mixed tank. Rock nems tend to find a spot, and stay there.

To keep them happy, I keep the tank conditions stable like a reef tank should have, and I feed them. I broadcast reef roids 2x a week, and feed them LPS "grow + color" pellets. Some of the newer, smaller ones don't respond to that yet, but the bigger ones take it right in - fast.

The corals stay safe and happy because the nems don't move and they like the food too.

 

[oldbob50]

I have two. The Condylactis has been in the tank for 2.5 years and has spent the last year and a half on this rock. The Rock Flower has been in the tank for 28 weeks and has not moved from this corner. Sorry about the dirty glass but I just cleaned the algae from the glass and haven't clean everything up yet. They are very happy and healthy because they are in a nutrient rich tank and get fed every 3 days. The condy doesn't really move much but, if it does, I rotate the rock. If it starts to get to close to anything, I rotate the rock. Before I put it on the rock it was near my frogspawn and it took quite a bit of tentacle damage when it got too close. The tank is an 80 gallon, mixed reef with softies, LPS and a few SPS corals.

 

[BeckyW]

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.

Funny picture!

 

[BeckyW]

I am new to the hobby and have a 15 gallon tank. I have 2 bta’s and 2 rock flowers. The bta’s have moved around a bit but I love them! I can’t wait to go bigger because they are growing and one is about to split.

 

[RichReef]

Love my LTA. After owning almost every species it's the only one I'll ever keep.

 

[DHill6]

I had rose BTA’s before, gave them away they kept splitting and making new ones. Years ago I acquired an Hawaiian Red Anemone, it stays small, stays put and is an
Indicator of water change. It’s been through three tanks and many tank killing challenges, ie gha, we won’t go there. It’s one tough specimen, very sticky.

 

[nkyreef]

My RFAs are cool but my bubble tip I wished I passed on. It takes up a good amount of real estate where I'd love to add coral. I'd sell it but my 2 clowns call it home. I've tried to sell them as a package but no such luck.

 

[Bradig326]

had

I meant to say I had a rose bubble tip. It was fine until it wasn't. It would stretch across my 4 foot 75 gallon and sting corals. It also would split. I ended up bringing it to a local pet store. Along with the evil clarkii that made it's home there

 

[Rick.45cal]

I‘ve kept many different species over the years and carpets are my favorite, but with this tank I decided no anemones since I was planning on growing sps. I’ve experienced various levels of nem frustrations over the years from the constant wanderer who inevitably ends up in a powerhead to a giant carpet who finds it’s way into the overflow box causing a flood. All good times. If I ever lose all my sps, I’ll turn my tank into a home for a haddoni carpet anemone and make him the featured animal.

 

[littlebigreef]

I've got rock nems, anything else you're just asking for trouble. Nems are just mobile killing machines.

 

[drblakjak55]

90g mixed reef. 100 lbs rock. Bought a large corner rock with two rose btas. That rock is isolated from other coral rocks except for a bridge or cut across the bottom like the picture. I’m not happy but the Maxima clam doesn’t seem to care. new to me. They sting the heck out of most corals. I have four splits out there somewhere traded for coral at the fish store.

 

[nmqtrhrse]

I had 1 that was amazing and lived a long time. Then it committed suicide in the overflow. The ones I have tried since have just not been happy. My clowns "overly love" them. Not going to try it again for awhile.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Yes, I got one rainbow BTA last April, a year later I have 9...

So, cool, but can be prolific if you don't keep parameters and flow exactly the way they like it...Every time I take a pump out to clean it, there's a new anemone the next day...

 

[Lewism11]

I kept a rose bubble tip in the past and loved it. Seeing my clowns swimming in and out and calling it home was a fun site to see. Wish I still had a tank large enough for another but not in the 5 gallon I'm setting up. I never really had any issues with them moving or stinging anything else.

 

[Opalmoon]

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 currently have a rock flower anemone in my tank purchased before I got corals and it situated itself into the corner of my tank and seems happy there because it hasn't sought to move since. Though I am keeping an eye on it in case it decides it no longer likes its corner.

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

Negative for me. My experience with anemones was with BTA and they split, move around, and killed corals. I would be interested in doing a dedicated tank featuring anemones but in an sps or mixed reef like I run now no thanks.

 

[Mark]

I keep a Malu anemone in my tank. Stays put in the sand, leaving the corals on the rocks alone. Doesn't get too big.