Saltwater garden: What is your experience with Rock Flower Anemones?

[doubleshot00]

I have about 150 RFAs currently, but have had many, many more over the years. There are about 70 in my 30g RFA/gorgonian tank, and around 80 in my 80g.

Here’s a couple of notes from my experiences:
1. Target feed about once a week with some meaty foods (mysis, reef frenzy, whatever you got). They appreciate it. For smaller RFAs, I’ve found target feeding to really help pack on size in the first 1.5 years.
2. Target feeding promotes spawning.
3. They will spawn in your aquarium, with the greatest chances lying around a full moon in the mid/late fall and spring. Target feed around this time for sure. I’ve also found around these times that doing a water change that will drop the temperature a degree or two sometimes triggers them.
4. There is no way to tell males from females unless you witness spawning and birth. So you have to play the numbers game and get a small bushel to make sure you have females and males.
5. Loss rates on spawns are incredibly high. Some people may have different experiences, but I usually see about 3-5 out of 40 babies reach adulthood.
6. They are peaceful, have a relatively weak sting, and don’t move much.

7. Don’t dip nems
8. Only thing I’ve seen kill a healthy RFA is (very) cold water, a broken foot, or a peppermint shrimp.
9. Whenever buying, make sure you look for healthy specimens, and if buying in bulk, ask if they treat them with antibiotics.
10. Enjoy them. They are colorful, forgiving, and great citizens in the reef.

One of my prettiest babies made (picture doesn’t do it Justice):

Man talk about stunning and have an instant colorful tank you dont have to wait 2-3 years to grow corals. Love it.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

I have a few and the color is never what I think I'm getting. I have had one on the same place on the same rock for a year, and it just moved itself to the back of the rock two weeks ago.

 

[Narideth]

I'm a sucker for RFAs. I knew I would be putting several in the new tank I set up as soon as I found out more about them, and I've acquired 8 so far. I want to eventually make a pico reef tank exclusively for them and some sexy shrimp and a few soft corals, and find that one perfectly gorgeous specimen to try and encourage to settle front and center - like that first image up top.

 

[EL_Perron]

I love rock flowers, I have a handful in a 5 gallon pico. I have had others in bigger tanks...but my luck is they always end up somewhere I cant enjoy them. The pico was set up just for them and the rock work was designed in such a way that no matter where they put themselves, I can always see them from the front or the sides of the tank.

They are also a fairly inexpensive way to add some wonderful color to a tank and are fairly hardy once settled...so they are great for smaller tanks that typically have parameters that can be slightly harder to keep in check due to the small water volume picos and small nanos.

I would warn people over paying for some of the vendors charging ludicrous prices for them. Almost all of them come from the same place, so LFS stores have the same as the vendors online. Look for places that sell them in bulk and order more then a few, to ensure you get a good mix and to increase your chances that some pick a spot that you can see them on a regular basis.

 

[Steve2020]

One of my first inhabitants. In a little over 2yrs has grown from 2.5" to 8" in diameter and has never moved around. He gets fed a piece of shrimp and scallop every other day.
One of my best $10 purchases.

17.250K light spectrum

21K light spectrum

 

[Reefer_kano]

I have one, I've had it since my tank was quite young (about 6 months old).
When I got it it was the size of a quarter and now is over 4 inches in diameter. As soon as I placed it on that rock it moved just a bit and it settle right where it's at now.
I have its rock placed in a open space and it gets quite of bit of light all day...it must love it because it has never moved from there.
I did see it spawning for a few day a while back so I'm assuming it's a male.
I want to get more but im running out of real state in my tank. Once I upgrade the tank I will be getting more.

 

[doubleshot00]

They are also a fairly inexpensive way to add some wonderful color to a tank and are fairly hardy once settled...so they are great for smaller tanks that typically have parameters that can be slightly harder to keep in check due to the small water volume picos and small nanos.

I would warn people over paying for some of the vendors charging ludicrous prices for them. Almost all of them come from the same place, so LFS stores have the same as the vendors online. Look for places that sell them in bulk and order more then a few, to ensure you get a good mix and to increase your chances that some pick a spot that you can see them on a regular basis.

Well said. I have yet to pay more than $25 or 5-$100 for any of mine and have a few ultras. I just don’t understand some of these prices on things.

 

[kenchilada]

I have a few and the color is never what I think I'm getting. I have had one on the same place on the same rock for a year, and it just moved itself to the back of the rock two weeks ago.

It's entirely dependent on the light (assuming its a nice RFA to begin with). I went to a show last weekend and everyone has them under full blues and they really pop. One of the vendors there told me he has Reefbrite build his LED bars setup custom just for making these pop at shows.

 

[Kellie in CA]

I currently only have one, it's a bit of a freak... two heads on one foot! Very cool.

But I have had tank with many RFA's before. I love the way they look, but they are too unpredictable for me. Always moving and parking themselves next to something that eventually dies. They have a talent for finding my favorite zoas and shading them.

 

[get-salty]

My RF decided to move on in right next to my bleeding apple, right next to it. should i be concerned ?

 

[exnisstech]

First off I have to say I do not believe there is a flower nem that even resembles the manipulated photo in the OP. Rant over.

I keep a few. They have been hardy and have never moved from the rocks I placed them on. They add a nice splash of color and a little movement. I even get little babies showing up here and there but they tend to show up in patches of hair alage and I think the algae overtakes them. Yes I have hair algae, quite a lot actually Here's mine

 

[SauceyReef]

I absolutely love them. It is a bit frustrating they are so expensive in my area, do not split, and are tough to get to spawn. I had 7 for a couple years. I accidentally let my phosphates get to high, with my nitrates bottoming out, and randomly lost half of the ones I had. Luckily the rasta one I have and cherish the most is still going strong after 2+ years.

(Not my photo, but same morph)

 

[i cant think]

I have to disagree slightly. Mini Maxis are much more anemone like in their predatory abilities. They can and will kill fish, something that is almost unheard of with RFAs.

Honestly, mine has never gone after fish unless they’re on deaths door. And that’s the only time I’ve ever seen any mini maxi go for fish.
I’ve seen RFAs going for fish that are slow moving and on deaths door too so it’s certainly not a pro for either anemone that they won’t go for fish as both are still opportunistic feeders.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

Well said. I have yet to pay more than $25 or 5-$100 for any of mine and have a few ultras. I just don’t understand some of these prices on things.

I agree to a point. Even if you are getting “ultras” you can end up with some fairly boring ones that over time turn into 5” plus RFAs taking up a lot of tank real estate. I’m at the point where I’m happy to pay 100 dollars for a really gorgeous one with colors that are unusual or with bizzare features like a split color disc or something. I don’t need anymore pale green with orange tentacles ones

 

[JoJosReef]

I have a few and the color is never what I think I'm getting. I have had one on the same place on the same rock for a year, and it just moved itself to the back of the rock two weeks ago.

I find that their disk color often changes from what you first receive and what they have in the shop--I don't know how much photo editing they do, but I've observed mine change color, and I imagine it has a lot to do with adjusting to the lighting that you have over them.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

I find that their disk color often changes from what you first receive and what they have in the shop--I don't know how much photo editing they do, but I've observed mine change color, and I imagine it has a lot to do with adjusting to the lighting that you have over them.

Yeah the colors in the picture in the first post are questionable. I remember that TSA post and all of the ones they posted looked…interesting. The colors just arnt like that. Beautiful but they can be hard to get right.

 

[jkcoral]

Color changes over time are pretty neat to witness. Here is a photo of one of mine that was taken about 6 months ago and another (with a mysis shrimp in his skirt) from just a few weeks ago.

 

[JoJosReef]

One of my first inhabitants. In a little over 2yrs has grown from 2.5" to 8" in diameter and has never moved around. He gets fed a piece of shrimp and scallop every other day.
One of my best $10 purchases.

17.250K light spectrum

21K light spectrum

I would love to see that 8" RFA next to a clown or something for comparison.

Here is my 4" diameter green RFA, which I thought was massive!

 

[SauceyReef]

I have had a couple maxi minis in my fluval evo with a few different nano fish. They have never killed or hurt a fish. My pink streaked wrasse was periodically sleeping under one for a while.

 

[premreddy]

I tried to keep one, It moved and hid inside the rock work. I though it might come out because there wasnt much light and I was not feeding it. It moved but I dont see it anywhere and not sure if its even alive at this point. No more RFA for me