Algae Farmer
Community Member
Not hard at all.
My 72 BF kinda morphed into a Nem tank. Last count was around 40.
This is one way to "double" your money in your reef tank!
- QUESTION OF THE DAY
- Thread starter revhtree
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Bob Lauson
Active Member
I bought one RBT Anemone for around $80 for my 180 gallon mixed reef. It split into 5 separate anemones two of which I had to remove and sell back my LFS and they gave me $40/each for them. Of the remaining three, two are staying put and have been a great home to my clown fish. One has wandered off and I will most likely remove it and take it back to the LFS as well.
Had 6 different ones in a bow front, didn’t move, until that tank cracked and water escaped all night. Had a rose in the next tank split twice, they all stayed put also. We’re rehomed with the mean clowns.
Barnabie Mejia
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I have one in my 29g and its been good, never split. its pretty big, whenever he is fully open enjoying the flow, he is about 7" round. I will mess with him, ill pull a power head to maintenance it and he'll move and get comfy, then I put the powerhead back in and then he moves back to where he was... I wish he would split! so I can make some cheese!
Dianemetcalf
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My Anemonies split all the time! I get rid of some only to have more split. I have a love hate relationship with them. It is difficult to keep any other coral because the anemonies sting and are aggressive. However, they are beautiful and easy to keep.
D-Nak
Valuable Member
The only anemone that you can successfully "double your money" with are BTAs. All other anemones can't be force propagated with guaranteed success, and some rarely naturally split.
It's hard to group all anemones together when asking if they are easy to keep. BTAs, RFAs, maxis, etc. are all easy to keep. A lot of times, the other anemones commonly available are bad shippers and often arrive with bacterial infections and need to be treated. However, after successful treatment, many species are extremely hardy, particularly the popular hosting species such as haddoni, gigantea, and magnifica.
It's hard to group all anemones together when asking if they are easy to keep. BTAs, RFAs, maxis, etc. are all easy to keep. A lot of times, the other anemones commonly available are bad shippers and often arrive with bacterial infections and need to be treated. However, after successful treatment, many species are extremely hardy, particularly the popular hosting species such as haddoni, gigantea, and magnifica.
D-Nak
Valuable Member
And to reiterate my point, I just looked at all of the responses and about 90% are talking about BTAs.
BTAs really are in a league of their own when it comes to care, hardiness, and ease of splitting and selling.
BTAs really are in a league of their own when it comes to care, hardiness, and ease of splitting and selling.
Mical
2500 Club Member
I have nine BTAs in a 120gal. The initial pair are 14 years old with a pair of maroon clowns same age. They've split multiple times and overall they're fairly easy to keep.
On a note of "easy to keep" I personally feel there are guidelines that I wish reefers would abide by.
A) the tank should be at least 6-9 mos old & STABLE. I read to many new reefers purchasing them and watch them melt.
B) Nems need to be monitored. They move to where THEY feel comfortable not where you want them. They'll move at the slightest change to your tank - IE: water-change, flow change, lighting change. And even then, they move when they feel like it. They are unpredictable. BTAs are fairly easy, add a carpet and it's a whole new ballgame. I watched my carpet INHALE a 4" Niger trigger in one swoop.
Nems are risky and those of us who are lucky enough to have & keep them know it's more than feeding and caring for a reef tank. There's always the possibility of them bulldozing corals, eating your prize fish or getting sucked into a powerhead nuking your tank.
If you want a nem - be prepared to react.
On a note of "easy to keep" I personally feel there are guidelines that I wish reefers would abide by.
A) the tank should be at least 6-9 mos old & STABLE. I read to many new reefers purchasing them and watch them melt.
B) Nems need to be monitored. They move to where THEY feel comfortable not where you want them. They'll move at the slightest change to your tank - IE: water-change, flow change, lighting change. And even then, they move when they feel like it. They are unpredictable. BTAs are fairly easy, add a carpet and it's a whole new ballgame. I watched my carpet INHALE a 4" Niger trigger in one swoop.
Nems are risky and those of us who are lucky enough to have & keep them know it's more than feeding and caring for a reef tank. There's always the possibility of them bulldozing corals, eating your prize fish or getting sucked into a powerhead nuking your tank.
If you want a nem - be prepared to react.
RtomKinMad
Well-Known Member
I started with one watermelon BTA, it split and now have seven. 2 moved and are down low in tank but doing fine. I only feed reef roids once a week. Also have one green maxi-mini which moved low in the tank and almost died. We moved it higher and is doing well now and growing. Here’s a picture of 5 of our nems! Lov them but they did sting and kill a beautiful Goni. Just don’t put corals next to them anymore. They seem happy now.
BeardedMcG
Active Member
I want to get one again one day but not in a reef tank. It would have to be a dedicated tank for me.
I plan to have a separate tank for nems and a pair of designer clowns...Will be a 40 breeder right next to my 75, will only have a 1 BTA and 1 Carpet and a pair of clowns....won't be plumbed into my main 75 system, I may just use a HOB filter for the tank, haven't fully decided on that yet
I consider them easy to keep. I’ve found them to be incredibly resilient, surviving the inevitable encounter with a power head (even with foam covers) when I was sure it would not make it. I’ve found one of the hardest to keep are LTAs, but not because they are fragile, but because I’ve found it difficult to find a spot that they like and extremely sensitive to any change in flow, lighting, etc. They will detach on a whim and go “swimming” around the tank. Still, as someone said, cannot imagine having a tank without them. They are amazing and beautiful animals.
Easy as 123.
Just add 1 aiptasia and you will have loads of them in no time
Mushroom anemones are the same as BTA in the ability to live and multiply in our tanks. There are a few more difficult ones but anyone can do it with good practices.
Just add 1 aiptasia and you will have loads of them in no time
Mushroom anemones are the same as BTA in the ability to live and multiply in our tanks. There are a few more difficult ones but anyone can do it with good practices.
Dave Sweat
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I had 1 rbta that split, and appears to want to split again. Also have a green speckled bta. I really enjoy them!
Admann
Active Member
I find them easy, but I know there are some species that require a more skilled hand. I bought a RBTA around a year ago, now have 13, splitting machines.
My first 2 RFAs evidently spawned after being in my tank for about 6 months, now have nearly 40 babies total that I can locate, 25 are within 6 inches of the Mother. That was really cool to watch, cute little buggers.
Almost forgot, I have euphyllia, leather, favia, mushrooms, xenia in the same tank. Biggest problem is a vermettid [sic] stinging an RBTA, going to torture it with my majano wand
My first 2 RFAs evidently spawned after being in my tank for about 6 months, now have nearly 40 babies total that I can locate, 25 are within 6 inches of the Mother. That was really cool to watch, cute little buggers.
Almost forgot, I have euphyllia, leather, favia, mushrooms, xenia in the same tank. Biggest problem is a vermettid [sic] stinging an RBTA, going to torture it with my majano wand
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RJH829
Community Member
I had a bta before and it was extremely annoying and my tank was not properly set up for it so sadly it died. After that I bought a rainbow bta and set up a tank for basic stuff, 2 clowns and my rainbow bta and I'm actually really happy with this one, lol he's a good boy. Waiting for him to spit now
