What ONE showstopper, healthy, hearty coral/anemone would you get for this tank?

SharkRacer

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I am looking for help choosing one big showstopper coral/anemone that I hope will host my clownfish. I like the look of green toadstools but am looking for suggestions.

What would you suggest I get?

I started my reef tank in January of 2022, and aside from being in "the ugly stage" everything is going very well!

I currently have 4 small corals that my neighbor gave me (and all have been healthy for ~2 months):

- Duncan
- Trumpet
- Green hammer
- Mushrooms


Conditions:

- Tank is 55 gallon
- Stock: 2 clowns, pistol shrimp, watchman goby, purple firefish (and after I complete my current QT I am adding a flame angel, 6-line wrasse and 3 bengai cardinals and a cleaner shrimp)
- I leave the tank for 3-5 days on vacations and during this time I have pellets and lighting on automated systems.
- I can set up a webcam to watch my tank when I am gone (so if something dies I can call my neighbor to get it out)
- I do not currently dose anything (open to it, but want to keep things simple)
- I currently am running a Fluval Marine 3.0 36" light (and another higher power one I could add if necessary)

*Image attached is before I added livestock but shows the aquascape I have to work with.

Aquascape.JPG
 

Goubli

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Get a toadstool leather. You can get the regular or green variety. They can get big and spread and are neat corals. They add movement to the tank w polyps extended and they add height without necessarily getting too wide. They also don't sting. I used to have a softie/lps tank that had a couple of large ones and a lot of smaller to medium ones that came from the larger ones.
 
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SharkRacer

SharkRacer

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I was going to say one of these but you would probably end up with 2 clowns and not be able to add any other fish. If I ever do another tank I want to do a carpet or 2 and a pair of clowns. Screenshot_20220621-112040_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20220621-111813_Chrome.jpg
These are beautiful! Sound like they might not be worth the risk though.
 

ScubaFish802

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I think this is just personal opinion, but showstopper for me is any bright yellow torch with bright teal tips larger than a couple heads
 

Lost in the Sauce

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What kind of light are you currently running?

Given your previous information, I have No idea why people are advising a Torch, especially a $500-$750+ torch when your stated desire is that it may host your clowns. That's just Silly.

If your tank was started (assuming from dry?) In January, you may not yet be ready for a nem in the tank. You Very well could plop a BTA in there and it survive long enough for your tank to mature, but that's also not what you asked for.

Reading your prompt, I would say to start looking at and researching Long Tentacle Anenome. They come in varying sizes from 3" to 12"+ (Show stopper much??) Prep to buy when the tank hits the 10 month to 1 year old area.

LTA Are not overly aggressive (not fish eaters) and clowns Love them. They are sand dwellers with beautiful movement and colors. Here is my Green LTA, about 10" across in mostly Whites
PXL_20220523_234638106.jpg
 

Montiman

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While it isn't a Coral or Anemonee I love clams. More intersting than colored stocks IMO. I love large reef displays in public aquariums with big clams. Even the "boring Gigas Clam" in the picture below looks awesome and show stopping to me. A nice maximum or Blue Squamosa would definitely steel the show in a tank like yours.



1655853751631.png
 

sfin52

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Neon green nepthea an elegance is very nice no reason that you coudnt have both
 

shakacuz

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a nem would definitely look nice on the left side of the tank.. but would it stay there long term? can't really say...

show stopper (in my opinion), is definitely any coral that pops under that blue lighting you have. something red, yellow, or orange would definitely POP. green can look great as well, but is such a common color in reefs i generally try to stay away from it (my tank has so much green, i am tired of that color...). personally, any coral with movement(sways with water flow) will look great! torches, hammers, elegance, anemone's, most leathers, duncan's, etc..
 

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