Anemone Tank?

mikeeeee · Mar 6, 2012

Anemone Tank?

I want to set up an anemone tank,this tank will sit next to the main display tank and plumbed into the same sump. It will have live rock and cleaners in the tank but not really set on having any fish just Anemone. i will also be doing spot feeding twice or three times a week. My question to all of you, is will this tank need or require fish?

Otter_rs · Mar 6, 2012

It absolutely does not need fish, but any clownfish anemone seems to do much better with resident clownfish. Besides, if there are clowns, you feed the anemone by feeding them. What anemone are you thinking of keeping, because you will want to design that aquarium to what anemone you are keeping.

mikeeeee · Mar 6, 2012

I plan on keeping few RBTA and a long tentacle, when you say design the aquarium to what the anemone needs are you referring to lights and equipment?

Otter_rs · Mar 6, 2012

Water current, lighting, and structure(or lack there of in some cases) are the most important things other than water chemistry. For instance, you have two different anemones there that may sting each other if given the opportunity. The bubble tips are rock dwelling while the long tentacle is sand dwelling. Both anemones get very large if happy, so it may be difficult to keep them separate in a small aquarium. The LT will need a big area of empty sand bed with one rock to attach it's foot. The RBT will need a rock structure. Most anemones like irratic current, others like laminar flow. The two you chose tend to like irratic current. NO powerheads! They will end up killing themselves and possibly everything else in your system, so current can be a challenge without powerheads.

mikeeeee · Mar 6, 2012

Ok so I think I will go with just BTAs just different colors but the flow without powerheads will be tricky. I will plumb to same sump as my display tank so return flow will come from their aswell. But I did plan to use a wave maker with powerheads to creat laminar flow. Any Ideas how that can be done without powerheads?

Otter_rs · Mar 6, 2012

Good choice on choosing only one species. That is also the easiest choice. One way you can create current without poweheads is to increase the aquarium turnover. The more water that can exit your aquariums overflow the more water you can pump in via the sump. I would split that incoming water into at least four outputs with separate ball valves so you can control them individually. You can also use a rotating current barrel(oceans motions/squid) to create even more irratic current. Try and be creative.