Anemones... whats been your experience with them?

[TheNowMovement]

Im kicking around the idea of getting an anemone of some sort and I would like some first hand experience about your anemones that you have/had in the past. Literature is great, but first hand accounts help me way more than literature! Anything you can add will be appreciated.

 

[Z06-Hec]

I have 3 Bubble tips. 2 of them are about 4 inches when fully opened and their foot or base is about the size of a quarter or so. They both were placed by hand onto a rock with a few nice crevices in it. so they both planted in a nice crevice and have not moved since i got them.
I have another one large. When extended the tentacles are extend about 8 inches or so. The foot base diameter is about 2-3 inches but the length on this thing... it stretches pretty far i would have to say with curvature maybe 5-6 inches when it wants.
When i got it, it was attached to its own rock so the guy i bought it from gave me the rock. When i placed it in my tank it moved within the first night just a few inches off its rock but into a cave i made. It protected its foot in the crevice of 2 rocks on top of each other and from there extends out of the cave to get light and catch food.... at night it retracts into the cave to hide.

I feed all 3 of them manually.
The smaller ones i give 1-2 pieces of freeze dried krill every few days, so 1-2 times a week.
The larger one i give an entire cube of frozen live food, easiest i do is squid since it sticks together longer while still half frozen. I try the frozen mysis but they thaw pretty quick and make a mess but i can get it in if i move quickly. I just use a baster and suck the cube and place it in the tentacles. It immediately reacts and pulls it into the mouth on its own.
I have 2 pairs of clowns in the tank and they pay no attention to the nems. I hope one day they do.

I had one green bubble before these 3 and it moved after a week of having it. I was inexperienced and tried to move it back and kept messing with it and i pretty much killed it by mistake.

From that i learned, leave it alone, make sure it doesnt have hard flow on it and it has a place to plant its foot where it feels secure.

I cant say if the feedings help keep it in place but in comparison to my first one that would expell and shrink, these 3 never have their mouth gaping or look like they are expelling anything. They do shrink into their holes but thats about it.

I take it they are happy nems !

 

[Reefahholic]

What size tank and how long has your tank been up and running?

What kind of lighting and flow do you have on/in the tank?

 

[Trex]

Been keeping hosting anemones for the 20+ years, have kept;
E. quadricolor
M. doreensis
H. crispa
H. malu
S. haddoni.

The longest in my care was an S. haddoni, approximately 16 years. Lost it when I purchased a new one, that (( looking back )) was infected and pasted that along to my existing one -- this was before a treatment was known.
At one point I had 5 S. Haddonis.

Currently, I have 2 S. haddonis, 2 E. quadricolors and 1 M. doreensis -- though that will change once I finish setting up the 210, and take down my 75 (( already took down my 40 breeder, which had housed the E. quadricolors, which are in a 10 gallon for the time being.

 

[Reefahholic]

Hey Trex,

Have you ever noticed any issues with any of the anemones you've kept together. Like Allelopathy issues?

I'm kinda scared to add a haddoni in with my gigs and mags. I know one of my mags stung a haddoni one time, so I'm kinda scared they will smell him or chemically fight each other.

Any thoughts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Along those lines, I had issues with an existing gigantea that was fine until I added a second. Then there was a slow decline of the first over a couple of years as the second one grew and grew.

I cannot be sure, but I suspect the second one somehow harmed the first one.

 

[Reefahholic]

Along those lines, I had issues with an existing gigantea that was fine until I added a second. Then there was a slow decline of the first over a couple of years as the second one grew and grew.

I cannot be sure, but I suspect the second one somehow harmed the first one.

Good to know randy. Most of the time I find that these infections are species specific. I've brought quite a few Magnifica in that I thought would be ok without treatment and they ended up infecting every Magnifica in the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure it was an infection, but it might have been.

 

[Trex]

Hey Trex,

Have you ever noticed any issues with any of the anemones you've kept together. Like Allelopathy issues?

I'm kinda scared to add a haddoni in with my gigs and mags. I know one of my mags stung a haddoni one time, so I'm kinda scared they will smell him or chemically fight each other.

Any thoughts?

I have, with an S. haddoni & E. quadricolor and S. haddoni & M. doreensis. In both cases they were already in my care, just moved things around. It was the S. haddoni that had the issues. Wouldn't stay put (( after not moving for years )), and generally looking "off", returned to normal within a week or 2 after removing the offending anemones. In both cases it was the same S. haddoni. That one was fine with another S. haddoni, even touching.

 

[Reefahholic]

I have, with an S. haddoni & E. quadricolor and S. haddoni & M. doreensis. In both cases they were already in my care, just moved things around. It was the S. haddoni that had the issues. Wouldn't stay put (( after not moving for years )), and generally looking "off", returned to normal within a week or 2 after removing the offending anemones. In both cases it was the same S. haddoni. That one was fine with another S. haddoni, even touching.

Very interesting! This is why I like the forums.

I've noticed a few of my Haddoni's getting upset and deflating or uprooting. It's always been with Gig, Mag, Sebae. There were no LTA or BTA in the tank.

It really sucks because I love the look of a Haddoni. I'm afraid they may be too sensitive with multiple other species long term. Plus, I think that Haddoni have a very strong odor in the tank that other nems dislike. Either that or it's Allelopathy.

Either way, I'm probably gonna try one more time with just one haddoni. If it happens again, I'm done. They will go in species only after that.

Minh has Gig, Haddoni, Mag, Malu currently all together in a 320/G. I believe that water volume does indeed play a role. Who knows though.?.

 

[Reefahholic]

Check out these multiple species pics. I wish I could give credit to the owners, but I forget who they were.

Maybe you guys can help out.





Here's a few I've kept together:

 

[OrionN]

I got multiple species of anemones in my tank. 3 Gigantea, 3 Haddoni and 1 Magnifica. They are all doing well. I do not have my Magnifica touching either of the carpet species but for over 1 years I have various carpets right next to each other without problem. I also have H. malu together wit Magnifica, Gigantea and Haddoni without problem. Below are pictures of a few Carpets together, touching

 

[OrionN]

This picture show the three host carpet species together. That picture (not mine) was taken only a few days after they were put together. Haddoni, Mertensii, and Gigantea

 

[Justinky]

Very interesting! This is why I like the forums.

I've noticed a few of my Haddoni's getting upset and deflating or uprooting. It's always been with Gig, Mag, Sebae. There were no LTA or BTA in the tank.

It really sucks because I love the look of a Haddoni. I'm afraid they may be too sensitive with multiple other species long term. Plus, I think that Haddoni have a very strong odor in the tank that other nems dislike. Either that or it's Allelopathy.

Either way, I'm probably gonna try one more time with just one haddoni. If it happens again, I'm done. They will go in species only after that.

Minh has Gig, Haddoni, Mag, Malu currently all together in a 320/G. I believe that water volume does indeed play a role. Who knows though.?.

I think LTA is the hardest to mix long term, because of like you said smell or allelopathy. In my experience I think they are the worst for this.

 

[Justinky]

Check out these multiple species pics. I wish I could give credit to the owners, but I forget who they were.

Maybe you guys can help out.

Those are Ctran's pics on RC, spectacular anemones and tanks .