How Long Before Adding Anemones and GSP?

[Hugh Mann]

I am wondering how long I have to wait before adding a Bubbletip Anenome and Green Star Polyp to my tank. From what I have been told and read that I have to wait for my water perameters to stabilize, roughly six months. But I am also told gsp is very hardy and can be added pretty quickly.

I don't want to get my clownfish until I have an Anenome to help safeguard the smaller male from my predatory fish, and the gsp to help filter out uneaten food and look nice.

 

[good.reef]

I am wondering how long I have to wait before adding a Bubbletip Anenome and Green Star Polyp to my tank. From what I have been told and read that I have to wait for my water perameters to stabilize, roughly six months. But I am also told gsp is very hardy and can be added pretty quickly.

I don't want to get my clownfish until I have an Anenome to help safeguard the smaller male from my predatory fish, and the gsp to help filter out uneaten food and look nice.

GSP should be nearly impossible to kill as long as your parameters are in range. But you are correct that the BTA is much more sensitive to instability. The reason most people recommend a mature tank for a large variety of corals and nems is because a mature tank is far less likely to have any dramatic swings, which many things (including BTA) can be negatively effected by. There is no set rule as far as amount of time. 6 months is probably a good baseline.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Gsp can go in even before your tank has water and it will probably still survive OK no I'm kidding but as long as your tank is cycled and has acceptable parameters it will be OK for gsp. It won't however filter your water.

The anemone on the other hand will require a much higher levels of stability, Salinity, temperature, flow, trace elements ect. Remember an anemone is just a bag filled with water, your water. If you have subpart water chemistry so will the anemone internally (no bueno) so how long until it's OK for one? Totally depends on your tank. Some tanks at 6 months are ready but for the most part most tanks aren't. Specially those who haven't finished their ugly stages.

OH and you might want to keep the gsp on its own rock unless you want it spreading everywhere they are super fast growers.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Gsp can go in even before your tank has water and it will probably still survive OK no I'm kidding but as long as your tank is cycled and has acceptable parameters it will be OK for gsp. It won't however filter your water.

The anemone on the other hand will require a much higher levels of stability, Salinity, temperature, flow, trace elements ect. Remember an anemone is just a bag filled with water, your water. If you have subpart water chemistry so will the anemone internally (no bueno) so how long until it's OK for one? Totally depends on your tank. Some tanks at 6 months are ready but for the most part most tanks aren't. Specially those who haven't finished their ugly stages.

OH and you might want to keep the gsp on its own rock unless you want it spreading everywhere they are super fast growers.

Friend of mine told me they will occasionally pull in leftover food from feedings, but if he is full of feces, well then, they still look great. I was intending to glue the frag to the back wall of the tank.

So how can I tell when my tank is ready for an Anenome? Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate is around 20. Ph is 8.3

 

[Copingwithpods]

People say "when your tank is ready" but what they really mean is when your experience level is ready. Which (and this is very overly simplified and condensed) when you have figured out a good water change routine, feeding routine, able to keep stable water parameters via either dosing or water changes, have a good flow set up and light intensity and duration routine. All things that come only with experience and trial and error. If you feel you are ready then you are ready.