Keeping Rock Nems - What do I need to know?

Specfishin · Dec 30, 2016

IME rock nems mostly stay put and "adapt" to flows and lighting. They can and will move if they feel the need to. But, I have rarely seen them move around. The ones that did were recently added and didnt make it for some reason, days later. Some shrimp and crabs may take advantage of some dying/ not healthy nems and finish them off by further aggravating them or tearing at their mouths. I fed every other day or 3-4 days with no harm. I now broadcast every day with no problems of every nem getting mysis or krill. I have one that is all of 6" diameter. They can take up real estate. Also my nem had stung a monti back and it receded. So be aware of whats nearby it. Never had a fish eaten by on, but it could happen. Same with inverts. Most importantly don't pull at a nem to relocate it. The foot can be damaged and while its a little bit frustrating you really need to take your time working a foot loose off or out of a rock or whatever its attached to. Happy reefing and heres a pic of my newer ones in my frag tank.

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Darth George · Dec 30, 2016

mdbannister said:
Awesome!

Do they tend to hold color pretty well? Any tips on making sure they stay colored up?

I do feed macrovore a couple times a week. They've held they're color pretty good.

jlanger · Dec 30, 2016

I had two rock flower anemones in my softy nano tank; key word "had".

Initially the anemones stayed put (or very close) to where I placed them; where the rock and sand met. After some time, one started to move and then the second one moved when I started filling the tank with more corals. That's wasn't too big of a concern for me other than the anemones took the best location on the reef for coral placement. I tried getting them to move with direct water flow, but they wouldn't move.
What caused the removal of the anemones was when I was feeding my fish, my male Yasha Goby chased a piece of food into the flow of my water pump and was pushed into the anemone. In the blink of an eye, the anemone snatched the goby and proceed to eat the poor fish as I stood there in shock of what I was watching.
I like my gobies much more than anemones, so the two anemones were promptly rehomed; and are now "off limits" for my tanks with small fish.

This may fall into the one-in-a-?????? chances, but I thought I'd mention it that rock flower anemones can eat a small fish.
The anemone was over four inches in diameter; so it was on the larger side. The goby was much smaller.

Pola0502ds · Dec 30, 2016

How do these guys reproduce and how do you encorage it?

The school reef tank i manage has about 6 in the tank and i can tell you that some of them do like to move.

Whiteyherzog · Dec 30, 2016

I have 14 rock flowers in my tank, all are in the sand and love it, only 2 moved to my rock work, i had them almost a year now and there very hardy and easy if the move its only a couple of inches, i spot feed once or twice a week. I know that clowns do not host theses and there sting is very weak but can still bother other corals like my favia, i know they reproduce buy spawning babys underneath the rock flower. Any other questions feel free to ask.

erinmegan85 · Dec 30, 2016

I love, love, love rock flower nems. I have three in my nano. I would like to get a whole bunch for my 68 gallon, but I'm having issues with what I think are dinos, so I don't want to put anything in there just yet. (Thinking I might have to do a complete reboot on the tank

) The ones I have in my nano have been pretty easy keepers. I don't target feed them, but they do occasionally get some leftover food when I feed the fish. Two of them have doubled in size. One has had some issues, but I think that's because of the stupid polyclad flatworm I have tried to eat it. It's recovering and doing much better now. I'll have to check out Reefer's Direct for when I buy some more in the future.

Whiteyherzog · Dec 30, 2016

Whiteyherzog · Dec 30, 2016

Monkeytank · Dec 31, 2016

I have four. They stay pretty much in one place. Two are in a barnacle cluster, which is pretty cool. They fluoresce under blues like crazy.

If you place them close together, they are much more likely to spawn. I plan to get a couple more and reloacate them all together.

I have really small fish and sexy shrimp that are never threatened by them.

If they are too closed we to SPS, they will sting them and win. What happened with mine was the Acro lost it's base but kept growing above the reach of the nem. It caused it to thicken and then grow out two stalks vertically just above the nem. Pretty cool.

Specfishin · Dec 31, 2016

As far as reproduction, they do it via spawn events. Not splitting and they do it when they want. I have a solo nem spewing his gamates? Into the water column. Nothing to reproduce with in that tank. I feed daily to every other day. That one is the 6" one. I had a green one do the same thing before he was sold off. Yet again no female in tank. Seemed it has happened in spring and late fall for me. Whether thats coincidence, who knows. If you see them "smoking" white cloudy stuff they're getting busy lol. Not brown stringy or any other stuff. Looks like they're smoking for real.

And a few pics. The red white one is the 6" and never had a fish incident ever, not that it couldn't.

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Daniel@R2R · Dec 31, 2016

It's my understanding that there's no way to sex them without a spawning event, right?

Specfishin · Dec 31, 2016

mdbannister said:
It's my understanding that there's no way to sex them without a spawning event, right?

That's what I've heard. That's why I think a garden of them will be bound to reproduce. I'm hoping for some babies this time round.

Bob Escher · Dec 31, 2016

I have one and he's mainly green with dark green on the perimeter. Has stayed in one place but these guys are awesome I'll have to look the seller up

evolve29 · Jan 1, 2017

I target feed mine every now and then. Mine moved around but for the most part settled. Don't think they liked the pistol shrimp snapping at it in defense of accidentally getting stung. I have to agree on rocks way easier than btas.
I got two of mine hosting anemone crabs. They will play host to crabs and shrimps, very rarely clowns. I think I saw one u tube vid where one did.

Devaji · Jan 1, 2017

Love rock nems too. I have a bright green one and a brown one they to move from time to time. but nothing to much. the brown found a foot hold in hole and has not moved where the bright green has moved a bit wish he found a spot where he was more visible tho...

hope to get more..

BigHildy53 · Jan 1, 2017

I am also interested in adding rock nems. My tank has been up for four months. From this thread it appears like the rock nems adapt to their environment. But, what kind of environment is their most preferred?

Specfishin · Jan 3, 2017

BigHildy53 said:
I am also interested in adding rock nems. My tank has been up for four months. From this thread it appears like the rock nems adapt to their environment. But, what kind of environment is their most preferred?

I may be wrong but, they like a lower flow and med to high light. I have had mine in high flow to low flow though. High flow after it was settled in for awhile. Light I've had lower and high amounts. Never saw any negative impacts. From experience though, high flow will have an unhappy anemone even more unhappy and unsettled.

Elementalj · Jan 3, 2017

Specfishin said:
I may be wrong but, they like a lower flow and med to high light. I have had mine in high flow to low flow though. High flow after it was settled in for awhile. Light I've had lower and high amounts. Never saw any negative impacts. From experience though, high flow will have an unhappy anemone even more unhappy and unsettled.

I was under the impression that they are a lagoon animal so shallow water equates to higher light and lower tidal flow.

Specfishin · Jan 3, 2017

Elementalj said:
I was under the impression that they are a lagoon animal so shallow water equates to higher light and lower tidal flow.

That is what I believe to be true but I'm refferring to my mix reef tank. Hence the higher flow. Pretty much I was just saying they've well adapted to different tank scenarios. Maybe not a bare bottom high flow sps tank, but they're very hearty IMO after being estabilished for awhile.

evolve29 · Jan 20, 2017

Specfishin said:
That is what I believe to be true but I'm refferring to my mix reef tank. Hence the higher flow. Pretty much I was just saying they've well adapted to different tank scenarios. Maybe not a bare bottom high flow sps tank, but they're very hearty IMO after being estabilished for awhile.

I got my green flower stuck in the sandbed next to my Condy. I was thinking on moving one of them but neither anemone looks bothered and they have the chance to move if they don't like each other. My clown loves the Condy and does seem to mind brushing against the flower anemone. I got two more towards the top attached to live rocks.