Multiple Anemones

[srobertb]

So…

My wife is a lover of expensive anemones. She belongs to some group on the Facebook that specializes in the trade and showing off of them.

She has asked to purchase a “chicago” or “Colorado Sunburst.” She is currently trying to decide between the 2. The anemones in question have been domesticated for several generations and have providence.

I have 2 well established tanks (about 3 years and 2 years old now). One is an anemone tank with maxi/mini, rockflowers, and a bubbletip. The other is a larger tank with mixed corals and several bubble tips. I have had the bubble tips for years.

She insists that there have been posts indicating that “generic” rainbow anemones have a “virus” that kills these expensive bubble tips. I tend to think that sounds like pseudoscience at best and more likely someone’s rationalization on why they just lost $900.

I don’t gamble money I can’t lose and I don’t buy fish or corals as investments. They are pets to me and so I treat them as such. I don’t look at my tank and add up dollars.

sorry for the little rant. Back on topic: Does anyone keep these anemones with other color variants and can anyone speak about any issues they have had?

I have kept orange, rainbow, and black widows together for a long time and I’m not seeing any issue here.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Big price difference. Either with good water quality will satisfy your desires

 

[icedearth15324]

I've heard that wild-caught vs tank-raised can have issues. In fact, I will only buy tank raised now because anytime I do try to add a wild-caught, they end up withering away. Whether it's just coincidence or if there is some form of chemical warfare between the two, I don't think anyone has any concrete evidence yet. But I feel if you're going to drop that kind of money on something, I'd rather be more safe than sorry and not take the risk.

 

[GoReefin]

Have also had issues with mixing BTAs. One eventually will just wither away while the other is unfazed. I also have just a nano tank I've heard larger tanks don't have these problems.

 

[tjohnson3]

I’ve read TONS of bad experiences about mixing high end BTA’s with the lower ends… generally in terms of chemical warfare in the tank. I wouldn’t chance mixing

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have had different colored btas and for some reason they all eventually turn to the rainbow color or fade away. Only the rainbow stay put and thrive. I am by no means an expert on btas. I prefer other nems mostly.
I would not mix them simply to make sure the money you spend is not so much a gamble.

Personally, I would combine my current btas into the one current tank and put the new one in with only the rock/maxi minis. JMO

 

[BradB]

I've never heard of mixing issues or chemical warfare with anemones, and have mixed in the past. Usually 1 type does better and outcompetes the others - especially if I have types I can sell and types no one wants.

Right now I only have 1 type of BTA but I do have a mag with no issues.

I have had issues with clownfish, and I suspect if clownfish are happier with their current anemone they will try to kill a new one.

If I were in your shoes, I'd buy a few 20-30 gallon dedicated 1 anemone tanks and keep expensive bubble tips 1 to a tank. It is rare to have a wife that wants to spend money on aquariums, so you should enjoy it. You can move splits into the display and move them out if they don't do well. I haven't tried it, but I imagine you could make your money back on a dedicated Chicago Sunburst tank.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

So…

My wife is a lover of expensive anemones. She belongs to some group on the Facebook that specializes in the trade and showing off of them.

She has asked to purchase a “chicago” or “Colorado Sunburst.” She is currently trying to decide between the 2. The anemones in question have been domesticated for several generations and have providence.

I have 2 well established tanks (about 3 years and 2 years old now). One is an anemone tank with maxi/mini, rockflowers, and a bubbletip. The other is a larger tank with mixed corals and several bubble tips. I have had the bubble tips for years.

She insists that there have been posts indicating that “generic” rainbow anemones have a “virus” that kills these expensive bubble tips. I tend to think that sounds like pseudoscience at best and more likely someone’s rationalization on why they just lost $900.

I don’t gamble money I can’t lose and I don’t buy fish or corals as investments. They are pets to me and so I treat them as such. I don’t look at my tank and add up dollars.

sorry for the little rant. Back on topic: Does anyone keep these anemones with other color variants and can anyone speak about any issues they have had?

I have kept orange, rainbow, and black widows together for a long time and I’m not seeing any issue here.

I wasnt a believer in the whole BTA chemical warfare either until i tried it and watched my CSB and supernova wither away to nothing. Thankfully i saved the CSB, unfortunately i lost the nova.

A bit of the story here....

A BTA back from the brink!

I thought i would share a success story. Ive had my share of fails and upsets so its nice when there is a success. This involves a CSB BTA and a lesson learned.....maybe?! :p This is a pic of the CSB just after i got it. I put it in the tank with a few other BTAs. I had read all about the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[D-Nak]

The reasons it happens are anecdotal at best, but there's definitely something going on that prevents CSBs and to a lesser extent ChSBs from living with other BTAs. There have been some exceptions, but it is widely accepted belief that high-end BTAs should be kept by themselves.

The reality is that CSBs and ChSBs are expensive, so why risk it?

I won't get into why I think it's happening because that'll just start a debate that can't be proven either way.

If you do plan to purchase either of the high-end BTAs that you mentioned, my recommendation is to prepare one of your tanks for their arrival. You'll want to remove all BTAs from the system, and run carbon for a few weeks (that's a generous amount of time, just to be safe) to remove any pathogen/chemical from the tank.

You may also want to purchase a QT set up, if you don't already have one, and have Cipro on hand in case you need to treat the anemone. I doubt that'll be the case though because the sellers from the FB groups tend to have high quality anemones. That said, it's good to have a QT set up so that you can isolate your new BTA and watch it for a couple of weeks before adding it to your DT.

 

[BradB]

I can definitively say there is no chemical warfare between a black widow and another black widow. I have a bunch of clones together and wish they'd move apart. They are as close together as they physically can be with plenty of space around, and they are thriving.

What you are suggesting is that CSBs have a different toxins or sensitivities than other BTAs. This is believable if CSBs are much more sensitive to toxin in general. But I just don't buy the idea that CSBs are immune to CSB toxin but sensitive to RBTA toxin and RBTAs are sensitive to CSB toxin and immune to RTBA toxin.

These are way outside my budget, but every display I've seen with them has BTAs mixed, which is impressive because of the contrast. I'd imagine a tank with just CSBs and no other anemones would be a lot less impressive.

 

[srobertb]

Thank you everyone!

She chose a 20-24” Haddon’s instead. It’s Bright red and I can’t wait to meet her (it?). I Spent last night clearing a 3x3 square for her.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Just note, I hope you realize that haddoni's are known fish eaters. Mine ate so many finally banished to another tank.

Also, make sure you have some ciprofloxacin on hand. If it starts looking iffy, do a treatment course. It will do wonders for its health. They are not great shippers.

Good luck. They are beautiful animals.

 

[srobertb]

Just note, I hope you realize that haddoni's are known fish eaters. Mine ate so many finally banished to another tank.

Also, make sure you have some ciprofloxacin on hand. If it starts looking iffy, do a treatment course. It will do wonders for its health. They are not great shippers.

Good luck. They are beautiful animals.

I had a bonkers huge BTA eat a yellow tang once. The yellow tang was minding its own business and then before I knew it, it was getting rolled. That BTA is now domesticated, slljt

Thank you for the heads up. I’m most worried about my tang who likes to run laps around the tank. I have what I can only describe as the largest damsel fish I have ever seen in real life or wild and he’s a jerk. I half jokingly wouldn’t mind if she ate him as I don’t think I could catch him.

Lol, I’m most worried about my arms. I ordered super long rubber gloves but they won’t be here until this evening so I’ll be using nitrile or mid-arm length from the grocery store. I’ve seen carpet anemone stings and I’m not sure what’s worse- trying to unstick it from you or the sting.

 

[DeniseAndy]

They can give pretty bad stings. Mine were annoying for a couple days when I was dumb enough to get too close. Just use the hottest water you can tolerate and vinegar right away and it helps. Soak for at least 10 minutes.

My Hadonni ate a tang, 4" foxface, couple damsels, mandarins, pain in the butt.

 

[srobertb]

They can give pretty bad stings. Mine were annoying for a couple days when I was dumb enough to get too close. Just use the hottest water you can tolerate and vinegar right away and it helps. Soak for at least 10 minutes.

My Hadonni ate a tang, 4" foxface, couple damsels, mandarins, pain in the butt.

Geez. Hopefully my fish make good life choices.

I have chain mail cutting gloves for dealing with my foxface Lo. I’m going to end up in a hazmat suit in the next few years just to do maintenance at this rate.

 

[D-Nak]

Most fish know to steer clear of haddoni. The fish to worry about are the ones without swim bladders that may accidentally land on the nem when they stop swimming. Mardarins and blennies are the ones that may cause concern.

 

[srobertb]

Most fish know to steer clear of haddoni. The fish to worry about are the ones without swim bladders that may accidentally land on the nem when they stop swimming. Mardarins and blennies are the ones that may cause concern.

Thanks. I have a tank raised Mandarin I earmarked in a tank that’s being broken down. I may tell him I can’t take it.

my filefish seems the most interested in it. Everyone has gone over to see it but everyone’s still alive.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I think I had dumb fish.

 

[F i s h y]

Red is the next color I'll be purchasing your wife has good taste! Cipro is a great idea. The stings are very mild but it's a pain to unstick them... thats how I got it on both hands...

 

[chizerbunoi]

Nice purchase. Red is very rare to get in my country and it’s only a blue moon do I ever see it. Please post some pics of your new one.