What's a Good Anemone?

[rush23]

I have a pair of clowns in my 65 gallon tank. Want to get a nem for them. Any easy but cool nems? Or suggestions? I don't want anything that'll hurt my other livestock as well.

 

[mochaclownlover]

A bubble tip would be the best option, but your tank should be about 6 months old before adding one. You also need adequate lighting and as close to perfect water quality as possible. Since anemones are mobile creatures, they will move around on their own to where ever they feel happiest. You may need to move corals and any other delicate non mobile creatures out of the way to prevent them from being harmed. It would also be a good idea to add a sponge around any power heads that are in you DT to prevent the anemone from being sucked up into it and chopped up. Good luck with what ever you chose.

 

[Taylor t]

A picture of your tank could help. If you have sand, a sand dweller may be a good choice. BTA are probably easiest to keep alive, but can move around often if it doesn't like something, and most likely will sting your corals, maybe making it a more challenging anemone to keep for that one reason alone. My favorite reef anemone choice would be a H.Malu, sand dweller, stays typically under 8", and relatively robust once acclimated, but can be a challenge to find a healthy one.

 

[rush23]

I have a 4 inch sand bed and no corals. Just live rock. Have a few hermit crabs, snails and shrimps. Nems shouldn't harm them should they?

 

[rush23]

Will nems make my clownfish more territorial towards other fish?

 

[Salty1962]

Pics and more tank information would help. Nems are touchy animals if not in the right setup, light, flow and tank maturity.

 

[rush23]

Tank is 2 months old. Fish include yellow tang, sailfin, 4 chromis, flame angel and goby. Have 24 lbs of rock. Will try to get a picture in a few hours but have a good light.

 

[Salty1962]

2 mths is really young for a nem. You need a mature tank to be successful with a nem imo. You also need to make sure that your livestock don't become dinner for the nem, i.e. gobies and other small fish.

 

[mochaclownlover]

+1^^

 

[Reefrookie220]

A 65 is a 3ft tank with 2 tangs? 2 months old?

Please do some homework friend. I think you might have missed a few staples of husbandry

 

[rush23]

This wasn't mad to critique what I have in my tank. I know it maybe a little small for them but they seem to be happy and eat on nori in my clip all the time. Feed it to them twice a day.

 

[rush23]

And salty that's what I was worried about. Don't want other livestock becoming dinner to the nem

 

[cnseekatz]

The bubble-tip anemone is probably the most popular option to host your clowns. They're readily available, can be very pretty, and are not difficult.

Just a quick warning about BTAs though. They can be a pain in the butt. They are mobile, and will climb all over the rock you place them on, until they find the spot they like, even if it's right on top of another coral, or in a spot you can't see. If you decide to go this route, I would recommend placing it on its own island. Grab a piece (or pieces) of rock and separate them from the rest of your rock work. The nems will crawl all over the rock, but won't cross sand. This will limit where they can go, and make it easier for you to manipulate their positioning. Be careful, because they can stretch pretty far, climb over rubble or glass.

 

[rush23]

So create an island with moderate waterflow by the rock and set it on there and the BTA will be happy?

 

[Salty1962]

It depends on what the nem wants As mentioned, if they're not happy where you put them they'll move to where they are happy. Mine roamed once across my entire tank width. I tried piling rocks in it's path, HAH!!! Just be sure to watch whatever you decide to put in your tank so you can move anything you don't want stung or eaten

 

[Salty1962]

So create an island with moderate waterflow by the rock and set it on there and the BTA will be happy?

Good start.

 

[rush23]

I have no corals only livestock and hermit crabs, shrimps and snails. Still good for a BTA

 

[mochaclownlover]

Yes, but you should wait for at lest 6 months before adding one.

 

[rush23]

Will start a thread for my tank and show it off. Will tag you guys in it to see

 

[Reef kid]

I'm sorry but I have to post this, please wait. I am new to the hobby too, I've had my tank for six months. It's a 75 gallon reef. I already killed a Condy nem and my clown buried the new one I got recently. Nems can be pains, and you tank will still be unstable and kill this nem especially with your bio load for that tank.