Which nem?

[Gweeds1980]

My 320g reef has been up and running for about 15 months now, I used rock which was already running another tank, so nicely matured.

All params are good, SPS, LPS and softies all doing well, fish are all good and inverts all alive, etc, etc.

Im about to upgrade my lighting to evergrow it2012s in the next week or so.

Flow is sting at either end, but slow in the middle section of the tank and there is plenty of available real estate both on rocks and sand in all areas.

I have a breeding pair of maroon clowns and whilst I know they don't need a nem, I quite fancy one...

So which would best?

I'd love something which is relatively hardy, grows pretty big (it could get to 2ft diameter with no probs) and is likely to host my clowns if they decide to move in...

I'm pretty experienced, keepìng marines on and off since the 90s... The last nem I tried though was circa 1994, it lasted about 6 months and wasted away... I know now it was an already bleached malu nem so didn't really stand a chance with undergravel filter and bog standard fluorescent lighting!!

Thanks.

 

[anthonys51]

Bta are probably the easiest anemones imo. They come in a lot of different colors.

 

[SDReefer]

BTAs are nice, they're hardy and even though they don't grow big, they form a mat of baby nems

 

[mort]

The biggest problem is finding a big enough bta, I'd that's what you want, as unless your maroons are tiny you might see them shred the normal 4" specimens you see in lfs. Maroons can be hard on anemones and there is a chance the female won't let the male in.
bta are a natural anemone for maroons and the other species is macrodactyla doreensis, which may be a better option as they are common available in larger sizes. Other non natural species like h. crispa might also work and these seem to be loved by clarkii clowns that are also rough on them.

 

[anthonys51]

I have a purple bt that's about 8 inches. My rose abd red are only about 3-4. Think maybe try looking for a purple. Think they grow bigger. Just guessing

 

[Gweeds1980]

The biggest problem is finding a big enough bta, I'd that's what you want, as unless your maroons are tiny you might see them shred the normal 4" specimens you see in lfs. Maroons can be hard on anemones and there is a chance the female won't let the male in.
bta are a natural anemone for maroons and the other species is macrodactyla doreensis, which may be a better option as they are common available in larger sizes. Other non natural species like h. crispa might also work and these seem to be loved by clarkii clowns that are also rough on them.

My maroons are huge! The female is knocking on 7 inches and the male about 5.

M.doreensis would fit the bill perfectly...

 

[Gweeds1980]

So I just text 'my fish guy' and he has some m.doreensis in stock... 4" diameter for £30... I think I'll be stopping by next week once my new lights arrive

 

[mort]

I'd be prepared to intervene and remove the nem to somewhere safe if needed. The reason why its easier with bigger nems is that small ones can be killed by overly aggressive clowns. I've even seen, or had customers, who had there clowns rip nems apart. There used to be an old rule of thumb (like so many magical numbers that sprouted from nowhere and are likely fairly wrong) that suggested the minimum size of nem should be 3 times the diameter of the clown. So take that with a pinch of salt and cross your fingers.

 

[Gweeds1980]

I'd be prepared to intervene and remove the nem to somewhere safe if needed. The reason why its easier with bigger nems is that small ones can be killed by overly aggressive clowns. I've even seen, or had customers, who had there clowns rip nems apart. There used to be an old rule of thumb (like so many magical numbers that sprouted from nowhere and are likely fairly wrong) that suggested the minimum size of nem should be 3 times the diameter of the clown. So take that with a pinch of salt and cross your fingers.

Thanks for that, I do have a vacant QT with a black box over it... would it be worth trying to grow out the nem a bit before putting it in the DT? I would move the clowns out but don't want to upset the breeding...

Not sure about the 3 x clown size for the nem... might struggle to find a 21 inch m.doreensis for sale lol.

Any idea how long it would take for the nem to double in size?

 

[mort]

In truth I'm not really a nem guy so most of what I know (I'm very interested in them and have shop practical experience but never felt the need to keep one myself apart from a 12" green bubble that my clowns completely ignored for 6 months before I sold it) is from people's experiences or books. It's normally easier to let the nem settle first before the clowns host it, or it might never settle down. Your best bet might be to try it and remove it if you need to, or put it at the other end of the tank to the clowns (assuming they host somewhere) and hope it settles before they jump on it.

I would however post in the anemones and clownfish area a few sections down on here as I might be talking rubbish and those experienced guys might be able to put your mind at rest.