Anemone Question..

I would think that eventually over time the dye/coloration would break down and leech into the water. I wouldn't use colored gravel in my opinion!
As for moving the anemone from tank to tank, you guys all brought up good points! Just make sure that you acclimate the anemone from the one tank to the other over a period of a half hour or more, and it is crucial NOT to add the water that the anemone was in during the acclimation time due to toxins/pollutants and other bad things in the transfer/ acllimation water.
Also when you remove the anemone from the existing tank to the new one and this hold true for stony, so-called meaty corals like open brains, bubbles, Euphyllia corals etc. that you get the polyps and as much water out of the animal as you can to aid in reduction of possibly tearing the tissue due to the weigth associated with water and the delicate tissue of the animals!!!!
Good luck!

 

Nice white live sand!!!!! My choice....

 

Usually colored gavel for use in an aquarium is epoxy covered which should not break down in fresh or salt water. They put it in a big rolling tub and pour epoxy in several times to coat it kinda like Jelly Beans. You should be able to look at it and tell if this is the case, epoxy colored gravel should be smoother than dyed gravel.

My bigger question would be the size of the tank, isn't a 20 a bit small to keep anemone's in, especially if its a large one?

On moving it, If you can't move the whole rock(preferred method) take a power head and point it directly at it, more than likely it will get pisses and release from what ever it is attached to. I have had experience doing this and it wont take long so watch it so it doesn't get caught in any power heads.

 

In my experience, these guys die fast irrespective of husbandry. So far it seems you have had luck with yours, so why risk the move? IMO 55 is plenty of room to mix up cinidarians, so why not give the reef set up a try with the anemone especially if he is small and rarely moves!

 

I have about a 20-inch green carpet anemone in my 75-gallon reef. No problems. I had to move it once from another tank that kept leaking and once you get him loose from what he is attached to whether it be the tank or a piece of rock (I'd just take the rock with him) I scooped mine up in an extra-large mixing bowl that way I didn't damage it and just acclimated in the mixing bowl. Then you can just drain the water from the mixing bowl and release it into the new tank. Look no hands, ha ha! I like the power head idea best because when they get mad, they WILL move. I made mine mad so that he would move and I could build a PVC fixture to hold my rocks so that he would not knock them over. My carpet likes to have his foot in the shade and then sprawl out everywhere else.

Not taking sides between you and the wife, but if it were me (which some would disagree), would leave the anemone where its at and try to find some clownfish that will mix with it. Also, when looking for clownfish, I have found that buying ones that are in an aneone when you buy them are more apt to take to the anmone in the tank. Another thing I found was that tank-bred clowns usually have no clue what an anemone is and therefore, dont normally take to them. Made that mistake!!!

Good Luck