SPS and anemone

Ok, I'm still working out my plan for my fishtank. I think i'm heading towards an almost full SPS tank. But I'd like a single anemone and a clown for the symbioticity Can I have that one anemone in there or will it just destroy everything?

 

hahaha. I think anemones kills SPS faster than anything else. Reason is because I've observed this from my anemone. I've seen it kill some shrooms, haven't seen how LPS react, but killed a small acro I had overnight. The shrooms took about a couple of days to a week to fully die. So, I would be very careful, given that SPS are extremely expensive and on many occassions rare and very fragile.

Now, what I recommend you do first is finish your rockwork, then add an anemone before anything else. That way, you give the anemone time to find a nice spot while no coral is yet in the tank. So it can settle anywhere it wants without possibly bothering coral later. You can then add coral and arrange them around the anemone. Just make sure he has been there atleast for 1 week. Chances are that if it stays there for a week or more, it'll stay for good.

Good luck!
-Rick

 

While the above suggestion is a good one, all you need is one day where say, your lights fail to work, your tank temps get a bit high (or a bit low), you change the amount/location of the water flow in the tank, the anemone may start to wander again. I've mixed anemones and sps in the past but won't do it again. Too much of a PITA.

 

I have read about everyones anemone moving and finding the right spot, getting sucked up in a powerhead, caught on a tube, etc. etc.
I have 3 anemones and where they landed in the tank is where they have stayed since day one. ???? I have tried to remove a large condylactus anemone several times because I don't like it and want to get rid of it.(yuck) I even put a rock on top of it and it only moved just enough to get out from behind the rock. So, Whazzzz up with that


Jim

 

Well, that's my point. Some anemones stay put, some don't. If you happen to get one that wanders, you're pretty much screwed. I'd rather not take the chance and keep anemones in a species only tank.

 

Anemones will move until they find a spot that they like. Once settled in it will grow and not move. However, like amcarrig mentioned, If anything changes that the anemone dislikes it will move again. Also something to mention is, the possiblity of an anemone spliting. Now you might have one stable happy one in a spot, but the sibling now needs to find a spot. If your lucky it will stay in the same spot too. However if the anemone splits due to stress/damage, you will have now two wandering anemones.

Here is my suggestion. If you have enough room, try to aquascape an "island" of rocks away from the main reef surrounded by sand. This will give you a buffer, to move a wandering anemone. Of coarse there is always a catch. Should the anemone wander onto the sand it won't be able to stay anchored. SPS tanks, lots of current, anemone that is almost boyant, you get the picture.

When it comes down to it, how much time/money are you willing to spend. All I know is that a lot, a lot of SPS "Tank of the month" that have anemones in them. If you really want it, go for it!

 

Yar.. so scared... I'm taking pics of everything as I go along. This is my first time... I'm going to put up a site with everything while I'm doing it. Hmmmm mabey myspace ")

 

PS thanks for everything ")

 

One thing not brought up is even if you do all of the above and let the anemone do what it wants, find its spot, and etc. Once the thing is settled in and happy it will grow and at some point the anemone is going to get a bit randy and milk out the water with "spawn". It a large amount of protein that start rotting in the water pretty quick and dissolved o2 drops and things start dying quick. These events are known to make skimmer real squirrely too. So if you get past all the issue when the anemone is small you still have to deal with this when they grow up.

Doesn't happen to everyone but I thought I would give you the heads up.

 

The other thing is that not all anemone's are the same as far as toxicity is concerned. The Carpets are the most dangerous and basically the largest as far as reef tanks are concerned. They usually move frequently and WILL kill most things that get in its way.
The "Flower" Caribbean species are somewhat more compatible for a reef tank. Toxin's are not nearly as strong as that of a carpet. I have had success with a brown Pacific anemone-with the exception of it getting sucked up in a powerhead three times(YES, three time) and it is still alive for me to tell about it. For the past year, it has stayed in the same place and after a couple of years with the same Percula Clown in the tank-the Clown finally decided to call the anemone it home...
As is the case with everything else, you could be lucky with your anemone selection or you could end up with alot of dead or injured corals, fish etc. in due time with the addition of a fascinating creature-the anemone
CHOOSE WISELY and keep your eyes open and constantly check the movement of your anemone if you do decide on adding an anemone to your tank!