How damaging can their sting be?

I've notice a lot of people purchasing nems after already having an established reef tank. To me this seems very dangerous because of the nems initial wandering phase. So how damaging could say a BTA sting be to various corals, particulary LPS and SPS corals? I know this is a very broad question. I would really like to get one down the road but am worried about the possibility of it killing my corals as it settles down.

 

You also have to worry about them climbing over or possibly knocking over your corals as they move.

 

Yeah, everything I have is secured down pretty good for the most part. I can deal with the knocking over, had an urchin that did that for the longest time, it's just the stinging I would be worried about.

 

Anemones, once they find their sweet spot will stay there. That is, if your tank is stable, with proper lighting and the anemone has no reason to move due to agressor's.

When placing an anemone it is crucial to think ahead, pick a spot that you believe would be a good place for the anemone that you have done your prior research on, before you buy and place one into your tank.

None of my anemone's ever move (they just get bigger), they do not need to- this is how you know you have happy nen's.

They can kill and be killed- consider this.

 

On occasion when an anemone moved or grew and touched one of my sps, it did damage the tissue even when mildly touching. When the tentacle of the anemone brushed the coral it did kill the polyps, not immediately, but over the course of a couple hours. The damage was usually limited to only that area the tentacle touched, it did not go on to affect the rest of the coral in my case. It's always a pretty significant risk if your keeping sps with anemones. After awhile I got tired of moving corals and no longer keep sps and anemones together.

 

Believe me, I've done plenty of research on these already. My tank has been going for about 2.5 years now. I tried one a long time ago before I found 3reef at the go ahead from a LFS, never trusted them again after the nem died and I found 3reef and everything that they told me that was wrong.

 

Thanks for the info. I only have one SPS and the rest is LPS, a clam, and a couple zoas.

 

If the tank is big enough I think it reduces the risk, but anemones can always get up and move for no apparent reason and when you least want them to, like when your on vacation or at work.

Myself have never had a problem with them injuring LPS and clams or soft corals, my anemones just never moved that much once settled in.

I think if your on your guard for the first weeks until you think or notice the anemone has found a spot you reduce the likely hood of issues, but they will cause notable injury to other corals if contact with the tentacles if prolonged.

 

When i first got my condy he moved all over my rockwork. He currently resides next to a group of large green/brown palythoas. All day long his tentacles typically affect a lot of the paly polyps and so far nothing has died. They just seem to remain closed. This has been going on for weeks now. On the other hand, if anything touches the anenome such as my hyddrometer, i can see a clear coating of slime (im assuming the toxin). At least mine doesnt seem to be that potent, although ive never touched it.......

 

And the key point there in lies with in tank size. Dont expect a tank briming with SPS to not be effected by an Anemone. Anemones- they need some space, this is usually why you do not see SPS dominated tanks with Anemone's in them, but a reasonable mixed reef should be no problem. Which is more to my personal taste, and more natural IMHO. As for Anemones moving a lot- I have never had that problem.