Nems......?!?.....

So i have noticed that a bunch of folks on here don't like nems. I love em! It's interesting peoples take on nems. Is it that they are hard to understand? I posted that my nem split in two and it didnt get the responses i was hoping for but i kind of expected it to fall off the list quick. I was hoping to get some debates started. More places on the web say its great conditions that encourage them to split. Others say its a survival attribute. I don't know what to think. But i can say imo they are not as hard to keep as most think. They need lots of water movement and light, proper feeding and a happy nem has a fish to host.

 

Im personally scared of them.. The bad stories of what can happen about wiping out a tank keeps me away.. I would be willing to try one alone in a 10 gallon, to see what the fuss is about, because they are only 5.99 here.. From what I understand they need near perfect h2o and an older established tank?

 

I think the general consensus on 'nems isn't negative per se, but more cautious. They are fascinating creatures, but have both a tremendous amount of drawbacks to keeping them and *can* be incredibly finicky and demanding.

 

I think the main reason most people dont like them is the fear of wiping out your tank. If owning one outweighs the threat of everything in your tank being dead overnight than its worth it. I love my nem just doesnt look like a marine tank to me without a clown relaxing in a nem.

 

People that are afraid of Anemones have small-ish tanks and are (rightly so) concerned of a problem. Not sure what debate you are looking for - so your anemone split and you are feeling pretty good about it, and you should. Did you happen to take pictures of the blessed event? how many days did it take in total?

 

I wouldn't say its just people with small tanks. I kept a nuclear green carpet for a while in a 150 before it started eating fish despite feeding when it had to go. Also tried keeping BTA's... Between power heads and stinging neighbors that didn't go so well either.

 

These stories i want to hear about. Was it a large carpet that took someones tank out or was it a bubble tip?

Corals do too......

I agree its nice to see em hosting never a dull moment. I dont think you have to be warry of small nems. Anything large that dies in a tank can take the tank with.

The debate im looking for is what people think about the splitting good or bad. I did post pics. And i believe it was over night or just one day anyway.

This is what im wondering is it just the larger carpet nems that are to be worried about? If thats the case you should be worried about any large specimen.

 

By and by corals typically won't clear for liftoff, drift around and stink the bejesus out of other creatures. Or just blastoff and get nailed by a powerhead.

I am under the impression it is maybe not all but most 'nems that have the ability to cause total meltdown upon death. To the degree of something like a sea apple? no, but still a dangerous game to play around.

The other reason I see for a lot of negative views on 'nems has to do with the purchase-ee as opposed to the purchase. Long term success is sketchy, but factoring in a LARGE number of 'nems purchased go to unprepared homes that rate looks even worse.

Even after all that, I still think they are damn cool. When I get the 3-500g up and running, I may try a carpet again if I can get a clown to host it pre-introduction to the tank.

 

Ya I would like to know too. I would like to have one, there cool. But the horrer stories have scared me off too. But as with a lot of things we see a ton posts of the bad stories, but how many good ones that never get posted? It would make for a boring post......

"just wanted to let everyone know everything is fine"

So the posts will be about the bad not the good.

 

Any nem can take the whole tank with it. If your nem dies and you dont notice very quickly it will dump tons of toxins into the water. If you get to this point you will have to make almost a full water change and even then you will be lucky to get your fish through.

The thing that amazes me most is to here all the powerhead death storys. Seems to be the way it always happens. Best way for a nem to die fast enough to pollute your tank. Seems to me that anyone who plans on keeping a nem should eccept the fact that they cant have power heads in there tank or that they need to put foam on intakes. With these storys being so common why do people not figure this out?

On a side note. Has anyone heard of a nem having a bad time with a korelia or other prop driven PH?