How hard are anemones to keep?
- Thread starter MandarinFish
- Start date
care for aipts does not equate to care for rest of anemone.
I suppose you have mandarin fish in captivity? (hence your alias!, like I have hippos in my tanks!) Weakened and malnutritioned mandarin fish will quickly become anemone's big meal. You need to have decent light (PC to MH), good water quality (less than 20ppm NO3) and regular feeding to keep your anemone happy. Care for each differs from specie to specie. Do you know which one's you are getting?
I suppose you have mandarin fish in captivity? (hence your alias!, like I have hippos in my tanks!) Weakened and malnutritioned mandarin fish will quickly become anemone's big meal. You need to have decent light (PC to MH), good water quality (less than 20ppm NO3) and regular feeding to keep your anemone happy. Care for each differs from specie to specie. Do you know which one's you are getting?
What kind of anemones are they? Some are hardier than others, even though most have similar requirements. I've found that bubble-tip anemones are quite hardy and frequently split (multiply) in reef tanks. I had mine under 250 watt MHs and they split 3 times.
If this person has had them in their tank a while and if you can provide them with similar lighting and water chemistry, you shouldn't have a problem.
D-Nak
If this person has had them in their tank a while and if you can provide them with similar lighting and water chemistry, you shouldn't have a problem.
D-Nak
Being a slow swimmer they are, dragnets may wonder into anemone territory in pitch darkness. I had one mandarin that I discovered swallowed by a carpet (don't flame me, that was LONG LONG LONG LONG time ago, and I was ignorant at then). I think it's the combination of deadly carpet and malnutritioned mandarin.
No, I actually loved hippo tang. I had 3 before I switched to hippocampus tank. Talking about fat little buggers.
No, I actually loved hippo tang. I had 3 before I switched to hippocampus tank. Talking about fat little buggers.
I wouldn't go so far to say that any anemone is easy or hardy. Bubble tips do manage to do well and reproduce in some people's tanks, but no one has kept these guys anywhere near their natural lifespans (literature varies but longer than human lifespan for sure and definitely more than the average 1-3 years people on the boards post about). If you insist on purchasing these guys please research and get a proper i.d. on the animal to provide the appropriate husbandry requirements (purple tips could mean a condylactus anemone which is much easier than heterctis which also has purple tips!)
I keep three species of anemone, BTA (E.Quad), Sebae (H.Crispa), and LTA (M. Doreensis)in my 155g.
I've always had mandarins with the anemones. I have heard that Scott Michael for one, advises against this. I found this out after I had kept mandarins for years with anemones. A carpet anemone would be a different story in my humble estimation..
With good MH lighting, feeding and good water quality, mine all seem hardy. The LTA has been here almost three years, the BTA two, and the Sebae over a year.
I've always had mandarins with the anemones. I have heard that Scott Michael for one, advises against this. I found this out after I had kept mandarins for years with anemones. A carpet anemone would be a different story in my humble estimation..
With good MH lighting, feeding and good water quality, mine all seem hardy. The LTA has been here almost three years, the BTA two, and the Sebae over a year.
Dan - I didn't realize you were keeping hippocampus. I actually wondered if you were a "large scale aquarist" and kept Hippopotamus.
Thanks for the feedback. Carpet anemones lay out flat across many feet and catch everything.
The others seem smaller. With a pair of perculas and a small anemone, I may be okay.
I bet the perculas will keep the Dragonet away from their anemone well enough... what do you think?
Thanks for the feedback. Carpet anemones lay out flat across many feet and catch everything.
The others seem smaller. With a pair of perculas and a small anemone, I may be okay.
I bet the perculas will keep the Dragonet away from their anemone well enough... what do you think?
I have found that anemones are easy to keep. I have experience with 4 anemones. 2 of them have grown a lot. One has split. The other never opened up or connected and died after about a month. I think that if you get a healthy anemone they are easy to keep and if you get an unhealthy anemone it will probaly die. Similar to my experience to clams.
Aiptasias are easy to care for?
LOL!
The woman sold me fish from her tank and fed the whole tank flake Formula 1 and spirulina. The fish and anemones all ate the flakes, and that's all she has fed her anemones and fish for years! And here I am worrying about getting the right fish and crab chunks to give them....
Derrick - I think they are heteractis, not sure. The cool ones are white with purple tips. Some are just brown and muddy colored, but pretty in their own way.
Dan - I have built my tank for the primary purpose of caring for Mandarin Dragonets, yes.
You are observant, and I had gathered hippo tangs weren't the 1 fish you actually hated.
Will healthy Dragonets get eaten by anemones? The tangs, harlequin tusk, cleaner wrasses, and coral beauty in there seemed fine.
LOL!
The woman sold me fish from her tank and fed the whole tank flake Formula 1 and spirulina. The fish and anemones all ate the flakes, and that's all she has fed her anemones and fish for years! And here I am worrying about getting the right fish and crab chunks to give them....
Derrick - I think they are heteractis, not sure. The cool ones are white with purple tips. Some are just brown and muddy colored, but pretty in their own way.
Dan - I have built my tank for the primary purpose of caring for Mandarin Dragonets, yes.
Will healthy Dragonets get eaten by anemones? The tangs, harlequin tusk, cleaner wrasses, and coral beauty in there seemed fine.
yellow-dog...
I agree with you on the "learn as much as you can part" but I'm not sure I agree with you on everything else.
Most anemones -- especially the bubble-tip -- will do quite well in an established reef tank with good water parameters and decent lighting. They will even thrive (get big and multiply is thriving if you ask me). I saw a picture (of the reef tank) of a guy's anemone that got so big that he donated it to the Steinhart Aqauarium (here in San Francisco). It's still there. I think it'll live quite a while.
I think the reason why you haven't seen a ton of people claiming they have kept anemones a long time is because it's been only in recent years that people have figured out how to keep a reef tank and have them thrive. Only 5 years ago people were still using Wet/Drys on their reef tanks remember? How many use them now?
I just think you're being a bit harsh that's all. With metal halides and good water quality and movement, I think it's EASY to keep an anemone. Trust me, in the coming years you'll be reading about people bragging about how old their anemones are!
D-Nak
I agree with you on the "learn as much as you can part" but I'm not sure I agree with you on everything else.
Most anemones -- especially the bubble-tip -- will do quite well in an established reef tank with good water parameters and decent lighting. They will even thrive (get big and multiply is thriving if you ask me). I saw a picture (of the reef tank) of a guy's anemone that got so big that he donated it to the Steinhart Aqauarium (here in San Francisco). It's still there. I think it'll live quite a while.
I think the reason why you haven't seen a ton of people claiming they have kept anemones a long time is because it's been only in recent years that people have figured out how to keep a reef tank and have them thrive. Only 5 years ago people were still using Wet/Drys on their reef tanks remember? How many use them now?
I just think you're being a bit harsh that's all. With metal halides and good water quality and movement, I think it's EASY to keep an anemone. Trust me, in the coming years you'll be reading about people bragging about how old their anemones are!
D-Nak
D-nak,
Not intending to be harsh, but anemones are not hardy creatures by any means. My point is that if you read the polls on-line, 1-3 years is toward the high end of how long people have successfully kept anemones in their tanks (there are some exceptions). Keeping a bubble tip healthy for 2 years (and longer) is quite doable, but it is the equivalent of keeping a parrot with a lifespan of 6o years healthy, eating, reproducing for a couple of years. The true test is keeping the anemone alive for closer to its natural lifespan and having the discipline to care for an animal for its entire lifespan without switching hobbies or selling tanks. Reefkeeping technology has evolved, but not that much from 1994 (the first printing of Sprung's TRA - people were using berlin system, mh lights, live rock, live sand, heavy skimming back then and still questionable luck with anemones). Nonetheless, many people still buy anemones today and throw them into unsuitable environments...in a tank with exposed powerheads for example.
Not intending to be harsh, but anemones are not hardy creatures by any means. My point is that if you read the polls on-line, 1-3 years is toward the high end of how long people have successfully kept anemones in their tanks (there are some exceptions). Keeping a bubble tip healthy for 2 years (and longer) is quite doable, but it is the equivalent of keeping a parrot with a lifespan of 6o years healthy, eating, reproducing for a couple of years. The true test is keeping the anemone alive for closer to its natural lifespan and having the discipline to care for an animal for its entire lifespan without switching hobbies or selling tanks. Reefkeeping technology has evolved, but not that much from 1994 (the first printing of Sprung's TRA - people were using berlin system, mh lights, live rock, live sand, heavy skimming back then and still questionable luck with anemones). Nonetheless, many people still buy anemones today and throw them into unsuitable environments...in a tank with exposed powerheads for example.
yellow_dog, I disagree with you.
Anemones are just like the corals, if we give them good conditions they will thrive. My tank has an anemone that has split and 4 uncovered powerheads, an overflow, and a surge device. The anemone has not moved since it has attatched. Once the anemone is in a good spot and is given good conditions, it should not move and should grow. I covered the powerheads when I put it in but once it has connected there is little risk of it decideing to take a swim so I removed them. It seems that most of the anemones die becouse they come in unhealty, not becouse of bad conditions. My anemone that has split connected to the bag before I put it in the tank. The anemone that died never conected to anything nor did it ever eat. I think the polls are unaccurate becouse they contain the anemones that are bought already fataly injured. It seems once an anemone makes it past 6 months the anemone will live forever unless its conditions are changed.
Anemones are just like the corals, if we give them good conditions they will thrive. My tank has an anemone that has split and 4 uncovered powerheads, an overflow, and a surge device. The anemone has not moved since it has attatched. Once the anemone is in a good spot and is given good conditions, it should not move and should grow. I covered the powerheads when I put it in but once it has connected there is little risk of it decideing to take a swim so I removed them. It seems that most of the anemones die becouse they come in unhealty, not becouse of bad conditions. My anemone that has split connected to the bag before I put it in the tank. The anemone that died never conected to anything nor did it ever eat. I think the polls are unaccurate becouse they contain the anemones that are bought already fataly injured. It seems once an anemone makes it past 6 months the anemone will live forever unless its conditions are changed.
What kind of powerheads are you using? And what is the flow rate? Reason I ask is becuase if the flow is too high, you may need to use something other than the screens that come with some powerheads because the suction will probably kill the anemone even if you had the screen on.
If you attached something large, like a foam filter to your powerhead, you would probably offer the most protection, but it may not be aesthetically pleasing to you.
Yellow-dog... I see that we have a disagreement and I don't want to argue about it -- I know there are people who are on both sides of the arguement. (I still think they are pretty easy to keep in a reef tank
)
D-Nak
If you attached something large, like a foam filter to your powerhead, you would probably offer the most protection, but it may not be aesthetically pleasing to you.
Yellow-dog... I see that we have a disagreement and I don't want to argue about it -- I know there are people who are on both sides of the arguement. (I still think they are pretty easy to keep in a reef tank
D-Nak
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