Rose Bulbtip Anemones

[tarpons]

My husband is wanting an anemone in our tank (stocked with small gobies). Is the rose bubtip anemone an option, or is it more likely to consume our gobies?

If it is feasible, my thought was to put an anemone in before adding corals in hopes that it will find a prefered spot and settle down -- is this appropriate?

Are compact flourescents adequate lighting for an anemone, or should I hold off on any/all inverts other than shrimp until I up grade my lights?

Speaking of up-grades on lighting, one of the early issues of Advance Aquarist compared cheap metal halide fixtures from the hardware store, and expensive ones from aquarium supply stores, and found no significant benefit to the metal halides marketed to aquarists IF I read the article's conclusions correctly. Does anyone have any personal experience with this?

Thanks,
Candy

 

[ChrisRD]

Many people keep BTA under PCs - it's probably the least light demanding anemone in the hobby. You should be OK if you've got a few full length lamps on the tank, good reflectors, etc.

IMO putting the anemone in before corals and allowing it to find a place to settle is a good idea. Just be aware that if you change lighting or flow conditions in the future it is likely to wander again.

As for metal halides from the hardware store - you could certainly use them and they would definitely grow corals but I can guarantee you that you would not be happy with the aweful yellow light over your tank. :wink: Unfortunately you're not going to find the nice white/blue lamps that are predominantly used in the hobby at a hardware store.

Something else to keep in mind is the importance of a good reflector - probably the most critical part of a good lighting system. Lighting sold in the hobby uses reflectors designed for that purpose. Many outdoor halide fixtures found in hardware stores have poor or inappropriate reflectors included.

Some folks keep the cost of metal halide setups down by buying used equipment or going the DIY route (bare ballasts, Mogul sockets, etc. are cheap).

HTH