Is bubble-tip anemone right for me?

[Croosh]

Hello,
For some time I've been thinking about getting bubble-tip anemone for
my tank.
My tank is about 1.5 years old and has a pair of Clark's clowns,
yellow tang and a pair of Mandarins.
I have couple of SPS/LPS corals (don't remember lathing names, but
common names are cat's paw coral, elk horn coral and frogspawn) and one
yellow leather coral. In addition there are several colonies of star
polyps and zoos.
I think that water conditions are good enough for this anemone, but I'm
concerned about thriving population of bristle worms and all kinds of
pods, sidewinder shrimp and so on (i.e. can they be harmful to
anemones?) Also, will this anemone kill corals while wandering around?
I'm aware about the controversy related to keeping anemones in
captivity, but in case of this LFS, the thing will dye anyway, but
I'd like not to kill anything in process of "rescuing" it.

Also, one of my local LFS also has "albino Sabae". Some time ago I saw
a posting from a guy that managed to get his Sabae to restore the
algae. Is this worth the effort, or the guy (anemone) is a goner?

The setup is:
90 gal. (2' deep) tank with DSB + 30 gal sump/refugium,
200 lbs of LR,
2x 175W 10000K MH + 2 x 55W "deep blue" CF actinic
2x 900 GPH pumps on SQUID and Sea swirl
Euroreef skimmer (forgot the model but it's rated for

TIA
Yuriy

[Marcus Pieper]

Hi
your tank will fit the BTA
BUT...
mostly they will move arround in the tank and if you'r unlucky she will
stop at a stonie! If it's so it's possible that the coral will be
damaged or worste dying because of lightabsence or even because the BTA
nettles them!

I would NOT take a bleached Anemone for the first time you took care of
a anemone at all..it's possible to raise them up but if you'r unlucky
she will die !


Marcus


Croosh schrieb:
> Hello,
> For some time I've been thinking about getting bubble-tip anemone for
> my tank.
> My tank is about 1.5 years old and has a pair of Clark's clowns,
> yellow tang and a pair of Mandarins.
> I have couple of SPS/LPS corals (don't remember lathing names, but
> common names are cat's paw coral, elk horn coral and frogspawn) and one
> yellow leather coral. In addition there are several colonies of star
> polyps and zoos.
> I think that water conditions are good enough for this anemone, but I'm
> concerned about thriving population of bristle worms and all kinds of
> pods, sidewinder shrimp and so on (i.e. can they be harmful to
> anemones?) Also, will this anemone kill corals while wandering around?
> I'm aware about the controversy related to keeping anemones in
> captivity, but in case of this LFS, the thing will dye anyway, but
> I'd like not to kill anything in process of "rescuing" it.
>
> Also, one of my local LFS also has "albino Sabae". Some time ago I saw
> a posting from a guy that managed to get his Sabae to restore the
> algae. Is this worth the effort, or the guy (anemone) is a goner?
>
> The setup is:
> 90 gal. (2' deep) tank with DSB + 30 gal sump/refugium,
> 200 lbs of LR,
> 2x 175W 10000K MH + 2 x 55W "deep blue" CF actinic
> 2x 900 GPH pumps on SQUID and Sea swirl
> Euroreef skimmer (forgot the model but it's rated for
>
> TIA
> Yuriy
>

[Croosh]

Marcus,
Thaks for the reply.
The anemone I have in mind is about 3" right now (Rose BTA) and my
smallest SPS is elkhorn - about 4" tall.
Did you meant the enemone can cral on it, or just harass it?

Thank you
Yuriy

[Don Geddis]

"Croosh" > wrote on 27 Jan 2006 11:1:
> For some time I've been thinking about getting bubble-tip anemone for
> my tank.
> My tank is about 1.5 years old and has a pair of Clark's clowns

BTAs (aka Entacmaea quadricolor) are natural hosts for Clark's clowns, so
that ought to work out fine.

> yellow tang and a pair of Mandarins.

Anemones could (but usually don't) eat Mandarins.

> I think that water conditions are good enough for this anemone, but I'm
> concerned about thriving population of bristle worms and all kinds of
> pods, sidewinder shrimp and so on (i.e. can they be harmful to
> anemones?)

Other way around. Anemones in captivity die from problems of light, water
conditions, or sometimes feeding or current. But as for other tank mates,
it's almost always the other way around. Anemones are some of the
(relatively) most deadly creatures. You're far more likely to find the
anemone eating or stinging something else, than you ever will finding another
tankmate bothering the anemone.

Sometimes a large clownfish will harass/molest a small anemone. I also once
got a long-spined sea urchin, and it devoured one of my rose BTAs with about
10 minutes of being put in the tank.

But as for the other stuff (worms, pods, shrimp), they won't bother the
anemone at all, and some will probably be occasional food.

> Also, will this anemone kill corals while wandering around?

Could happen, yes. This is one of the problems with keeping them. Once they
get to a home they like (good light, current, base cave to hold on to and
retreat in, etc.), they tend to stay in one spot (for years and years).

But until they're happy, they can easily walk or even float/drift all over
the place. And sting anything they come in contact with on the way.

> I'm aware about the controversy related to keeping anemones in captivity

BTAs can be captive raised (I had one that split into three), but most likely
the one in your LFS is wild caught.

They live centuries ("forever"?) in the wild, but life expectancy in most
aquaria is weeks or months. And they reproduce and grow slowly.

> but in case of this LFS, the thing will dye anyway

Not much of an excuse. If you buy it, the LFS will surely acquire more,
since there is a market for them. Whereas, if nobody buys them, and they just
die in the LFS, then the LFS will stop ordering them.

> Also, one of my local LFS also has "albino Sabae". Some time ago I saw
> a posting from a guy that managed to get his Sabae to restore the
> algae. Is this worth the effort, or the guy (anemone) is a goner?

Can be saved, but takes a lot of effort. Mostly, target feeding a variety of
meaty foods, and keeping it under bright light, until it can regenerate its
algae.

A task not to be taken lightly (or by novices).

-- Don
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Don Geddis http://reef.geddis.org/
Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.
-- John Maynard Keynes

[Croosh]

Hello,
Thank you for the detailed replies.

I have 460W of light over 90 galons.
According to two different test kits water is close to perfect (PO4 is
at .010 or so, other params OK)

I asked the LFS where they got the anemone, and they "were not sure".
Other store has couple tiny (2") "offsprings" (captively "split").
Their "mom" anemone is 7+ years old, and according to them reproduces
often. They want slightly more, but that is a good store, so I'm OK :)
If I end up buying one, I'll try to get captively bread.
Are captively bread anemones hardier than wild ones?

Can someone recomend a decent book on anemones?

Thank you
Yuriy

[Susan]

Hi! I have a rose bubble anemone and have had excellent luck with it. I've
had it maybe a year or so and it's only moved around once or twice. I also
have a maroon clown that sets in it all the time. Currently have a 46
gallon tank with 2 (96) watt compact lights. Seems to be happy with the
clown. I feed it every couple days a cube of Prime Reef. I would recommend
getting a clown to go with it. For some reason anemones seem happier with a
clown fish.

Susan :)
"Croosh" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hello,
> Thank you for the detailed replies.
>
> I have 460W of light over 90 galons.
> According to two different test kits water is close to perfect (PO4 is
> at .010 or so, other params OK)
>
> I asked the LFS where they got the anemone, and they "were not sure".
> Other store has couple tiny (2") "offsprings" (captively "split").
> Their "mom" anemone is 7+ years old, and according to them reproduces
> often. They want slightly more, but that is a good store, so I'm OK :)
> If I end up buying one, I'll try to get captively bread.
> Are captively bread anemones hardier than wild ones?
>
> Can someone recomend a decent book on anemones?
>
> Thank you
> Yuriy
>

[Croosh]

Susan,
I have two (pair) clark's clowns, but the problem is that they are 2
years old and teh female is quite large.
I was able to find anemones at two local stores. The one I will most
likely buy from only has small speciments.
Large "mom" is over $500 (ouch).
I might setup a 20 gal "clown" tank inline, so clowns stay out of the
anemone for some time.

[Captain Feedback]

Question for those with anemones.

I have four BTA anemones (originally one which has split three times)!
Occasionally I'll find a glob of matter floating around the tank ...
the best I can describe it is that it looks like a large, soft, pulpy
lima bean, often with trailing strings. Am I correct in guessing that
this is not-fully-digested food ejected from an anemone? It really
disgusts my wife. ;-) I pull it out and throw it away so it won't
foul the water.

Thanks.

[Susan]

Sounds like not a bad idea. I've seen some pretty big clown fish in the pet
stores sitting and moving around in a tiny anemone. Often wandered how long
the anemone would last with such a big clown residing in it.

Susan :)
"Croosh" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Susan,
> I have two (pair) clark's clowns, but the problem is that they are 2
> years old and teh female is quite large.
> I was able to find anemones at two local stores. The one I will most
> likely buy from only has small speciments.
> Large "mom" is over $500 (ouch).
> I might setup a 20 gal "clown" tank inline, so clowns stay out of the
> anemone for some time.
>