Condylactis anemones
Mixed Anemone Species, Inadequate Food, Lighting, Environment, and Tank Mates – 12/6/07
Hi there,
<Hello Natalie, Brenda here>
I am new to your website and so far I love it.
<Good to hear! I hope the love continues!>
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I have a 125 gallon tank (up for 3 months) with 50lbs live rock (I am adding more all the time), crushed coral, live sand, and a plenum filter (not the only source of filtration). My parameters are as follows pH 8.2, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate 30.
<Nitrates need to be zero. What are the temperature, salinity, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium?>
My lighting consists of 2 50 watt bulbs (5500k) and 2 actinic 420 bulbs.
<50 watt bulb??>
I have 6 small damsels,
<Holy Damsels!!!>
2 Percula clowns, 1 tomato clown,
<Clownfish are damsels also.>
1 large serpent star, tons of tiny feather dusters and starfish (compliments of the live rock), 1 emerald crab, 1 porcelain crab, tons of hermit crabs, turbo snails, zebra snails, 1 BTA, and 3 Condylactis.
<Ouch! You have too many crabs, and are mixing anemone species. A three month old tank is not a sufficient environment for an anemone. I also don’t recommend 3 clownfish, it may end in death. Crabs are opportunistic feeders, and can become predators.>
My question is this, as I have read through your website I am finding that it is normal for the anemones to turn brown.
<If the anemone has previously expelled its zooxanthellae, then yes, this is normal. It is a sign that the anemone is recovering.>
So I am really looking for some validation that even though my anemones look all beautiful and white (even kind of green under the actinic lights) this is not healthy coloring for them.
<A “white” anemone is not a healthy anemone. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/condydisfaq.htm and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/e.quadFAQ5.htm >
They are healthier and happier when they are the brown (light brown) color?
<Yes, loss of color is caused by loss of zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae, is required for their long term survival.>
They all eat very well. I feed them frozen brine with a baster and will be soon adding pieces of fish and clam to their diets.
<Your anemones are eating, but are not eating well. Brine shrimp, unless newly hatched has little or no nutritional value. I recommend feeding Silverside, Lance Fish, Kill, raw shrimp, Mysis shrimp, etc. I recommend Silversides soaked in Selcon for sick anemones, feeding small 1/8 inch portions daily until it is fully recovered.>
In fact one Condylactis is a host to the tomato clown!!
<This may not be a good thing. A Condylactis is not a natural host to clownfish, and this may end in death. I also don’t recommend allowing a clownfish to host an unhealthy anemone.>
I am absolutely infatuated with them and want to ensure that they are healthy and happy. (I know that I need more light and that is in the works).
<Without sufficient lighting, food, established environment, appropriate tank mates, the anemones will not survive long. I do suggest you return them until you can provide for them. Keep reading.>
Thanks again, Natalie
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

Anemone on a Powerhead! How do I get it off? – 10/24/07
Hi there,
<Hello, Brenda here!>
Ok so I have this anemone.
<Okay>
He is a big bulb anemone, and recently he started moving around.
<Something is making it unhappy if it is moving around.>Well he found himself a good spot, which happens to be on my Powerhead!
<Don’t turn the powerhead on until it is off. I also recommend protecting all intakes. Powerheads and intakes are one of the leading causes of death of anemones in the aquarium. I personally do not like the use of powerheads with anemones.>
See I had turned off my powerhead because I needed to do some maintenance, and he attached himself to it! How do I get him to move?
<I would set the powerhead on a rock, and hopefully it will move on its own. If not, you can use your fingernail to gently lift the foot. You need to figure out why your anemone is roaming around. It could be something like water quality, lighting, flow, etc.>
I don’t want to hurt him!
<I don’t want you to either. It is best to let it move on its own.>
Shane
<Brenda>

Nano Tank Critique - 6/25/07
Hello-
<Hi there! Scott F. here today!>
Thank you for providing all the help and (seemingly) endless supply of knowledge in regard to saltwater aquariums. I read about 1-2 hours (or more) per night of your site, and feel l will never be able to read everything. This is truly an addictive, and enjoyable hobby.
<I agree on both points!>
My tank is as follows:
-20gal high nano tank
-Aquaclear 30 filter
-standard florescent lighting
-Fission Nano Skimmer
-Maxi Jet 600 powerhead
-1inch very fine (sugar) grade sand bed
-about 7 lbs live rock with a ton of surface area (all small pieces) and also ornamental rock. I plan on adding about 1 lb live rock per week until I hit about 15 lbs
-ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, all zero
-ph is 8.3
-SG is 1.025
<Sounds good so far!>
For fish - I have 2 small (1 inch) false Percula Clowns
1 Bicolor Blenny (2 inches)
1 Firefish (2 inches)
-all are doing well and eating well.
<Good to hear...>
I also have a Scarlet Hermit Crab and 2 snails (about 1/2 in shells, +/-)The only live animals I plan on adding are some more inverts - more for the 'workload' than appearance (any suggestions??) and about 6 months or so down
the line, a small, hardy anemone.
<Oh...Well- I have to give my two cents on the anemone. Really, I'd avoid an anemone in any small system. My rational is twofold: First, water quality and environmental stability are so important to anemones, and the challenges of keeping such stability in a small volume of water are many. Second, you really need high intensity lighting (ie; metal halides) for overall anemone health, and such lighting can potentially overheat a small system.>
Questions:
Is there anything about the setup that is jumping out at you saying "what are you thinking?!"
<The anemone is the only thing that really stands out as a potential problem.>
-Is the bioload too much for this system?
<No, but I would not add any more fishes.>
-how do you feel about dry foods such as plankton/krill/etc. I normally feed frozen.
<I'm a big fan of frozen foods myself. I rarely, if ever feed dry foods. Nothing bad about most dried foods-I just like the "control" I get from thawing, cleaning and feeding frozen foods.>
-My skimmer has only been up and running for about 12 hours... How long should it take to start collecting the skimmate (I have been reading, but there's not a whole lot about Fission skimmers on the site)... That I could find.
<Give it a day or so. If you're not getting skimmate, further adjustment may be necessary to get production.>
Thank you very much for the help!
Eric
<My pleasure, Eric. Sounds like you're on the right track! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Nano Tank Critique (Pt2) - 06/27/07
Thank you for the quick response about my nano, and after some reading, I agree with you about the anemone..
<I'm glad that you did. In reality, anemones just don't do well in the long-term in most cases. The vast majority expire in mere months; others may hang on for a year or two and then die "mysteriously". Their husbandry requirements are still not completely understood, and they simply should not be attempted in anything less than a fully dedicated system, IMO.>
Will 'fake' anemones work to 'host' the
clowns? I know that's a wide statement with variables, but "generally speaking?"...
<Hmm.. Hard to say. The bottom line is that most of the Anemonefishes that are offered for sale are captive bred; many have never even seen an anemone, let alone lived among one. They might instinctively go to a real or fake one, but it's really a dice roll!>
I actually have an idea/suggestion about Fission Nano Skimmers... I was reading a lot about protein skimmers and I think I found something that will work a LOT better for this particular model. I read that in order to get the best production out of a skimmer, the intake needs to be near the top inch or so of water, where most of the proteins collect (correct phrasing?.. I think you know what I mean)... If you set up the Fission exactly how it recommends, it puts the intake at about 6-8 inches below the surface. To fix that-- (carefully, the plastic seems a bit fragile... haven't had any problems yet...) It's a bit hard to explain w/ words, but essentially if you utilize the 2 elbow joints that are included and rotate the pump location so that the pump and skimmer section are side by side and the intake is on the top side of the pump, it puts the intake within an inch of the top surface. After a bit of adjustment I saw much improved production and it's really pulling out some gross stuff..
<Excellent! Thanks for sharing! You are right on about surface-active proteins..>
Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Thanks again for the fantastic site and quick responses.
Eric
<And thank YOU, Eric, for sharing your idea...That's what WWM is all about! Regards, Scott F.>

Overdriven fluorescents and anemones – 03/17/07
Hello.
<Hello Mark, Brandon here tonight.>
I have a long tentacle anemone, probably a Macrodactyla doreensis, but possibly a Heteractis crispa in a 30 gallon tank with two small maroon clowns and a couple of torch corals.
<For either of these species of Anemone this is too small a volume.  Please consider an upgrade.>
Water quality is good, except for 2-4 ppm nitrates.  I've had the anemone for six weeks, and after staying put in the first month it's now  taken up wandering aimlessly. I fear for the corals and worry about the anemone's well-being.
<This is common with all anemones.  It is recommended to never place an Anemone with other Cnidarians.>
Might the lighting be a problem?
<This is always a good possibility.>
I have four 20 watt NO, two 10000K and two actinic, all of them 2X overdriven.  I haven't been able to find anything definitive about light output from overdriven NO vs. compact fluorescents.
<I will be honest with you, I would not keep an Anemone of any sort under PC or overdriven NO.  The minimum I would use would be four, four foot 110 watt VHO lights.  Two Actinic 03, two Full Spectrum 10000k.  Better still, (and what I currently use) would be HQI double ended 10k MH.  All of this is rather dependant on the size of your tank.  I will assume that you have a normal 100 gallon (by this I mean rectangular.)  In this instance I would use one 150 watt HQI MH fixture.>
Just from eyeballing, it looks like I get the same light output per watt from both, so I'm guessing my 80 watts 2X overdriven is about the same as 140-160 watts from compact fluorescents. Is that adequate, do you think?
<You can’t guess by eyeballing.  Light levels can be deceiving from outside the tank.  The only sure way to tell is with a Lux Meter.  But at a guess, no it is not the same, and I would not think with the Anemone moving like this, that the light is adequate.  Additionally with the overdriven NO’s you will have a very short bulb life, say one - four months, as opposed to six - a year with the PC’s or MH.  Please do some reading here, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm.>
On the assumption that its a doreensis, I've had it on the sand bed, 3-4 inches deep, with live rock surrounding a bare area 2-3 inches in diameter. According to the usually reliable LFS,  it will dig its base into the sand and probably attach itself to a buried rock. Is that true?
<It should dig into the sand yes.  It would help if you could send a picture, as this will lend to a positive ID.>
It doesn't seem inclined to attach itself to a rock anywhere. There is a nook currently occupied by a torch at the top of the aquarium. Might it be worth a try moving the coral and putting the anemone there?
<I would not move it.  It will go where it wants to.  Right now it is looking for an area that suits it‘s needs and is not finding one.  I would seriously look at upgrading my lighting in the next few days or so.  If you decide to go higher in output do try to slowly acclimate your critters using a piece of screen over the top of the glass or a shortened light period.  Much more on this on WWM.>
How likely is a doreensis or a crispa to attach itself to rock, as opposed to substrate?
<See above Re: picture.>
Thanks so much. Without  forums like WetWebMedia, I don't think reef aquaria would exist, even with the hardware and technology of the last decade.
<Thank you for the kind words.  I am proud to be a part of an organization that allows this much free exchange of ideas and information like this.>
It means an awful lot to me that at the end of the day I can leave the rat race and chill for a bit with a hundred gallons of Nature and beauty. Sort of gets me centered again.
<Agreed.  Good luck with this.  Please try to send an image.  Brandon.>
Mark

Strontium and anemones   3/11/07
Bob,
<Sorry to disappoint, but tis’ Brandon tonight.>
A few months ago I purchased a blue carpet anemone.  
<Big buggers.>
I introduced it into the tank and it immediately buried its foot into the sand and took up residence.  
<Definitely a good sign.>
It would fully expand and I would feed it dime sized pieces of raw shrimp from the grocery store a couple of times a week.  
<My buddy and me.  I love Anemones and would not trade mine for the world.>
It was doing so good that I bit the bullet and dropped a hundred bucks on a very large green carpet.  
<Bit the bullet indeed.  Two huge Anemones in one tank?  Sounds like a clash of the titans to me.  Seriously, there should never be more than one Anemone in any given system.  And there should never be an Anemone in a system that is new and/or does not have an experienced caretaker.>
I introduced it and had the same results.  
<This is sheer luck my friend.  The outcome could have been far worse.>
I was also adding Reef Solution by Ecosystem (highly recommended by my online retailer) at the rate of ½ tsp every other day to an approx. 70 gallon system.
<I “like” all the products that I sell, as well as highly recommend them. (;^D)>
At about the same time, I started looking at my strontium concentration.
<Here it comes.>  
I had always monitored my Calcium level (kept around 420-440ppm) and alkalinity levels (maintained at 3 meq/L), but after reading that strontium is the second most important component next to calcium,
<<No... RMF>>
 I decided that I needed to start looking at it for the health of my clams and SPS corals.  I obtained a Salifert Sr test kit and tested my water.  The test indicated that no Sr was present.  So, I discontinued the use of the Reef Solution (a blend of many components) and started slowly increasing the Sr concentration by using Kent Turbo Strontium.  Over the course of a few weeks, I was able to get the Sr concentration up to 10-16 ppm as recommended in the literature I’ve read.
<I don’t personally advocate the use of supplements.  I believe that if you use the right salt mix, there is no need for this, as you can easily replenish missing or depleted elements with regular water changes.>
But during this time, both carpet anemones started behaving strangely.  They weren’t expanding like they normally had, they started moving around very frequently, and the green carpet quit accepting the shrimp altogether.  Both eventually died.
<Sounds like poisoning.  Or likely too rapid an environment change.>
Now, after reading some of your literature, I think I realized what happened.  I overdosed the system with strontium and killed them.  Do you agree?  <Tis’ possible.>  I’ve since read that Sr (considered a heavy metal I guess) has no place in a system hosting anemones.  If this is true, knowing that Sr is critical for corals, how can a balance be struck?  
<Sr is present, in all seawater.  I don’t dose Sr, and I am successfully keeping Euphyllia, Acropora, Montipora, Trachyphyllia, Tubastrea, Galaxea, and many others.>
Or do you think I just over did the strontium trying to get my levels up?  What do you recommend using for additives in a clam/coral/anemone system?
<Tinker with your water at your own risk.  Please see above Re: water changes.>
I have since discontinued use of the Turbo Sr and switched back to Reef Solution every other day at a1/2 tsp. dose.  My remaining anemones (a Sebae and four pink tube anemones) seem to have weathered the storm and are doing ok.
<Please see above Re: one Anemone per system.  This is a ticking time bomb.>
Thanks,
<You are welcome.  Do try to get the other Anemones into other systems.  Brandon F.>
Bryan S.

LTA vs. Power head – 3/09/07 <Hi Chris, Brenda here> First of all, like everybody else, I want to say thank you for all you guys do.  You really have helped a lot of people and marine animals!!! <You’re welcome> Well, to start off, today I came home to find that my wife had purchased a LTA. She had called me earlier and said that when she had put it in the tank, it went to the back in back of the rocks, so she said that when I got home, I could get her out and put her in front. <It is best to leave them alone.  It was still acclimating and looking for a comfortable place in its new environment.> I came home from school, only to find the tank semi cloudy and that the anemone was partly sucked up in one of the power heads, so I immediately turned the power head off, and pulled it out and took off the part she was hooked onto and put her in a bucket with tank water. I tried to pry her out as gently as I could from the screen and then placed her after rinsing her off a little bit with that same water in my smaller tank. <Power heads are dangerous to anemones, they need to be covered.  Here are some ideas:    http://www.karensroseanemones.com/coverpowerheads.htm  > She is pretty beat up on one half, I would really like to save her because she is really pretty, but what can I do other then try and letting her heal herself?  Let me know what I can do please! <The best thing that you can do now is keep your water parameters perfect. Keep a close eye on it.  If it starts to look like it is melting or decaying, it is time to remove it and do a water change before it pollutes the rest of your tank.  If things are going good after a few days, try feeding a ¼” sized portion of silversides that has been soaked in Selcon.> I also did a partial water change to the big tank to get some of the cloudiness out, I have my skimmer on and so it is starting to clear up already. <Good!  Be prepared to do more water changes.> I’m glad that all of her didn’t get chopped up, then I would really be in trouble. Please let me know how to proceed. I have attached some pics of the anemone, my tank and of some rocks. <Yes, I see the pictures.  The anemone is definitely not looking good, but I wouldn’t give up hope.> I was hoping that you could identify what is growing on the rocks.  There is an orange jagged thing growing on one, and little round red/maroon things growing on the other one, I was thinking that they might be some type of coral but I’m not sure,   thanks for your help! <The red growing on the rock is a type of red algae.  Please search for red algae on WetWebMedia.  I’m not sure what the orange is, hard to tell by picture.   Any thoughts on this Bob? > Chris. <You’re welcome!  Good luck with your anemone!  Brenda>

Anemone Systems 3/4/07
Hi all!
<Hello Joanne>
I have posted on here before and had excellent advice.  I'm sorry to bother you again but I have tried to find the answer to my question before posting but have not found it. Please forgive me if it is on here and I have missed it!
<No bother, is why we are here/volunteer.>
This is my set up so far,
180l tank (Juwel Rio)
20kgs live rock
crushed coral sand
standard internal filter
<Standard?  Are you referring to an undergravel filter or built-in sump system.>
external Eheim filter (440l an hour)
T8 lighting (1 blue actinic and 1 white tube)
a pair of Percula Clowns,
2 Humbug Damsels
<These fish do not belong with the other fish you have.  They are territorial and will turn into bullies if they haven't done so already.>
2 Firefish (magnifica)
<This guy definitely does not belong with the Humbuggers.  As they grow, your 47 gallon tank will be much too small as they can attain a length of 6.5cm.>
2 Turbo Snails
4 Blue Leg Hermits
a colony of Yellow Star Polyps.
Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are all zero and the tank has been running for  a little over 2 months now. My LFS has been very helpful so far. I would like to  add an anemone and some soft coral to the tank and my LFS has advised the lighting is insufficient, I am upgrading to 4 T5 lights. My question is regarding the anemone, my LFS thinks a Bubbletip would possibly not be happy  with the new lighting set-up but that a "mallow" (white with purple tips) would.  Do you know of the mallow as I have been unable to find any info on it? If so could you give me any info/point me in the right direction? I really appreciate your help.
<Joanne, I would not put a Bubble Tip Anemone in your tank.  First, mixing with corals is not recommend as chemical warfare may/will take place.  Secondly, when young, the Humbug or Three Striped Damsels will also try to live a commensal relationship with the anemone, and they will win the battle over the perculas.  Your tank is too small to support such a scenario.  You say T5 lights, but do not mention the wattage.  A minimum wattage to support a Bubble Tip would be 4-5 watts per gallon.  In your tank, that would be approximately 200 watts minimum.  As for the "mallow" anemone, that would be the Malu Anemone (Heteractis crispa), which will require  more light than the Bubble Tip (Entacmaea quadricolor).  Wondering if the dealer knows his anemones.  If you must have an anemone, your tank should be planned for such.
My suggestion is just Clownfish and an anemone, along with stable water chemistry and pristine water quality.  Read here and linked files above for more info on this subject.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
Many Thanks
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Joanne x

Tank Temp, How can BTA cause problems?  Let me count the ways!   3/2/07
Dear Mitch,
<Hi Jason, Michelle here.>
You stated that the bubble tip anemone can cause big problems, how?
<Oh!  Let me count the ways!  Anemones like to go on "field trips".  Usually at the most inopportune times, say when you are on vacation, maybe because they miss you, and are trying to find you. This is when they have their "golden opportunity" to go for a spin and get sucked into a power head or your overflow with disastrous results. Not the least of which could include dumping several tens of gallons of water onto the floor...imagine coming home from a nice relaxing vacation to find that treat! Or just dying and taking everything else in the tank along.  Oh! The possibilities are endless! Just let your imagination wander!  I tend to think of them as Murphy's embodiment in a reef tank!  Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, and at the worst possible time!  
Thanks
Jason
<Welcome!  Mich>

Can I add an anemone?  - 2/26/07
Good Morning Gang!
<Good Evening Jeff, Brenda here tonight!>
My FOWLR DT has been up and running for three years without any major issues.  
<Great!>
I have an opportunity to add a small Condi and want to know what your opinions are.  
<It won’t stay small for long.>
I have a 55 with a 3.5 to 4.5" DSB and about 65 lbs of LR.  Water parameters are great...0 ammonia...0 nitrites....5ppm or less nitrates....8.2 to 8.4 ph....1.025 SG....refugium in process to assist with BGA.  I have a 260 PC light and a lot of water circulation....Rio 3100 return pump and two power heads in the tank.  
<You will need to cover the power heads with the addition of any anemone.  Salinity needs to be 1.026, nitrates zero.>
I have three damsels, Royal Gramma,  Hippo Tang, snails, hermits, serpent star and a brittle star.  I have two false Percs in QT as of last night.  How would the addition of the anemone affect this tank/livestock?   
I know the lighting and water flow are covered...I just don't want to jeopardize my fish.
<Seven fish and an anemone would be pushing it.  I recommend waiting until the new clownfish have been in their new home for a while to see if your tank can handle it.  Anemones need pristine water conditions.  A Condylactis will not host a clownfish.  If this was your plan, Entacmaea quadricolor (BTA) would be a better choice.  Even then, there is still no guarantee they will host.  Your tank is a bit small for a tang.  I don’t see a protein skimmer listed.  I suggest getting one if you don’t already have one.  More information can be found here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/condyanemones.htm >
Thanks!!
Jeff
<You’re welcome!  Brenda>

Overstocking, Hermit Crab eating snails – 2/26/07
<Hi Tracy, Brenda Here tonight.>
Thank you for your great articles.
<Your welcome.>
We have a 33 gallon tank that is about 1yr running now. We started with live sand and began adding live rock and snails 1 month later.  After 6 months we were up to 70 lbs live rock, 3 turbo snails 15 blue leg hermits
<You have too many crabs.  I recommend one per 10 gallon or less.>
6 Margarite snails, 1 sally light foot 1 cleaner shrimp, lots of little feather dusters on live rock, I have seen some bristle worms too, 1 blenny, 2 tiny maroon clowns and a yellow tang, 1 very small anemone its white and about 1/4 of an inch big.
<1/4” anemone?  Pest anemone?  Your tank is much too small for a tang.>
There is coralline growing and we have star polyps. All was well for a few months then the tang died.
We checked the water (prior to this we change 10% every 2 wks) and did a 50% change the ph was 8.2 and nitrate 10 Two days later we did another water change. The salinity is kept at 1.023. The place where we get our supplies checks the other levels for us and said they were good.
<Nitrates at 10 is not good, need to be zero.  I suggest purchasing your own test kits and learning to test all of your water parameters.  What will you do at midnight when you need to know your water parameters?>
After the tang died the tank became over run with red slime algae and green hair algae.
<Have you checked for phosphates?>
We were able to combat the red algae but the green was unreal. We had to remove the fish to a holding tank and clean the algae of the live rock you couldn't see any live rock the algae was so bad. We scrubbed off the algae under RO water. Everything seemed nice and clean we tested the water, the store said all looked good the nitrate still at 10 though.
<The LFS is not doing you any favors by telling you that your water is good when nitrates are above zero.>
We put the fish back in and purchased a zebra turbo snail and 5 Nassarius snails and a conch snail and a peppermint cleaner shrimp. That was about 1 month ago 1 week ago we got a pink tipped anemone for the clowns who have out grown the little tiny one (sorry don't know what kind it is) the pink tipped hasn't quite settled yet still on the move some how I think it is running away from the clown that wont leave it for a second it actually lies down on its side wrapped in the tentacles of the anemone.
<Buying any tank mate and not knowing the species is a bad idea.  Your salinity is too low for an anemone.  It should be 1.026.  You have two anemones, and I have no idea what kind.  You won’t be able to successfully keep two species of anemones in a 33 gallon tank.  A 33 gallon tank is border line for even one anemone, unless you are experienced with keeping anemones.  Your tank is overstocked, and I believe you will continue to have problems.  The anemone has not settled because it is unhappy with its environment.>
Now 3 snails are dead, one of the hermit crabs is now very huge could he be eating them?
<You bet it can!>
He moved into a very large shell and looks to be about 2 1/2 inch by 1 inch big.  Do you think the anemone has something to do with it?
<Nope!>
Thank you Tracy
<You’re Welcome.  Please research all of your livestock and learn their requirements and compatibility with others before you buy.  Good luck with your tank.  Brenda>

Anemone Systems 1/26/07
Dear Mr. Fenner
<James with you today.>
I own an 80G marine tank (size: 43”L x 18”W x 24”H) with 2 Clarkii clowns, 1 lunar wrasse and 3 blue damsels. I have installed 4 x 120W/6500K day light CFL bulbs. I use natural seawater that I store in a barrel for at least a month before I use it. I change about 20% of water every month & I have lots of live rocks with those red color algae on top. My Ammonia and nitrites are undetectable but my Nitrates are detectable all the time and I don’t know why. I use a Seachem test kit to check for Nitrates and every time the color becomes so dark indicating high levels of Nitrates in my system but my sea snails & fish seem to be fine. What can I do about this? Is Seachem a good test kit?
Anyway this is what I am planning to do. I want to introduce a quadricolor anemone into my system. Do you think it’s a hardy anemone to put into my system or do you have any other suggestions? But will the Nitrates levels affect the anemone? Once I tried to quarantine an anemone in my 25G QT but just after a week of quarantining the anemone turned into a pale white color and just died.  I am still clueless of what happened. What do you think went wrong?  And if I am to again quarantine a sensitive invert like an anemone are there any guidelines to follow. Do you think the light levels in my main tank are adequate? And without quarantining is it okay to give the anemone a freshwater dip and just put it in the main tank?
Thanks in advance for all the advices you provide.
<Akila, lets start by reading here and linked files above.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm   
Best regards,
<James (Salty Dog)>
Akila

Keeping an Anemone without a skimmer.  – 1/23/07
Hi!
<Hi Dave, Brenda here>
I currently have a 29 gallon FOWLR system that I would like to add an anemone to.  I have two Percula clowns that I think would benefit from its presence.
<Clownfish do not need an anemone to survive in captivity and there is no guarantee they will host.>
My question is whether I need a skimmer or is the Tetra Whisper system sufficient until I replace it with A CPS Bak Pak.
<It is possible to keep an anemone without a skimmer.  I don’t recommend it, especially in a 29 gallon.  Anemones need pristine water conditions, and a skimmer is an excellent choice.  Since you are coming from a FOWLR system, I am concerned about your lighting system.  Please research lighting requirements before you purchase.> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm>
Thanks!!
Dave G.
Boston, MA
<Your welcome!  Brenda>

Anemone Specific System – 11/22/06
Hey Eric,
<<Hey Ken>>
I had mentioned to you a couple of times about having an anemone with clownfish in my reef tank.
<<Mmm....I recall>>>>
I had this combination for a few years before getting out of the hobby about 10 years ago.  To me, you cannot beat looking at the interaction of this relationship.
<<Would agree, fascinating to observe...and a draw to folks both in and out of the hobby>>
I had a pair of maroon clowns and a bubble tip anemone.  When I set up my tank now, this was my plan again.
<<I don't advocate mixing motile and sessile invertebrates in the same display.  Aside from the issues/difficulties encountered from allelopathy, if the anemone decides to go walkabout you can have a real mess on your hands>>
When I told you that I was going to do this along with soft coral and LPS, you had said that a specimen or specie specific system would be a better idea if I wanted to keep an anemone.
<<Indeed I did/it is>>
I read similar in Bob Fenner's book as well.
<<I hear tell he's a pretty smart fella <grin> >>
Can you tell me more about this as I am interested to hear more?
<<Mmm, well...in the simplest of terms a specimen tank is a tank set up to house a "single" anemone...a species tank can house (if large enough) several specimens of the "same" species...though this is generally ill-advised unless the tank is quite large as most anemone species don't even tolerate conspecifics>>
I have two questions.  If I kept an anemone what else do you recommend that I could keep in the tank besides it that would "work"?
<<Hmm...ideally you would not mix corals with the anemone, and you definitely want to avoid other aggressive cnidarians and noxious soft corals (Euphylliids, Faviids, Alcyoniids, etc.).  But, were I to try this I would lean towards those organisms low on the aggression/noxious scale...maybe something like Xenia/Anthelia (do be aware these organisms can easily overrun a system) or even Acroporids.  I would let the anemone establish itself first, and add the other organisms after...placed well away...though this is still no guarantee if the anemone decides to move about.  Be sure to read here (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm) and among the MANY associated links re these amazing and virtually immortal creatures>>
I am not looking to do just fish and live rock.
<<I see>>
The other question is, could I keep multiple anemones in a 90 gallon with several clownfish?
<<Not likely unless the anemones are clones/asexual reproductions of the same anemone.  As for the clownfish...what usually happens in this situation is the dominant pair will stake claim on "all" the anemones and spend their time defending re...very stressful on all involved.  It is best to keep only a single pair of clownfish in this size system in my opinion>>
This would really be interesting if this would work.
<<You would need a considerably larger tank I'm afraid>>
My tank certainly has the lighting, the water flow, and a good skimmer.
<<Indeed...but not the space requirements>>
I have another lighting question:  I notice that color appearance of corals and polyps vary under the different color lighting.
<<Yes...many hobbyists lean toward bulbs in the "blue" spectrum (12,000K-15,000K) for this reason
For example, in the store, the star polyps looked greener than in my tank with the halides on.  Once they go off, the colors obviously change.  I have 10,000K Ushio (I believe) 250 watt bulbs.  If I went with a 14k bulb, how would the look be?
<<Likely the look of the 14,000K bulb would be more to your liking>>
Also, do the corals prefer 10k or 14k?
<<Fortunately many/most of the organisms we keep are highly adaptable.  My personal opinion...if you wish to optimize growth use the 10,000K bulbs (of which Ushio is among the best)...if growth is not an issue then I would "experiment" with the different 12,000K-14,000K bulbs to see which brand/color temperature best suits your sense of aesthetics (20,000K is too dim/blue for my taste, though this would be great for a deep-water biotope)>>
Thanks and regards,
Ken
<<Have a great holiday.  Eric Russell>>

R2: Anemone Specific System –  11/24/06
Eric,
<<Ken>>
When you say less coral growth with 14k, does this refer to all corals or only sps?
<<Not just SPS, no...the 10,000K spectrum "favors" over higher spectrum lamps those corals typically found in "shallow" waters (less than 30') in my opinion.  But as I stated previously, these same corals seem to do well under the 14,000K lighting when provided with adequate intensity for their needs, though "growth" may be "slower" under the higher Kelvin-rated lamps>>
Thanks,
Ken
<<Always welcome.  EricR>>

Anemone vs. Powerhead 10/26/06
Hi Crew
<Hello Cathy>
I have had a wonderful bulb anemone for two years in a mixed aquarium of hard and soft corals.  I know you are not supposed to mix, but my tank has been wonderful with this combination.  
<Lucky you.>
Yesterday my wonderful anemone was slowly sucked up into one of my 600 MaxiJet pumps.  I couldn't believe it.
<I can't believe it didn't happen sooner.>
I shut it down and unhitched the end but it is still attached to the anemone.  This afternoon the anemone has moved onto a new surface but is tearing a portion of itself in order to move from the filter cap.  It, of course, looks terrible, torn and few tentacles apparent, yet its foot is still strongly attached and sticky.  Is it possible this anemone will heal or should I remove it from my tank.
<Possible, generally unlikely.  Do keep a careful eye on it's health as a dead anemone will quickly pollute your tank.  I suggest you buy an AquaClear (Marineland) QuICK Filter for the powerhead.  This will distribute the suction over a larger area  eliminating this from happening in the future.
Thanks for the advice.
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Cathy

Happiness of a Heteractis aurora - 10/15/06
Hi guys! After exhausting your site for the information I need, and not finding it, I have decided to pose the question..  I have just purchased a small (3" or-so diameter) Heteractis aurora and placed it on my DSB.  It looks fine although it immediately tried scaling the rock wall (and then fell to the sand again) and is currently laid on it's side against the rock - thus preventing the expansion of it's 'crown'.  My lighting isn't exactly powerful at only 150W MH and 78W NO daylight, over 15" water depth (in a 47G) and was wondering if I need to place it higher up the wall. <Hmm... think 150 watts would do at this water depth, but the anemone will decide for itself.> If I was to do so, would it not be risky 'wedging' it between sharp Fijian? <Would not wedge - could injure its body and that would be the beginning of the end.> And would it probably relocate to a place of it's choosing anyway? <Almost 100% of the time.> Finally, if it does remain happily on the sand, would it make sense to bury the body (to the 'crown') in the sand - in other words, is it okay laid on it's side or is it normally embedded?  I assume the well-being of my tank's inhabitants to be the very-most important aspect of my hobby and so would be extremely grateful for any advice here! (Finally, I appreciate that I should have endeavored to know more prior to purchasing the fella but the LFS stated "easy to keep and moves very little" and this, coupled with my not realizing it to be a 'full-blown' Anemone led to the purchase).
<Well... sounds like you are aware of the inevitable: the anemone will find a spot it is happy with regardless of what you present it with, or it will simply exit stage left.>
Many thanks yet again,
Steve M.
<Cheers, J -- >

Anemone . . . Outta Control!/Anemone Systems - 08/26/2006
Hi Gang!
<Hello Thomas>
Thanks in advance for answering my question.
<You're welcome.>
Stats first:
24 Aqua Cube
16 lbs LR, 5 lbs LS, 10 lbs crushed substrate
79 degrees. Amon = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrates > 20. Calcium ± 300.  
Weekly water changes of 4 gallons. 8 months established.
<Lighting?>
1 Yellow Tail Damsel, 1 Coral Banded Shrimp, 1 Sally Footed <Foot> Crab,  
1 tiny blue crab (I mean TINY) I had a large blue crab, but he jumped ship last week. Contemplating his replacement. 2 Clarkii Clowns, mated pair (that took a long time - she chased him for months, now he lives happily on the top edge of the Anemone <Anemone>) with hosted Sebae Anemone.
My problem: The Anemone has gotten HUGE. It is gigantic - over 18 inches wide! It's in the back of the tank, and it's taking over. It opens up fully during the day and then shrinks at night. I feel as though it's too big for the tank. Is there any thing I can do to it?  
Or should I just be happy it's alive and thriving in an aqua cube and leave it alone?
<You're not going to be happy too much longer.  The 24 gallon cube is much too small for housing anemones, especially this species.   Sebaes can grow up to 1' 8" under ideal aquarium conditions, and, the Sebae Anemone is one of the more difficult anemones to keep in captivity for any length of time.   I suggest you find a better home for this anemone.  Do read here and linked files above.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>  
Thanks!
<You're welcome.  In future queries, do cap letters that need to be capped and do a spelling/grammar check.  We do not have the time to correct queries before posting.  Thank you,  James (Salty Dog)>
Thomas

Anemone biotope  8/25/06
Hi! I have just purchased a 40gal. cube (24" x 24") aquarium with a 14K 250W metal halide light. The tank has a nicely plumbed closed-loop arrangement for flow.
<Keep those intake screens screened>
For system stability, I will tie this into a system of around 400gal. (120gal. display, 33gal. frag tank, 30gal. sump, the
rest refugiums with Chaeto and live rock). Most of the rest of this system has been running for a year or so.
<Nice>
I would like to set this 40gal. up as an anemone biotope tank.
Specifically, I would like to set this up as an E. quadricolor tank and use tank-propagated RBTAs and/or GBTAs so I'm not depleting wild stock.
<Okay... would stick with one individual or be assured of the clonal background of more than one>
I would like to start out with a pair of pink skunk clowns (A. perideraion). Does this pairing seem feasible, with caveats to the whims of the individuals in question?
<Mmm, yes>
Otherwise, I'm having a tough time researching the biotope in question.
What would be natural (as far as an acrylic box can be) fish/motile invert-wise to place in this tank? I want to give the tank over to the anemones, so I don't wish to include any other sessile inverts. I know design ideas are the fun questions, so please go wild.
<Heeeee! Am not that sort of fellow>
Thanks for any help you can be in focusing my research!
Andy
<Mmm... the best approach I can suggest would be to actually go diving, take a look/see around where Entacmaea are found in the wild (the West Indo-Pacific... into the Red Sea), second-best would be to closely look over pix of this species for clues as to what their world looks like, what is found in association... A raised (in the middle) rocky area... Bob Fenner>

Re: Anemone species tank  8/25/06
I apologize for wasting your time last night. Since then I found your articles on Red Sea sandy reef slope biotopes, found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rssndslp3.htm
<Ahh, yes... I penned this series as an example to a friend (Helmut Debelius) re how he might re-format his excellent dive guides....>
If you have any suggestions other than the wealth I'm finding here, please let me know.
Thanks again!
Andy
<Mmm, wish I was home (am out visiting in NJ)... would send you scans of my pix of this species from about... with them not "cropped"... hopefully showing more of the life around... Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Re: Anemone biotope  - 08/26/06
Thank you for your reply, Mr. Fenner! (By the way, thank you also for writing such wonderful books. Please write more. :) ) Funny you should mention the diving trip, I just finished my SCUBA classes and need to go and get my supervised dives out of the way. Hmmm....
<Indeed!>
> <Okay... would stick with one individual or be assured of the clonal background of more than one>
I was planning on starting with just one, although is there a reason to try not to get two examples, one of each sex?
<Not "sexable" externally... One/is would be best>
Assuming I wind up with this as a Red Sea sandy reef slope biotope, may I
please ask some questions about suitability of specific species?
<Sure. Will relate what I know, suspect>
It would fascinate me to eventually attempt many of the animals that share space with anemones, not just the Anemonefishes. For example, possibly a few Thor amboinensis and/or Periclimenes longicarpus.
<Very interesting behaviors...>
While I'm exploring commensal relationships, possibly an Alpheidae shrimp with an Amblyeleotris goby partner?
<Yes>
For interest in the water column, possibly the pair of Pseudochromis fridmani I've always wanted and been afraid of because of their tempers?
<The tank bred/reared ones are quite mild>
Or, maybe a pair of Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis (I'm a big wrasse fan)?
<Very nice>
Or, would this be a decent opportunity to try a pygmy angel (Centropyge multispinus)?
<Mmm, not these last two in a forty gallon volume...>
I know they will nip clams and LPS, but I don't know anything of their track record with anemones.
<Generally well-behaved>
Thank you for your time and expertise. While the research has been fairly frustrating so far, I'm very excited by the opportunities this new tank offers, both for my intellectual stimulation and my young daughter's, although I'm not sure she'll ever get over the fact that they switched star polyps from Pachyclavularia to briareum. :)
<A good object lesson in the subjectivity of the human universe... is what there is what it is because of our labeling? Or is the true word for rock, really "tok", for rabbit, "bebbo"?>
I hope you enjoy your weekend!
Andy
<Thank you, I am. Bob Fenner>

Re: Anemone biotope   8/29/06
Thanks again for your very prompt reply.
> <Not "sexable" externally... One/is would be best>
I will stick with one and eagerly await it filling the tank! The closed loop of the tank is supplied by a drilled manifold with what looks like 24 1/8"
<Mmm, may want/need to drill these out...>
holes spread out over the span of about 12" of pipe, elevated off the floor of the aquarium by about 4.5". The pump is a "Quiet One" 5000, I believe. Do you think this will spread out the draw of the pump intake enough to avoid injuring a wandering anemone?
<Mmm, I would make these holes 1/4">
Should I add more holes (maybe many more, and smaller)? Or, should I redesign the intake?
<Just enlarge for now>
> <A good object lesson in the subjectivity of the human universe... is what there is what it is because of our labeling? Or is the true word for rock, really "tok", for rabbit, "bebbo"?>
"True word?" You sound like a Platonist, my dear sir. I will say that I am not a relativist by any means, but I don't know that I would go that far.... :)
<Me neither... point is, things are what they are, not what our at best successive approximations make them out to be qualitative/quantitative/characteristically>
The tank arrived today, so I must put my stocking dreams aside and move on to the hard, cold world of plumbing!
<A fun field!>
Good evening!
Andy
<And you, Bob Fenner>

Diced anemone - 25/08/2006
Hello and thanks for your help.
<Hello!>
I got home from work today to find my BTA sucked up in a powerhead.
<A common occurrence. I really wish people would prepare for this...Listen people... anyone reading this page...YES YOU!... STOP SCROLLING... IF YOU WANT AN ANEMONE, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COVER YOUR POWERHEAD INTAKES. There. Sorry about that.>
I immediately turned off the power to the unit and it slowly retracted it's tentacles from the powerhead.  I've noticed a small tear-like cut on the side of it, but it is sticking strong to the glass and appears to be opening up a bit since then.  I have no idea how long it was stuck in the powerhead, but when I noticed it, there was a significant amount of cloudiness in the tank.  After about an hour (with the BTA out of the powerhead) the tank cleared up.  I added some carbon to the pre-filter box on my skimmer just in
case I have some toxins in the tank.  There are fragments of the tentacles all over the tank.
<I'd pull out the fragments, but leave the anemone well alone.>
I guess my question basically comes down to, is my anemone going to die and if so, should I remove it before it does or wait it out and see if it will recover?
<Given the situation, I think it deserves a chance. Keep the tank pristine clear, give it a chance to recover. And relocate that powerhead.. and please please please cover it!>
Thanks for your help.
<You're welcome. I hope the anemone pulls through. John W.>
Todd

Can gods make tanks that are too small to illuminate Anemones properly?   8/23/06
Hi
<Hello>
    My name is Trevor and I was wondering how much lighting I need for a 5 gallon 10 in. high minibow tank. I will have a bulb tipped sea anemone in it.
<Not for long likely...>
  I'm pretty sure the 15 watt bulb that comes with it is not enough.  Please respond as soon as possible
<Very hard to keep such a small marine system stable "enough" Trevor... particularly for animals such as Anemones. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
and the linked files above. Trying to apply sufficient light/ing here will create heat/temperature vacillations that will... Bob Fenner>

Anemone System/Calcium Levels/Faulty Test Kits - 08/14/06
Hello There;
<<Howdy!>>   
We are looking into converting our 92 gallon FOWLR tank to a more invertebrate type tank, specifically bubble tip anemones.
<<Mmm, indeed creatures best kept in a "species specific" system>>
We've been researching lighting, compatibility, feeding, and water quality.
<<Excellent...have you been through our articles/FAQs?  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm >>
Our LFS gave us a Nutrafin calcium tester as well as magnesium tester so we can start tweaking our levels as we learn more about what we should know to adequately care for these guys.
<<Hmm...balanced and excellent water quality is a must, but I think you should concentrate more at this stage on ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and getting/keeping all at "zero"...the calcium and magnesium will balance/be supplemented adequately through frequent water changes.  An "anemone" system will not have need for high levels/usage of these>>
We happen to have beautiful coralline growth on all of our live rocks as well as what I assume to be "mini" bright-orange tube worms, so we imagined our calcium levels wouldn't be too bad.
<<Are likely fine, yes>>
Well, to our surprise, our calcium levels were well over 700, we stopped at 760 as to not waste our newly purchased test kit.
<<I seriously doubt this is correct...I would try a better test kit (Salifert, Seachem) and see what you find>>
My question is; is too much calcium bad for the anemones, and also just out of curiosity how do you think we've managed to have such an overwhelming calcium level to begin with?  Any information you can give us is greatly appreciated.
<<An elevated calcium level shouldn't bother the anemone, but I honestly think your test kit is in error.  Try one of the brands I suggested and retest...likely the reading will be/is much lower...I would also obtain a kit to test your alkalinity to validate the calcium reading as these two components are mutually exclusive (please read here for better understanding: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm)>>
-Thanks
<<Happy to assist.  Regards, EricR>>

Anemones/Health...BTA Dying?? - 8/10/2006
I'm going out-of-town this Saturday and am concerned about my BTA.  
Approximately two weeks ago I transferred my marine life, rocks, etc. to a new tank.. 12 gallon to a 24 gallon Nano Cube.
Anyway, my anemone seemed to be fine at first and over the past few days he was blown up to an enormous size and just deflated to almost
nothing. He has also decided to move from the place he's been from practically day one, and has not been eating (I feed him frozen Mysis
shrimp). I've had him for about 9 months and don't remember this ever happening. FYI - I just did a water change yesterday too!
<I'm surprised it lasted that long in a 12 gallon tank.  Anemones require very stable water parameters, something a small tank cannot provide.>
I'm not sure what to do because I am leaving for 8 days and don't want to come home to a tank full of dead fish. Is there something I should do in the meantime?
<Find a home or a toilet for it, not worth risking the lives of the fish.  If it dies while you are away, you will come home to one nasty smelling home.>
Is my anemone dying? HELP... HELP... HELP!!!
<Not much you can do.  Long lived anemones are found in large tanks, and even at that, rarely live much more than a year in home aquariums.  Most reputable
dealers will only order these on request, and rarely stock them.
James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone Stuck In Overflow    7/20/06
Hello and thank you for your help.
<Hello Robin, and you're welcome.>
Tank specifications: 75 gal, 125 wet/dry, Prizm protein skimmer, 9 watt UV sterilizer, 20 gal refugium, Maroon Clown pair and BTA.
I have had the bubble tip anemone in my 75 gal tank for a little over a month, and I woke up to see him in the overflow box halfway in the siphon tube. I turned off the return pump and pulled out the siphon tube and let him try and wear off from the shock of what just happened. He sat in the overflow box for a while and started to re-inflate, I could tell he wanted out so I put on washed kitchen gloves and gently got him out and set him in his old favorite spot. There are no visible tears  to him or the foot. But, there are a couple air bubbles in 1 or 2 tentacles, I am looking for advice on how to help my beautiful anemone.
<All you can do is let time take it's course, and hopefully, it will recover.>
Thank you
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

NanoCube and Anemone 7/17/06
Hi, Darius Boscarino here. <Hi Darius>
First time writer, long time reader. I recently bought my son a 12 gal dx nano cube. He wants a "Nemo" thanks to that one movie I try to forget about. I'll be doing all the maintenance, but with a clownfish I would like an anemone. I've never done anything with anemones before, but I have read endlessly on your great site about caring for them. So, my questions are, Are any anemones small enough to stay put in a 12 gal that will host an anemone? And, Can too much light be a problem? On nanotuners.com there are custom canopy upgrades that I want to purchase for the tank. Now there are 2 24 watt PCs. They have canopies with 3 24 watt lights and also one with 4. I want the one with 4 to be absolutely sure there is plenty of light. That will be 96 watts for 12 gallons and the tank is only about 12" deep. Which brings me to my next questions. Which canopy
would be suitable? And then what mixture of lighting would be best for the health of the anemone and zooxanthellae? Btw, there will be one clownfish, probably a true or false percula, an anemone, and inverts. Also, the stock pump in the nanocubes is weak, so I upgraded from the 106 gph pump to a 230 gph with a y shaped powerhead for better current adjustment. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
<Either of those clownfish would do very well substituting any of the soft finger type leathers for an anemone….. like a colt coral perhaps.  IMO an anemone would not be suitable for a 12g tank. Just a suggestion… if you are not considering any other fish,  a pair of either one of those clownfish might be more interesting than a single fish.  I would go with the 2 24w pc.s that gives you 4 w/g which would be fine for most of what would be appropriate in that size tank. If you over do the lighting you risk over heating the tank as well as problems with nuisance algae.>
Thank you. Your friend, Darius.
<Your most welcome, Leslie>

Re: Bubble Tip Anemone/Systems  7/11/06
Hello again and thank you for such a fast reply, you guys are good!
<Try our hardest to please.> <<Not me... I try my hardest to inform, inspire... RMF>>
I recently added some rid ich+ into my tank to try to cure an ich problem. I realized the mistake I made soon after.
<Mmmm, should have done some research on this before adding.>
I did a water change immediately and added the carbon back into my Fluval 104 filter. Everything in my tank immediately went into shock. After about 4 hrs, everything calmed down and everything seemed back to normal. I came home from work today (the next day) and the anemone is pretty shriveled. Is  there something else I can do?
<I'd get the anemone in another tank ASAP or let your dealer hold it.  I'd use a Poly-Filter or Chemi-Pure in place of the carbon.  Works much better.>
Also I have two Rio 200's in the tank for water flow. One on the top pointed horizontally toward the bottom, sitting above the anemone but not heaving the anemone in the flow path, and the other power head at the bottom blowing across. Does this seem right?
<Sounds OK to me.  The anemone will move if he doesn't like where he is.  Don't know whether I'd expect it to do anything now.  Needs to go.>
And is there a better way to arrange this?
<It's fine.>
I have attached our last conversation and some pics to help.
<Yes, always reply with original query.> By the way, the back of  the tank is mirrored in case it looks confusing. You should be able to see the power head placement. Thank you so much. I know you guys are busy. You should set up some way of making contributions so we can compensate your time.
<Been set up for years. Go to bottom of page at this link if interested in donating to the cause.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/  Do not see any pics, Dave.
I'm good at that also.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Dave

Re:  Fin Nipping...Now Anemone Systems And Health   6/16/06
Dear James (Salty Dog)
<Rachel>
Now my anemone and the clown are in my QT tank & doing fine. There is another problem now. I have kept my QT tank in my balcony for the main reason of getting the anemone plenty of sunlight during the QT. So the sunshine is plenty for the anemone but the problem is that my temperature increases maximum up to 32C during 12pm – 4pm and it gradually drops down to 27-28C in the night to morning. I do have a chiller in my main tank to maintain the temperature but none in my QT. So do you think the anemone and my clown will be fine for 2 weeks before I put them to my main tank?
<No, that is a 10 degree (F) shift, too drastic a change on a daily basis. I’d see if I could
control the photo period by way of blinds or a shade to a 8 hour duration during the QT period and see if that helps.>
FYI, I currently reside in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) so we have tropical weather all throughout the year with the temperature averaging 29C. Also I actually can see the anemone’s mouth (at least I think that is the mouth) it’s right in the middle on the tentacles right?
<Yes, probably panting.>
Also how can you tell if an anemone is doing well or bad? Mine seems fine with tentacles moving nicely but I am not sure whether it’s okay.
<If the tentacles are expanded and the mouth isn’t gaped open continually and its original
color holds, things should be fine  The anemone should also take food when offered. Info on anemone health is easily found on the Wet Web Media.  Please search for answers to your questions before writing.  A great amount of time was spent developing the site to help people such as yourself.  Please learn to use, very helpful and informative.>
Thanks, best regards
<You’re welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Rachel

Anemone Systems   5/26/06
Hello,
<Hello>
I just recently purchased an established 90 gallon aquarium. It came with an anemone, 2 clownfish, 1 pacific blue tang, and 1 snowflake eel.
The anemone was on top of the live rock in full display for about 4 days. It has since decided to move underneath a rock where it has been
for 3 days. The base is under the rock and the top is exposed but still under a rock. I have been feeding it brine shrimp every other day and it seems to be feeding. <No nourishment in this type food.>  I am unsure if this anemone is stressed or unhealthy. From what I have tested the water quality is good. My lighting configuration is 2 65 watt daylight and 2 65 watt actinic. I have 3 power heads in the tank. I was worried that it was too much water movement, and shut 1 down and this did not help. Please let me know if I should be worried or what other signs I might look for. Maybe this is normal.
<First, you do not mention what type of anemone you have...very important, and do read here and linked files above to better understand the care required in keeping this animal.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
James (Salty Dog)>

Anemone... systems, health   5/9/06
Hi,
<Hello, Jen here.>
my anemone wandered of and got sucked in my filter.
<Oh my goodness!!>
About 30% of its base was damaged. Can you tell me what the chances of survival are? And if its likely to survive, what advice could you give me on the healing-process.
<Well... after that kind of trauma I don't suspect there is much chance of recovery.  Anemones are hard to keep to begin with and with this type of injury survival chances are even slimmer.  The only thing I would suggest, other than what you've already been doing if you researched correct care for this animal, is just making sure your water quality is absolutely perfect.  Good luck.  Jen S.>

Anemone Systems/Green Carpet Anemone Death    5/2/06
Hi guys and gals.  I just had a carpet anemone pass after having him for a little longer than a week.  I did a large water change and added some carbon
to try and prevent any noxious elements from harming the rest of the livestock.  Here are the specs on the tank:
36 gallon, 30" wide, 20" tall bowfront reef tank.  <Much too small a tank for keeping this anemone.> The tank has 45 pounds of
liverock, 40 pounds of sand, a hang on the back - 3 gallon refugium with multiple macroalgae (no Caulerpa).  The refugium lighting is on when the
tank lighting is off and vice versa.  The livestock is two perc clowns, one coral beauty angel, one star polyp, one pom pom xenia, a few blue-legged
hermit crabs, two turbo snails and a cleaner shrimp.  The tank is lit by a 130W powercompact, one 65w actinic and one 65w 10,000K/6700K SunPaq.
<Not nearly enough light for keeping this species.> (I have two 150watt, 10,000K MH bulbs on the way).  The lights are on for 10
hours a day.
The anemone arrived and looked to be in very good condition.  I placed him on the live rock and he moved to a location in the back of the tank lodged
between some rock and the glass.  A day later he moved a couple inches away and then moved back.  I fed him three 1/4" chunks of silverside during the
first week.  Two days ago I fed him a 1/4" chunk of raw shrimp to vary the diet.  Before I fed him the raw shrimp he was staying expanded about half
the day and contracted the rest.  Sometimes when he was contracted it would look as though his insides were coming out or his mouth was shaped like a
ping pong ball.  After feeding him the shrimp he never expanded again.
I ordered him from liveaquaria.com so I'll get a full refund, but that really isn't the point.  I'd like to prevent this from happening again.
What parameters besides ammonia, nitrites, nitrates can I check?  I ordered some reef plus to add vitamins to the tank and also some Selcon to dip food
in.  Are there any other suggestion for improvement?
<Your system is very non-supportive for this animal. Carpet anemones are sensitive to changes in water parameters.  This can happen fast in a 36 gallon tank.  A
minimum tank size of 100 gallons would be my recommendation.  Live Aquaria states a minimum of 30 gallons, yet they tell you this animal is for expert aquarists only.
Doesn't make much sense to me as these anemones can grow close to two feet in diameter.  With your size tank I'd forget about carpets completely.  I might
point out that all the anemone species the percula clowns prefer are difficult to keep for any length of time.>
Thanks for the great website.  I literally have three web browsers open at any given time because I don't want to lose my place once I follow a link!
<James (Salty Dog)>
Ryan Mullinax

Re: Anemone Systems/Green Carpet Anemone Death  - 5/2/2006
Thanks Salty.  I'll be sure to do more research before any more purchases.
<You're welcome and yes, do research all animals before buying.>
Can you recommend what marine testing kits NOT to get?
<I'm not real fond of the Red Sea Test Kits (personal opinion)> I've been reading
the testing kit FAQs and they're pointing to Lamotte and Hach, but I'm reading that they're very expensive.
<Yes, I've used Lamotte kits, very nice and accurate.  I'm sure Hach follows the
same order.>  I also didn't see calcium test kits on their sites.
<I'm sure both companies make this kit.  The Sea Chem Calcium Test Kit is one of my favorites, don't care too much for their pH/alkalinity kit though.  Is accurate
but clumsy to use, especially the pH.  For pH and nitrate I use Aquariums Systems kits.
James (Salty Dog)>
Ryan Mullinax  <Ryan, do not place phone numbers, mailing addys or other personal info in your queries.  I just delete them anyway for your own privacy as gazillions of people
read the dailies.> <<And they are archived, viewed for all eternity... RMF>>

Another Anemone Purchase
Hi, <Hi> I recently purchased a green bubble tip anemone.  I don't really feed it too often because the maroon clown that i have usually does. <Make sure its getting enough> I was just wondering if you could tell me why it shrivels up sometimes. <Normal behavior for excretion or a number other reasons.> It will just
do it randomly.  Is this bad? <Depends.> Is this a sign that i should be doing something different.  My water quality is good enough for the other corals
in the tank. <What is good enough?  Things in this hobby aren't really every good enough.  Your corals may look fine, but if your water parameters aren't right on target they could just be slowly declining.  Test your water, do frequent water changes and make sure everything is optimal.  I also have to say that these anemones don't really do well in a tank unless you are an expert at keeping them.  Do research on the website - correct lighting, feed schedule, so on... more than likely you will see its eventual decline in your tank.  Good luck, Jen S.> Your reply would be appreciated.

Bubble Tipped Anemone/Anemone Systems  4/6/06
Hi Bob  <James today>
I was reading up on BTAs and I really want one.
Right now I have a 10 gallon tank (I know it's small but its been stable for half a year) and I have the
Coralife 96w light for it. I want to get the BTA and wondered if it was all right to, is there anything else
I need to know or should I even consider it?  <Don't even consider it.  Read here.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
In future queries, please do a spelling/grammar check.  Our time is limited and having to correct peoples grammar/spelling limits
the number of queries we can answer per day.>
Thanks,  <You're welcome.>
Bob
Brandon

Anemone Lighting/Systems - 3/20/2006
Hi there,
<<Hi Jeff!>>
I got a 12g Nano Cube Deluxe for Christmas.
<<Lucky you!>>
The Lighting is two 24-watt 50/50 compact fluorescent lamps. Is that enough for a bubble tip anemone?
<<A 12-gallon tank is not large enough to house this animal.>>
I was also wondering if you knew if you can fit a protein skimmer in a Nano Cube.
<<Look into models that hang onto the tank, or look into adding a sump, to which you can add a skimmer.>>
Thanks for your time,
Jeff Sehl
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>

Anemone in overflow... "I know, I know, it's serious"   03/07/06
Hi,
  I have a problem that I saw one other post on. Today I had an bubble tip Anenome sucked through the slots into the overflow of a 180 gallon tank. I have had the tank for only six weeks and once before I found it "caught" in the overflow slots.
<Shouldn't be moving about...>
It has been cruising 200lbs of rock, moving once a week on average. I read a suggestion for a screen/cover for the overflow and was wondering how I could go about screening the slots to make it less likely that this may happen again.
     Thanks for your assistance,
  Mike Torrey
<All plastic netting is available that can be cut, fashioned, attached (e.g. with panduits, zip-ties)... Bob Fenner>

Anemones/Condy/Set Up  2/18/06
Hi guys, <Hello Travis.>
I've been researching the best options for a 20H tank for a couple of months now.  I wanted to run this setup by you guys to see what you think.
The tank is a 20H, 65 watts pc, 100watt heater, 2 155 gph powerheads, 20 lbs of live rock, 15-20 lbs of live sand.  I will be using distilled water with
instant ocean along with a refractometer.  My second question is about a Condylactis anemone and a clown.  I've heard that tomato clowns work best. Is
this true?  <No/Yes.  In nature they are never seen with Condys but can occur in closed systems in their natural host isn't available.>  I've read through your pages but couldn't really find good advice about this besides a picture of a clown and a Condy with a caption saying, "It can be done." <All this relates to is the unnaturalness of a Condy and tomato clown together.> Do you have any advice on how to make this work?  <Can't make it work, it has to happen by itself. I do not recommend keeping anemones in small tanks as yours.  Water parameters change too fast, something they don't like.  Your lighting level would be too low for keeping anemones also.
Thanks
in advance for any help. <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Travis

Anemone stuck in overflow  - 2/15/2006
Hi  Bob -
We have 75 gallon reef tank with an overflow in the back left corner. We have several large anemones in the tank (used to be one small one!).
Recently we came home to find one of the anemones missing - we found it - in the overflow basin.  He is adhered to the bottom of the glass in
about 1 inch of water.  Any suggestions as to how to rescue him would be much appreciated!  We can't seem to coax him off the glass to move him.
Thanks in advance for your help -
Amy
<If you can reach into the area, gently scrape it off the container with a credit card or similar, replace in quarantine tank... and fashion a screen mechanism to prevent in future. Bob Fenner>

Mushroom Reproduction/Anemones In Reefs - 02/07/06
Hi,
<<Hello>>
I've been reading the questions on your site about different mushrooms but was wondering, if I have an 80g and I have some fish, a Sebae anemone and 1 green striped mushroom will the mushroom reproduce by itself?  Or does it need another?
<<That's a fair question... The striped mushroom, like many "corals" kept by aquarists, are capable of asexual reproduction...meaning "new individuals" can be formed from the cells of a single parent.>>
I would like to have something that's compatible with the anemone and with the green mushroom, as well as the tang and coral beauty.
<<I don't advocate keeping anemones with sessile invertebrates.  Your long term success will be more likely if you keep the anemone in a specie specific tank.  For your sake, and that of the anemone, please have a look here and among the indices in blue at the top of the page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>>
It doesn't necessarily need to be mushrooms, maybe some polyps or something that will grow on the rocks where I don't need to worry about them excreting toxins towards each other.
<<EVERYTHING competes for space on the reef.>>
I have 2 65w 12k daylight bulbs and 2 65w actinics, and at some later point thinking of getting a T5 108w high output dual strip one daylight 12k and one 12k blue actinic to add to that.
<<Your anemone will appreciate this, but go with 10K bulbs.>>
Your help in picking a few, maybe 2 or 3 other things would be greatly appreciated since I don't want to make any mistakes.
<<Many choices available...perhaps Caulastrea or Lobophyllia...please do research/learn about whatever you decide to add.>>
Thank you.
p.s.-You're site is really invaluable to all of us who want to do right by our little fishy friends!
Kathy
<<Happy you think so, please keep reading...learning.  Regards, EricR>>

On Anemones and Filter Intakes  02-05-06
Dear Bob (or whoever it may be)
<Mike G>
Today we purchased a LTA from our LFS and put him in our 55g tank.  Once acclimated he floated around for a while and then settled on the substrate under our Fluval 304 and was content there for a while.  
<After acclimating, one should always place the anemone on a surface where it would do best - allowing it to float around can sting neighboring corals or trap the anemone somewhere it will not do well in.>
Later we found him inverted on the intake pipe.  
<Certainly not the anemone's choice - was sucked into the intake tube, as is decently common with anemones.>
We tried to manually remove him but he resisted.  
<Was wedged into the intake.>
We turned off the filter and he did not release- he seems like he wants to be there.  
<Not wants to - trapped there. Do take steps to extricate the anemone.>
Thanks ~Dan
<Best of luck! Mike G>

Re: On Anemones and Filter Intakes   2/6/06
All's well that ends well (I know all's is not a proper word but it is an acceptable colloquialism).  
<Acceptable, indeed.>
Thanks Mike! It was not easy "extricating" the anemone but we prevailed.  This morning he is looking super.  
<It's always great to hear such an ending - glad he's doing well.>
Your advice was excellent and we took it over that of the store who told us the anemone wanted to be on the pipe.  
<Glad I could help!>
Thanks again. ~Dan
<Best of luck! Mike G>

Anemone system  - 2/4/2006
First, you folks are wonderful and have so much information.  Maybe too much so a newbie like me gets confused.  I am wanting to set up a 90 gal marine system with some small fish and a few anemones.  Love anemones.
<Most are not easily kept...>
I am going to make my own sump with a 20 gallon long or 30.  I will put an AquaC EV120 in the first chamber with a mag 5 with prefilter on inlet to pump.  I will then have a second chamber as the water flows over the first divider.  Don't know what to put in the second area
<A DSB and macroalgae... on a RDP light arrangement>
as the third will have a heater and fourth return pump mag 950.  I was thinking of making a canopy with 2 MH 175 watt and 2 PC 96 watt lamps.  Don't know which spectrum yet.  I hope to have a SCWD which will have each return in opposite corners.  I don't know how much live rock and substrate to put into main tank.  I ordered your book and hope it will answer most of my questions.
<This, WWM, and asking, yes>
I am not in a rush to get livestock but I am anxious to get the setup going.  Thanks for any advice on above and keep up the great work.
<Do peruse the Anemone sections on WWM... most all covered there. Bob Fenner>

Anemone Tank   1/27/06
Hello.  <Hello Hugh>
I am in the initial stages for my new tank.  Your excellent website has helped me crystallize my thinking from a dream all-anemone tank with masses of different brightly colored species (can't happen) to hopefully one that will work.  I have successfully kept a Condy anemone in a 30gal tank for 8 years with a few mushrooms and fish.  I would like to move to an Indo-Pacific tank with one large (12"+) anemone in a dark green (my favorite) color, again with a few simple indigenous corals/fish/inverts. <Not recommended mixing corals with anemones.>  My new tank is 68gal (36x18x24 deep) reef-ready with a 17gal sump and Lifereef skimmer & calcium reactor.  Lighting will be two 150 DE halides - I haven't purchased the bulbs yet.  While only 4.4 watts/gal there should be a certain amount of overlap on a 36" tank.  So far my research would suggest a Long Tentacle Anemone, but I would be most interested in your opinion for other options (?carpet - I understand the expert-level husbandry requirements) and your opinion for bulbs. <I'd forget the carpet anemone.  Consider bubble tipped anemones, much easier to keep.>  I am considering either 10K or 14.5K Geissmann - both 12000 lumens, 89 rendering index. <I like the 14K's.> Thanks for your help. <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Hugh  

Can I Have An Anemone - 12/21/2005
Hi there,
<Hello Adam.>
I have a Saddleback Clownfish in a 50 gallon tank with a 1.5 inch Blue Tang, 2 inch Yellow Tang, and a 3.5 inch Porcupine Puffer, all getting along well for a long time now, the  tanks been established for about 2 years now.
<You're going to need a bigger tank for these to enjoy a full life. Over twice your current size.>
I have a 100 watt compact fluorescent light, a penguin 170, and a strong protein skimmer. Nitrates -0 nitrites- 0, ammonia- 0. The Clown was swimming in some anemones at the fish store so I figured he would want one. Would I be able to put one in the tank?
<Afraid not, needs much more lighting.>
If so, which would you recommend?
Thank you
Adam
<Adam, you need a larger tank for your charges first and foremost. For an anemone you'll need to upgrade your lights as well. Read here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm then follow the related links. Remember, if you upgrade lights now, then upgrade your tank size, you'll probably need more powerful lights again. Hope that helps. - Josh>

Ammonia in anemone tank  12/16/05
Hi guys,
I have 29 gallon tank that I recently added a green bubble tip anemone to.
<Smaller systems are fraught with much more potential problems...>
The tank has been established a little over a year now and is doing
wonderfully.  Before I purchased him, my tank levels were perfect even
though the tank was pretty heavily stocked.  I had a pair of true Percs, a
rock blenny, a spotted mandarin, a tiger sleeper goby and a royal Gramma.  
Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite 0 and pH around 8.2.  After having him for
about 3 weeks I have no problems, but my ammonia has risen to almost 1.0 ppm
<Yikes...>
(I just checked it about 5 min. ago).  My anemone isn't showing any signs of
problems from the ammonia, but I did decided to get rid of a few of a couple
of the fish.  The Gramma and blenny were sold to the LFS the other day.  I
have also been doing water changes with what seems like absolutely no
results.
<Good, clear descriptions>
  My question is could it be possible that with all the water
changes I've done recently, have my beneficial bacteria levels dropped low
enough that they can't keep up with the ammonia?
<Possibly... but more likely the anemone is producing more ammonia... metabolic, stress... than the present circumstances, bacteria can accommodate>
And is there anything else
I can do to lower the ammonia levels?  Thank you guys so much for your help,
I'll keep you posted on my progress.
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nh3marfaqs.htm
and the other Related FAQs linked above, the sections on Anemone Systems, Biological Cycling... basically, continuing water quality monitoring, changing, scant feeding, leaving the biological filtration be... should solve this in time. Bob Fenner>

Ball of Confusion.. Lighting confusion, re BTAs  11/15/05
Hey crew,
<Clare>
This is a curiosity question that has been bothering me. Ok it is about the watts per gallon, for inverts.
<Only a very general "rule of thumb">
I was thinking (kind of a confusing question, but bear with me) isn't a BTA the same in a 100 gallon as in a 30 gallon, so say you have 110 watts of VHO on your 30 which is about 4 watts per gallon, and 400 watts of MH on the 100 which is 4 watts per gallon, wouldn't this BTA not care about the tank size, but recognize the difference in the light?
<This "rule" is related to some sort of typical depth per gallon of systems, light reaching animals near the bottom...>
I mean I am sure the BTA doesn't care about watts per gallon but it cares about the quality of light it is getting right?
<Quality, quantity and duration>
I know this is kind of confusing but I was just wondering....
Thanks,
Clare
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm scroll down to the articles, FAQs on Anemone Systems, Lighting... Bob Fenner> 

Anemone System possibility  11/7/05
Hi.
I have a 30 gallon tank (18 inches deep) currently with two damsels and a clam. I have a 70 gallon fresh water filter and a fluorescent light bulb. I want to upgrade my tank so I can be able to have an anemone along with a clown fish. I was wondering if I can do this by just getting one 65w Dual Daylight and one 65w Dual Actinic light bulb. Would that allow my upgrade?
<Nope>
Another question, is it necessary to get a protein skimmer if I do this upgrade? Thank you.
<I wouldn't have it w/o one>
Have a nice day.
Sincerely Taydy
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemsysfaqs.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> 

Freak Anemone Accident 10/30/05
I've searched and looked, for hours, for a situation similar to mine without success. I hope that this is not a repeat question so that the information might be helpful to others besides myself. I have a bubble tip anemone that has been doing fantastic for 5 months. I feed it fresh, meaty foods twice weekly. I has doubled in size since I acquired it and is very beautiful.
<Sounds good thus far>
Now for the problem. 2 days ago, while doing regular maintenance, a rather large piece of salt creep fell into the tank from the protein skimmer (hangs on back of the tank) and fell right into the center of the anemone, causing it to close very quickly taking the salt inside.
<Man! Have gotten a bit of this sort of crust into my eye at times... Sting City!>
It hasn't opened since and has ejected all of it's stomach contents, which I removed to keep from fouling the tank.
<Good>
What little I can see of him near the center seems to be badly scarred, similar to what a chemical burn might look like. I have not been able to see it's mouth at all. The arms are sticking up and are inflated, but the animal is not opening up. Can salt that has not dissolved kill this animal, or is this something it should recover from?
<Will likely recover in time... a few to several days, weeks>
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can offer and thanks for a fantastic resource.
Perry
<A pleasure to share. Bob Fenner>

Feeding a bleached anemone  10/4/05
Hello,
<Pamela>
We've been fans of your website for almost a year now.  You have been
providing us with a ton of practical information and we're eternally
grateful.  We also just finished reading your book - The Conscientious
Marine Aquarist - one of the best Marine life readings out there.   We hope
you can shed some light (pun intended) on our anemone situation.
<Will try>
To start, we have a 260g tank with some rock and artificial ornaments.  
Lighting is provided by a 72” Coralife PC fixture (384W total).  The main
lights (10K) are on from 3pm to 12:30am. The actinics stay on 30 minutes
longer (before and after).  The tank is located in naturally well lit room
but it does not get a lot of direct sunlight.  It has one overflow with an
Iwaki 100 return pump.  We also have one power head, UV filter, in-sump ASM
G3 skimmer, etc.   We bought our BTA about 6 months ago along with a hosting
tomato clown.  The clown fish does not seem to feed it, so we feed it chunks
of shrimp or squid and have tried krill.  At first, although it didn’t
actively grab the food, it did eventually accept and consume it.  About a month ago, it split.
> stress... a lack of useful light energy related>
  The two pieces remain in the same area, and the clown
continues to host both of them.  Now, they only rarely accept food.  They
must like this location as they have not moved (before or after the split).  
Since they are smaller than the original one, it is harder to feed them
because they do not reach out and grab the food with their tentacles.  We
are concerned because they seem to be bleaching (one much more than the
other) and they both seem to balloon and then shrivel for short periods of
time. (The foot is an orange-red color like it was when we bought it.)   
Lighting is a concern:
<Yes>
The tank is 30” deep and the anemones are located on
a rock near the bottom.  Recently we also seem to be having an issue with
temperature, up to 82-83 degrees (it used to be stable at 79).
<This shouldn't be too much of a problem... stable enough in your size system>
  The salinity
is 1.025 and the pH is stable at 7.9.  (This week, we are going to add 250
pounds of live rock that we have been curing for a month.
<Do add about 50 pounds per week... too much likelihood of trouble with placing all at once>
Hopefully this will raise the pH).  
<Should help... otherwise, do look into a good line (e.g. SeaChem) of buffering compounds to add during regular water changes>
The ammonia is ok-no issue.     By the way, we have another BTA which is hosting a male tomato clown.  It is attached to a rock
higher in the tank.  This clown doesn’t feed it but it is easier to reach so
we do.  It doesn’t reach out with its tentacles but it accepts food more
easily.  (Perhaps we are accustomed to watching a Condy eat in another
tank-it stretches its tentacles out to grab the food and then it quickly consumes it.)
<Yes... very different animals>
Our questions are:  Should we continue trying to feed the anemone (when it's open) even if it doesn't take the food?
<Yes>
  Does it seem like it needs more light?  
<It, they do>
What do you recommend?
<Adding some Metal Halides directly above them>
We are considering replacing PC with either
a 72” Coralife fixture with 3 integrated MH lights, or a 72” T5 setup.
<Mmm, both/either would be an improvement... as stated, if possible/practical, adding MH pendants above the areas where the anemones are... or alternatively, moving them to another, shallower system with much more light...>
Both are very expensive, so we don’t want to make a mistake.  Also, since heat is
already an issue-would MH make it worse or is it worth it?
<Likely so, unless you plan and execute some means of alleviating the waste heat (fans, openings in the hood/canopy or even a purposeful chiller>
Should we move the rock with the anemones to a higher location when we add the live rock
(or will that stress them more?).
<Best to do just one at a time... I'd leave on the bottom for a month or so after adding the new lighting>
Is the higher temperature causing a problem?
<Mmm, not much, likely>
Should we expect the BTAs to extend their tentacles to grab food more actively instead of just closing in on the food?  
<Under the present conditions, no>
  Please help us-I
really don’t want to see the “twins” die.  In the event, an anemone does die
in this size tank- will it cause a life threatening problem?
<Likely not... but should be removed/siphoned out if "goes mushy">
Thank you for your time...
Pam & Rob
<And you for sharing. The new LR will help, but I would adjust alkalinity, pH, and definitely add, change out your lighting. Bob Fenner>

Condylactis gigantea vs...... the filter intake 8/13/05
I have had a Condylactis for over a year now in my 100 gal tank 2 VHO 2 blue
actinic total of 440 watts and it was growing like crazy it had quadrupled in
size since it was purchased. We recently had to tear down the tank due to
remodeling and we put it in a 10 gal with just a damsel. Here is the issue, he has
always liked to wander and i came home on Tuesday and he got stuck in the
filter.
<... too common>
Half of his tentacles got ripped off on his way back out. ( We turned off
the filter first) I decided to leave him in the tank even though i thought he
was dead because i am very attached to him.
<Good>
  Now today is Friday and he has
started filling his tentacles back up. I was wondering what the chances are that
he is going to live.
<Impossible to say... many such incidents do result in anemone deaths... but some recover>
Despite the fact he  only has half of his tentacles he
looks otherwise normal even back to his old color( deep pink/purple). What are
the chances that he will pull through this and is there anything I can do to
make sure that he makes it?
<Good, consistent water quality, getting the animal back in its larger system...>
I really love this guy he is the most beautiful one
that i have ever seen. Please help thank you.
<Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Using WWM, anemone health, systems 8/13/05
I have a purple tip anemone and he has done just fine until now. I put in 3
½ gallons of fresh water in my 29 gal. tank. I forgot to add salt.
<!>
The
anemone looked like he was losing oil into the tank and put his tentacles
in his mouth as he moved deep into a rock.  I took the water back out and
added some salt. I then put the water back in the tank and checked the salt
level. The salt level was still a little low. What signs do I look for if I
feel my anemone may be dying?  Thank you Debbie
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
and the linked files above... Don't write... read. Bob Fenner>

Anemone question! 7/24/05
Greetings -- seems like there's a ton of people asking questions about anemones.  I'm now one of them!
<People usually house them inappropriately (i.e.. keeping them in reef tanks) so they tend to have a lot of problems with them>
I picked up a long tentacle from the local fish store about two weeks ago.  He's huge, and has looked great in the tank.  I fed him a small bit of krill -- under 1/4", from what I've read on the site.  I feed him generally every four days.
<Sounds good>
  Anyway, when I went to work this morning I noticed he looked a little smaller, but not a big deal.  When I got home, he looked completely dead; no water in tentacles at all, wasn't gripping the rock anymore (had fallen over on its side), etc.  Huge red base was just sitting out in the open.  The mouth wasn't open though.  I checked water parameters and things looked fine (temperature holds steady at 80-82 degrees in the tank all day.  The LFS was closed at this point so I figured I'd have to wait until tomorrow.  I went out to the store and came back and noticed its mouth was now open basically all the way, and that it looks like it spit something out... a brownish substance.  I've propped him up between a bunch of rocks, and dug a hole in the sand for him so that he'll stand up... but I don't know what else to do.  It keeps trying to stand up; some of the tentacles will inflate, and it'll rise up several inches from the base, then fall back down again.  If I prop it back up between rocks, it repeats the cycle and just gets taller and taller until it flops over again.
<Sounds like it's on the verge of death, sorry to say>
I have no other anemones, and the tank has been running for about a year and a half.  None of the fish are picking at it that I've seen.  I have a leather coral on the other side of the tank that appears to still be doing well.  The tank is a 36g bowfront.  I don't have a protein skimmer.  Lighting is 130W PC (one true actinic).
<You have nowhere near enough lighting.  Next time, ask questions first, purchase second>
Any clues?  I know it's hard to explain without pictures and without being here to see it, but I just find it weird that it would have died that quickly.
<I don't.  Improper collection, improper acclimation, stress, low energy reserves, combined with poor lighting>
  I just checked my water parameters again; the water doesn't smell but my alkalinity and nitrates are way above normal (pH 7.8, alkalinity 260, nitrites < 0.5 ppm, nitrates 100 ppm).
<Well that explains the death right there.  Horrible water quality - your pH should be ~8.2+ at night, nitrites should be 0, nitrates should be less than 5ppm measured as nitrate ion>
  I'm going to do a water change tomorrow and see if that cures those problems (can't do it tonight, no supplies, it's midnight).
<Please do, and please read further about the husbandry of marine aquariums.  Look into your filtration/water circulation>
Thanks
<No problem.  With proper conditions, anemones can outlive their owners, but those conditions do need to be met.  A few weeks of diligent reading should ready you, and give you time to get your tank in order>
- Will
<M. Maddox>

Florida Condy anemone Vanished 7/15/05
Hey All,
<Babylon>
Thanks for the great site.
<Welcome>
My problems is that I bought a Florida Condy the other day and after  
floating around and landing on a spot It seemed fine (after acclimating it of  
course). When I went to sleep everything seemed fine, however when I woke  up in the
morning it had Vanished??
<Houdini!>
My fish are fine and I see a very small this layer of white slime where it  
was. Here's what I have in my tank 40 gallons:
2 clown fish, 2 damsels,  1 serpent star, 1 brittle star, 1 emerald  crab, 1
scarlet hermit crab, 1 sally light footed crab, feather dusters, some  pillar
coral, pink cucumber and turbo snails and a lot of LR.
My water parameters are 0- ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, 8.4 Ph and 1.24  
salinity.
my light is a 10,000k Daylight lamp with 1-65w white and actinic bulb with  
lunar light.
I checked my filters and I've tried looking around the live rocks, but don't  
want to have to remove them all to try to pinpoint it. Should I worry
<Too late for that... might have gotten sucked into your pump/intake... dissolved... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sebaesysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. I would be doing a large water change... watching my livestock. Bob Fenner>

New sebae... anemone... along with two others, one dyed, in a tank filtered by a canister... 7/7/05
Hello, I have a few questions about an anemone that I rushed into buying and will probably regret.
<You do already>
first off... I have a 75 gallon tank with 265watt pc 50/50, a Fluval 404, a remora pro skimmer , 75 lbs live sand, 100lbs live rock.
<You need more filtration>
all of my levels are at 0, calcium-400, ph a little low at 8.0 right now... the tank has been established for 7 months and has been stocked with many crabs, snails, and shrimp. Fish include a flame hawkfish, 2 fairy wrasses, 2 perculas, and a flame clownfish. as far as corals, I have a candycane coral, frogspawn, green star polyps, many leathers, xenia, and tons of zoanthids.-Q1- (( I also have a green BTA that is growing huge and is already about a foot across, he is being used as a host by the fire clown. a small question with him is, he is pretty much brown and ugly... he has really dark color and sometimes has green or purple hues but how do I get some real color out of him?
<Time, feeding>
i feed all of my anemones formula 1 frozen food, phyto with invertebrate smorgasbord, and krill))  -Q2-  ((next I have a small rose BTA that is about the size of a golf ball, I have had him for about 4 months, and he is about six inches from the top, but he has been bleached since the day I got him. it is white with hot pink color
<Dyed>
in the tentacles and it hasn't gotten any color or size in the last 4 months since I got him. it eats a lot and seems healthy otherwise and it even split about a week ago..... any advise)) -Q3-(( yesterday, I saw an awesome anemone at the pet store and I bought it.
<... three anemones in a seventy five... trouble>
it has a slightly green base, and the tentacles are a deep pink with purple tips, I was told it is a sebae after I bought it I found out about its aggressive nature and high light requirements. I placed it at the top of the rockwork and learned that they like their base in the sand... it hasn't moved yet and looks ok and is opened pretty good. will this anemone work in my system? why or why not? is it going to have problems with my BTA? thanks for any help you could give me.
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/coloredanemones.htm
and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above, look into better filtration... stop buying livestock till you know what you're doing. Bob Fenner>

My Poor BTA
Hi guys thanks for your help.  So my BTA has been in my tank for about 3 weeks now and been through a bit of a lot.  My girlfriend thought it would be nice to come home with a maroon clown and at first the two were great together then I had to add something to rid the tank of red slime I'm thinking the BTA didn't like this and it shrunk and deflated and the clown didn't like this at all and was batting at the BTA so it continued to shrink.  I removed the clown, did h2o change and even dimmed the lights for the remainder of the day and the BTA came back bigger and stronger than it was before.  The next day it started to move again I thought this was great till the next morning I found my BTA completely sucked into my power head the only thing showing was the foot.  I turned off the power head and slowly and easily removed the BTA from the power head.  The poor thing looked horrible as you can imagine.  To my disbelief when I returned home from work that night it had come back to about 90% and the next day it was perfect again and that night it started moving again and I watched it almost all night ZZZZZZ.  when I woke up it was half in the power head again since I turned the power heads upside-down so it could not be sucked in.  They are also near the top of the tank.  Some how the BTA seems to be doing fine a few days after this.  My question is how do I stop that from happening and is there a better way to move the h2o in my tank? <Hagen makes a "Quick Filter" that adapts to power heads.  It's basically a plastic screen with a foam insert.  It spreads the suction over a wider area, and the foam prevents tentacles from being sucked in.  This is a common problem with anemones.  Many anemones have been lost this way.  James (Salty Dog)> Thanks guys

Making Friends With An Anemone!
First off, your site is fantabulous.
<Well, thank you! Scott F. here tonight!>
Now to the chase: first the tank specs, then the questions.
Tank Specs:
29g bow front
Penguin BIO-Wheel 200 (only filtration)
Power Compact 32W
Smart Lamp
Twin Tube 10Q Base
Custom Sea Life Inc. (I don't know hardly anything about lighting. This is simple what the bulb says.  I custom mounted it into a cheap, reflective, hood.)
<Sounds like a compact fluorescent. Not a bad bulb at all.>
78 degrees F
8.0pH
1.023
0 ammonia
less than .2ppm nitrate  (It's only 4 weeks old and I suspect the nitrite spike is due to the recent addition of some live rock.)
<Do you mean .2ppm NITRITE or niTRATE? If it is the former, your tank still has some cycling to go.>
4" sand bed
22 lbs. live rock
Inhabitants include:
2 True Percs
1 Yellow Clown Goby
1 Fire Shrimp
1 Emerald Mithrax Crab
12 Blue Leg Hermits
2 Scarlet Hermits
3 Bumble Bee Snails
5 Cerith Snails
10 Nassarius Snails
<Quite a group of scavengers there! Good for you and your tank!>
and 1 BTA
<Yikes! I think that you'll need to re-assess the lighting for long-term care of an anemone of any kind. They are truly precious resources that we simply HAVE to provide the best possible environment for.>
Is my filter and only means of water flow sufficient?  It says it's good for up to a 75g tanks and it's running on my 29g, but I don't know if I need to add a power head?
<Well, for long-term maintenance of this group of animals, particularly the anemone, high quality water is mandatory. Mechanical-oriented filtration systems such as yours will require constant attention and diligent maintenance to do the job. You really need to look into a protein skimmer. Protein skimmers are an essential piece of equipment to maintain high water quality. As far as flow is concerned, i would definitely look into some sort of supplemental system, such as the aforementioned powerheads.>
The light is about 1 foot above the BTA.  The BTA has situated itself DIRECTLY underneath the light and seems to be flourishing.  Is my lighting sufficient for my anemone?    
<In my opinion, this will not be an ideal long-term lighting solution for the anemone. I would upgrade to higher wattage PC's or even consider a smaller wattage metal halide pendant (like 70w or 150w) at some point.>
I feed the anemone about half a silverside cut into several pieces every 3-4 days as the clowns have yet to take to it.  Do I need to continue feeding the anemone if/when the clowns take to it?
<The clowns generally do not "feed" the anemone; they tend to take their food their to eat, or for "safekeeping" until they do. I had the pleasure of speaking with renowned anemone/clownfish expert Dr. Daphne Fautin last weekend, and this very subject came up! It is apparently a non-existent behavior in the wild as well. Anemones possess symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) which feed the anemone through photosynthesis (hence the great important of lighting to the animal), and also can absorb nutrients directly from the water column.>
I eventually want to add the following:
1 Court Jester (Rainford) Goby
1 Porcelain Crab
1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
1 Flame Angel
Is my tank able to support the influx of these inhabitants and would they coexist with my:
2 True Percs
1 Yellow Clown Goby
1 Emerald Mithrax Crab
1 Fire Shrimp
<I think that you'd be pushing it to add the Flame Angel.>
I eventually want to add corals, specifically LPS.  So long as I keep them on the opposite side of the tank as the BTA, they should fair ok, right?
<I would pass on adding corals to such a small system with an anemone present. The very real effects of allelopathy ("chemical warfare") can and will cause problems for the corals. In my humble opinion, unless you are dealing with very large water volumes (and even then, not a great idea), it is not wise to mix and match corals and anemones. Not a popular position, but I believe that it is the responsible one.>
I realize this is iffy with the angel but he's too gorgeous to pass up.
<I can understand your enthusiasm for this beautiful fish, but it is potentially problematic in a small system like this, and a very likely candidate to dine on or otherwise harass your LPS corals!>
Thank you very much for the invaluable resource you provide to the saltwater community.  : )
<My pleasure. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm for your system or its future, but I think it is important to have a "game plan" when stocking a tank, especially a smaller one. That anemone is a real precious resource, and as its custodian, you owe it the utmost good care. I'd plan my system around this magnificent animal, adjusting the filtration and support systems to meet its needs. Do a little research on the needs of anemones, and I'm sure that you'll be able to modify your system as needed to help this animal thrive for many years! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Anemone Tank 06/07/2005
Hi there, <SUP>
I have a 10-gallon tank outfitted with a Skilter and 90-watt PC's with a clownfish and orchid Dottyback and several corals.  For years I have tried
to house an anemone for my clownfish with nothing but failure (the longest I had was a rose-BTA for 6 months under blue actinic w/o my PC's!)  Since I
love the beauty of the anemone, and this is truly what got me interested in the hobby (along with clownfish somewhat) I have decided I might like to
"start over" and just make an anemone tank and maybe add a clownfish back in later on.  My question for you is, what anemone species would thrive best in
my tank?  
<With a 10 gallon it will be pretty hard.  They are good eaters that like clean water.  In such a small system it is hard to feed them well and not pollute your water.  Plus a lot of anemones will wander around to find a good spot and if there is not enough room to roam they my perish.>
Would I have to make any changes?  Is my lighting sufficient?  I noticed at my local zoo that they have excellent success with their anemones
by having a splash come down through the water to give the anemone oxygen. Is there any way to set something like this up?  
< Yes power heads. This is the main source of food for that anemone.  you need to provide good flow to make sure the tentacles are flowing and feed and waste are carried towards and away from the anemone.  Also direct feeding is a must when you have a smaller tank with a limited number of fish.  The food that can be consumed by the anemone can be rather large.  As far as which ones I like.  The Rose Bubble Tip is my favorite but would be too large for that tank.>
Basically, I just want to get a happily thriving anemone--maybe let it have the whole tank to itself (no fish, corals, etc)--and then maybe add a few inverts or a clownfish after awhile.
Thanks for your help! Jon <No problem.. EricS>

Anemone tank setup 06/07/2005
Hello all, <Sup>
Thanks for all of the past help.  I have a 10 gallon tank   that is not being used and I am looking to turn
it into an anemone setup.  I would also like to add a true perc. clownfish and a royal Gramma.  I'm worried
that 10 gallons is too small for this.  
<I would be too. Anemones are pretty picky on water quality and some can grow quite large.  So a 10 gallon in my opinion is too small.  But a nice nano tank with a little live rock and some small gobies as well as a Neon Dottyback would be cool. The smaller the tank the harder the water quality is to maintain.  So most beginners actually benefit from a larger tank>
If not, can I add a single clown or should I add a pair?  Also, how many anemones could I have safely?  I definitely don't want to overstock the tank or do anything that will stress the fish, so if this setup is problematic, then any ideas on a better direction would be greatly appreciated. <I would really shy away from an anemone  in that tank.  Mushroom anemones would be a nice choose to try though>
Thank you for your time, <No problem.. EricS>
~Jeff

Question about LTA success in Natural Reef System w/Skimming
Hi there, this is my first e-mail to WWM, but I read all the time and love the site. I have one of those questions that feels like the answer is an obvious yes, but my confidence is really low right now. My tank is about 18 months new and I just spent the last 6 fighting off a morale destroying hair algae bloom that resulted in a lot of damage. 
So here is the setup. 105G tall tank with a 30" stretch to the 4" sand bed. I am using 2X400W 20K MH bulbs with 2X96W 420nm PCs to give me a little dawn dusk action. 
My reef's chemistry is back to where it was before the bloom, 1.026 SG, no nitrate, phosphate, etc. I keep the temp stable at 78 degrees as well. The reef has about 200lbs of live rock and there is a 30G fuge tied in. I am pretty much a "natural reef" system with skimmer. Anyhow I really want to get an LTA and some clowns for this tank, but before I do I was just curious what you guys thought about this setup and its chances to thrive under these conditions. Thanks for the help,
Jeff
<Your system sounds fine to ideal... the most difficult step you are now faced with is securing an initially healthy specimen. Bob Fenner>

New Tank
Hi, 
<Hello Dan>
Just set up marine tank 3 days ago. Have an anemone,
<Not a good idea in that new a tank> 
a hermit crab and another crab got in there on the live rock. Found a picture of the anemone on your site , you said it is a Macrodactyla doreensis... "Green Long Tentacle. We are planning to add clown fish, shrimp (cleaner and red), starfish, yellow wrasse, turbo snails, coral and possibly a seahorse (not checked with shop if seahorse will be ok,) but they have said all others will be fine together. Will these be ok with the anemone? 
<Nothing, except clowns, are really safe safe with an anemone. The seahorse, definitely not.>
Also the crab we have found - how do we best get rid of it. Found similar pictures on here (dark brown crab with weird red eyes) and all advice is to remove. We don't see him much, he hides in amongst the rocks in the very bottom of the tank. <You could use a mantis trap and try getting him that way. Other than that you will have to pull the rock out he hides in.>
Is the hermit crab ok to be left in there?
<Yes> 
I think it's a blue legged hermit - it has red/ orange feelers, 2 blue legs and 2 black from what we can see. (he's tiny!).
Last thing - have things growing out of the rock - we think one is a tube worm - impossible to get pics of as its so small. It's maybe a centimetre long, clear with white feathery looking bits on the end. It goes back into the rock sometimes. The other thing growing is in a clump of about 5 bits. They are very pale, nearly see through with pale yellow/green bands on them.
They move and sometimes go back into the rock. 
<Without pics of these to look at, they could be almost anything. Much information is available on the Wet Web media. Type in the keyword in the Google block and go.>
Sorry to ask so much. Thanks in advance 
<You're welcome>

Anemone question
Hi. I love this web site. I have spent seems like hundreds of hours learning here.
<I've spent thousands myself!>
Anyway I have a 90 gallon, about 50 lbs. live rock so far, Aquac remora pro skimmer, 2229 Eheim wet/dry canister filter, Eheim liberty 200 pump filter for added carbon filtration, 2 maxi-jet 900's for water circulation, they are positioned at opposite ends -caddy cornered and facing each other. I have crushed coral substrate. my ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is about 20, ph is 8.3. I have 48" compact fluor. lighting. 2 55 watt actinic and 2 55 watt 10,000k daylight. I have a LTA I've had about 2 months. It has been on a certain piece of live rock since I got it and has never moved. which surprised me.
<Mmm, they rarely move in the wild>
I had covered all my intakes with foam covers before I bought it because I heard they are wanderers. Today I noticed a grayish wart type growth on the stem. Within 2 hours there were more. I also noticed a string of slime coming off his trunk/ stem. For the last day or two I noticed the cleaner shrimp getting on and off the anemone throughout the day and after lights are out. The only fish in the tank are 2 small percula clowns {who have never paid the anemone any attention}, a small coral beauty, and a 4 inch hippo tang. I'm sending a picture so hopefully you can tell me what I need to do. This anemone has always eaten good and been full and healthy looking. Thanks,             Barb
<If it were mine, I would switch out at least one, likely both of the actinics for "white" lamps... You don't mention what sorts of food, how often it's proffered... or your alkalinity, calcium, magnesium concentrations... these aspects of water quality are important for anemones as with stony and soft corals. Bob Fenner>

Re: New Set Up of Established Tank... Accommodating a Carpet Anemone in Bare-bottom 
Dear Bob,
<Jason>
Thanks for the feedback ...
<Welcome>
As a follow-up to the previous question, with a bare bottom MAIN tank, how should I handle my existing green magnificent carpet anemone? I mean, there is no sand!!
<Mmm, if it were me, mine, I would make a sand bed area for this animal... likely an all plastic or glass Pyrex cooking "pan"... with fine, calcareous sand (likely crushed coral)... that though it might look funky, will serve as substrate for this purpose>
Option 1: just place it on glass bottom.
Option 2: just place it on flat piece of rocks
Option 3: place it in a shallow plate with sand ... BUT might have issues with...
<This one>
a. sand spilling over to the bare bottom glass.
b. detritus collecting in the sand within the shallow plate.
c. anemone growing larger than the plate allow! Currently, it is already 1 foot across, and I heard it can be as large as 3 feet!!
<But base of foot/pedicle is only size concern... other issues not a big deal>
I really want to try out a bare bottom tank. However, the anemone is the ONLY reason why I am thinking otherwise!
Please advice, and thank you again.
Jason
<I would go the above route. Bob Fenner>