New Print and eBook on Amazon:   Anemone Success Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Re: Clownfish Obsessed with new Feather Duster!  Now BTA stkg.     2/7/14
You definitely hit a nerd nerve with the Dune reference Bob! I actually have not read the series, but am a fan of David Lynch.
<Ahh! Am a fan of both. I do encourage you to enjoy the books>
 I have seen the movie many times, and have yet to read the book. I did pick it up a few months ago and as soon as I finish with a few projects, reef happiness being one of them, I plan to read it. I do see what you mean. I can honestly say my reef journey has been a conscientious one( after our first email exchange I learned a lot). I dont add anything without extensive research and I don't freak out about every tiny speck, or flash like I used to. I also just don't add much, and read a ton. However I am only 6 weeks into my first few coral purchases. :) I'm surprised the tank is already far enough along to support such diversity. Of course, I am diligent about it's care, it shouldn't surprise me, but I have had awesome experiences with everything I have added, and owe that knowledge in part to this fantastic website and you all.  A few more questions( ponderings...) before I put your advice to use, if I may... I am looking at a Rainbow colored BTA. Not cheap, sheesh. I hope the clowns know what it is for. Will they go right to it?
<Not necessarily; perhaps not at all. This can be searched, revealed on WWM>
When it goes in, should I keep their current home in place, or attempt to put the anemone there?
<Up to you. I would quarantine the BTA for two weeks, mix water back and forth twixt the systems... to acclimate the Cnidarians... See WWM re Allelopathy and what you intend to stock>
I have seen a few pictures online, with an
anemone in a claypot? Would this be a good way to introduce the anemone to the tank and the clowns?
<Better to use something like a plastic strawberry container, over the anemone... where it still gets meaty bits of food and light>
 I have truly enjoyed hearing from you Bob and absolutely cannot express my appreciation for your personal response. Have a great night! Again, Thank you!
Amber
<Glad to sojourn with you. BobF>

When And If To Add a BTA/For The Cost, Save Your Money 8/11/10
Hello WWM Crew
<Hi Steve>
Your site is to say the least, an awesome and immensely informative tool especially for the novice like myself, so thank you very much for all the information you have given me thus far.
<You're very welcome.>
I have my eye on a BTA at a nearby LFS, BTW I live in Brazil so you have to understand the price market here is insane IE they want about US$320.00 for him so I am very nervous to say the least.
<Ridiculous.>
System is as follows:
Tank
92 GL bow front w/ 22in of depth
Sea-Life sump (guessing 5-8 GL)
up and running 2 1/2 months
Filtration (not sure about this area could use some pointers)
2 vials of bacteria (to start the tank)
1st, a thick layer of cotton filament (really helps with water noise in the room)
<Do change this on a regular basis.>
1 bag of Phosguard
<Would use only when needed.>
1 lg block of sponge that came with the sump)
1 bag of Kent Reef Carbon (only use it a couple of days per month after a water exchange per directions on label)
skimmer (unknown brand) says it does 600 liters but I doubt it but seems to work ok.
Pond Master 7 Mag drive return pump
korilia <Koralia> 3 power head
2" oolitic Carib sand (should I add more at this point)
<At this juncture, I would not.>
40 pounds live rock (I think maybe more some was very mature with coralline algae on it.
10% WE monthly
Also adding pH buffer and mineral blocks monthly
<Should only add buffer if and when needed. Do you have any test kits?>
Lighting
2 T5 39W actinic (12 hrs p/day)
2 T5 39W 14k whites (11 hrs p/day)
1 HQI 150W 10k (3 hrs p/day)
1 2W blue LED (24 hrs p/day)
Heating/Cooling (my biggest concern)
sadly nothing yet
I have no room for a chiller but the weather here is pretty mild and the room is air conditioned. My biggest problem is heat. My only option at this point is getting what an LFS store here uses, digital controller to run a fan and heater in the sump. The tank has been staying at a steady 78 - 80 a little high but it's stable so far.
<Is not bad at all.>
Live Stock
2 Yellow Tail Damsels (had 3 but the 2 bigger ones axed her the first day, luckily I pulled her out in time and back to the LFS she went.)
1 Yellow Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
2 True Percula clowns mated
5 turbo snails
7 hermit crabs
adding a few Peppermint Shrimp next week
Corals
2 green striped mushrooms
1 red mushroom
1 blue mushroom
1 suncoral
1 cluster of clovis (?)
1 small devils hand
2 heads of hammer
various colonies of Zoas
Parameters
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate .05
salinity .024
temp 78 - 80
calcium 450
magnesium 1100 (before last water change, need to figure out a way to raise this)
<Magnesium supplement.>
ph 8.2
phosphate 0
I also had a CB shrimp that started in my tank but when I added the Sailfin problems started. I noticed ripped fins every morning on him so I had to get rid of the CBS but a little too late, the stress has caused a small outbreak of ich starting with the Sailfin and moving to the YT . I am very lucky I caught it early and have been treating according to suggestions on the WWM site. freeze dried brine shrimp soaked in vitamins once a day, flakes for the second feeding and Nori with garlic for grazing also I just picked up some spray dried plankton (adding once a day) and some coral food. Seems to be clearing up nicely and everyone is eating well and very happy aside from the YT rubbing on the rock every once in awhile, hopefully this passes its cycle quickly.
<May want to treat these fish in a quarantine tank.>
On to my main question, the clowns are at the top back side of the tank and only the female comes out during feeding. The pair is pretty old, they told me the female is between 7 and 10 years she is very friendly and since the first day was eating from my fingers. I was almost ready to buy a BTA and during my research I thankfully discovered you guys.
Since then I have read much about BTA and now am on the fence. I recently added the 150W HQI and have been letting the tank mature and now I would really like to pick this guy up. He is bright green with orange tips about the size of a tennis ball. I am afraid not only of his health but also loss of color, hiding etc etc and or the clowns not hosting him which is a main point for me buying him. The guy at LFS assures me that he knows these fish and they will most likely go right for him. Also the female clown is about the same size as the BTA. Could this be a problem and is there anything else I should consider?
<Yes, I would consider not letting go of 300+ dollars for an anemone that may or may not survive. Although BTA's are considered the easiest of hosting anemones to keep, no anemone is considered easy to keep. My suggestion, for the cost, it isn't worth the risk. A better investment would be a bottle of Mateus Rose wine and enjoy your present inhabitants.>
I am truly on my own in a foreign country so again thank you very much for all your help.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Regards
Steve Tous

Add Anemone To Tank?/Not A Good Move In This Scenario 1/6/10
First details about my tank. It's a well established 90 gallon tank with approx 90 lbs live rock and 60 lbs live sand. I have a Bi-Colored Angel, Blue Tang, Purple Firefish, 2 mated Neon Gobies, a Coral Banded Shrimp and some type of small conch who are all doing well and have their own established territories. I'm very interested in adding a Bubble Tip Anemone and a Maroon Clown (either just one or a mated pair) to this mix. I'm also thinking of eventually putting in a sand sifting starfish. When we bought the tank we went ahead and got enough lighting to support a reef aquarium just in case we wanted to do this. My biggest concern is overcrowding and of course compatibility. I've done a ton of research and it seems like everything should be ok, but I would like to be sure. We're not planning on adding any other anemones or corals. Any suggestions/ advice would be greatly appreciated.
<I don't believe you have done enough researching. First, it's not a good idea to mix anemones with non-anemone immune fish. The risk of other fish being stung is always present. Secondly, Maroon Clownfish can grow up to 6 inches and do become aggressive fish, even more so if they take to an anemone. All other fish would be ferociously
driven away, and the outcome is not good. The Firefish and Neon Gobies are rather docile fish and would not be compatible with Maroon Clownfish with or without an anemone present. If you wish to enjoy the clownfish/anemone relationship, it is best done in a tank dedicated just for them.>
Thanks in advance!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Bubble tip anemone....a hitchhiker? 11/11/09
Hello everyone.
I bought a yellow Pavona coral about a year ago from my local pet store. It didn't seem to have any other live items on it. About six months ago we noticed these little tentacles coming out of the middle of the coral. It got bigger and bigger and now it has a 2 inch diameter. It has green tentacles and tan bubble tips and it looks just like one of the pictures for a bubble tip anemone you guys have on the site; so I guessed it to be a
bubble tip.
<Possibly>
But my question is how did it get in my tank? If it came with the Pavona coral then how come it took 6 months for it to come out? Any ideas? I appreciate your help. Thanks for all the good information available on this site.
<Such hitchhiking events are not uncommon. And sometimes, as in your case here, do occur over a delayed period of time from introduction. Only takes a wee bit of tissue for Cnidarians, including Anemones, to regenerate individuals. This is part of the great enjoyment of our hobby; the discovery of new life! Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Hiding Anemone 8/1/09
Good morning.
<Tina>
I have spent a lot of time reading your site and have found it very helpful. It saved me a few times from buying something that would probably just starve to death in my tank. I have 2 bubble tipped anemones
<Hopefully clones...>
that I bought attached to one rock. They have been in my tank for 8 weeks and one of them is perfectly fine.
<The winner>
The other crawled under their rock 2 days ago and has not emerged since.
<The loser>
2 days before it went into hiding, my splash guard fell in the tank right near it. It looked fine and even ate the next day after that. My tank has been up and running for about 5 months. I have a 55 gallon with 220 watt T5 lighting, powerhead, protein skimmer, hang on the side filter, 5 gallon refugium (with algae and DSB), 2 inches aragonite sand, 30lbs live rock. I have 2 false clownfish, 1 yellow tang, 1 blue devil, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 anemone crab and 1 snail. My ammonia, nitrite and phosphates are 0. My nitrates are under 10. My calcium is around 330. My KH is about 10, my pH is 8.3, my salt level is 1.024. The temperature is 80. Should I try to look under the rock to see if the anemone is ok?
<I would not>
Or should I flip the rock to try and put it back in the light?
<Nor this>
Please let me know what to do.
Thank you so much for your help.
-Tina
<IF they are clones and you're determined to try and keep two Entacmaea in this system, I'd leave them both be... but if they are not clones I would not attempt this period. IF they are not clones/genetically identical, it is unlikely the one will survive... in which case I'd see the Net re means of moving one off the rock entirely (perhaps the "ice-cube" trick)... and see it placed elsewhere. Bob Fenner>

Anemone Addition to New Tank & Algae Question 12/27/08 Hello, I hope this is an appropriate question to ask. I have a 50 Gallon SeaClear tank setup with your typical live rock, wet/dry, skimmer configuration. The lighting is a mixture of LED and CF, I am on the low side of watts / gallon but I believe the lumens output is good. The tank has been running for about 2 months now and everything seems fine. It went thru a good cycle. Occupants are some peppermint shrimp, a fire shrimp, various hermits and snails, a bi-color blenny and some green chromis. Also have some mushroom and colt corals. Everybody seems fine. I have had very little algae growth, I do keep the main lights on an average of 12 hours / day. Is there something wrong if I do not get a huge algae bloom? <No, but don't be too surprised if you get one at some point.> Anyways, my main question is based on the fact that I gave into the temptation and I now have a nice looking 3" BTA and his / her hopefully soon to be partner clown going thru a drip acclimation. I will be putting them in the tank a little bit later today. After ordering them I came across various forum posts which seem to really discourage adding an anemone to a tank which is not at least a year old. Did I really screw up here? <We'll see. In such a small tank, you're likely to have some chemical warfare issues. You/we won't know if the BTA (and/or everything else in the tank) will do well in your set up. Time will tell...> I am committed to putting them in at this point. What can I do to ensure it thrives? If the algae bloom comes will it be bad for the little guy? Any advice you can give me to help keep it healthy while the tank continues to mature as well as and handling tips will be greatly appreciated. <Do run plenty of activated carbon if you can... that might help. Also be sure to read the articles/FAQs on BTAs on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm> Thanks, Keith <Best, Sara M.>

Bubble tipped Anemone 1/20/06 Just set up a 120 saltwater tank with a 30 gallon sump 9 months ago. I am a complete Newbie so this site has been a complete Godsend. You are all so knowledgeable, thanks so much. Without wasting to much of your time here is my question. I purchased a molting mushroom rock a few weeks ago, which is doing quite nicely. On the opposite side of the rock is what looks to be bubble tipped anemones. It's a small colony of maybe 5 or 6 separate specimens, about an inch in diameter and an inch high. Their colors range from brownish orange to green and two have recently relocated to other places in my tank. Everything I've seen in books and on the internet are all the picture perfect and fully grown. These little guys have retained their bubble tips and seem to be loving my tank. Oh, the question? Will these little guys get bigger or simply spread? <If that is what they are they will grow under proper conditions. I'm thinking they are the dreaded Aiptasia anemones. Any chance of sending a pic of them?> What do they eat? I am taking a lot of time with each thing I put in the tank and want to know what is best with these little guys. <Do search the Wet Web Media (Google tool) and you will find answers to your questions. Do start here with anemones. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm> I'm almost obsessive about the tank an all parameters are pretty good. Right now my tank has two Foxface fish, a mandarin fish,<Do search this fish, you will be surprised at its requirements/needs.> two peppermint shrimp, one red serpent star, one brittle star, a plate coral and numerous snails and hermit crabs, all of which are doing great. A word of enlightened wisdom about my newest little tank mates will be greatly appreciated. Vicky, always do a search on something you intend to buy. May save you money/headaches down the road. James (Salty Dog)> Sincerely, Vicky W.

Anemones, not a casual decision 12/26/05 I just had a quick question. I want to put an anemone (mainly a bubble tip anemone) and was wondering if it's ok to put in my tank. I have a blue tang, tomato clown, some Chromis and flame angel with a bunch of shrimp (cleaner, blood and peppermint) and snails. What anemone would work with my setup? <Well I'll start off by saying anemones are not for casual aquarists and are quite sensitive, the lot of them perish in captivity. Before I can even begin to recommend or advise placing an anemone in your tank I will need to know much more about your system, filtration, lighting, water flow, substrate, water parameters, protein skimmer, maintenance regime, tank size and tank age. Also research this animal for your self at WWM re: E. Quadricolor. Adam J.>

Reef Calcium conundrum, Captive-prop'ed BTA 12/9/05 I have a question for you...imagine that, I have a 55gal w/ 4" DSB that I've started with a few zoo's frags, some Kenya tree, and a Ricordea. I just got a wild hair and decided to test my alkalinity and calcium levels. My calcium came out to a whopping 560ppm and the alkalinity to about 180ppm. I've been using B-ionic 2 part calcium/alk. supplement and Kent's SuperBuffer dKH weekly as my source water is extremely soft (about 10ppm). I am seriously considering putting in an anemone (BTA to go with ocellaris clown---I love anemone/clownfish systems!), but don't want to do so until I'm sure my water quality is just right...not to mention that I'm at a loss as to where to find a captive produced clone in my area (N. CO) I have about 60 lbs. LR and about 15 lbs. coral skeletons. I'm not sure if these levels are OK and if I should stop/scale down my dosing? Any help? Oh, also, what is your opinion on using bleach to clean out QT tanks/equipment?...I've always used vinegar, but was recommended to use bleach...Thanks, Branon. <If your levels and water quality are rock-solid and stable, you're probably fine, assuming other parameters are met (lighting in particular). Your LFS should be able to procure a captive-cloned BTA for you, or you may be able to find one via internet mail-order. Good on you for demanding captive prop'ed livestock. Bleach is definitely better than vinegar for sterilizing equipment. You can dilute it 1:2 or 1:3 bleach: water and spray it with a spray bottle (KEEP IT OUT OF YOUR EYES, OFF SKIN, FAVORITE BLUE JEANS, ETC) on large stuff like tanks. Just be sure to rinse everything very thoroughly. Lastly, try to buy the most basic bleach, without perfume, etc. Happy Holidays, Lorenzo> <<It helps to keep a bit of dry sodium thiosulfate on hand, can be found online through chemical supply houses at incredibly cheap prices! Marina>>

Maroon Clowns behavior, BTAs 7/10/05 Hey Everybody, I have two maroon clowns, one is a little over an inch and the other one is two inches. The smaller one is very dark and the larger one is a very bright orange. They swim together all the time and in the three months they have been together I have never seen them fight. Does it sound like they may eventually mate, or is there a chance that they will become aggressive and kill each other still? <Should mate in time with the female being the larger of the two. Fighting shouldn't take place. Google the WWM, keyword "clownfish" for more info.> That is my first question, my second involves the investment of an anemone. I am in the process of setting up a 180 gallon that will eventually become the home for the clowns, the set-up follows: 2x 250 MH Lights 1x 125 MH Lights 4x 110 Actinic VHO 2 protein skimmers 50 Gallon sump As of yet, I don't have any LR, I am still checking for any leaks. I am planning on about 100 lbs of LR, my budget and my wife won't let me get too much more than that. Do you think that BTA's would do well in a system like this after it gets completely cycled, and if so how long after cycling should I wait to put them in? <A BTA should do well in your system. I'd wait 60 days anyway, anemones don't take too well to new setups.> I know that anemones have a bad history in captivity in general, so I am open to any suggestions you may have of surrogate hosts. <The BTA is a good choice, one of the hardier anemones, although none are easy to keep for any length of time. Your large tank will be a plus in this regard. As with any clown/anemone combo, there is no guarantee the fish will inhabit the host.> Lastly, I am also considering a Naso Tang and I have a few concerns that you may be able to address. Will the Naso bother the anemone or any surrogate corals? <No> Will the Naso attack my Maroons or vice versa? <Shouldn't be a problem.> Is a 180 gallon big enough for a Naso? <Yes. Also Google the WWM, keyword, "tangs", and read. The Naso's are not the easiest of tangs to keep.> Thank you guys, I always appreciate the advice. <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> ,Tate

BTA and clowns Hi Bob and Crew! <Hi, Graham at your service.> I first want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed WetWebMedia.Com since I discovered it a couple of months ago. It has provided me with a ton of information which I have really appreciated! <Thank you!> Most everything I've wondered I've been able to find in previous faq's/articles but I'm having trouble with one specific thing. I have decided to try and keep my first anemone and really want to do this right. After much research I have decided on a BTA (preferable tank raised) with a pair of maroon clowns or Ocellaris. I have good rapport and trust with one certain local fish store and decided to have them obtain all three animals for me, pair the clowns up and "host" them with the BTA prior to my purchasing them. (I informed them I would prefer Ocellaris over Maroon due to temperament, but since Ocellaris do not have natural symbiotic relationship with this anemone in nature Maroons would be fine too if Ocellaris didn't work out). It was my thinking that having them all pair/host at the LFS would be a logical way to start off on the right foot. Do you disagree? <Not at all.> For background, my main tank is 55 gal. 4' long tank, 80-90lbs live rock, 3-4" live sand bed. Current inhabitants are 1 yellow tang, 1six line wrasse and 1 cleaner shrimp, cleaner crew of snails and red-leg hermits. For lighting I have 6- 40W NO fluorescent bulbs (so total of 240W). BakPakII for skimming (with bio-bale media all removed and heater placed in this side of unit), 4 powerheads (2 little guys, one medium size, one bigger - bigger meaning 400gph rated). My quarantine setup consists of bare bottom 10 gal. with fluorescent light and hood, which I set up only when needed with heater, one of the small powerheads from my main tank and a penguin mini with bio-wheel which runs constantly on my main tank and moves over to quarantine when set up. Now my main questions: 1) Is lighting sufficient for BTA in your opinion? I have read many opinions on this, but I struggle with the total wattage/vs. type of lighting (fluorescent vs. metal halide, etc) issue. If it is sufficient, could you recommend a mix of bulbs that would work well- i.e. 3 actinic blues, 3 actinic whites, all 50/50's, etc... <No, this lighting will most likely not be enough for the E. quadricolor. Instead, I would look into either 4x 48" 110wt VHO's (2x 10,000k and 2x Actinic) on an Icecap 660 ballast or 4x 96wt Power Compacts. Either one of these setups would provide excellent lighting for not only anemones, but for many light demanding corals.> 2) quarantine procedure for BTA and clowns. As I said they will be "paired and hosted" before I bring them home from the fish store, so I wondered if it made the quarantine situation unique at all? Meaning I don't want to split them up, but I'm concerned because although I want to quarantine them (particularly the clowns) I'm a little worried about the anemone in the empty bare bottom 10 gal. with the dinky little fluorescent light that came with the kit. <That may be a slight bump in the road -- if you do add the anemone to the tank, most likely it will start starving (loss of zooxanthellae) until you added it back to the aquarium. If you would prefer to quarantine the clownfish, I would first add the anemone to the aquarium (allow it to settle in) and later on add the clownfish. There's always going to be the chance that they won't host with each other even if you added the clownfish to the tank the same time you did as the anemone. With that said, I would personally add the anemone to the tank and quarantine the clownfish.> 3)any comments on my current setup/practices? <It sounds very good. Are you planning on keeping live coral?> I would appreciate any insight and thanks again for your great site!! Further, if my specific question(s) have been asked already I apologize for the redundancy, but I could not find an exact match to my scenario. <Take Care, Mike! Graham.> Mike Mendoza

Where to find/buy Captive Bred BTA Rose anemones 8/3/04 I'll be quick. Where can I buy (online) a captive bred/cloned anemone? I don't want to steal a clown fish's! I can't find it on google anywhere. Thank you, Marshall Montgomery <Edie at Tropical Paradise (Cali) has a fine store and is an avid supporter of cultured reef creatures. I was just there months ago and saw a couple hundred Rose BTA there. You can look him up at: http://www.tpaquarium.com/ best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Dyed BTAs? 11/26/03 I bought 3 rose anemones they were deep red we got them in the tank 3 weeks later they turned bright white with hot pink tips a we think maybe they were dyed could you email to tell me your thoughts <I doubt these anemones were dyed... not heard of with BTAs. Seems much more likely they bleached from stress from poor acclimation. If you feed them well (necessary) for the next few months, they will likely recover their color and survive. Anthony>

Dyed rose anemone? How can I tell if my rose anemone has been dyed or not. <there is no sure fire way to tell if an anemone has been dyed except for time. The anemone in a couple of months if dyed will turn back to its original color most of the time brown) or will die.> Bought from a guy on e-bay who sells lots of splits and had excellent feedback. My rose is pretty good color but has some green color at the base of his tentacles <normal on most> and red seems to be darker at top. <you will get many color morphs in rose anemones. I have one that is bright red all over and one that is hot pink.> Color seems to be in little dots when you look up close. The foot is pink. Tips look fluorescent orange. From what I am told dying different colors is a common scam throughout the industry. <It is but I have never heard of dying Rose anemones before.> If it is dyed how long before you think all the dye will have worn off? <couple months> I have hesitated giving this guy any feedback until I know for sure whether it has been dyed or not. If it has I want to be sure to alert others to his scam. $56 for a 3.5" Rose and $38 shipping. $56 seems too good to be true for a true rose don't you think? <YES> The pictures he puts on the web are not as dark red as the actual. You can see one of his auctions here. Check out his feedback. If it is a scam he is good. The dye lasts long enough for customers to post positive feedback? <If the guy has good feed back, I would say they are real. Only time will tell. MikeH> Thanks, Rob

Anemones What are the safest (as far as not eating my fish/cleaner shrimp) anemones for keeping in the home aquaria, <E. quadricolor> and what is the average light per gallon for anemones? <Please refer to our extensive coverage of lighting issues and anemones on www.WetWebMedia.com. -Steven Pro>

Entacmaea quadricolor for a Beginner? Hi, About a month ago my husband and I started setting up my 125-gallon reef tank. After adding live rock and letting it hang out for two weeks or so we decided to add our first critters to get the system cycling. We brought home a pair of Yellowstripe maroon clownfish with an associated bubble tip anemone. Everything looked great but our female clown (Eve) is much too hard on the anemone and our aquarium store owner told us to add another so she will go between the two and not stress out the one so much. So we added another much bigger bubble tip. The anemone (Big Bertha) looks excellent but doesn't seem to be attaching anywhere, I fear that it isn't stoked on any of our aquascape. Also its foot looks all swollen and I couldn't find any information on why this would be. Eve has gone to visit it a couple times but no big connection. It's only been two days. Am I being too impatient? I just want to make sure everyone is happy. Please respond soon! Thanks, Sarah Bredensteiner <Unfortunately, it seems like you have received some rather poor advice. Anemones in general are poor candidates for captivity. While the Bubble-Tip is one of the best, I could still not recommend it in good conscience to a beginner. They require very bright lighting, excellent water quality, and regular feedings to prosper and even then should not be recommended to be kept with other stinging animals/corals because they will wander around and damage or be damaged too easily. Please see all we have to offer regarding these animals here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/e_quadfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/e_quadfaq2.htm And also many of the other FAQ files. -Steven Pro>