Clown / Anemone Tank   8/17/08
Once again I find myself meditating in the presence of the Wet Web Media shrine, looking for answers.
<We share!>
I have recently added a second marine tank to my collection. Well, I actually put my old starter tank back into service. I want to turn this 46 gallon bowfront into a clownfish / anemone tank. I would love to add an anemone to my 120 gallon reef but I'm not willing to chance the losses.
<You're at least "Bud" wiser here>
I'm thinking of going with all tank raised specimens to increase my chance of success. I'd like your advice on a few things, as this is uncharted territory for me. I'd like to keep a Rose Bubble Tip Anemone and a pair of either Maroon or True Percula clowns. These will most likely be the lone residents of the system due to the bio-load. The tank set up is very new, only a week or so. I used 80 lbs. of precured Florida aqua cultured live rock from my local dealer, so little to no die off hopefully. Truly beautiful stuff, covered in coralline algae, serpent stars, sponges, feather dusters and
all types of macro algae.
<Neat!>
I run a Marineland Magnum 350 filter with BioWheels for filtration and keep the chemical filtration canister packed with Chemi-Pure.
<Still needs weekly cleaning...>
I'm thinking of getting a Hamilton Technology hood containing (4) 95 watt VHO fluorescent bulbs, 2 being Super Actinic Blue
<Just one here please... see WWM re actinics>
and 2 being Actinic White. Metal halide scare me because of the heat over such a small tank volume. Will this be sufficient for a RBTA?
<Could be>
My other questions are related to timing. How long should the system age before introducing the RBTA?
<A couple months at least>
Lastly, should the clownfish or anemone go in first?
<Either>
Again, I wish you all well, and appreciate all you do for the concerned aquarium keepers.
Shawn
Baltimore, MD
<And the same to/for you Shawn. Bob Fenner, out in (tonight) gorgeous Kona HI>

BTA, lgtg., comp. with Angels  7/17/2008
Wow, fastest reply...
Dare I think... Bubble Tipped Anemone? (384 watts PC lighting). Or is that wrasse & angel food, do you think...
Thomas Roach
<Pomacanthids do eat such anemones... if they're unprotected... All stated, where? RMF>

Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor, BTA – 6/14/08 So I have a 60g with a BTA. When I placed him into the tank he moved about an inch to the left on the same rock. He is well established now, having been in his current tank for about a month. I want to move him closer to the lighting, he is down at the bottom. <It is happy there, getting the amount of light that it needs. > Every time I try the maroon that hosts come chasing after me. <They can be very protective. > My idea was to place the maroon in a bucket for a moment while I reestablish the rock the BTA is on. My question is, will the BTA be stressed by this? I know if he doesn't like the spot I put him in, he will move. What is the likely hood of harming this animal? <Assuming that this anemone is healthy, moving the entire rock that the anemone is on will likely not stress the anemone for long. If you are removing the anemone from the rock, this will cause stress, and I don’t recommend it. You are correct, if you select a spot that the anemone does not find adequate, it will move. > I do not want to through a wrench in the system if it is working. Thank you and I continue to gain copious amounts of knowledge from this site. <Good to hear! > Spencer <You’re welcome! Brenda > Re: Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor, BTA – 6/16/08 Thank you for the response. <You’re welcome! > Just to bring you up to date, I dug out the sand underneath the rock and propped it up on another rock, bringing it up about 3 inches. So not much but creating a bridge (if you will) into a cave and gave the Maroon the ability to host on a nice little ledge. I have attached a photo, I was very pleased it worked out so well. <Me too! > Thanks again for the help. I really feel rest assured that I can find information instantaneous and so accurate that I can trust. <It is my pleasure. A word of caution, your anemone looks like it is lacking food. I’d like to see much longer tentacles. What are you feeding, how often, and what sized portions? Is there any chance that the Maroon, and/or shrimp is taking the food from it? Brenda > Spencer Hall Re: Relocating an Anemone, E. quadricolor, BTA – 6/23/08 <Hello Spencer, I apologize for the delay in my response. Things got a bit crazy on me lately. > Well I feed him about every three days, and a pretty healthy portion of mysis. <Too large of portions will end up as no food, as the anemone will not be able to handle it and will regurgitate it several hours later. > One thing that I thought was a little weird: when I place an algae wafer in, the Maroon takes it and gives it to the BTA. The BTA eats the whole thing. Is that common? <It is common for clownfish to feed their anemone, but not common for an anemone to eat an alga wafer. It needs meaty foods. > I notice that after I feed him his tentacles become bulbous, and he gets some bubble tips. <Not uncommon. > During the day he looks like crap pushing out waste (no pun intended), and at night he is much more open. <Expelling waste is normal, but it sounds like he is regurgitating a large portion of food. > What can I do to help this? <Try feeding smaller amounts. > I check my water every few weeks and do regular water changes. <Good! > Should I feed more often? <I would feed daily, but feed tiny portions, 1/8” size for now. Once you see improvement, you can try ¼” every few days. Never feed a portion bigger than the anemones mouth. > There is no one in the tank that is stealing his food in fact the Maroon takes him more food after I feed him. <Good, I think we just have a case of too much food at one time here. > About a month ago I started using Trace Elements every two weeks. I haven't noticed any changes in him since but I thought that it might help the whole tank get some nutrients that are lost from filtration. <Be careful with adding trace elements. Never add anything unless you are testing for it. Most of your trace elements, if not all, are replaced with water changes. > Could it be the lighting? I am using a 48w t5. Currently I am running 1-10000K and three 460nm Actinic, all T5. I just added the other two other actinic because my main lighting fixture turned both actinic and daylight off at the same time so I wanted to add another actinic to simulate the sun rising and falling. Should I replace the actinic in the main t5 with another daylight so there is two and two. The tank is a 60g that is 30" long by 18" wide by 24 (I think) high. Am I getting enough light penetration? Sorry about all the questions. <I would replace the actinic with a daylight bulb. Do you have individual reflectors on the T-5 bulbs? > I have had the BTA for some time now and when I got him he was very little, only about 1.5". Now he is closer to about 3" but still a little guy. Also, on another topic, the tank also holds a 3" Volitans Lionfish. He is a great eater and an eater of only frozen food. <He is not considered completely reef safe, and I would not trust it with an anemone.> I was lucky to have a LFS that got him eating only prepared frozen food. I am having a little bit of an Aiptasia problem and I want to add either a peppermint shrimp or a coral banded shrimp. I know that if I add the peppermint, he is at a much greater risk of being eaten. What is the risk for the coral banded? <The same.> Will a coral banded kill a lot of my cleaning crew, mostly comprised of large hermits and a Emerald crab? Also, do you have any other suggestions for treating the Aiptasia? <Yes, the Coral Banded does have the potential to kill off your cleaning crew. You could try the boiling water method. The chemical method will work fine if you don’t do a lot at once. > I am trying to not go the chemical route but I will if I have too. Do coral banded really help? <Not to my knowledge.> I have heard mixed reviews. Well, sorry again to bomb you with questions, but you have been so helpful in deed. Spencer Hall <You’re welcome! Brenda > PS I attached another picture, this time of the Volitans, he is a good looking guy.

Anemone Environment, Water Volume, Allelopathy, BTA  - 4/17/08
Hello,
<Hello, Brenda here!>
I've done a fairly exhaustive search on the following topic and feel that its answer may add to the database. I found reference to 100 gallons as a minimum system volume (understandably) for a bubble tip anemone.
<Many keep them in smaller systems successfully; however, more water volume is better. I don’t recommend anything less than 40 gallons for beginners.>
Without debating other factors and assuming excellent reef quality water quality, movement, filtration, light and feeding would it be acceptable to keep these in a smaller dedicated species tank within a larger system, specifically a 20 gallon (tall or long) with a 15X exchange rate with a system approaching 200 gallons.
<That is acceptable. However when mixing anemones with coral, you will want to run carbon to help with any chemical warfare.>
The idea, of course, is to display the clown fish/anemone relationship as a refugium of sorts while taking advantage of the stability of the larger volume system. I would not want to attempt this unless the animals could thrive and reproduce. As an aside, would an anemone tank get along better within a larger SPS system or a soft coral system with regards to allelopathy?
<SPS is a better choice in my opinion. However some soft corals are fine. Mushroom corals, leathers and green star polyps, to name a few, do cause chemical warfare in a reef tank. If you decide to keep these corals, keep them to a minimum.>
Would you suggest a different species for this situation?
<No, I think you are on the right track, as long as water parameters are up to par, do frequent water changes, and you are running fresh carbon.>
Thank you for your time.
<You’re welcome! Good luck to you! Brenda>

BTA lighting needs 03/09/2008
Hi guys (you rock!)
<<Hello, Andrew here....Hmmm...Do we "live" rock? .....he he he>>
I turned my old 14g BioCube into a qt tank for my 75g, and I got a green BTA the other day, it's about 2", very small, and I stuck him in there for the time being, is there enough light in there to sustain him for a while? it has a 24w 10000k daylight, and 24w true actinic...he found a nice spot on a piece of rock about 5" from the surface and seems to be happy there. when the time comes to move him to the big tank, I'm just going to move the entire rock he's on...so is there enough light in there to sustain him?
<<As long as it seems happy in there, I would not worry too much. I would agree that when you move this, take the rock and all to the other tank. A word on quarantine tanks here for future. Its always best not to use live rock in the quarantine tank...Reason for this is because its an idea place to harbour parasites and for them to move from one inhabitant to the next. The best thing to use is pieces of PVC pipe, like house drain pipe parts and a bare bottom to the tank. This way, there is nowhere for anything to attach too>>
Thanks, Rob
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Maroon Clownfish Species Tank.
Adding an Anemone To an Established System   2/27/08
Currently I have a 120 reef, mostly a variety SPS with a few LPS including Acans and Chalices. The total volume is about 200G if you include the 40G refugium with Chaeto, sand, and LR for pod production. The tank has a pair of Black Ocellaris Clownfish, 2 Pajama Cardinals, a Lawnmower Blenny, and a Foxface.
<Interesting mix of fishes.>
This tank will be plumbed into the rest of the system creating a 250G system. I was thinking a 150W 12K halide over the RBTA. The tank would have Live Rock, the anemone, and the pair of clownfish nothing else.
Currently the system is 0 0 0 Nitrates, ammonia and nitrite, 1.026 Specific Gravity, and 79 degree temperature.
<Sounds like a workable system!>
My question isn't about any problem with the system, everything is running excellently. My question is about a new tank I am going to be plumbing into the system. I am setting up a 55G corner tank 20" tall. I plan on keeping a RBTA, my good friend has one that splits every couple months or so in their 300G reef.
<Nice!>
I want to keep the anemone separate from the reef in the corner tank with two Yellow Stripe Maroon Clownfish.
My main tank has sugar fine sand, but do you suggest a sugar fine, or a rubble in the anemone tank. I am looking at throwing a 20-30x flow into the tank with no power heads at all for the anemone's sake.
<Good thinking!>
Overall how do you feel about this system, is this combo too much for this additional tank?
<Sounds pretty good to me. I would just monitor water quality continuously. Also, use of chemical filtration media would be a good idea, because the chemical products released by the anemone could be detrimental for the corals in the other part of you system. I personally like a combination of substrate materials, so I like to mix 'em. Really, it's a personal preference. Hope this helps! Regards, Scott F.>
Thank you so much for your time again WWM,
Cheekymonkey

RBTA
Adding an Anemone tank to current system – 1/31/08
<Hello, Brenda here!>
My current setup is a 120G with 35G fuge, and 35G sump coming to 190G total volume. Lighting is 4x54w actinic t5's, and 2 250w 14k halides (definitely a white 14). The system is heavily skimmed, the fuge is filled with Chaeto and live rock separated by shelves over a deep sand bed, so that there is flow throughout, keeps the Chaeto spinning and the rock and sand from being covered in detritus. The system is stocked with a Foxface lo, chevron tang, 2xblack ocellaris, lawnmower blenny, 2xpajama cardinals, various snails. The coral is mostly sps along with a few pieces of chalice, and some zoanthids... Mushrooms were removed to avoid allelopathy.
<Good choice!>
I would like to add another tank attached to the system for an RBTA and move my two black ocellaris over to it, and hope with all my might that they decide to allow the RBTA to host them. What is the minimum size for the tank that is FAIR to the RBTA, I don't want to put it in a tank that is too small for it. All the FAQ's I read about them encouraged large volume but I am not sure how much of that is for the size of the RBTA and how much is for water quality.
<This is mainly because of water quality. However, the E. quadricolor can reach 18” or more.>
Due to the volume of the total system, and the conditions I keep the tank under for the SPS I am confident I can provide the water quality for the RBTA, so I am just curious of how large a tank for it to be able to settle in.
<I would not go with anything smaller than 20 gallons.>
Thank you so much!
Cheekymonkey
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

Will my BTA live ? Lambda  11/18/07
I have a 92 gallon corner tank with 40 pounds of live rock and 40 pounds of live sand I have a Nova Extreme t5 4-39W, all 10000k day bulbs. Is this enough light for BTA or will I need more light? Thanks
<I would put at least 2-3 times that amount of light to keep the anemone healthy, you are welcome, Scott V.>

Hello. I'm planning to set up a dedicated 40gal BTA/maroon tank  7/17/07
and need some advice. Just to come clean, I've had the pair in my 12gal for 3 months now and realize that I need to step things up (they are still relatively small).
<When you say pair, do you mean you have two maroon clowns (or a pair as in one maroon and one anemone)? If you have two maroon clowns, a 40g tank is going to get too small. Full grown female maroon clowns (and if you have a pair, one will always end up female), are even more aggressive in a tank with a host anemone. Not only will she not tolerate any other fish in the tank, she will make her male partner miserable in a small tank (and she'll probably start biting you too). Seriously, just about any fish tough enough to spar with an adult female maroon clown would be too big to add to a 40g tank.>
I want to keep things as simple as possible, so I figure to go the hang-on route, skimmer and filter-wise--no sump. I understand that this
isn't a lot of water volume for an anemone tank,
<Activated carbon would also help.>
but I am religious with making weekly water changes, plan to use the best skimmer possible, and keep the fish stock to a bare minimum (I am also aware of maroon aggression issues, and will take care here).
<Hmm... having two fully grown maroon clowns and an anemone in a 40g tank is probably not what I would call minimally stocked.>
As far as lighting, I'm unsure--I've heard that halide's might present heat issues in a system this small. Would a T5 fixture be better in your opinion?
<In my opinion, you should get a bigger tank. Even a 65g (which has the same footprint as the 40g breeder) would be better. Metal halides can cause heat issues in any size tank. However, the heat can be controlled by keeping the light at least 8in above the water's surface and pointing a good fan at the light.>
Thanks for being there! Eric
<No problem. Thanks for writing :-)
Best,
Sara M.>

Re: Hello. I'm planning to set up a dedicated 40gal BTA/maroon tank  7/17/07
Hi again. Sorry for being vague--by pair, I meant the single maroon and the BTA.
<Ah, this might be a little more doable.>
As far as considering the 65g, would I still be able to go with a hang-on filter (yes, with carbon) with it's increased height and volume?
<Bigger tanks can stand to have more hang on equipment. So a 65g would actually be better able to carry a hang on filter.>
In a 65g, with that single maroon and a royal Gramma friend,
<The maroon clown is still going to get aggressive as it gets bigger. But it might work out. If you can, add the royal Gramma to the new tank first (and make sure you have plenty of labyrinthine rock work).>
what other fish would you consider doable?
<Hmm... a blood red Hawkfish might be cool. Some species of Chrysiptera damsels could work. Most any Dascyllus damsel could also be ok. A sixline wrasse or pinkstreaked wrasse (Pseudocheilinops ataenia) might also work out. But for the wrasses, I'd wait until your tank is well established and make sure you have plenty of live rock. You just need to look for relatively small but tough/aggressive fish. Be careful and read about any fish you think about adding. And read about the specific fish. Don't assume that because one species of wrasse might be ok, that any species of wrasse would be. Any of the books on marine fish by Scott Michael will help. Good luck.>
Thanks again for your help, Eric
<Happy to help.
Sara M.>

Anemone Tank. BTA Bio-tope....Adam J. back in the saddle
Hello Crew,
<Matt.>
I have a 60 gallon setup strictly for bubble tip anemones.
<Okay.>
My specs are: 0 Nitrate, 0 Ammonia, 460 Calcium (kept by a Korallin reactor) 11.8 DKH, 8.2
Ph, Temp 76. My system is 2x175 halides with spider reflectors, Mag 9.5
Return, 2xMaxi Jet 1200's on a 10 second on/off timer with sponges over intakes, Tunze 9010 and 25 gallon sump.
<Sounds good.>
Recently I purchased a beautiful Indo Pacific Rose Anemone.
<Wild collected or cultured?>
He floated around for a little and then attached himself to a crevice in the bottom. I have now had him for 3 days and he stays fully inflated in a shaded portion of the tank. He was kept under 250 watt halides at the LFS so I know he can't be afraid of the lighting that I have. The second day after I purchased him I fed him a piece of silverside,
<Not really a favorite of mine for cnidarians to be honest. Look into Mysis, krill, clams, scallops, and so on.>
which apparently was too large because he spent a whole day spitting it out.
<Yes anemones are very easy to over feed.>
I have decided to now feed him much smaller pieces. My question is. 1. Does my tank have too much flow for these anemones?
<I would think not.>
2. Will keeping my calcium reactor on this system have any benefits?
<Yes.>
3. How long after an anemone regurgitates it's food do I wait to feed it again?
<Wait at least 48 hours maybe even 72, in fact I'd give the anemone a little bit more of a settling periods before I started feeding that heavily.>
4. Will the addition of
dosing Tropic Marin's A & K hold any benefits?
<I don't see the need really with regular water changes and the reactor but it won't hurt.>
Your time is very appreciated,
<The anemone is still settling in I wouldn't worry yet.>
Matt
<Adam J.>

Stressed Bubble Tip Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, Tank Overheated – 6/19/07
Hi Guys!
<Hello, Brenda here>
So this is the deal, I've had a bubble-tip anemone for about 10 months now and it has always seemed happy. It is brown colored with a very orange base. It attached itself to the lowest point in the fish tank against some live rock and stretched its body through the live rock so it could get light. It always took to food and always opened up when the lighting came on in the morning. A few weeks ago, the temperatures in the area went over 100 degrees and we didn't have our air conditioner on at the time.
<Ouch!>
I didn't anticipate the heat (darn that weather channel) so I didn't have any type of cooling for the tank when it happened. (I now have some emergency frozen 2 liter bottles of water to float for such days).
<Great! Using a fan to blow air across the surface of the water will also help.>
Now, the anemone will not come through the live rock to get light. I moved some rock around to see what it looked like, and the foot does not seem damaged at all. Its appearance around the mouth looks very leathery while the mouth itself used to be very tightly shut but now stays open to about the diameter of a pencil. The tentacles are no longer bubbly at the tips, they taper to a point. I moved the live rock around it so I could have access to it to feed it in the morning, but when I got up to look at my fish tank, the anemone was completely shut. Is my anemone out of whack, sick, sensitive to light now, trying to get better?
<Your anemone is likely still stressed from the heat. Leave it be, don’t try to move it. It will move when it is ready. Moving it will add more stress.>
I've had the water tested at the LFS and they said everything is fine.
<I don’t trust tests done by LFS. You really need to be able to test your own water parameters. Parameters can change over night. Pristine water conditions will be the key to its recovery.>
The only other issue I can see with the tank is that a bit of my purple coralline algae seemed to turn brown after the day of overheating.
<Your coralline algae will return.>
Thanks for your help!
<You’re welcome! Brenda>

BTA, lighting.   5/20/07
Hi guys how are you doing.  I have a 65 gallon tank with 130watts of Actinics,
<I would switch these out... see WWM re>
and 175 watt Odyssea HQI bulb, powered by a Rio 2500,
<Ditto...>
and a protein skimmer. i have a Maroon Clown and i am looking to buy a BTA for him.  I know he will accept the anemone because at the LFS he was housing a BTA.  I have great water parameters. some zoanthids and a carpet of green star polyps about 14 inches long.
<May be allelopathy issues here...>
I was wondering if my lighting is enough to house a BTA.  Thanks
Orestes
<For how deep a system? Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/btasysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above, and where you were referred to. Learn to/use the indices, search tool... Bob Fenner>

Re: BTA, comp.     5/21/07
My tank is  36"L x 18"W x 24"H with about 85lbs. of live rock. It has been running for almost two years with no outbreaks of any kind.  
<Ahh, thank you for this follow-up. It does seem that this is one of the "happy cases" where all Cnidarians have "gotten used to" each other. Do take care not to introduce any new "alpha" specimens. Oh, and yes sufficient illumination here if the BTA is placed somewhere near/underneath the HQI lamp. Bob Fenner>

New Bubble Tip Anemone, New System, Over Stocking – 5/13/07
Hi Bob - Thanks for the site - certainly the first port of call for any
queries.
<Hi Colin, Brenda here!  Thanks for the positive feedback!  I received both of your e-mails and I will answer both together.>
Yesterday we bought a large bubble anemone. On the receipt, it called it a "purple base maroon anemone", but I cannot find references to that on the web.
<Try searching Bubble Tip Anemone and/or Entacmaea quadricolor.>
We were told at the store that the anemone likes to adhere to rocks, rather than the sand at the bottom of the tank. However, when we put it on a rock near the top (to be close to the light) it quickly detached and started floating around.  This was a worry, because we also have a large carpet anemone that seems to be doing fine, and we didn't want the two to come into contact with each other.
<Two different anemone species should not be kept in the same tank.>
Anyway, the anemone seemed to like the gravel at the bottom of the tank better. It became very large indeed (dinner plate size), and even looked as though it may be splitting.  It seemed to be starting to settle. It looked great actually.  But when I got up this morning the entire anemone was sandwiched between two large (40lb) rocks. It has flattened itself out, and is sitting a wide but thin the crevice between the rocks. It does not seem to have reduced its surface area that much - but it is flat like a pancake in the crevice. My guess is that it may be responding to the stress of being manhandled a lot last night.
<I don’t recommend handling the anemone, other than to place into the tank.  There is a lot of stress involved when an anemone is moved from one place to another.  This includes from the LFS to your home.>
But is it dying?
<I don’t know, would have to see a picture.>
Ours is a new system; we finished the cycle three weeks ago, and
everything looks good.
<Ouch!!!!!  New system?  Anemones need stable, established environments.  Most systems take 6 months to a year to become established.>
We have a 120 gallon tank with a 50 gallon refugium. We live on the beach in south Florida so we filled the tank from the sea. Nitrates, nitrites and ammonia all look good. We have a protein skimmer. Circulation is good. When we put the anemone in, we noticed the pH was only 7.8 so we put some buffer in.
<I don’t recommend the use of pH buffers.  You need to be monitoring calcium, alkalinity and magnesium, with a full understanding of their relationship to each other.>
We did a 20% water change about 4 days ago. Also, our temperature might be a bit high at 80-83.
<80 – 81 is fine, anything higher is too warm.>
We have only 4 60W 2 foot fluorescent bulbs providing light. We are working on getting some more light.
<That is not nearly enough lighting for either anemone.  Both of your anemones will quickly decline under your current lighting.>
Over the last three weeks we have put in:
A large carpet anemone, a sail fin tang, a powder brown tang, two saddle back clowns, a volitans lion (not eating dead food yet, but showing promise), 3 sally lightfoot crabs, 2 emerald crabs 15 assorted hermits, + 1 small blue damsel left over from the cycle. Everything has been doing fine.
<You are WAY over stocked for such a new tank.>
Yesterday we added: Two large black percula clowns, they fought a little with the saddles, but seem to have calmed down, pretty much kicked the saddles off the carpet anemone.
<Your system is too small for more than one pair of clownfish.  They will eventually fight until the death of one or more.>
The bubble anemone, Two electric flame scallops (one of these might have come into contact with the anemone.)
<You need to slow down here.  I suggest returning the two anemones.  At this stage in your new system, I recommend keeping no more than the damsel and one pair of the clownfish, at the very most.  Everything else should be returned.  Please search WWM regarding cycling, stocking, toxic water, live stock compatibility, and established systems.>
Thanks for any help, Colin
Second E-mail from Colin:
Bob - Sorry for repeat mail.
I have something to add to my previous mail: part of the anemone can be seen through the back of the tank. The tentacles are somewhat inflated.
<It is stressed, and will only decline.>
It seems to be sucking in one of the scallops. I cannot reach in there to pull off the scallop, and I don’t want to move the rock because it is very heavy, and I will probably damage the anemone.
<Not a good situation you are in.  The anemone will not do well in your system.  Moving it is going to cause stress.  However, removing and returning the anemone is going to be the best option for the long term health of the anemones.>
Thanks again, Colin
<You’re Welcome!  Brenda>

BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor in a Nano Tank – 5/8/07
Hello Crew,
<Hi Matt, Brenda here>  
Throughout this past year I have relied heavily on your FAQ’s to obtain knowledge in proper husbandry.
<Great!  Happy to hear you find it helpful.>
This particular is regarding a new setup with a 24G JBJ Nano Cube. I have used “cured” rock from my 200 gallon reef of over a year, along with water from the same tank to quickly cycle the new Nano Cube.
<Did you transfer any of the sand?  An established sand bed is important.>
My Nano setup is: 150 watt Viper Light, Remora Protein Skimmer, Koralia Powerhead, 35 Lbs Live Rock, JBJ Auto Top off, Milwaukee Ph Monitor and so on. My question is this, with careful weekly water changes and diligent checking of water parameters, is it possible to have several 2-3 rose anemones in this species only tank?
<It is possible, but I don’t recommend it.  Water quality can go down hill fast in smaller tanks.  One anemone can quickly out grow a tank of that size.  Also, a powerhead can be deadly to an anemone.>
Also, what is the proper temperature to maintain such creatures? I am hovering around 77-78 right now.
<79 – 81>
I would appreciate any input as I value your experience highly.
Thanks, Matt
<You’re welcome!  Brenda>

Shrinking BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor – 4/10/07
<Hi Brad, Brenda here>
Hello, I am fairly new to aquariums. I have a 55 gallon salt water tank with a satellite lighting system with dual actinic and dual daylight compact fluorescent bulbs. I have a Bak pak protein skimmer, a cascade 300 filter, a power head, 40 lbs live rock and 30 lbs live sand. I have had it for eight months. I just started playing with coral about 2 months ago. I have 1 tang, 1 maroon clown, I have one small mushroom coral, 2 large feather dusters, 1 sponge coral, 1 polyp, I just purchased a BTA (4 to 6 inch) 5 days ago it has been doing fine. It was doing great this morning when I went to work.  I came home at 6 it had shriveled up drastically its bubble tips are about the size of long grain rice.
<A picture would help.  If the tentacles are short and stubby, it is likely hungry.  It needs to eat meaty foods like krill, silversides, lance fish or mysis shrimp.>
Tested water, all levels are at zero the temperature was low at 72.
<The temperature is much too low for an anemone.  Gradually bring it up to around 79 – 80 degrees.  What is the salinity, pH and alkalinity?>
I do not know if this is the problem or not please help. Has it died or what has gone wrong.
<It could be the problem, or it could be a combination of things.  It could be expelling waste, what have you been feeding it?  It may still be acclimating to its new environment.  Anemones will shrivel up from time to time to expel waste.  I doubt that it is dead.  If it starts to look like it is melting or decaying get it out fast and do a large water change.  A dead anemone can really spike the ammonia.>   
Thanks, Brad
<You’re welcome!  Brenda>

Re: Move the BTA, sys.   3/14/07
So the BTA has to go.  I want to set him up in his own tank with his clown fish.  I hope this will be of overall benefit to the tank.  I have a 15 gallon and a twenty gallon high to choose from.
<These are really too small to be sufficiently stable... I would not use anything smaller than forty gallons here>
  The height of the 15 is 12" and the height of the 20 is 16" I would prefer to use the twenty but I need to know the most economical way to light the system.  It will house only the BTA and the clown.  Since the depth is not huge could I get away with a dual fluorescent fixture, or do I need to do something more expensive like a VHO.  The BTA is currently under a satellite VHO fixture but is about 10" from the light. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I want to keep the BTA.  It is very healthy and happy and I want to keep it that way.
  Thanks in advance
<Please read on WWM... re... Here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/btasysfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Bubble Tip Anemone and Prime – 3/11/07
Bob,
<Hi Cindy, Brenda here>
I have a question about a Bubble tip.  My husband got this guy on Thursday.  He put Prime in the tank today.
<Why?  Prime is used to remove chlorine and ammonia.  It is also used during cycling to reduce ammonia, nitrate and nitrite toxicity.  You should be using RO or RO/DI water.  An anemone should not be added to a tank until it is well established.  It is recommended to wait six months to one year before adding an anemone.>
Now the Anemone is sucked back until it is very small and looks a little jelly like.
<It is not unusual for an anemone to deflate from time to time.  It needs to expel waste.  If it looks like it is melting or decaying, it is dead.  Need to remove it, do a large water change and monitor your water parameters closely.>
What could be wrong with this guy and is there anything we can do to help him?
<Without more information on your tank such as equipment, age, water parameters, and as to why Prime was added, I can’t offer much help.>
He did try to feed him today but he wouldn't eat.
<That is not unusual for a newly introduced anemone.>
Cindy
<Sorry, need more information.  Brenda>

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>

Turtle Weed/ Anemone Tank   2/20/07
I'm setting up a tank and would like to have turtle weed and an anemone. I'd like to grow out the turtle weed until it covers the liverock, then add my bubble tip anemone. Here are my questions:
1. Can Chlorodesmis fastigiata aka Turtle Weed withstand high water flow?
<Mmm, relatively high, yes... more than most hobbyists produce. I'd like to ask you though... is Entacmaea found in such a setting?>
2. Would the Turtle Weed negatively affect the anemone or vice versa?
<May find that the Anemone doesn't open up as much, far... but then again, might just be harder to see...>
3. I've read that Turtle Weed might release toxins into the tank. Will this kill my anemone, fish, etc.?
<Only under "dire" situations... with regular maintenance... shouldn't be a problem>
Well, thanks in advance,
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re: Anemone/ Turtle Weed tank   2/24/07
I'm setting up a tank and would like to have turtle weed and an anemone. I'd like to grow out the turtle weed until it covers the liverock, then add my bubble tip anemone. Here are my questions:
1. Can Chlorodesmis fastigiata aka Turtle Weed withstand high water flow?
<Yes>
2. Would the Turtle Weed negatively affect the anemone or vice versa?
<Could>
3. I've read that Turtle Weed might release toxins into the tank. Will this kill my anemone, fish, etc.?
Well, thanks in advance,
                            CCS
<Please see WWM... We/I have already answered this question... Bob Fenner>

Maroon Clown and Anemone Addition....it's that "and" part that scares me...... - 02/06/07
I have a 60 gallon SW tank that I have had set up for about 3 years now.
<Cool.>
  I presently have a coral banded shrimp (he is so cool!), 2 blue w/yellow tail damsels and a fire goby/Dartfish (depends on who you talk to as to what this fish is actually called).
<Microdesmidae is the family name, you go by that there is no confusion....as you elude to it's not the case with common names.>
I am looking at obtaining a maroon clown that is already attached to an anemone.  I know that these clowns can become "mean".
<An understatement.>
Do you think these fish will work together?  My plan is not to add anymore fish after this.
<Well it sounds as if the clown could adapt easily to your current tank environment, I would be much more concerned with he anemone to be honest.  Most simply perish in captivity and have very particular needs from species to species.>
I want to add more live rock (currently have 34 lbs), and would like to eventually have a pom pom xenia.  My water parameters are all good.  I recently obtained the correct lighting that I will need for the anemone and the xenia.
<What type or anemone....what type of lighting?>
  I have a UV sterilizer that I run 12 hours a day and a protein skimmer.  Thanks for your help. LaVonda
<A.J.>

Clown/Anemone Addition II - 02/06/07
The anemone is a bubble anemone.
<That's what I presumed but didn't want to make any assumptions? I take it from your previous email that this anemone is either captive propagated or has been in a captive system for a while....?>
  The light is a Dual Satellite by Current.
4 lamps in 2-dual daylight(6,700K/10,000K) and dual actinic (420NM/460NM).
<Sounds like a powercompact fixture?  DO you know the wattage on them? At any rate if hey are PC's be sure to change the bulbs every 6-9 months...and when you do change the bulbs I would go with all daylight (6,500k to 10,000k) or at least to 3....the actinics are mostly for aesthetics.>
Also has a lunar light built in (looks neat at night).  Are you saying you think this clown would do find in my tank?
<With he animals you listed I believe there is a good chance, always a risk as you know.>
For the most part, getting along okay?  (I know there are no absolutes here).
<correct.>
Will any of these bother the xenia?
<Should not....but...as you know there are risks involved when housing anemones/sessile inverts in the same tank. Some are willing to take those risks, others are not. Be sure to research the specific needs of the anemone before adding. Adam J.>

Clown/Anemone III - 02/06/07
The lamps are 65w, and yes, the anemone has been in a captive system for a while (don't know how long).
<Okay, sounds good...do keep in mind if the anemone "scares" you big surrogate hosts such as Sarcophyton are great too (my experience/opinion) Adam J.>

Re: Nitrite & Anemone 1/29/07, BTA sys./lambda 
Dear Mr. Fenner/James
Thanks for the Article on Anemones.
<You're welcome>
One thing to clarify though, I use 4 Osram Compact Florescent Lamps: CFL (Daylight) each with 120W/6500K and the CRI: 85 therefore altogether they produce 480W of daylight. My tank is an 80G tank (43L x 18W x 24H). Please let me know whether the lighting will be adequate for the Quadricolor Anemone.
<With your 24" tank depth, it will be borderline unless the anemone decides to move to the upper one third of the tank.>
Also let me know how to measure whether a bulb is full spectrum, broad spectrum or wide spectrum. It is by the CRI value?
<CRI is Color Rendering Index.  An index number of 100 would most duplicate the sun's spectrum at high noon.  Keep in mind that light intensity is very important here in regards to keeping photosynthetic animals such as the Quadricolor.>
Thanks for your support,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards,
Akila

Re: Nitrite & Anemone/BTA Systems 1/30/07
Dear Mr. Fenner/James
Thanks for your advice.
<You're welcome.>
Please let me know what you can recommend for my tank. I intend to use Compact Florescent Lamps as they are energy efficient. Do you think I should increase the number of 120W/6500k/85CRI bulbs to support species like anemone. I already have 4 bulbs so should I increase it up to 7 or 8?
<I believe two more additional tubes of the same wattage should do the job here.  I would go with 10K lamps rather than the 6.5K.  As to efficiency of the compacts, yes, they are efficient, but you have to keep in mind that you will be running a total of 720 watts to do the job  three 150 watt HQI's could do, also resulting in less heat above the tank and more light penetration into the water.  James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards,
Akila

Re: Nitrite & Anemone <sys.>...Ongoing, many subjects 1/30/07
Dear James (Salty Dog)
<Akila>
Thanks for the advice and sorry to bother you often like this. I have small question.
As for the filtration of my 80G tank, I have a large canister filter, 2 strong power-heads, 1 protein skimmer with a high pressure power-head, UV Sterilizer and lots of live rocks. My question is that do I need an Air Pump? It is really important to my system. Or is there any other filter system you would suggest as an addition?
<Air pumps are not a necessary item as long as there is a place for air/water exchange.
In your case, your protein skimmer is accomplishing this.  I larger tanks, I prefer a sump whereby the air/water exchange is at the highest level possible, and much easier to clean/service.   James (Salty Dog)>
Best regards,
Akila

BTA Lighting Acclimation   12/4/06
Hello All,
<Jackie>
I currently have a BTA in a 24G AQUAPOD
<A dangerously small volume for such an animal>
(depth 17.5 ins) with 70W 14K HQI bulb, 12 moon lights.  Just setup a 90 (depth 24 ins) gallon reef tank with a Coralife 2-65 watt Actinic and 2-65 watt 10,000K Compact Fluorescent Lamps.  
<Much more suitable...>
With the lighting change do I need to acclimate the BTA in terms of the amount of hours I have my new lights on?
<Mmm, better to not fool much with the photoperiod, and instead initially situate this specimen a bit higher (on rock) toward the lighting... in shallower water... it will move in time per its liking>
I kept the lights on in the old system for 12 hours per day.
<This is about "right">
Also, will I have to acclimate my fish and inverts to the new lighting system?
Thanks,
Jackie
<Depending on how "light dependent" the various invertebrate species are (not the fishes). Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcoralslight.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

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>>

Bubble tip anemone lighting    11/14/06
I have read through all of your questions and answers which only leads me to know how ignorant I am regarding the correct lighting for our bubble tip anemone.  I am asking in advance of having any problems because I do not want to have any problems.  So my question is do I have the right lighting or do I need to change.  I have a 45 gallon tank 36 X 38 X12.  Has sand and live rock.  One yellow tang, 8 snails, 3 peppermint shrimp, 2 fire shrimp and a flasher wrasse.  Want to get the anemone settled prior o getting a clown fish.  The lighting consists of a 36 in 96 watt actinic light and a 96 watt 10,000 K florescent.  Is this good or do I need more.  The tank gets very little direct sun and minimal indirect sun.  Thanks so much for your help
Karen
<This can work with supplementary (meaty) feedings... a couple of times a week. Bob Fenner>

Re:  Bubble Anemone Lighting 11/20/06
so, an hour ago the anemone looked really good, now he is tiny and shriveled, attached to the same rock at the bottom he has been the entire time...is there anything I can/should do!!???
<Anemones will contract at times, but should fill back up within a 24-48 hour period.  Were any chemicals/medications added to the tank?
Outside of this, there is not much you can do but keep a close eye on it.  Dead anemones can quickly pollute a tank and threaten the life of the other tank inhabitants. Keep in mind that anemones are not the easiest of inverts to keep for any length of time.
James (Salty Dog)>