TWAAnemSelFAQs

FAQs on Anemones of the Caribbean/West Atlantic Selection 1

FAQs by Genus: Actinoporus, Arachnanthus, Bartholomea, Condylactis (see below), Epicystis, Lebrunia, Sticholdactyla helianthus, Viatrix, Others/Unknowns,
Anemones, Anemones 2, Clownfishes & Anemones, Anemone Lighting, Anemone Reproduction, Anemone Identification, Anemone Selection, Anemone Behavior, Anemone Health, Anemone Placement, Anemone Feeding,

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Anemone Success
Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

E. crucifer, formerly Phymanthus crucifer Hi Bob/Anthony/Steven/Whoever was shanghaied into answering this. PF here, <Antoine here> I've decided to take the plunge into the world of keeping anemones, but since I don't want to orphan clownfish I've decided to try my hand w/E. crucifers since they are: A: locally available, B: pretty darn cheap, and C: have aesthetic appeal. <agreed... a good choice among many/most bad anemone choices> The tank is now 8 months old, the lighting is high powered (175w MH & 2 VHO Actinic03's), parameters are good (nitrates are at 3-4), ph is 8.3-8.5 depending on the time of day, salinity is 1.024-1.025 and everybody is looking much happier now that the dog days of summer have passed. Using a Prizm skimmer part time (6 hrs a day) <heehee... I won't even go there :)> with an Ecosystem 40 as the primary filtration (with carbon in the return chamber). From what I've read, this sounds like a good setup for them. <agreed> I'd like to know what they eat so I can include it into the general reef diet I feed the tank, <I'm not familiar with a specific fare of delicate parameter of their diet. They are very successful photosynthetically (shallow water and high light). Dissolved organics are no doubt a measurable nutritional need (if nitrates are too low, consider this)... still: very finely minced meats of marine origin get my vote. Most or all I suspect you have already (Gammarus, Mysids, Pacifica plankton, etc> what a reasonable stocking level would be (there's room for roughly 4 of the ones I've seen on sale, and that would leave them in a very roomy situation). <the seem to be VERY tolerant of each other unlike many other anemones> Are they known to breed in marine aquariums, and is it vegetative reproduction or is it sexual? <no knowledge here... some fissionary mode would not be a surprise> Cnidarian tank mates would be: 2 Sarcophyton colonies, an unknown species of brown/green Zoanthids from the Gulf LR in the tank, xenia elongata, a chili coral (not in contact w/anything else, it's hanging form an arch), and a species of red epizoanthids from GARF(http://www.garf.org/baja1/500red.html), and a species of cup coral that came in on the Gulf LR. <I believe you are good about water changes and this reassures me of concerns that I have with the poor skimming and accumulating compounds of the cnidarians> inverts are some peppermint shrimp, red legged hermits, a queen conch (a very small queen conch), several brittle stars, snails, pods, worms, etc. (sand bed critters & small inverts from the LR) currently 1 false Perc clown is in the tank, along with a lawnmower blenny. I plan on getting another clown or two to get a breeding pair going. I was also considering picking up a pair of Pseudochromis fridmani. <gorgeous and peaceful Pseudochromis> Thanks again for your time, <Best regards, Anthony> PF
Re: E. crucifer, formerly Phymanthus crucifer thanks Antoine! (is that kind of like me going by Miguel or Miesh at home?) those buggers go quick. came in on TH, gone yesterday. <no worries... they will come again. My favorite color is the metallic peach> hopefully, I'll be able to pick some up soon. going to sweet-talk the wife into photoshopping a pic of a clown in one (from pg 158 of CMA) to convince it to host. we shall see what we see, I'll let you know how it turns out. <I have heard some zany tricks for this... have you heard the spotlight on the anemone at night one? Seriously... sort of a larval trigger mechanism. Do consider> water changes are every 2 to 3 weeks, leaning towards the 3 week mark. depends though, if I spend a fair amount of time in the tank (cleaning powerheads, algae scraping, the war with Caulerpa, etc), I'll usually pull off 1/2 a gallon and replace it. <I can't knock it if it works. Extra cnidarians and a weakly performing skimmer concerned me for the long term effects of silent chemical aggression> Thanks PF
<ciao, bub>

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