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What Kind of Nems Do You Have? (1 Viewer)

Kyle T.

Kyle T.

Big Footed Ginger!
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Since getting my tank set up I have had my eyes set on getting a really purple LTA for my tank hoping that down the road it would host my pair of clowns. The one thing I really don't like though is how big it can get. I kind of want something that will stay smaller. BTAs are not my first choice (like them way more when bubbled than I do when they are stringy tentacled). My next idea was doing H. magnifica (after doing a lot of research) but on LA it says reef safe with caution. How much do they move around (movers like BTAs are somewhat known for, or do they find their place then stay)? One other question I have is, should I wait until all of my fish are added before adding the H. magnifica to prevent a new stressed fish from diving into it in a panic? Other nem suggestions are welcome as well (no handonni, had one before restarting and didn't like it enough to keep). TIA!

If I get a rock dwelling nem, I will be adding some more dry rock to the tank to give it a higher perch.
 
Ritteri (H. magnifica) are really hard to keep. They have a potent sting, so you may lose fish to them. They are not as violent as carpet anemones though. If I were you, I'd stick with a bubble tip. In my experience, they will bubble under very high lighting (SPS tanks), and lose the bubbles in normal conditions.
 
Do they do well under LEDs? I will have lighting intense enough for SPS corals (although I have all the SPS I want now that I am going more LPS). I am curious as to who else has a similar experience to yours with high lighting keeping them bubble tipped.
 
The mags are hard to keep and you have to get a very healthy one to start with. They require good water and good light and current. They like to stand up high on a rock with their foot exposed so once they have settled in they usually don't go anywhere. The mags are generally considered for experts only.

The LTA's place their foot in the sand and the BTA's like to have their foot in between the rocks. LTA's can get plenty big. Check out the anemone forum over on RC.

I have several different BTA's under LED's. One is huge, sites right under the lights and has extended tentacles all the time. The other stays in the shadows and is bubbled all of the time.
 
Yes LTAs get big which is why I am rethinking my anemone choice. I want one that won't get gigantic like gigantea, won't eat as many fish as a handonni will, and won't move around too much and sting my corals. Tough balancing act I think. I could go with out a nem, but I don't think the LPS would like how associated with their spot my clowns are...
 
mrbill said:
I have several different BTA's under LED's. One is huge, sites right under the lights and has extended tentacles all the time. The other stays in the shadows and is bubbled all of the time.
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Lol. Of course it's the complete opposite of my experiences. Crazy anemones. Haha
 
Ritteri are better off left in the ocean.
Rarely do they make it past 6 months. The odds are against you and likely just throwing your money away.

Stick with the BTA.

Sebaes get way too big as well.

I have had the common green/yellow LTA before it did just fine eventually sold it. The bright purple ones that cost much more I haven't been able to keep.
 
My RBTA's only wondered when I tried to put them in a tank that wasn't mature enough. Otherwise they wondered just a little until they found a spot they like. I have two in two separate tanks that haven't moved for many, many months.

Just a btw.....the one under eight T5 bulbs doesn't bubble at all, but has a nice super dark color. The one under only four T5s has a beautiful lighter pink color & bubbles nicely every day. Go figure! :doh:
 
I did a write up a whole back on wandering nems. IMO, its not nearly as bad as some make it out to be. You have to learn to recognise their signs of stress, and consequent movement. Search for the thread (I'm on my phone right now or I'd search) and it should answer many of your questions.
 
BlueRegal said:
What are your guys' experience with BTA's wandering?
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Best is to provide an anemone friendly environment so that it doesn't matter ( ie: powerheads with foam covers, ideally sumpless so they dont' get stuck in overflows, no hob filters or skimmers without foam covers etc. ). Nothing is ever a guarantee, you can't predict, so must make it foolproof. Also best not to keep in a mixed reef. Anemone only tanks can be really nice when done right.
 
I may have a lot of time to ponder this and really dig into anemones. Thinking about throttling back and going a bit bigger for a tank (most likely a 180) in the fall. Just got to get this cleared by parents before it is final though. Going to start fresh from the start.
 
My BTA only wanders if I answer a post like this and say it doesn't wander.

If they are new or you change something like lighting or flow, there is a better chance it will wander. I had one in a BC29 for a long time. It would stay put except for its annual walk about where it would tour the whole tank and go right back to its spot.
 
I have been keeping Anemonies for better than 12 years. I tried the mixed reef many times, always ended up in trouble with the Nem moving or splitting, and pretty much destroying anything in its path, though soft corals not as sensitive to Nem stinging. I now have an Anemone only tank, somewhere around 60 Nems, Rose and Green Bubble tips, H.Malu, 3 Hoddoni Carpets (Red, Blue, and, Green), Sebae's, mini-Carpets, Tube Nems, Sand Nems, and, probably missing some. If you run a mixed reef with Nems, sooner or later you will probably have some problems, and I hate when I lose my favorite $400 Scholymia.
 
NeedMore said:
I have been keeping Anemonies for better than 12 years. I tried the mixed reef many times, always ended up in trouble with the Nem moving or splitting, and pretty much destroying anything in its path, though soft corals not as sensitive to Nem stinging. I now have an Anemone only tank, somewhere around 60 Nems, Rose and Green Bubble tips, H.Malu, 3 Hoddoni Carpets (Red, Blue, and, Green), Sebae's, mini-Carpets, Tube Nems, Sand Nems, and, probably missing some. If you run a mixed reef with Nems, sooner or later you will probably have some problems, and I hate when I lose my favorite $400 Scholymia.
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Wow! So how big is your nem tank, that you are able to house that many? Sounds awesome & I would LOVE to see a picture of it!
 
BlueRegal said:
To get me started, any good must reads on anemones as far as books go?
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I think you'll find better information about keeping hosting nems on the Anemone and Clownfish forum on RC than you will in any book. There's a wealth of information and experts there if you're willing to dig and ask questions.

NeedMore said:
I have been keeping Anemonies for better than 12 years. I tried the mixed reef many times, always ended up in trouble with the Nem moving or splitting, and pretty much destroying anything in its path, though soft corals not as sensitive to Nem stinging. I now have an Anemone only tank, somewhere around 60 Nems, Rose and Green Bubble tips, H.Malu, 3 Hoddoni Carpets (Red, Blue, and, Green), Sebae's, mini-Carpets, Tube Nems, Sand Nems, and, probably missing some. If you run a mixed reef with Nems, sooner or later you will probably have some problems, and I hate when I lose my favorite $400 Scholymia.
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Are all of those anemones in the same tank? I'm surprised if they are, as many people report problems mixing several species of anemones in the same tank. (Generally, one or more of the species ends up "unhappy" and wanders excessively or fails to thrive).

I had multiple RBTA's, then a haddoni in a mixed-reef tank for a bit over four years. The BTA's split numerous times. I found that the clones tend to wander a little to find their home, but I found if you can keep your tank very stable in terms of the parameters I listed before, the chance of wandering reduces significantly.

Anytime you keep an anemone you do run the risk of it moving, so I just didn't keep super high $$ corals. I kept ones that I liked the looks of, and not the name of. You need to ask yourself what means more to you and your tank - an anemone, or your corals. Answer this, and you can then go on to decide what kind of tank you are going to setup. If you care more about corals, do a nem only tank so you won't be upset if it kills a coral (start with a single species until you get the hang of it). If you care more about your anemone, toss it in with the rest of your mixed reef and don't worry if it kills a coral or two as it settles.

Whatever you do, make sure your tank is "nem proof". Cover any/all intakes with foam gaurds - including overflows to your sump!! I had a 4" RBTA clone make it through the 1/8" slits in an overflow and into my sump. They can squeeze through some tiny spaces! If you take necessary precautions, the headaches will be signifanctly reduced. It's like puppy-proofing a house. If you take half a day to pick up cords, shoes, and install gates, you won't have problems with it peeing on your couch, chewing your shoes, and hurting itself chewing through electrical cords. If you didn't take precautions, you could say puppies are terrible, destroy everything, and are trying to kill themselves when in reality they are just being themselves and you didn't educate and prepare yourself for their actions.

Here's the link to a write-up I've posted a few times before when this question comes up: http://www.tcmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=42043
 
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Personally I have had good luck with BTA in mixed reefs, try to let them find their spot and then work around it. On the new setup I am going with an islad rock to try and keep them confined.. we shall see how this works out. I notice when flow is changed is when they seem to do some wandering.
 
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