How many anenomes?

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by VPBassist, Aug 10, 2011.

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  1. VPBassist

    VPBassist Bristle Worm

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    How many anenomes can I have in a 40 breeder reef tank? I also want to keep a few types of corals, 2 clownfish, and maybe some Fire dartfish.
     
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  3. We$

    We$ Spaghetti Worm

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    I had three in my 50 gallon no problem. None of them were gigantic though.
     
  4. VPBassist

    VPBassist Bristle Worm

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    Okay I'm just worried about fighting between anenomes and corals
     
  5. anpgp

    anpgp Dragon Wrasse

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    If you are wanting to do anemones, then I would make them one of your first additions. That being said, most people recommend at a least a year old tank for nems. A lot of the fighting occurs when the nems wander as they are prone to do when newly introduced. If you introduce them before most of your corals and let them get settled in, then there shouldn't be much of a problem with them fighting. I've also seen tanks where essentially a wall of fast moving water seperates the nems from the corals. The owner put the return in the middle of the tank and directed the flow towards the front glass. That way if a nem tried to wander to the other side, it came across an area of high flow that it wouldnt go through. As far as a number, it all depends on if you plan on keeping the same kind or different kinds. If you wanted say bubble tips, then you could keep numerous ones of all different colors.
     
  6. khowst

    khowst Bangghai Cardinal

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    The year and/or time thing is something that has been debated here many times over.

    What it comes to the most is expereince. nem's can be finicky and a more expereinced reefer knows just by looking in alot of cases when something is amiss on the tank. Alot of new tanks suffer from what I call 'hand and arm disease' ie a new hobbyist that is always hands in the tank, tweak adjusting, dosing thing that dont need dosed, over feeding and alot of other things that create flucuations that nems arent the biggest fan of.

    I bought a mini-maxi when my tank was like 3 months old and it has doubled in size and is doing great. At the same time though I go damn near OCD on research when it comes to buying things sometimes.

    when it comes to coral vs nems you have to understand that they do move, and they will go where they want. it a coral wanders into thier path and gets stung it isnt really thier fault, they are jsut doing what thier position of evolution and nature has them do. reading up and initial placement taking into account your lighting and flow can potentially help them from thier start to temporary final place. I have 2 mini-maxi's and a rock nem now and all three have only moved maybe 4 inches total from where I initially placed them.
     
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  7. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    What kind of nem? Assuming you're capable of providing the right environment, most anemones get large fast. Once they do, they will take up most of your tank by themselves in short time. So, there will not be much room for corals. Figure a BTA is going to get 12" or so, and will be able to reach and sting things even a bit further. BTAs also move and will leave a path of death when they do so. LTA's get about 18"+ and again can sting things a bit further than that even by reaching. LTAs go in the sand and don't wander as much. Also, they do not split. BTAs do split, and will tend to wander after splitting.

    Other anemones such as Sabeas and carpets are more difficult and tend not to ship well. They get very large and will take up the entire tank once they grow. Figure over 24". Smaller anemones such as mini carpet anemones, only grow a few inches. Maxi-mini's are similar, but get about 4-6". These tend not to move much. Mini-carpet anemones (or mini-mini's) tend to split quite frequently. Maxi-mini's do not split much.

    Most anemones will sting other anemones, not of the same species. And most anemones will kill any coral they contact, and fish. So, there is no way to say how many you can fit without more info. Nems in a reef though can be tricky.
     
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  9. heidimi

    heidimi Fire Shrimp

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    Just a question... Is this like a contest to see how many Nems you can get into your tank? ;) No but really if this is a new tank take the advice from others and add any and all livestock slowly. Anemones can and do make it in new tanks but like the other dude said they hate change and because of that my only caution is to take it slow. I know a guy with a 29g bio cube that has like 8 maxi-minis, and a tube nem. He has kinda made this an anemone tank and only has one or two fish as the ones he has added lately get eaten. Maxis don't move a ton but bubble tips are constantly on the move till they get happy. Then one day they might start to move again. I have another friend with a 12 inch in diameter rose bubble tip anemone so they don't always stay little.
    Look at your little reef think: What would I love this too look like in 6 months... 2 years... 5 years... then plan your corals and nems and know that everything grows and needs to not be touching. This in my opinion is a great place to start. Good Luck!!
    Heidi
     
  10. VPBassist

    VPBassist Bristle Worm

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    Thank you all so much on your steller advice. Extremely helpful info from everyone. Really the two things that I want in my tank for sure are a green and purple mini carpet anenome and a sun coral (T. faulkneri)
     
  11. insanespain

    insanespain Ocellaris Clown

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    I almost hate getting involved in any anemone threads because they constantly get derailed on the whole "wait a year" topic.

    I just wanna say that if you want maxi mini's then you can freakin load that tank with them. They are super hardy, and are supposed to even be easy to frag (there are some videos floating around youtube). And they have awesome colors and good growth. I say go for it.

    And dont be scared to get one after your tank is cycled.
     
  12. heidimi

    heidimi Fire Shrimp

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    I agree with this 100% I still have the "not so cool" green bubble tipped nem I plopped into my first tank with my clownfish that I bought cause I "thought they wanted a nem" lol 9 months and still they don't even know it exists. That tank had been wet a month. Its fine, its healthy, Its boring though. I have seen some BEAUTIFUL bubble tips now that I have been in the hobby for a bit and wish I would have waited for a pretty one instead of buying the first one I saw to "please" the clowns..
    I wonder sometimes if the "wait a year" thing was made up by people like me with regret of not buying the cool anemone and now they are stuck with an ugly one... ::)
    Heidi