Nem and their SENSITIVITY

[WavesAreMyMantra]

Can someone with experience please elaborate on nems when it comes to their sensitivity. I can read allllll day on the internet, but would rather hear it from the horse's mouth. I have waited a long time to add a GBTA to my tank and finally, I did. Juuuuuust wanna see what y'all have to say about my curiosity.


OH! And uhhhh my messages keep adding up and I can't seem to find how to check them. I keep going to my inbox and the only one message that is there is from the maker of the site. I have refreshed and logged in and out..... idk

 

[WavesAreMyMantra]

Can someone with experience please elaborate on nems when it comes to their sensitivity. I can read allllll day on the internet, but would rather hear it from the horse's mouth. I have waited a long time to add a GBTA to my tank and finally, I did. Juuuuuust wanna see what y'all have to say about my curiosity.


OH! And uhhhh my messages keep adding up and I can't seem to find how to check them. I keep going to my inbox and the only one message that is there is from the maker of the site. I have refreshed and logged in and out..... idk

Just kidding about the messages. I have figured out what, why and how with the messages......... I amuse myself sometimes ;Bored

 

[EmdeReef]

Best of luck with your GBTA! I love anemones and am very close to starting another anemone tank after a long break.

Sensitivity to what?

Your tank should be fully cycled and very stable - they're ~90% water, very sensitive to ammonia spikes and can literally die in hours. Temperature changes should be minimized as well, I'd say slightly more adaptable than SPS when it comes to temp changes but they do bleach around the same rate. I don't believe nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) matter.

Provide lots of light but be careful as they can bleach, similar to sps, though will generally move before that happens. I've found that strong, indirect, random patterns of flow reduce their need to move. Although they do have good defensive mechanisms, some fish can and will find them tasty - a bit offset if hosted by clowns

BTAs are generally more forgiving than say carpet or sebae. Tank bred nems tend to be hardier than wild collected. While you want to keep your alk/ca/mg stable, alk spikes/drops won't necessarily harm it as much as sps.

For the most part after you get to know your anemone you'll be able to tell very fast, and usually in a timely manner, if something is wrong.

 

[ca1ore]

It depends a lot on what kind of anemone you are talking about. Generally they are not so much sensitive as they are requiring of stable conditions; thus the recommendation to wait until a tank is 6 months old. They also don't ship and acclimate all that well, but once past that they are quite hardy. BTA is among the least problematic.

 

[WavesAreMyMantra]

T

Best of luck with your GBTA! I love anemones and am very close to starting another anemone tank after a long break.

Sensitivity to what?

Your tank should be fully cycled and very stable - they're ~90% water, very sensitive to ammonia spikes and can literally die in hours. Temperature changes should be minimized as well, I'd say slightly more adaptable than SPS when it comes to temp changes but they do bleach around the same rate. I don't believe nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) matter.

Provide lots of light but be careful as they can bleach, similar to sps, though will generally move before that happens. I've found that strong, indirect, random patterns of flow reduce their need to move. Although they do have good defensive mechanisms, some fish can and will find them tasty - a bit offset if hosted by clowns

BTAs are generally more forgiving than say carpet or sebae. Tank bred nems tend to be hardier than wild collected. While you want to keep your alk/ca/mg stable, alk spikes/drops won't necessarily harm it as much as sps.

For the most part after you get to know your anemone you'll be able to tell very fast, and usually in a timely manner, if something is wrong.

Thank you! That’s what I was looking for! Stank is stable and has been for 9 months. I’ve really waited a long time to get a BTA. She hasn’t moved from her spot and is quite bubbly at the moment. I saw one of my platinum perculas dibbling and dabbling yesterday morning with her but hasn’t gone back since..... Here’s a pic of her. She has a bit more flow than usual right now because my filter is off from target feeding

 

[rock_lobster]

They are quite insensitive lol. And when they get ***** they just divide in half.

 

[WavesAreMyMantra]

It depends a lot on what kind of anemone you are talking about. Generally they are not so much sensitive as they are requiring of stable conditions; thus the recommendation to wait until a tank is 6 months old. They also don't ship and acclimate all that well, but once past that they are quite hardy. BTA is among the least problematic.

Just BTAs for now. I did notice that. She was stressed when she came home as I bought her the same day she got to the LFS. I chose the most colorful and bubbly one. Advice on carpet anemones? It will be a while, but that’s my next choice. I don’t like adding things all at one time and like to pay closer attention on what I’ve just added at the time. My tank is a year 4 months, but got it when it was 6/7 month and had to seriously work hard to get it stable. Nothing was where it was supposed to be!

 

[WavesAreMyMantra]

I just meany in general on any type of anemone. I am just hoping to get many tips and advice from people on what anemones they have! I know different anemones require different this and that.

 

[drtrash]

Not as easy as it sounds, wild caught vs clones are different in aggression, color morphing due to light and chemical warfare between different variety. Take it slow

 

[ca1ore]

I just meany in general on any type of anemone. I am just hoping to get many tips and advice from people on what anemones they have! I know different anemones require different this and that.

I generally steer clear of BTA - just a bit too far on the 'pest' scale for my liking. My anemone of choice is the magnifica, though it's a very tricky animal to acclimate and you have to be prepared to treat it with antibiotics. I always design a rock pillar as part of my aquascape so that it can get the high light and flow it requires to be happy ..... and to stay put!!!! You can see it in this picture.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think the main "sensitivity" of some of the carpet anemones (e.g., S. gigantea) is to handling/transport and the propensity toward bacterial infection.

I do not think we understand what about such handling is the real issue, however.

 

[NS Mike D]

Bubble and long tip are very hardy but give them room. They can a look all happy and then decide to take a walk and wipe out everything their path. Also, they can grow big and take up lots' of tank real estate. My first BTA took a walk and wiped out a torch and a hammer in span of a week before self destructing. After a year and a half I took the plunge again, it settled at the top in a way too high par for an anemone and split. its twin stayed right by it's side and the two have never moved since, so go figure. I think because of the strong lighting, they are staying compact, but I can't say for sure. in any case, they two apparently like there rock and my clownfish (see my avatar). i have read and seen videos of reefers removing their anemones from the main display tank and into their own tank since they do grow big, don't play well with other corals, split and roam.

 

[Elegance Coral]

All of them become relatively hardy after they have recovered from shipping stress. Getting them over that hurdle can be the hard part.
E. quadricolor (bubble tip anemone ) is fairly forgiving and typically easier to care for than most. As ca1ore pointed out, many of us consider them pests due to their propensity to move around and reproduce.
Just a little something that may help you out. If you're trying to learn about anemones it would be a good idea to get away from common names like, bubble tip, bulb, carpet, long tentacle, and sebae. These names will only confuse you because there may be several species that are described by one common name. The Latin name is either right or wrong and only refers to one species. For instance, the term "carpet" may refer to 3 or 4 different species with different requirements. S. haddoni, S. gigantia, S. mertensii, and maybe C. adhaesivum. How do you know which species someone is referring to when they use the term "carpet"?