Reef tank "safe" anemone....

[afternoondelight]

My main tank (a Cade 1500 S2) is in the cycling queue and I've set up and cycled my quarantine tank and ordered a couple of Picasso clowns from ORA. I'm ready to get this party started!!

I have a question for the pros out there: is there any suitable (well-behaving) anenome that folks can recommend that will act right in a mixed reef tank? I have heard lots of "NO's" but I would like to give these clowns a friend if it's possible to do so without creating a "you-know-what show."

What say the R2R experts!?

 

[Nano_Man]

I am no expert but have keep many anemones
Your tank has to be very mature and stable I think a bubble tip would be my first choice. There can be some concerns in a mixed reef they move about at the beginning and don’t care who is in the way . The no hassle approach is an anemone only tank with a couple of clowns. This is my opinion on anemones but other members will chime in

 

[Serpentman2024]

I've had bubble tips and a large sabae in a reef. Personally, I prefer to add nems early rather than later. Let them find their spot then fill in corals after rather than the opposite. Just keep in mind how big they get. And you also will have to deal with splits (BTAs).

 

[exnisstech]

I'm no expert but have kept bubble tips, haddoni, and long tentacle. IMO there is always some risk when keeping nems and corals. Years ago I had 3 bubble tips and ended up with almost 50. Eventually after the tank matured they stopped spitting and then grew larger after I rehomed a bunch of them. As they grew larger they would get crowded and one would move, ussualy on or next to a coral. Haddoni and long tentacle were not as bad but they still moved only they moved around the bottom vs all over the rocks like the bubble tips. I still have a large blue haddoni in one tank. All bubble tips have been moved to a stock tank in the basement. No nems are going in my new build. There's just no guarantee with nems. My long tentacle and haddoni had been in the same spot for over a year before moving. JME

 

[afternoondelight]

Thanks for the replies guys! I really appreciate the advice and shared experiences...

 

[Sophie"s mom]

My main tank (a Cade 1500 S2) is in the cycling queue and I've set up and cycled my quarantine tank and ordered a couple of Picasso clowns from ORA. I'm ready to get this party started!!

I have a question for the pros out there: is there any suitable (well-behaving) anenome that folks can recommend that will act right in a mixed reef tank? I have heard lots of "NO's" but I would like to give these clowns a friend if it's possible to do so without creating a "you-know-what show."

What say the R2R experts!?

Agree with nano man. Let the tank mature a bit, they say close to a year, but when you can keep parameters stable, you should be good. at least 6 months for sure. Then any bubble tip should be fine. The key with nems is to let them find their spot first. Once they have settled in, and are not moving about the tank, you can put corals in. You can really do what ever you wish, this is just my suggestion.

 

[randomfishdude]

I personally had no issue between anenome and coral when I had 2 lta, a bta, condy, and a carpet all at the same time.
You just have to be prepared to move coral if they're bothering it.
I acually had coral kill both of my lta.
Acro fell into sand when lta was moving and it ate the bottom. 2nd lta moved and torches stung and ate tbe crap outta it.