am I ready for an anemone?

[jess128]

The lights are 48". I have 260W total. I'd deffinately get a BTA. Tri, what kind of corals do you think I should get before the BTA?

[vertex]

jessica,

I have a 33g setup since Sept and I added a RBTA in December and it has done just great under 2x96W corlife PC lighting.

I think it is the easiest of all my corals since it will actively take food (mysis shrimp) as long as you have good water parametes and strong lighting. Mine has split twice and I now have FOUR of these guys. Two very small ones as they got ripped apart by a HOB suction tube. (They grew back though fine after 1-2 weeks)

MAKE SURE you block all intake tubes and powerheads as they will find them and get sucked through otherwise.

I would also recommend, leather corals, mushrooms, maybe some zooanthids, candy cane coral, yellow/green polyps, brain, xenia/tree coral. I have all of these now and have lost nothing but one hammer coral.

Good luck!

[trilinearmipmap]

Jessica I am just suggesting trying a range of different corals before getting a BTA so that you get experience.

Probably good to start with soft corals and then a few LPS.

[EmilyB]

A sebae is one of the most demanding of light anemones that I have owned, and yes, they get GIGANTIC. I would never recommend one for the average aquarium.

Your perc clowns may/may not host in the anemone you pick, that is always the unknown.

There's nothing difficult about a bta if you have light and make sure all intakes are screened... Once they settle they stay unless you make a dramatic change.

[doch]

I set my 90 up in December, and put RBTA #1 in it about 4 months after. I lost #1 for seemingly no reason (but found out the reason later). I put #2 in about a month and a half later and had the same problems for the first little while but did more water testing... specifically dual pH test (ie. AM and PM) and found a large swing in my pH between tests. This was causing a VERY unhappy anemone (well, 2 actually) # 2 survived, but only after I buffered my pH up to 8.3, and threw some caulerpa and a light in my sump at night to reduce the swing in pH. Once this was under control, and ever since it has been doing fine. I must say, it is the most stressful animal I have out of the 40+ corals, fish, and inverts... by far the most stressful.... but still one of my favorite additions. Long story short, test your pH before buying... AM and PM, and get the swing that may be there under control before adding an anemone.

[Chaloupa]

I set up my 65 hex in Sept....then I cycled it, and added 2 RBTA about 2.5 months later. My lighting was pathetic...only 2 regular fluorescent bulbs....and my water quality...not so good, I was very very new to the hobby...my LFS told me they were easy to keep and didn't require good lighting.....but these were some very determined to live anemones....I lucked out, knowing what I do now, I would NEVER have bought them when I did......have upgraded my lighting hugely, my water quality is excellent, and now I have 4 RBTA....hmmmm hopefully not 12 in the next few years....as I do want more corals....but I lucked out...most don't, be careful and considerate to these animals! And choose wisely.....

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by doch

Long story short, test your pH before buying... AM and PM, and get the swing that may be there under control before adding an anemone.

Along with testing pH, test for and adjust alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. Here are the calculators and reading material you need to get started :

Aquarium System Volume Calculator:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/volcalc.html

The Reef Chemistry Calculator:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

Magnesium in Reef Aquaria:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

High pH: Causes and Cures:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.htm

Low pH: Causes and Cures:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm