Reef Tank

[jloventh]

I recently set up a reef tank. I have a clown fish. some Torch Coral. A Cardinale fish and a spotted goby. I wanted to get a n anenome to play with my clown fish. When I bought the 25 gallon tank w/ Eclipse hood they had me buy a Reef tank retrofit kit that changed the lighting to 65w 10,000k full spetrum (I think this is right?). Anyway when I went to go today to buy the Carpet Anenome, a different guy told me the lighting was probably not enough ?
Any ideas ?

[MonoSebaelover]

For an anemone it is advised to have 3-4 watts per gallon, so you might have marginal success but not with a Carpet. I would highly suggest if looking into an anemone to go with a Bubble as they are much easier and don't require (they appreciate it) the higher light. Wait several months (at least 6 months) after the cycle to attempt an anemone so the water quality is stable prior to introduction. Anway, hope this helps.

[mogurnda]

I would suggest avoiding the anemone until the tank is better established and you have more light. There are tank-raised bubble-tip anemones (Entacmea quadricolor) that are more sturdy, but your light is still probably too weak.

Clowns do not need host anemones, but if you want to see it interact with a host, leather corals are a good choice. Toadstools (genus sarcophyton) work very well for many people. My ocellaris clowns are quite attached to theirs.

I would also suggest a few good books to demystify the whole process. They look good under the tree.

Conscientious Marine Aquarist (Bob Fenner)
An excellent book, geared for the beginner, but good for all of us.

Natural Reef Aquariums (John Tullock)
Excellent general coverage of reefs and fish-only.

Aquarium Corals (Eric Borneman)
The best book on corals, in my opinion.