Best Anenome?

[Conski]

Looking for the best possible anemone to host my Picassos in and in either tank both my lighting set ups and water quality are sufficient enough. and although some people believe that a 14 gallon isnt big enough. it would only be the two clowns and the anem in the tank with no corals.. id rather do it in my 14gal.

ive done some research and have seen a very happy anem in a 5 galllon with SPS(which im not gonna risk)

so for a 14 gal tank thats been running for 9 months and has 150WATT MHs over it what is the best one to get.. not looking for color or crazyness just want a an anem with longer thick tenticles and prefrerably not a bubble tip

What ya think?

(this will happen until after my bigger tank is up and running)

[Amphiprion]

The only species I could even possibly recommend is E. quadricolor. Even then, there is the very real possibility that it may outgrow the tank (or crowd it out with clones). All the rest get much, much too large--big to the point of filling the entire bottom of your tank and part (or most) of all sides. You would literally have an anemone enveloping the tank.

[Ace25]

I agree with Amph. The common name for the normal ones you fine are the Rose Bubble Tip and Green Bubble Tip anemone. I have known several people to successfully keep those alive in tanks 10G and smaller (one person has a Green and Rose in a 12G with 2 clowns, just gives away the clones when they split). It isn't something I would say would be recommended by many, but it is possible to do successfully.

[Conski]

im gonna be stubborn on this one guys. my first ever idea was to get an anem and two clowns i dk why i like it so much but i really enjoy the way it looks. Rose tip it is, im sure i can find a smaller one in one of my LFS.

if it gets to big ill take it in and exchange it for a smaller one and always exchange the clones as well to keep everything to a smaller level.

the thing is my 2 clowns are getting bigger... and to the point where other people knotice it., they might end up having to go back into the big tank.

[Ace25]

Here you go Conski.. that person I mentioned giving away anemones.. he gave me a Rose BTA tonight for free. :) I couldn't get my hand out of the tank fast enough after placing it before my clowns jumped in it. So now my 29G is complete for me, 1 GBTA and 1 RBTA and a few scatters zoas and palys and a neon green leather that I really don't care about. I just want this to be my clown/anemone tank. I am installing my old sump back on this tank this weekend to get all that nasty equipment out of the tank. Still can't complain for this tank being my completely "Free" tank just from leftovers from others tearing down tanks.. all my fish, rocks, sand, and corals were all free. Unfortunately, so was the hair algae.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4270213715_6cd67bb38a_o.jpg

[Conski]

Hey rub it in ;), always wanted to see your 20 gal.

once my cursed 34 gal gets back on track im gonna do the same thing, do you handle it with bear hands when putting it in? or how do you go about putting it in the tank from the bag haha i have never owned one

i love when clowns sleep in anems they can actually lay in them together... my clowns can only sleep next to their torch because it goes back in at night and only has like a half inch of its polyps out.

[Ace25]

It's a 29G tank actually. 30" long instead of 24" which is a normal 20G.

Ya, after drip acclimating it for a little bit I just scoop it out of the bag with my hand and quickly turn my hand upside down in the tank to cup the anemone over the top of it while its foot grabs onto a rock.. usually takes just a few seconds if the anemone is healthy. The rose's foot attached to the rock within 5 seconds. After that, just let them be. Some will stay put, some will walk around. If they walk around, just let them unless they are headed into a powerhead. Otherwise it just stresses them out to move them on your own around the tank to where you would like them.. they will move to where they like it best no matter if you think so or not, no use fighting them on it.

[Conski]

didnt sting you?!

[Ace25]

No, anemones don't really sting you.. at least not Bubble Tips... my condy used to sting me, felt like velcro when it attached to my hand and just a little itchy afterwards, but nothing like a sting.

[Conski]

O alright, btw which anem is it that he just gave you? the big one the clowns are near?

[Ace25]

No.. when I went to grab my camera the clowns... being clowns... wouldn't go back to the Rose for a picture.. the new one is the red one on the right.

[Conski]

i thought so, i was about to say that big thing doesnt look like a rose tip. whats the big guy?

[Ace25]

Green Bubble tip.. green gets washed out with a 10k light though real quick.. even 1 out of 6 bulbs being white, it still washes out the green. As soon as the first 2 of my 6 lights go out at night (1 white/1blue, leaving 4 blues) it really lights up.

[Conski]

i like the way that one looks more so then the new one, the thickness of it is what i like, i like to see the clowns get lost in its thick tentacles to the point where you cant see them. the size to is perfect haha thats basically what im looking for in my 14 gall.

[Ace25]

Best shot I could get.. clowns are so hard for me to take pics of. The tentacles will fatten up on the red one.. it is just stressed out from being moved and placed into a new home.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4271024782_18af6a5504_o.jpg

[Conski]

Nice! i cant believe you dont care about your neon green polyp leather i love mine!

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=02-1518-10&Category=Coral%20And%20Invertebrates:Anemones&SortBy=Price

found my source for it kinda of pricey, unless you know of a better place!

[Ace25]

Roses normally go anywhere from $80-$120 at a LFS, so $100 from Vivid is right in the middle. If you buy one from a fellow reefer they usually sell from $30-$60 depending on the reefer.. but if your like me and give away tons of corals to locals in the area, they remember you and will return the favor when something comes up that you want. ;)

The green anemones are usually much cheaper than the Roses, LFS prices are usually $40-$60 for the Greens, but you can see the difference. Greens usually aren't as vibrant as the Roses.

[davocean]

Another nem choice would be a H.Malu, which is in sebae family, but much smaller.
They are also a sand dwellar, which makes it a little easier to control w/ wandering issues.
They are listed as being a little more sensitive compared to a BTA, but all nems will require stable params and an established tank.
They stay around 8" in diameter from my reading on them.
My picassos did take to BTAs, but I, and many other picasso keepers exp loss of black color while being hosted by BTAs for some unexplained reason.