ohio reefer
Valuable Member
Never buy an anemone online. Many people buy anemones from online retailers such as live aquaria, blue zoo aquatics and many more. When selecting an anemone it is important to check out the foot, the mouth, and if it's bleached. If you can find a anemone in a what you see is what you get section then by all means purchase it if you please. I still would avoid it however due to editing.
Websites like saltwater fish.com may have cheaper prices for example- they are currently selling bubble tips for $ 29.99. The size says around 2-4 inches. This can be a anemone that is 5+ inches and beautiful, or a 1 inch brown bubble tip. In my experiences it is often the smaller of the two. I have purchased bubble tips from the divers den section on live aquaria and am very pleased with what I received because it was the exact picture shown. Something I have noticed is it is not hard to edit a picture the make a average anemone look like the most beautiful thing you have ever laid eyes on.
When I purchase a bubble tip from my local fish store I have time to inspect the anemone. I also get to avoid shipping. I can get a 5 inch bubble tip for around 45$ I can be confident that the anemone is in good health because I personally picked it out. I also can avoid the 35$ shipping on a 29.99 bubble tip, sure you may be getting a $29 bubble tip but you also have shipping worth more than the anemone. I have had every type of anemone I can find, only one of the six anemones in my aquariums is from an online retailer, however it is a What You See Is What You Get. I have purchased two anemones from the general section on websites. Let's just say neither one had a chance at surviving. Many local fish stores carry them and if yours does not have any in stock almost every saltwater fish store can and will order you one. The benefit of this is that if it does not appear healthy then you can simply refuse to purchase it.
My local fish store recently ordered me a rose bubble tip. It is coming in tomorrow. Whenever they order a coral or a invert they purchase three of them, this way they can make sure you get a healthy animal and they grow out what ever you do not purchase. The main reason I do not purchase anemones online is due to the editing. I made a before and after editing picture of a newly acquired bleached Condy anemone. The pictures at the end of the post took me about ten minutes to complete. Although you can easily color up an anemone it should not be necessary. You should be able to have a happy and healthy anemone from the beginning. The only reason I purchased the bleached Condy is because is I knew what I was getting my self into. I purchased him for cheaper than the other Condys. If you have the experience I would recommend doing this. You can save a lot of money doing this.
Shipping can also be stressful for the anemones. My quarantine tank does not have proper lighting for a anemone of any kind. Because of this reason I try to only get anemones that have been in the local fish store's aquariums for a decent amount of time. This way I do not have to worry about them as being as stressed. I also only purchase large anemones because my clownfish can be very rough on them. My Local fish store also can inform me directly on the lighting they use and what they feed their anemones.
In conclusion I strongly suggest not to purchase an anemone from an online retailer. Unless that online retailer has an WYSIWYG section like live aquaria I'd stay away. Below I will attach the photos that I edited. Keep in mind many websites have professional editors. I did this in five minutes on my iphone. You can see how deceiving it can be. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Websites like saltwater fish.com may have cheaper prices for example- they are currently selling bubble tips for $ 29.99. The size says around 2-4 inches. This can be a anemone that is 5+ inches and beautiful, or a 1 inch brown bubble tip. In my experiences it is often the smaller of the two. I have purchased bubble tips from the divers den section on live aquaria and am very pleased with what I received because it was the exact picture shown. Something I have noticed is it is not hard to edit a picture the make a average anemone look like the most beautiful thing you have ever laid eyes on.
When I purchase a bubble tip from my local fish store I have time to inspect the anemone. I also get to avoid shipping. I can get a 5 inch bubble tip for around 45$ I can be confident that the anemone is in good health because I personally picked it out. I also can avoid the 35$ shipping on a 29.99 bubble tip, sure you may be getting a $29 bubble tip but you also have shipping worth more than the anemone. I have had every type of anemone I can find, only one of the six anemones in my aquariums is from an online retailer, however it is a What You See Is What You Get. I have purchased two anemones from the general section on websites. Let's just say neither one had a chance at surviving. Many local fish stores carry them and if yours does not have any in stock almost every saltwater fish store can and will order you one. The benefit of this is that if it does not appear healthy then you can simply refuse to purchase it.
My local fish store recently ordered me a rose bubble tip. It is coming in tomorrow. Whenever they order a coral or a invert they purchase three of them, this way they can make sure you get a healthy animal and they grow out what ever you do not purchase. The main reason I do not purchase anemones online is due to the editing. I made a before and after editing picture of a newly acquired bleached Condy anemone. The pictures at the end of the post took me about ten minutes to complete. Although you can easily color up an anemone it should not be necessary. You should be able to have a happy and healthy anemone from the beginning. The only reason I purchased the bleached Condy is because is I knew what I was getting my self into. I purchased him for cheaper than the other Condys. If you have the experience I would recommend doing this. You can save a lot of money doing this.
Shipping can also be stressful for the anemones. My quarantine tank does not have proper lighting for a anemone of any kind. Because of this reason I try to only get anemones that have been in the local fish store's aquariums for a decent amount of time. This way I do not have to worry about them as being as stressed. I also only purchase large anemones because my clownfish can be very rough on them. My Local fish store also can inform me directly on the lighting they use and what they feed their anemones.
In conclusion I strongly suggest not to purchase an anemone from an online retailer. Unless that online retailer has an WYSIWYG section like live aquaria I'd stay away. Below I will attach the photos that I edited. Keep in mind many websites have professional editors. I did this in five minutes on my iphone. You can see how deceiving it can be. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
