Ideal Parameters for Different Types of Anemones?

Elgringodiablo · Jun 8, 2017

I'm interested in feedback on what parameters different types of anemones do best in, below are my parameters and personal experiences, I'd love to hear what other people have had success with:

Salinity: 1.024-1.025
Temp: 78-79
PH: 8.15 - 8.35
KH: 8.2-9.0
CA: 410-450
MG: 1250-1350
PO: 0.02 - 0.06
NO: 15-20
Flow: Hard to quantify, but about 10x turnover, highly variable throughout the day
Lighting: Radion Gen4 Pros maxing out at 60% for 8 hour photoperiod, PAR 150-350 depending on region, Spectrum 14k to 20k

BTAs: Generally bulletproof. Have had some issues with purple or purple based green BTAs, but for the most part, these will tolerate any conditions. Not sure what I can be doing to maximize the coloration. Currently have about 20.

Sebaes (H. Crispa): Like to be on the floor of the tank, so need to make sure they are getting decent light. Have found it difficult to find healthy specimens, have had success with a couple under the above specs. Have 1 that has made it about a month and looks healthy.

LTAs: Seem easy as long as you can get them to bury their foot. Having a deep sand bed and making holes for them with PVC seems to help a great deal. When I haven't been able to get them to plant their foot, they end up either withering and dying or cutting themselves and dying. Have 5 (2 in one tank and 3 in another).

Ritteri/Mags: Definitely harder. Like it up high with maximum light and flow. Have had mixed success and it seems more difficult to find healthy ones. Currently have 18" purple that has been in my tank for about 8 months and an 8" green one that I've had for a couple weeks. The green one deflates a lot and I've considered treating with Cipro. Both seem happiest early in the day when the light spectrum is around 14k. I feed these guys 2-3 times a week and my clowns (spotcinctus) have no interest in them.

Beaded (H. Aurora): Grabbed one of these about a month ago. Really thick base like LTA. Took it awhile to find a spot to plant it's foot, but seems pretty sturdy. Clowns will host but prefer the BTAs and LTAs.

Mini-Maxi: From my experience, these are pretty bulletproof. I have a few in my big tank and don't really even think about them.

Rock Flower: Again, super easy, very low maintenance.

Gigantea Carpets: Seems very difficult to find healthy ones. Have had a few in my 50 with very poor success rates. I think high nitrates may have been a factor, maybe lighting, or generally unhealthy specimens. Had one live about a month, others as short as a week. Have tried treating sick ones with Cipro, but no luck.

Haddoni Carpet: No experience.

Sebae (H. Malu): No experience.

Merten's Carpet: Would love to try, but likely too big for any of my tanks. No experience.

I'd love to hear about other peoples' experiences and see what I can improve based on collective knowledge. What temps, chemistry, lighting, etc has worked best for you guys?

mtraylor · Jun 8, 2017

I think you have the parms under wraps. I think you hit it on the head where you say its hard to find healthy anemones. That goes for some species that is. The Ritteri's for example are almost always infected. When you see them the mouths are inside out and they inflate/deflate all the time. It happens during shipping sometimes when they expel their food into the bag and get a bacteria infection during shipping. The Anemone is all but doomed at that time especially Ritteri's. I see the same issue with some Saebae's and Malu's.

I think LTA's, and bubbles usually don't have anything in their mouths.

I have had about the same success as you with anemones. No issues with bubbles or LTA's. Tried forever to get a good Ritteri, and lost everyone of them. Mouths were inside out on everyone I purchased but I thought good water parameters would bring it back. Only to find later that you needed to treat them. First time I treated one...it didn't make it. Second one I was successful and the Ritteri was in my aquarium for 8 months or so until a rock crab cut through it to get out of rock that the anemone moved on. It didn't make it after that.

I gave up on them after that. If I see one again that has color, I would definitely treat a Ritteri and get rid of my bubble tips.

Elgringodiablo · Jun 8, 2017

mtraylor said:
I gave up on them after that. If I see one again that has color, I would definitely treat a Ritteri and get rid of my bubble tips.

How big is your tank? I have about 2o BTAs and 2 Ritteris in the same tank without issue. As long as they aren't touching, they don't seem to bother one another. The biggest chemical warfare conflicts I've heard of are Mags vs Carpets or Carpets vs heterospecific Carpets (can't have Haddoni and a Gig in the same tank, unless you have a huge tank and put them on opposite ends). So I hear.