Anemone Question

[nanotanker]

My tank has been established for about maybe 3 months now, and just yesterday I bought my newest/cutest little tank buddy, A Percula Clownfish that I named Scarface because he is a gangster fish that all my other fish dont mess with. Here is a list of my set up:
25 Gallon Tank- Purchased from a store moving to a new location, it came with an under-gravel filter system.
Whisper 20-40 External Filter System
2 Elite 801 Air Pumps
2 18,000 K 15W 18" Power-Glo High Intensity Aquarium Lamp Bulbs
Here is my list of fish:
Chocolate Starfish(Chippy)
Percula Clownfish(Scarface)
Electric Blue Damselfish(Bandit,got the name from the black mask around his/her eyes)
Yellow-Tailed Damselfish(Two-Tone)
Golden Damsel(Villain,Meanest fish in my tank,we're about to relocate him to my mom's boyfriends's 55 gallon with a Blue Hippo Tang, Yellow Tang, and a Dominoe Damselfish)
Yellow Damselfish(Popeye, My one-eyed buddy, he had popeye at the time so we kept him and named it that,but then one day he had one eye so the name just stuck.)
So my question is: What do i need to prepare my tank for any anemone to host my clownfish? what equipment/ lighting? any information would be lovely :happyfish :help:

 

[murph145]

if u want to put an anemone in your 25g tank u would need to up your lights quit abit....
i would try to get about 100+ watts of power compact.... you are going to need around 4 or more watts per gallon to keep an anemone succesfully in the long run.... get a mixture of half actinics and half daylight spectrum probably 10K
you are also going to need good water flow in your tank.... so u might have to add a power head to get more water flow in your tank....
you also might want to wait a couple more months its usually best to not add an anemone until around 6 months or more to make sure it is completly done cycling and that you can keep all your water parameters good.... you want to make sure you have no amonia nitrates or nitrites and that your ph is stable at 8.2
but they most important thing to keeping an anemone is lighting and water conditions
u may get an anemone and find that your clown wont host it.... so i would first look up what kind of anemones your clown will host....
i have 5 anemones in my 100g tank with 470WPC 125Lbs LR 100lbs LS many corals and the most enjoyable thing to watch in my tank is my tomato clown hosting in my 2 Rose bubble tip anemones.... they are fun but just know how to take care of them first....
good luck!

 

[thomas712]

You will also want to yank that undergravel filter, throw it away. You will not need the air pumps, and get rid of any crushed coral that you have.
Sand is the only substrate you will need.
If you go for any anemone I suggest the Bubble tip anemone, at a minimum you will need PC or VHO lighting, and as suggested 4+watts per gallon.
Thomas

 

[nanotanker]

why cant i keep the undergravel filter system? Also a friend of mine has a 500 watt Mecury Vapor Light which i think will do just fine. Next my mom's boyfriend is making me, himself and his son Tank tops(made of thick plexiglass) that will be cut in the back just enough to get the equipment that goes in & out of the tank, and no spare room. so the question is: Should i have him make me a custom lighting fixture for the mecury vapor as well?

 

[murph145]

first off anything 500watts over a 25 gallon is overkill.... and second unless you want to boil the water in your tank that light will evaporate your whole tank up within in a couple days..... theres no way you can put that much light over that tank.... the heat generated alone would be outrageous and you could never put it under a canopy you would start a fire....
DO NOT use the mercury vapor light..... is it even designed for aquarium usage?? the reason people use power compact or VHO, which ever lighting source they decided on is do to the fact that aquarium lighting gives out specific Kelvin ratings which is needed for the algae in the corals/anemones to live off of.... an anemone lives off of food and its algae providing the nourishment for it also....
i dont know much about under gravel filter systems but not many people are big fans of them in the saltwater aquarium arena it might be more of a freshwater setup...
the undergravel filter along with the crushed coral will set u up with a nitrate bomb ..... what i mean is that your nitrates will build up overtime and could pollute your water.... very difficult to clean CC in an undergravel filter system....
u need to get some kind of canister filter or hang on back wheel filter....
if you have an open toped tank i would recommend getting some kind of set on top PC system that fit your tank .... it would be the best bet.... sure ull have to pay some $ for it but it works..... u should do search online and look for Power Compact lighting systems you can find some decent deals.... if you want to make a canopy to hie the lighting and the other misc returns u can but remember a canopy will need venting for the heat of the lighting to escape or else your tank temp will rise to high

 

[busybeaver]

i have some anemones that i can not move off of rocks. they are attached very tightly. are there any secrets to removing them.