Best Anemone for Clowns?

[reef dude]

I just purchased 2 true percula clowns last friday and they seem to be doing great. I figure i would leave them in for another week or so and then add one or two anemones, which is the next bio-load to add on my list.
Water parameters are great, nitrates are around 5 or 10 ppm but thats pretty good IMO.
My question is, whats the best type of anemone for a true percula clown? i was thinking about an atlantic carpet anemone, any suggestions from past experiences?

 

[panhead]

atlantic is not a host type, your best bet is a bubble, they are a little pricey but they are one of the more likely to do OK in a tank. you still need good water/lights but I would stay away from
the carpets.imo

 

[watcher]

remember to feed them shrimp or silversides or something

 

[carrie1429]

First of all how long has your tank been running for? anemones need well established tanks with perfect water conditions and really good lighting to survive and even then they don't live that long. Your clowns don't need an anemone and will be happy without one but if you are set on having an anemone I think the perculas like the purple tip sebea anemone. I have had this anemone before and my clowns loved it.

 

[watcher]

actually I think bubble tipped anenome's are about as hard as most sps corals, maybe even easier.
If you get a good captive cloned one. And you have good water, plus regular feeding they aren't that hard...i dont know however if they'll take to an BTA

 

[bentrue]

IMO, 0 nitrates are pretty good. anemones are very sensitive to water conditions among many other variables in the aquarium. it is also not a sure thing that your clowns will host in an anemone. some have for people, others have had clowns and anemones in their tanks and the relationship never started.
the decision is ultimately yours, but please do your research on the care of anemones before attempting to keep them. it can be done, but is difficult.

 

[aguaholic]

It would of been a better bet to purchase an anemone or anemones first that way they can have a chance of establishing themselves. Because sometimes a clown (usually seabae) can really stress out a new host!

 

[marco]

Maybe I'm just lucky but I've had three anemonies in my tank for a year now ( two carpets and one atlantic ) and I had a bad nitrate problem(over 140)and they seem to be fine. They were even bigger when I had the nitrate problem.
I have two clowns one clarkii and one tomato and neither of them go in the atlantic. but I saw a domino damsel go in the atlantic befor.JMTC

 

[u235a4]

I have two Florida Condi's, Two Rock anemones, and two Atlantic Carpet's and my four percula's don't mess with any of them now as for my anemone crabs they seem to love them and move from anemone to anemone, thats just my experiance with them. <img src="graemlins//confused2.gif" border="0" alt="[confused2]" />

 

[reef dude]

Ok, well the tank has been up for a good 2 and a half months. I added 2 clowns the other day to start stocking the tank. However i plan on getting a tang or 2, flame angel and maybe a royal gramma. But the ONLY reason i wanted to get the anemone's is so the clowns would have protection from the bigger fish that i plan on adding some time down the road(tangs). Would the tangs, flame angel/coral beauty, royal gramma go after the clowns if they didnt have anemones to take shelter in??
IF the clowns can hold their own against these fish, i would rather skip the anemone and just plan on adding my next fish.

 

[sgt__york]

Oh absolutely - the clowns will do fine w/most any tangs. Tangs generally leave them alone - and pick on other tangs (often of similar body shape first) - especially yellows.
The only one i'd be worried abuot was the "ANGEL" - angels tend to be quite aggressive - picking on most anything - even your face at the glass.. LOL
make sure you put the most aggressive in "last." I had a 75 gal for 5yrs stocked with: 2 percula; 1 blue hippo tang; 1 achilees tang; wrasp; and dwarf yellow peel Angel.
The angel was the last to be introduced, and the meanest in the tank. I could never introduce another fish after him. I tried 3 different times, and he harrassed em to the point of exhaustion - and I had to apture them to return them to the LFS (losing money at that) lol
Percula's will be just as happy w/o an anemone. The ones i had would come eat flakes out of ur hand, and even crawl through your hand if you made an o-ring w/ur thumb and fingers. Always a great fish for a tank.
I have heard repeatedly, that anemones also hae a short life span - often 2yrs or so. And once they go, they spike ammonia's that can cause havac with the water quality - and thus any of the other corals in the tank.
I personally love seeing perculas play in the anemones as well - but this time around, i'll be avoiding the anemones. But to each his own Just know the risks and care. Good luck to you.

 

[anthony812]

i reccomend you not go with a anemone cuz my clown never accepted the anemone sad story. i tihnk my fish are retarded lolz

 

[reef dude]

so the clowns should be totally ok with tangs, gramma, blennies, gobys, and a dwarf angel?

 

[byrself]

anemones can be a pain around corals also. if you plan on keeping corals in your tank, you may want to stay away from them, or at least go with ones that don't tend to move around so much. also, be very sure of what kind of anemone you are buying, because stores have a tendency to mislabel anemones sometimes. good luck..