madhavi
New Member
Most aquarium hobbyists have always dreamt of having a successful aquarium with clownfish and host anemones. Unfortunately many have had difficulty keeping the host anemones alive, or purchased an anemone their clownfish refused to accept as a host. Another problem encountered for reef aquarist is the anemone moving around the tank stinging corals. The purpose of this article is to remedy some of these problems for the aquarist and hopefully increase the survival rate in captivity of these magnificent animals.
While there are 10 species of host anemones and 28 species of clownfish, I will stick to the six most common host anemones, and eleven clownfish species the hobbyist is likely to encounter in the trade.
All of the host anemones cannot be grouped into the same general care requirements. Each species has its own requirements and these requirements need to be met in order to have a chance at keeping these animals happy and healthy. There are a few aquarium requirements that are important to all the host anemones, low nitrate, good lighting system, good water movement, and food. Nitrate (NO3) must be monitored when keeping these host anemones. Probably the most common factor in the demise of host anemones in the aquarium is high nitrate level. A nitrate level above 20 ppm is the number one common factor in unsuccessful attempts to keep these anemones. I recommend that you try to keep nitrate below 15ppm. Using a deep sand bed (3 inches of fine sand) has proven to be one way to control the nitrate in the aquarium, and I highly recommend that you make the investment before attempting to keep these anemones. Lighting is also an important factor. Most lighting systems that come with aquariums are inadequate for keeping healthy host anemones. Host anemones have algae (known as zooxanthellae) that live inside their tissue that provide a major food source for the animal. You need moderately strong lighting to keep the algae healthy. I recommend compact fluorescent lighting systems on aquariums 2 feet (60 cm) or less in depth. Use 10000K or 6700K bulbs (or combination of both). Don't waste a bulb socket on actinic (blue light) bulbs. A moderate current also seems to be a factor in keeping these animals looking good. The water movement should be strong enough so the current is gently swaying the animal's tentacles. If you use power head pumps to create extra current in the aquarium, I recommend that you use a pre-filter like Hagen's Quick Filter attached to the intake so anemones that happen to be on the move do not get sucked up by the power head. Host anemones are carnivores, while they are not likely to eat a healthy fish or invertebrates in the aquarium, they will eat sick or dying animals. I recommend that they be fed 2 to 3 times a week. Offer the anemones large krill, shrimp (Jumbo shrimp), or fish. I have seen a carpet anemone 6 inches across the disk eat a sick 4 inch (10 cm) tang, so they can eat large animals nearly their own size. Place the food in the tentacles of the anemone. Within a few seconds the anemone will often fold the disk around the food and the mouth will begin to swell. When you first introduce an anemone to the aquarium do not be surprised if it will not eat for several weeks, this is common. Once the anemone is comfortable with its new environment it will start to eat. There are still some unknown factors in relation to host anemone health, even sometimes when all environmental factors look optimal some anemones still die. If it does die in your aquarium remove it as soon as possible, as they can pollute your tank quickly.
While there are 10 species of host anemones and 28 species of clownfish, I will stick to the six most common host anemones, and eleven clownfish species the hobbyist is likely to encounter in the trade.
All of the host anemones cannot be grouped into the same general care requirements. Each species has its own requirements and these requirements need to be met in order to have a chance at keeping these animals happy and healthy. There are a few aquarium requirements that are important to all the host anemones, low nitrate, good lighting system, good water movement, and food. Nitrate (NO3) must be monitored when keeping these host anemones. Probably the most common factor in the demise of host anemones in the aquarium is high nitrate level. A nitrate level above 20 ppm is the number one common factor in unsuccessful attempts to keep these anemones. I recommend that you try to keep nitrate below 15ppm. Using a deep sand bed (3 inches of fine sand) has proven to be one way to control the nitrate in the aquarium, and I highly recommend that you make the investment before attempting to keep these anemones. Lighting is also an important factor. Most lighting systems that come with aquariums are inadequate for keeping healthy host anemones. Host anemones have algae (known as zooxanthellae) that live inside their tissue that provide a major food source for the animal. You need moderately strong lighting to keep the algae healthy. I recommend compact fluorescent lighting systems on aquariums 2 feet (60 cm) or less in depth. Use 10000K or 6700K bulbs (or combination of both). Don't waste a bulb socket on actinic (blue light) bulbs. A moderate current also seems to be a factor in keeping these animals looking good. The water movement should be strong enough so the current is gently swaying the animal's tentacles. If you use power head pumps to create extra current in the aquarium, I recommend that you use a pre-filter like Hagen's Quick Filter attached to the intake so anemones that happen to be on the move do not get sucked up by the power head. Host anemones are carnivores, while they are not likely to eat a healthy fish or invertebrates in the aquarium, they will eat sick or dying animals. I recommend that they be fed 2 to 3 times a week. Offer the anemones large krill, shrimp (Jumbo shrimp), or fish. I have seen a carpet anemone 6 inches across the disk eat a sick 4 inch (10 cm) tang, so they can eat large animals nearly their own size. Place the food in the tentacles of the anemone. Within a few seconds the anemone will often fold the disk around the food and the mouth will begin to swell. When you first introduce an anemone to the aquarium do not be surprised if it will not eat for several weeks, this is common. Once the anemone is comfortable with its new environment it will start to eat. There are still some unknown factors in relation to host anemone health, even sometimes when all environmental factors look optimal some anemones still die. If it does die in your aquarium remove it as soon as possible, as they can pollute your tank quickly.