Corals, anenomes and clowns

[jedimaster]

Can anyone recommend any hardy "starter" corals, Or any particular species to avoid. Something colorful and not too outragiuosly priced.
I does anyone know what kind of anenomes a pair of A. Percula's would like? I saw a chart but it was dated 1983, and only mentioned matches found in the ocean.
Would the clowns be happy with a Pink Tip Anenome?

 

[ebeckels]

the clowns would be happy with a bubble tip...they are pretty hardy as far as anemones go in captivity. Shrooms are pretty easy as far as colorful easy corals.

 

[fshhub]

mushrooms, polyps, adn leathers are good beginner corals, and the leathers have often been found to host clowns, as an anemone would, as for the anemone, my feelings are that they should not be in an aquarium and none are easy to keep for any length of time

 

[jedimaster]

Is it just the lenght of time they live in captivity why you feel like that about anenomes? or is their something else? Just curious

 

[fshhub]

it is that they are beautiful delicate creatures and their life expectancy in the aquarioms is often reduced by t99%, not just a couple of years, but it is almos reduced to nothing, but yes that is why,and i think that they are jsut too beautiful and interesting to basically kill, no flame needed, i just could not think of a better word to use, i don't think we should keep animals as family(not pets, but family members), if we cannot keep them healthy and a healthy animal will normaly live out its life
now, i am not referring to accidental death either(ie powerheads)
the choice is yours, that is just my feelings, and some day i DO hope that we find a way to keep them much longer, because i would love some myself

 

[jedimaster]

They do that poorly eh? I wasn't aware, How long to they live in the ocean and how long do they usually live in a tank? No flame taken m8, just getting some advice on them before I decide if I get one.

 

[-shawn-]

In the ocean anemone can live for hundreds of years easy...who knows, maybe even thousand. Sadly, in tanks it is rare for them to live over 3 years.

 

[ebeckels]

I agree 100% with the above posts...but I will still stick with what I said before...if u want an anemone, a bubble tip is pretty hardy and makes a great hosting anemone for clowns...shrooms and polyps are great beginners corals.
hth

 

[fshhub]

in the ocean, it has been said above, but in tanks, they actually rarely see a year, and more expreienced reefers somtimes see 2(but very rarely) and only very few see 5, i have heard of one that is 13 yrs old, but thati s the only one i have heard of over 5 or 6

 

[ebeckels]

fshhub;
I'm just answering the Jedi's question...he/she wanted to know what types of corals and anemone's are good for beginners... I said that the bubble tip would be his best choice for an anemone and shrooms are a good choice for a coral. I know and many other people know that anemone's are very difficult if not impossible to keep alive in the home aquarium...the jedi knows that now... I just want to answer his question, not tell jedi what I do or don't do. I'm not mad at all, and I totally see where you're coming from, but like I said, jedi had a question...I wanted to give him an answer...of course, thanks to you, jedi has a much more informed answer and maybe won't get an anemone....but at least jedi still has a solid answer.

 

[jedimaster]

Indeed I do, I doubt very much that I'll be getting an anenome. It's a shame that with them doing so poorly that so many LFS's stock so many of them. Although I am sure they wouldn't say how long they last in a tank. Anyway, Thanks for all the info guys, its much appreciated. So mushrooms, polyps and leathers or fairly easy? What light requirments do they have?
What about feather dusters? Particulairy Hawian Feather dusters?
I currently have 8 48" 40 watt NO Florecent bulbs. 2 20k blue, 2 18k actinic, and 4 10k. My tank is a 90 gallon 4 foot long tank.

 

[ebeckels]

shrooms actually like a little bit of light...or indirect light.

 

[fshhub]

eric, i understand what you are saying, and i was only asking that you and others don't flame me, and i am glad that you answered his q because i apparently could not have, and i was in turn only answeringhis return questions, no trying ot fuel a debate, i have given my opinion and answered his Q, and then when he had requested mor info, i responded, as i said, i do think they are beautiful and fascinating, and would like one, but...., and i and others want yours and everyones opinions and responses,
and i wish everyone would do some more research before buying anything (well, not everyone, but those who don't actually know their getting), i commend all who investigate first, wheter they do the right thing or not, at least they have the knowledge to decide for themselves(instead of the lfs deciding)
adn to answer your question about feahter dusters, they are an excellent starter invert, if you do well with them, you are getting somewhere, and if you don't, you need ot look at what you are doing, because they are an easy invert to learn with, they have very low lighting requirements

 

[jedimaster]

Thanks for the feather duster info. I think we'll likely be going with them to start. btw my other tank inhabitants include, 60 pounds of LR, 2 green chromis(probably trade for a credit towards a pair of clowns), 2 red flame scallops(doing well so far, but I have read they can be difficult to maintain, they both are in plain view and have stayed in place for nearly 5 days, they both are accepting food(liquid invert food from a syringe), and stay open all day til the lights go out. about a dozen or so blue leg hermits, a dozen or so turbo and astrea snails, an emerald crab, and a brittle star, Oh yah, 4 pepermint shrimp. The list is getting longer and longer. Their is also numerous small creatures on the live rock(small feather dusters, sea anenomes, and a 2 inch orange sponge).
It seems I see something new in the tank each day. Also their are some slug type creature I haven't identified yet. very small about a half a centimeter long, two of them just squiggle back and forth on the glass.

 

[ebeckels]

Originally posted by fshhub:
<strong>eric, i understand what you are saying, and i was only asking that you and others don't flame me</strong><hr></blockquote>
The whole point of me putting the smiley faces in was to reinforce the fact that I am not flaming you! I am smiling as I write this and I do not disagree with your statements even a little bit! I think we agree on this completely...the only thing I was trying to say was, that his question was what are good starter anemones and corals... I was just saying that his question was not answered by saying that anemones should not be kept in a home aquarium. We 100% agree! Again...I'm not flaming you...I wouldn't do that...I like what you post and agree with it. you seem to be very knowledgeable about marine aquariums. once again...

 

[jedimaster]

Didn't mean to spark a big debate, but no feelings were hurt on my side at all, In fact I am very appreciative of the advice I have gotten.

 

[ebeckels]

very welcome

 

[fshhub]

ditto, and like yousaid, we do agree, and i also agree that you had answered the asked Q, it seems we not only agree, but think alike, both of us seem to be taking it serious enough as to try to not upset each other or the other on the board
L8R eric and yoda(LOL)