Do I have enough light for an anemone???

[grubsnaek]

i have a 20L nano/frag tank. currently i have 150w of VHO actinics and a 70w DE 10K halide. these are in a canopy that is only 9" high, so the halide bulb is really like 8" of the surface. i am looking now to upgrade my MH bulb cause im running a cheap one. with the lites being so close to the water both the VHO and MH should actually be brighter to the corals. so do i have enough light for an anemone? my guess is yes, im keeping LPS frags in there no problem. tank could handle SPS also!

 

[keri]

I think you have enough light but what you don't have is room!! Most anemones will quickly outgrow that tank and sting your corals but you should look into "mini carpet anemones" They are beautiful and stay very small
Hope that helps.
(type "mini carpet anemones" on the search function on swf.com, DeMartini has some spectacular ones!)

 

[grubsnaek]

thanks. eventually i will be upgrading to a 29g, along with a 150w halide. but looking for small anemone now for my pair of black clowns.. they prolly will be only fish in tank....

 

[shrimpi]

you could get a smaller BTA, but just remember the BTA has to be big enough to withstand the beating from the clowns. If you buy one too small it will get irritated to death by your clowns.
Also, how old is your tank?
Jess

 

[grubsnaek]

about a year and a half....i would not be getting one until a month or two after i transfer my ETSS reef devil skimmer over from my 125DT to this sytem....

 

[shrimpi]

I think you will be fine then with a BTA. Just use your judgement (not your impatience like most of us lol) and buy the anemone when your tank is stable and ready.
Also, dont settle for the first anemone you find. Half the battle is finding a healthy, or semi healthy anemone at your LFS. Most of them (at least around me) are always sickly and bleached. Very seldom do I see a nice healthy one.
Another option is to join a local reef club and buy one off of someone there. Most of the time the anemone will be alot healthier.
Good Luck!
Post pics when you get him
Jess

 

[grubsnaek]

im prolly gunna go with a rose bubble. my LFS is pritty good with anemone's. i check out the whole fish section while im there 98% of the time

 

[shrimpi]

roses are so beautiful! you will be so happy with it. Make sure you just let it go wherever it wants (it will move around a little at first until it finds a spot it likes) and although some people say that feeding is not necessary, you will see more expansion and growth if you feed it a few times a week.
Raw seafood from your grocery store will keep it very happy. Make sure to keep switching it up though.. variety is key!
Good Luck! post a pic when you get him!
Jess

 

[grubsnaek]

it should look good in this system along with two black clowns that went into the tank about a week ago

 

[grubsnaek]

its going in this tank. so plenty of room for it to pick a spot. its a 20L frag/nano tank. so mostly all corals can be moved very easily. but with the pair of blck clowns being a constant in the tank, i figured i could get them an anemone so they know that will always be there. kinda to reduce stress of me always having my hands in and out. so i think it would be a bonus on the visual aspect also...