Learning about anemones: Are reef fish safe?

[kris walker]

Hi everyone,
Due to recent posts, I have been thinking about anemones more. Since they eat fish among other things, I have been wondering if they are safe in a reef tank with small fish like damsels, gobies, grammas, etc. Have any of you had bad experiences with anemones supplimenting their diet with your reef fish?
I do not plan on getting an anemone for a while, as my tank is still immature. So any info is for future reference.
sam

 

[twoods71]

I've never really heard of a problem other then fish that are sick, weak, and already dieng. Most fish that are not immune to the sting of an anemone usually stay away from them. And for those that do get stung it usually only happens once and after that they are smart enough to stay away.

 

[twoods71]

Almost forgot. I think the biggest problem with an anemone in a reef tank is the fact that they usually wonder around the tank and while doing so can do lethal damage to some corals.

 

[ebeckels]

i've had one fish get eaten by an anemone...he was dying or maybe even dead...he just floated into my flower anemone and the flower ate most of him. I had to clean out the rest...other than that, I have a small damsel and perc and i don't think they've gotten too close with either.
-Eric

 

[texasreefrat]

Light Light Light, Anemone's need intense light to live for long periods. Currently I have three Anemone's and they are all doing well, especially my Purple tip, as he is in the tank with the most powerful lighting.
Im unsure on feeding but I give the larger ones half of a Silverside(fish, frozen) once a week and they seem to do Ok and grow well. I just cant seem to interest any clownfish with them.

 

[gailen]

TexasReefRat,just noticed you live in Conroe too, small world. Welcome to the board

 

[swtanks]

Carpet aneomes and Cerianthus tube anemones (not true anenomes but pretty) are known to catch and eat healthy fish.

 

[fishfood]

How much light do you suggest? I have a mh 175w and two vho 75w that i will be using. I'm thinking about a long tentacle anemone with some pink skunk clowns. Anyone have any exp with the long tentacle anemone??

 

[fred the fish guy]

I have a very large long tentacle in my reef that I like way more than a bubble tip i once owned. The bubble tip moved alot but when it did man did it sting some corals bad so i ended up getting rid of it. The long tentacle only moves every couple of months or so and usually goes back and forth to the same spots. It seemed to move alot less than my bubble did and only really started to move when I hadnt feed it in a couple of weeks. I usually put some mysis shrimp in a saringe and squirt it right in the center of it once or twice a week or so. I love mine and the fish arent bothered by it either. It usually is open all day even mostly at night, I cant get it to close even if I wanted to. It did however become a pain the first week i had it however because it couldnt choose a spot and where i put it just didnt seem to like. If you get one I hope it is before you have many corals or you will be up all night moving them out of its next path or ripping it off of them. Even though no corals where harmed it was a pain and wish I would have added it sooner so it could pick a spot of its own and it wouldnt be able to bother much. I just hope your tank doesnt have alot of coral or you make a great place for it by the edge of a rock on your sand. That has seemed to work best and keep it away from all the corals on the rocks. Just scoot out some sand from under a rock (very little), just enough to put its foot in and make it wedge slightly against the edge of rock and sand. Try to burry the foot all the way against the side bottom of the rock and the glass(bottom glass) and then fill all around it with sand. Worked for me (some of the time). They are easy to care for as well. Oh yeah and another thing if it starts to move onto the glass with a power head anywhere near it i would advise turning the thing off. Got home one day and found half of the tentacles on it either stuck up in the power head or blowing around my tank because theyd already been chopped off. This has happened more than once but this was the worst. Besides that the tenticles grew back and it was opening that same day(besides half of it missing). Another thing to remember is not to place it under powerheads because it can fall off the glass and land directly on the it and of course it will be sucked in. Mine doesnt even have powerhead battle wounds from its many fights. If it hasnt died in my tank from powerheads I dont see why it wouldnt work for you. As for the skunk clowns I havent a clue, all I know is that alot of clowns wont go in them as mch as bubble tips and other short tentacle types. As for me i do not have clowns at the moment.
I also have 4 55 watt compacts so you would need some good lighting.

 

[seabass]

I had a carpet and it ate 3 fish! I took it back to the lfs! and I will never get another carpet again!

 

[fred the fish guy]

No kidden seabass I understand where you are commin from on that one> they do eat fish and it always seems to be the expenisive ones. That reminded me of a story. One of my friends had a large carpet for along time with this emperor angel(great big and pretty too). I know that emperors can pick and he shouldnt have had it in with it anyway. But man was he sad when he found out that it had grabed his emperor and had almost killed it already. Then to make maters worse his wife decided to try her luck at saving the emperor. Well she did this by means of a large knife hoping to make the carpet mad enough to let it go. By the way stabbing it with the knife didnt seem to help much and the carpet and the emperor both died in the end. I sure wouldnt recommend them to anyone after the experience he had with that expensive of a fish and a pretty big one too.

 

[kris walker]

Great practical info everyone. I will put it to use in several months, if some luck and money come my way.
sam