long tentacle anemone new to tank

T

tmsdc

Guest
Help! I wanted to restock my tank. I have a 75 gal and water quality is great! I went to my lfs and was convinced to buy this anemone to accompany the clown I bought. Unfortunately the clown died in a day, my first to die right away even with proper acclimation.

This leaves me with 2 questions.
1-the lfs guy was telling me I could spot feed the anemone every couple of months with shrimp. Does anyone know anything about that? If so, will frozen/thawed brine shrimp work? And
2-I really want a clown in my tank, the whole purpose of me getting the anemone. What is the likelihood of another clown, from the same tank the anemone was in at the lfs, adopting the anemone? I believe the clown was a false percula. I ultimately want a peaceful clown to get along with his other tank mates.
Thanks
 

invertcrazy

Member
Well first welcome to the boards.
As long as you have the correct lighting to keep anemones there is no need to spot feed as they get 90% of their food from the lights. T5 or mh lights are needed to keep this anemone. Also your tank needs to be well established for 6 months or more. If you are feeding brine shrimp, it needs to be soaked in a vitamin like selacon or zoe as brine shrimp has very little nutritional value. Mysis shrimp or a frozen food like Marine Cuisine or Prime Reef would be a better choice. Many spot feed once a week or once every ten days or so. The anemone will also grab bits of food when you feed your fish.
As for getting another clown, it's never a sure thing they will host. Like all anemones and clowns, it's a 50/50 chance. It 's kinda up to the clown. Some clowns will dive right in, some may take a week or so and some may never go near it. I think the ocellaris (false percula) is a good choice for the lta (long tentacle anemone). As long as your tank size allows, I would get 2 small clows and let them take from there. As always this is only my opinion and i'm sure others will add their .02
 

invertcrazy

Member
I should have asked earlier--how long is the tank been set up- what kind of lights do you have-what size tank is it- what fish and inverts are in the tank now
 

luvmyreef

Active Member
IME with my long tenacle anemone:
1: Yes, I give him a piece of raw jumbo shrimp approx every 1-1/2 months. You do not have to do this, but I do because I want everything in my tank happy
and he is huge....
2: I bought mine to host false perc. clowns too, but they did not.. It definitely is hit or miss whether or not they will host it. I only have one clown now and he chose to stay in/around my mushrooms.

as far as your clown dying....what exactly are your parameters? You mentioned restocking.....How old is your tank?
 

nycbob

Active Member
as stated above, u will need a mature tank and proper lighting to keep a long-tentacle anemone. if u cant keep a clownfish alive, i dont think u r ready for an anemone.
 

flower

Well-Known Member

I don't think clowns host LTAs....so LFS sold you the wrong type of anemone to start with...Also they get huge and they eat your fish as well as shrimp...which I fed every other week, a chunk of shrimp.
I had mine for 3 years and just got rid of it. It was the most beautiful creature in the tank...but it was quickly becoming the only thing in the tank.
 
T

tmsdc

Guest
Sorry everyone for being vague...typing at work.
My tank is a 75 gal which I've had for 3 years. Lighting is VHO but new bulbs. The LFS guy knows my tank and says that should be good.
I have lots of turbos, some ceriths and nassarius; quite a few red legs, some blue legs, emerald crabs a coral band shrimp. I have lots of live rock and coral including lots for zoos, candy cane, tree leather, galaxea, and a Rainbow Ricordea mushroom polyp I just added about a month ago.
As far as fish and re-stocking, I have a 6 line wrasse and just found a new home for a blue Fiji damsel that I got 2 years ago but got he huge, about 5 inches and very aggressive so, he was beautiful and I felt bad, didn't want to flush him and didn't want anyone to cycle him so I waited and just built my reef around him. I did just add a royal gramma who seems to be doing fine.
Flower, as far a the LTA getting aggressive and eating my other fish, that was a voiced concern that I was told I didn't have to worry about so I HOPE that doesn't happen.
InvertCrazy, I was considering doing the 2 clown thing, hoping they'll pair up BUT, I was worried about the agressive factor when they get older. I don't want to go through that again. My ultimate goal is to get a green mandarin in here. Tried once a couple of years ago but the poor little thing got caught up in an intake valve of a power head
...fixed that problem.
Sorry so long and thanks for all input. Very helpful!
 
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