Hi,
if you're going to get an anemone, PLEASE get good lighting, at least 175-watt MH, VHO or PC. Anemones need a lot of light, otherwise they will wither and die in a matter of months, a year at most. This is particularly sad to see as the poor anemonefishes get very distressed. Also, anemones are somewhat "immortal" in that they do ot die until something comes along and kills them, so many of the anemones we see, especially the large ones, may be hundreds of years old. Because of this, their numbers can be very easily altered in the wild, and even aquarium collection can have a big impact on their numbers. Many say that you shouldn't keep anemones at all for this reason, but I believe if you care for them well and provide for them you will only ever have to buy 1 and that is OK. My H. magnifica is under 400-watt Metal Halides plus actinic fluorescent with water quality brilliant, NO3, NO2, NH3 etc all zero (thanks to a good skimmer, live sand bed and no trickle/cannister/fluidised bed filter), and he is doing very well. He is home to a pair of A. percula, great little fish, but if he died I would not go and buy myself another one.
Just please take this into account.
Regards,
Tom
