Anemones!

[+brian.srock]

Post your Anemone!

[FarmerTy]

[mFrame]

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

There sure are a lot of BTAs here. Time to mix it up with some big boy anemones 

 

[jestep]

47 minutes ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said:

There sure are a lot of BTAs here. Time to mix it up with some big boy anemones 

 

I don't know, putting those next to SPS colonies seems a lot like building a house on the border of an artillery testing range...

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

50 minutes ago, jestep said:

I don't know, putting those next to SPS colonies seems a lot like building a house on the border of an artillery testing range...

That's the nice thing about mags, they don't tend to randomly go on walkabouts like BTAs. I just have to keep my SPS out of their tentacle range 

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

Here's my newest Heteractis magnifica anemone. Purple foot, bright green tentacles, and white tips.


Can you find all three clowns?

[FarmerTy]

Here's my newest Heteractis magnifica anemone. Purple foot, bright green tentacles, and white tips.


Can you find all three clowns?

Nice Gig'em!

I know there are several other types of anemones that are reef-friendly like your magnifica and that are great alternatives to bubble tip anemones. What are the other types that you are familiar with?

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

That's a great question FarmerTy! The ocean is full of many species of anemones, most of which don't host clownfish, and many that do. I can't say I've owned every species of anemone, but I've owned many of the anemones commonly found in the hobby. I'm no expert, but this is what I know about the anemones commonly found in the hobby:

 

Non-hosting anemones

maxi mini anemones

These anemones are great nano tank anemones that can be found in an insane variety of color combinations and patterns. What's also cool about these anemones is they don't grow too large, they typically don't run the risk of wandering into powerheads, and they do host to some species of anemone crabs and shrimp. You can keep lots of these guys in a small area and make a really beautiful garden of anemones. They are pretty stick, but so small you don't have to worry about them eating any of your fish.

Here are some macro shots from maxi minis I had back in 2011.

 

Condy anemones

Condys are Carribbean anemones and is the first species of anemone I ever kept when I was younger. They can be very pretty and colorful, but don't grow very large, they don't host clownfish, and tend to bury their foot deep into rock crevices making it difficult to remove them. They are pretty hardy anemones, but you typically don't see them in reef scenes very often. If you go snorkeling in the keys you can find these guys attached to the sides and undersides of rock structures. Since I only had disposable cameras back in the day, I don't have any of my own photos of my condy anemones.

 

Tube anemones

Tube anemones bury their foot deep into sand and sediment, reside in a tube of their own creation, and are actually non photosynthetic! It's best to keep them in a shaded area and remember to feed them. They can come in some really awesome colors including neon orange and pink. When you shine pure actinic light on them you'll think they're fake because they fluoresce such crazy unnatural colors. They don't grow very large, but have really cool, long, tightly packed narrow tentacles.

 

Rock anemones

These anemones, like maxi mini anemones, come in a large variety of colors, are very hardy anemones, and don't tend to move around much once they're settled in. The can also be kept in groups and when combined with different colored specimens can make a really beautiful collection.

 

Clownfish Hosting Anemones

Stychodactyla Haddoni (Haddoni anemones)

Haddonis are the most commonly found carpet anemone in the hobby. They are most commonly found in shades of tan/green, but can be found in bright green, blue, red, and purple. They are a very hardy species of anemones, but have very sticky short tentacles that can ensnare and consume other fish in the aquarium. They reside on the sand bed of the aquarium and like to bury their foot under the sand and attach the base of their foot to the underside of a rock. This species is great for someone who wants to try a large hosting carpet anemone, but the more desirable colors can be very VERY expensive. It's considered to be a good starting anemone as it is resilient and undemanding. Again, beware of the sticky tentacles.

 

Stychodactyla gigantea (true carpet anemones)

This species of anemones is considered to be the true carpet anemone, which can grow larger than the haddoni, has numerous densely spaced tentacles that are longer than that of the haddoni, has dots (verruce) running vertically down the foot of the anemone, and can be placed on rocks instead of the sand bed. This is arguably the most difficult species of anemone to keep in captivity as it is a poor shipper and does not adapt to captivity very well. Once a specimen is successfully transitioned into captive life, it can grow into a large and gorgeous anemone and can be found in colors from brown, green, blue, and purple. The anemone likes high variable flow and powerful lights. They don't tend to move once established and happy in one spot. They can also be very sticky anemones when healthy.

 

Heteractis crisp (Sebae anemone)

A less common anemone to find in many shops in Austin these days, this anemone can also be difficult to acclimate into captivity. These anemones used to come in to the market dyed completely yellow or pink, but luckily that practice has largely ended. I've seen some live on rocks, but for the most part they bury their foot in the sand. Their tentacles can grow fairly long and stringy.

 

Macrodactyla doreensis (Long tentacle anemone)

The long tentacle anemone (LTA) bury their foot in the sand and usually have a very bright orange to red colored foot that you don't get to see once they are established in a spot the like. As the name suggests, they have long tentacles and their tentacles tend to be pretty spaced out if not enough light is reaching the bottom of the tank where they reside. They can take up a good amount of space and you don't get as many tentacles per space taken as some other species. The tentacles can get long or can curve slightly inwards. The colors usually aren't as vibrant as other species, but can be found with stripes and in bright shades of green, beautiful blues, purples, and even red. It requires a fairly deep sand bed to bury its foot in and won't do very well without sand in the tank.

 

Heteractis magnifica (ritteri anemone)

This is my personal favorite and a species I have been infatuated with for the last decade. This species is undoubtedly the anemone most people saw in a picture or film hosting clownfish that made them aspire to own an anemone and clownfish of their own. It can grow to be one of the largest anemone species with dense, medium sized tentacles that are bulbous on the ends. These anemones are usually multicolored with differing colors of foot, tentacles, and tips. The colors of the magnifica foot can range from tan to bright purple, blue, red, yellow, and pink. The tentacles can be pretty sticky when the anemone is healthy and even give some people with sensitive skin a light rash if touched. The tentacles can also be found in a wide variety of color combinations including green, tan, yellow, and purple. This anemone is one of the more photographed species, and aptly name "the magnificent anemone" due to it's size, tentacle length, color, and density, and the way clownfish are dwarfed within it's swaying forest of tentacles. This anemone, like the true carpet anemone, is one of the most difficult species of anemone to acclimate into captivity. They have poor survival rates transitioning into captivity, but once acclimated can be very hardy and rarely attempt to move around the aquarium once established. The magnifica anemone is one of two species that can reproduce asexually, but they do so rarely and infrequently. They like high flow and high light and will often want to be positioned on top of the rock work nearest the light making a great statement piece in the aquarium. Generally this anemone is recommended as "expert only".

 

Entacmae quadricolor (Bubble tip anemone)

The most common and probably easiest to keep species of anemone that regularly hosts clownfish. This species of anemone is the best for beginners and will tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and abuse. The name bubble tip anemone (BTA) comes from the bubble shaped tentacles the anemone develops right before the end of the tips. Unfortunately many bubble tips lose this unique bubble shape in captivity and can develop long lanky tentacles like that of long tentacle anemones. The reason bubble tips retain or lose this shape is unknown in the hobby. They tend to bury their foot deep into rock piles or crevices making them difficult to remove without encouraging them to move by changing the lighting or flow of the water. BTAs tend to reproduce quite frequently in the home aquarium by asexual splitting, and is one of two commonly kept species that reproduces asexually. Some variants of BTA reproduce so often they can reach plague sized populations and overtake an aquarium. BTAs are also known to randomly get up and "walk" around the aquarium, occasionally finding their way to a powerhead where they become shredded into anemone soup. Even when a BTA gets sucked into a PH, they are usually resilient enough to pull themselves out and heal if the PH is turned off before it is completely shredded. Luckily they can pull themselves out of a PH and heal on their own if the PH is turned off in time. BTAs are also resilient enough to be manually reproduced by cutting them in half directly down the center. They are bullet proof anemones that can take all sorts of abuse and conditions, grow rapidly, and be reproduced quickly making them a great way to quickly make the initial investment back and share with other reefers. BTAs can be found as brown, green, and the most popular color, red, or rose "RBTAs". They can be found with different colored tips from the tentacles, and some unique variants even have purple and magenta bases. When a hobbyist is starting out with hosting anemones, they are recommended to start with a BTA before moving on to more "expert level" or unique species of anemones.

 

[Isaac]

1 hour ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said:

Non-hosting anemones

you forgot the evil "glass anemone."  known to cause reefers to nuke their tanks in frustration, once they spend millions on various treatments and lasers to no avail.

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

10 hours ago, Isaac said:

you forgot the evil "glass anemone."  known to cause reefers to nuke their tanks in frustration, once they spend millions on various treatments and lasers to no avail.

Hahaha I only listed anemones people would willingly put in their tank, not nightmarish plague pests that appear out of nowhere.

[Sascha D.]

That's a great introduction Gig'em! 

In the BTA section you mentioned people forcefully cloning the anemone. Is the BTA the only one that you can do this with or are other species tolerant as well?

I swore off anemones in 2012 after my BTA murdered my colony of Oregon Tort, but I've been thinking of getting back into it. How likely are LTA and Magnifica to change color due to our specific lighting and aquarium parameters?

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

BTAs and H. magnificas are similar in that they are both known to reproduce asexually, but since BTAs are so resilient and bulletproof, people have much more success fragging BTAs over mags. Some mags have been successfully fragged, but with the difficulty in getting healthy specimens acclimated into captivity, it's a pretty large risk not many people are willing to make on their prized show-piece anemone. There are YouTube videos of people fragging haddonis, but most of the time you don't see the result and over the long run they end up losing one or both anemone halves. I have heard of people having success fragging maxi mini anemones, but I never personally tried it on mine when I had some.

I've sworn off BTAs too, IMO they're easy to keep, super common, but ticking time bombs. Too many times I would come home to a cloudy tank or a path of dead corals because the BTA randomly decided to move around. Unfortunately the reason for their migration can seem random and unpredictable, or moving after a split into multiple clones. With a tank full of SPS, BTAs can be risky if not kept under daily observation.

Magnifica anemones don't change color under our lights too much. The only change I can attest to is they're bleached out when they arrive from the collectors and wholesalers and regain their true color in our tanks. My first mag was healthy when I bought it and hasn't changed colors since. As an example, here's my green/magenta mag when I picked it up 8 months ago and it had almost not distinguishable color to it

This is it now, also much larger after I aggressively fed it for so many months

[mFrame]

While BTAs do move, I have to disagree with you on a lot of points.  For people starting out they're one of the easiest to keep and clowns will generally find them and host.  The variety and color means they are readily available and clone easily.  That means that you can 1) often recover the purchase price 2) share clones so that if you ever lose one you can actually get another from whomever you shared with when theirs splits. You can generally deal with movement by setting up rock column island surround by sand. As long as the BTA can't reach another rock or the glass then whatever movement they do will just be on the rock column.

I recently added a purple LTA to my tank.  I had tried 2 green LTAs in years past but never had luck with them, but the purple one I have now seems to be happy and thriving.  I absolutely love the color mix of it with my BTAs (Colorado Sunburst, rose , and rainbow).

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

I feel like we're on the same page about BTAs, I said "This species of anemone is the best for beginners and will tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and abuse" and "BTAs tend to reproduce quite frequently in the home aquarium " which seems to be exactly what you're trying to portray about new reefers being able to regain their investment back by selling clones... That is unless they buy a high priced named anemone while it is still "exclusive". The problem I see with buying this type of anemone and hoping to get your money back from a single split (assuming it doesn't die first) is the law of supply and demand will eventually take effect and drive the price below the original buying price. Once enough people get a hand on anemone "X" and they all make one or two clones of their own and sell them off, the population will continue to grow to the point that it's no longer rare and can't demand the same selling price. As an example, Sherman BTAs were selling for over $100 an anemone a few years ago, now you can find them for $25 in Houston because so many people began producing clones and it became a commonplace anemone. In this sense I would not recommend a beginner to invest in a high priced BTA because they may kill it and wipe out their investment in a noob learning mistake. A suggested move might be to start with a lower priced BTA and gradually move up to more pricey and colorful variants of BTAs that they can be more confident in keeping alive.

 

But that's getting a bit off topic, all I have to say about BTAs in this sense is they are great safe anemones for beginners because they are a robust and forgiving species that are less prone to health declines than other species. Combine their resilient nature with their vigorous reproductive abilities and it makes a great fail safe anemone to sell and share in case a tank crash should occur. The only problem I see with BTAs is a) They can move unexpectedly and quickly, which can be disastrous b) They reproduce quickly and can take over a tank if left unchecked c) They can inflate/expand pretty quickly and can reach/sting parts of the tank previously considered at a safe distance d) They don't develop numerous dense tentacles, but split into multiple anemones instead e) BTAs are so common. These are all my opinions after years of owning different anemones, and to each their own. I'm not right or wrong, just portraying my thoughts on my experience and observations.

 

To stick with the title of the thread, a GIF!

[FarmerTy]

You need to learn your alphabet Gig'em and quit hating on BTAs! [emoji12]

Edit:  No fair, he fixed his alphabet!  What am I supposed to make fun of?

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

And just to beat a dead horse, I think buying a nice colored expensive BTA isn't a bad thing. If there's a market for it then we should all be trying to buy one. If the original purchasers are able to clone theirs a few times and sell them for slightly cheaper than what they bought for, but still make money off it then they come out ahead. If the second and third generation owners do the same and so on and so forth then everyone will eventually win. The investors will have made their money back and then some and eventually the price will be low enough that everyone can enjoy the same anemone at an affordable price with plenty of back ups available. In this sense aquarium economics is a beautiful thing that allows everyone to share the wealth without going poor. So BUY BUY BUY! SPLIT! SPLIT! SPLIT! But I won't be putting a BTA in my tank

[Isaac]

dont forget... you dont own the anemone, the anemone owns you!  (unless you are ty and you slice them up)

[FarmerTy]

53 minutes ago, Isaac said:

dont forget... you dont own the anemone, the anemone owns you!  (unless you are ty and you slice them up)

You're in my world now punk!  

[FarmerTy]

1 hour ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said:

And just to beat a dead horse, I think buying a nice colored expensive BTA isn't a bad thing. If there's a market for it then we should all be trying to buy one. If the original purchasers are able to clone theirs a few times and sell them for slightly cheaper than what they bought for, but still make money off it then they come out ahead. If the second and third generation owners do the same and so on and so forth then everyone will eventually win. The investors will have made their money back and then some and eventually the price will be low enough that everyone can enjoy the same anemone at an affordable price with plenty of back ups available. In this sense aquarium economics is a beautiful thing that allows everyone to share the wealth without going poor. So BUY BUY BUY! SPLIT! SPLIT! SPLIT! But I won't be putting a BTA in my tank

I agree, I think BTAs are the perfect beginner anemone.  Resilient, easily propagated, and often very colorful.  My personal opinion is the cons regarding BTAs aren't really cons at all.  

A) They move a lot:  I've had a different experience.  With keeping BTAs for 8 years now, mine never moved.  I think if you give them stable parameters in a healthy system, they don't have a reason to move.  The only time one moves on me is if it split, which seems natural as they are trying to get away from the parent clone to find another suitable location.

B.) They split too much: Good and bad.  Mine usually only split once a year, and often that is associated with a stressor I put on it.  My Sunburst has split naturally two times on me, both were induced by some type of stressor I gave it.  First time I left the T5s on all night, so 23 hrs of T5 lighting did it.  The 2nd time I was trying to cover up the anemone with rocks to force it to move its foot so I could remove it and cut it as it had gotten bigger than I wanted.  2 weeks of the rocks over it and it split by itself.  Both situations they were induced by stress to split.  My theory of the ones that constantly move or split is because of water conditions are stressors put on them.  For instance, you friend with is tub of anemones.  I'm going to guess that his water quality wasn't the best and his tank wasn't in the best condition when he ended up with 10 clones of the anemone.  Either way, a split to me is a good thing, sell off the clone, give someone else a chance to enjoy owning an anemone, and carry on.  The only burden is to remove the split and sell it off, while making some money back for yourself.  

C) Expansion: Mine tends to stay in its area.  The only time it will sting the acros is if it decided to shift one direction or the other.  It's interesting because the acros have adjusted to the stinging by laying out a flat base on the bottom of the colony that is getting stung, essentially flattening out and creating a wall to keep the main colony from getting stung anymore.  

D) Dense tentacles: That's a preference item but I do agree, denser tentacles are more aesthetically pleasing.

E) Common:  I can understand that, that's why I got a Colorado Sunburst.   

I do appreciate Gig'em enlightening us on the other various types of anemones out there that could be potential inhabitants in our reefs.  If I had more room and didn't want to give up the space to keep a larger anemone, I would try one of the more robustly colored magnificas.  Maybe when I upgrade tanks in the distant future, I can see about hitting up the anemone expert to QT me a beauty!  Then I'll cut it in half!!!  Okay, just kidding!

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

1 hour ago, FarmerTy said:

You need to learn your alphabet Gig'em and quit hating on BTAs!

I don't mean to hate on BTAs! I think they're truly a great species for the hobby that has helped the hobby get to where it is today. It's nearly everyone's first hosting anemone, which encourages other people to join the hobby when they see happy clowns in a beautiful swaying anemone. People are able to afford them and can introduce them into their tank with amazing levels of success and sell them back into the hobby to make money for more tank purchases. Not everyone knows the negative sides of BTAs when getting into the hobby and I just want to drive it home up front. Plus it just seems like everyone has a BTA, I would love to see tanks with more diversity in the anemone area. We all love diversity in our tanks, but we all have BTAs? The world is better with more variation and diversity. I love mFrames gorgeous purple LTA! And it really makes his Colorado Sunburts BTA pop. It's a good anemone species, I just want to encourage others in the hobby to expand their anemone horizon.

[mFrame]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to start a feud.  I loved your nem post describing the various types.  The point I wanted to make was that I'm a anemone guy, I love em.  Though I have nowhere near the experience you have, I have tried numerous of the ones you mention.

My oldest tank inhabitant is my condy anemone.  I got it at about 2" and have had it about 8 years now.  At times it has grown as large as 12" expanded, and it has shrunken back down to 2" when my tank wasn't doing well. I never knew nems could grow/shrink like that.  Condy's evidently don't split.  It's now hovering at around 8" extended and has been happy where it's at (location and size) for about 18 mos.  I love this guy!

I've had numerous flower rock anemones.  They come in fantastic colors and for the most part just stay put.  I need to locate some more.

Tube anemones are one of my favorites.  I've had purple, neon green, and pink.  I had a tank crash a few years ago and lost them, and they just don't seem to have been available since.  I'm starting to see them around again, so I'm sure I'll be adding them when the prices come back down a bit.  They were always a favorite for company at feeding time as they reel in their food like they are fishing.

The only Sebae I've had was bleached when I got it and it didn't survive.

True Carpet - no way, no how will I have one unless it's a dedicated specimen tank.  They're gorgeous but eat everything they can grab. One of my fav Mr. Saltwater tank vids is him coming home to find his carpet eating one of his favorite fish.

Ritteri - I may talk to you about your sources, I've wanted one for years.  My only concern would be that I hear they grow huge, but in my 230 my nems are the showpiece so I should revisit it.

[FarmerTy]

I'm curious about size Gig'em. Are there any anemones you mentioned besides the maxi-mini anemones and the BTAs that are smaller than say... A dinner plate? Or are all the other types ones that typically grow a bit larger?

My dreams of having a 350+ gallon tank may include a larger anemone. Just curious on size alone, any that stay too small? Any that get too big?

[Sascha D.]

That purple LTA looks great Mike! I've been looking at them for a while. AquaSD has had different colored LTA's in their Ebay auctions, but I haven't pulled the trigger on one yet. I like that they live in the sand and I can (potentially) keep it away from any corals. After seeing this thread I'm kind of looking at Magnifica now! I think I have enough room 

I was researching which anemones split and which ones produce with a male/female interaction. What I read agrees with Gig'em - only BTA and Magnifica have the ability to split. Also, BTA's are really the only anemones that can reliably survive manual fragmentation. I did find some experiments with other anemones but the results were leaning towards the mortality side of the scale.