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Very good article dan [img src='common/images/smile.gif' border=0]....mods, can someone announce this for him?

Hi Dan - great post many thanks.

I have got an Atlantic Anemone. I believe it's sting is just too potent for a clown. Is this right? you didn't mention it in your list.

I was told (An subsequently read) that Anemones are filter feeders along with their zooplankton. As such my anemone has postioned itself infront of my powerhead. I am feeding my tank frozen Myces & brine shrimp and am adding the lot including juice directly to the water. Is this sufficient for my anemone to obtain adequate nutrients? So far (3weeks in tank) it is looking very healthy good pink colouration and already stung a Damsel & Hermit crab!

Clownfish do not need an anemone to be happy.....they will do just fine without them. Tank raised clownfish probably wont take to an anemone....just something to keep in mind.

Do clownfish have to have an anenome to be happy? Could I have one or two on their own? I see them that way in the lfs, but you can see a lot of things that aren't correct in an lfs.

Raider_fish

I would think 130 watts sounds low, but then I think the smartlamps were VHO or high output flourescent?

I've solved my lighting problems -- per the Classified section of this forum I will use the fixture for FW for about another year to 2 years, and after that, will use it for an anemone! YAY!!

SunflwrgrlS:

I have a Bubble Tip in a 55 gal using a Smartlight pc with 130 watts. I has a maroon clown that loves it to death. When I first brought it home the clowns were not too interested in it. It was just a tiny thing without much color hiding under a rock shelf. The female clown finally found it and in about 4 months the color has changed to a dark coffee color. I feed it squid 4-5 times a month and the clown feeds it daily [when they get fed] So far the lights have worked out well.

Hmm maybe I'm looking at the question wrong.

How many watts of light is necessary for keeping anemones happy and healthy in a 55 gallon tank (normal dimensions -- 48" I guess)?

OK I'm stumped....I doubt that there would be room for another fixture ontop of the tank with that one on there. Would you know whether SW reef lights affect FW plants? Do they grow well in that intense light? Is it the correct spectrum? Maybe I have to check with some plant folks?

Does it seem I won't be able to get a fixture that can ultimately convert inexpensively?

It would mean either adding another fixture, or going with a different set up to bump up the lighting.

There are some anemone that would do well under that light if you fed them atleast once a week.

Would I be able to bump it up using that same hood/fixture, or you mean another stronger fixure would be better?

For most anemone it would be fine. It wouldnt hurt to bump it up a little more though.

That is very informative!


I know anemones need a lot of light. Is this fixture sufficient? The double strip 48 inch for a 55 gallon tank.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9871&N=2004+113176+113133&in_merch=1

Thought so.

the anemone provides protection for the fish.....the fish also provides protection for the anemone from other fish that may eat the anemone....the clown will chase them away.

Clowns also will bring food back to the anemone and eat. when doing this they drop pieces of food that serves as a meal for the anemone

I have a few types of anemones in my 90 gallon. All the clowns love them and host in them.

The one thing I have always been curious about is what is going on with the clown-anemone host thing? Is there some food, safety, cleaning, etc. trade off? Why does it happen?


Zack

P.S. Great post with wonderful info!

I have heard of many captive bred clown fish taking to anemone's as well as Clowns that have been caught from the wild which is obviously more probable.

I have also heard of Clown fish taking to artificial anemone's which to the new hobbyist maybe a safer bet to start with but they are around 40 to buy. On the bright side is that it wont die and if the Clowns don't take to it the anemone looks great in the tank. It doesn't take any looking after accept a little cleaning now and again. As Dan said not all Clowns captive bred or caught from the wild will take to an anemone but there are cases out there which they have so give it ago, you never know and if they do take to it then you will be in for many interesting sites.

Just thought that those who don't feel confident about keeping an anemone but like the look of them and want to enhance the look of there aquarium than this is another possibility.

Look here:-

http://www.drmaccorals.com/sys-tmpl/artificialcorals/view.nhtml?profile=artificialcorals&UID=10071

Or here:-

http://www.price1.com/main.html

I would also suggest a book to anyone who is interested in Clown fish its simply called CLOWN FISHES by JOYCE D. WILKERSON ' A Guide to Their Captive Care, Breeding & Natural History'. It is filled with loads of information all about the Clown fish.

Have Fun
Clarkii

Dan great article man

I have learned quite a bit from this one. By the way how do you ounce anemone An mon e ?

I never knew you had to feed anemone food, i thought they were more of a plant but i guess not. I also never knew they are mobile and can move around .

I'm just setting up my first SW tank (I've done FW before), and I'm at the cycling the tank/setting the decor stage. I've got a 29 gallon with 20 lbs of live sand and one good sized piece of lava rock. I'd like to add more rock, but I thought I'd long term plan. I'd like to (eventually) add an anemone or two for the clowns I want to get (though the posts above are somewhat discouraging in that arena ). IF I decide to go for it in a few months, I'd like to have the right stuff for it to live on. What should I get? I like the look of lava rock. Would more of that be okay? Live rock? I've read that driftwood is generally a bad idea in SW tanks... Do different anemones prefer different kinds of rock? Are there easier-to-care for anemones?

Thanks, all!


[span class="edited"][Edited by 2003-05-26 21:29][/span]

/\bump/\

Oleta,

As I mentioned in the thread... the chances of tank raised clowns taking to a host are rare at best.
Clowns will only host to anemones that they would normally encounter in natural environments. So they are not so much picky about their host, but rather will not see an unfamiliar anemone as an anemone.

The list I gave here, pretty much gives the preferences from best to last options for a host, for each anemone. But that in itself is not a guarantee that if you even gave a clown ALL the possible hosts that it will host with any of them.... for the most part if the clown has never seen an anemone, unless a strong natural instinct takes over, it will not see the anemone as anything other than another critter in the tank.

Not that tank raised clowns NEVER take to a host anemone it does happen, and has happened with my tomatoe clowns, but my perculas never took to the 3 species of anemones I offered to them... so it is 50/50 for me so far.

The bottom line, as I am getting off track, is that clowns will not take to an anemone that it would never see in natural settings, so although there might be exceptions to that, IMO it shouldn't ever happen based on clownfish hosting behaviours that I have read about.

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