Reef Discussion

[Dean Lovett]

Hey all,

So my clowns. I love them, cuties. Apart from when the aggressively attack my hand or anything foreign that is not living that enters the tank.

But for about 85-90% of the day they just hang up in the back of the tank close to the top of the water just in that same spot. It's so weird.

But I am mainly concerned about their quality of life... Wouldn't this be boring and tiresome? (I know they are relatively simple animals so complex thought wouldn't be present but still).

Also, I was looking at ordering a small BTA, I am talking like 3 inches across, maybe, just maybe they'd take to it and enjoy life a bit more.


Any advice would be great!

 

[ajkdark]

Hey all,

So my clowns. I love them, cuties. Apart from when the aggressively attack my hand or anything foreign that is not living that enters the tank.

But for about 85-90% of the day they just hang up in the back of the tank close to the top of the water just in that same spot. It's so weird.

But I am mainly concerned about their quality of life... Wouldn't this be boring and tiresome? (I know they are relatively simple animals so complex thought wouldn't be present but still).

Also, I was looking at ordering a small BTA, I am talking like 3 inches across, maybe, just maybe they'd take to it and enjoy life a bit more.


Any advice would be great!

Hi Dean,

I have a rose bubble tip, have had it for one and a half years. My two clowns show no interest in it. They are hosted by a hammer coral.

So don't let the clowns be the reason for buying an anemone. They are challenging to keep and need very stable water parameters. If you want one, go for it. But be prepared for the challenges involved in keeping one.

Cheers

 

[lukusis]

Mine also lived in the back corner until I got a 'nem.

However, I now have 5 of them (as they have split several times). So take into consideration that this may happen too.

My favourite hammer also came out worse for wear after one 'nem decided to hug it "/


As entertaining as it is to see them being hosted, I personally would not get a 'nem in a nano again.

My 2c.

 

[daveH]

I think your clowns would be happier if they had a nem, mine were and went to it straight away.
Although on the other hand I don't think I would have clowns again. They (pair of premnas) are just too aggressive and really tend to dominate the tank, especially if it's smaller setup. I was also sick of getting my hand bitten and their destroying anything new in the tank.
My Flame Angel who was in the Cade with the (now gone) clowns is a completely different fish. He used to be so shy and rarely swam freely about the tank, now he's friendly as and all over the tank.
I don't think I would even bother with a nem again either, I took my last one out just as I caught it hugging the back of the wave pump.

 

[Savage Henry]

I wouldn't get a anemone yet if I were you Dean. I think you're tanks not ready to accommodate it due to your tanks size and maturity.

I think that with what you have already got in your tank, the nem's not going to fit. And, if you get a small one like I did some time ago, after a few months it will have grown to a size that it won't fit then.

Also, if you get a small nem there is a chance the clowns might kill it with kindness, i.e. hug it to death.

What are your clown hosting at the moment?

If they are just hanging at the back below the waterline, maybe you have a problem with oxygen levels? Didn't you have a similar problem before like this? Or maybe that was someone else?

Also, are the clowns hanging at the spot where you feed them? Maybe they just go to that spot when you are nearby thinking they might entice you to feed them (more). Mine do this when I come close to the tank.

Although I'd love to get a bubble tip again, I would not unless I had an island rock dedicated for it.

 

[riley]

clowns/anemone's usually never do what you what them too. you will get an anemone you'll put it in the front of the tank it will look amazing and the clowns go straight in. you go to bed you wake up and go over to your tank the anemone has moved... you cant find it or the clowns. later after 1 hour of looking you find them in the back under a rock were you cant see them...

i do think however anemone reduce stress to the fish as it provides protection from more aggressive fish.

i also have 5 anemone's the female hosts the smallest 1 and my male host a Xenia ie the anem is to small to fit both.

 

[Tannum_Paul]

Wow, never knew so many people had bad love for nems!

Mine are a little mad at me, I dropped phosphates by 0.05 last night so they are sulking, normally 3 times this size.

I could never have a aquarium without nems! I love them to bits! I bought 4 and now have over 16, they cover half a 5' reefer tank and never move from their bit of rock work. My clowns hosted straight away and hardly leave the nems now, my 10 chromis have their home under the rocks the nem live on and my cardinals often can be seen under the front edge of the nems just out of stinging range.

I believe my nems are so big/happy because all feeding but for nori gets feed over top of them so any food missed by the fish goes into the nems. Largest nem in there is dinner plate size oral disc.

So if you want a nem then get one but remember they are like a fish, might be a good one which sits as you like or a prick and kill everything. Your clowns will love you for giving them a nem though!

 

[curly747]

My clowns have lots of fun without a BTA.
I would probably try and stabilise your tank for a while before ordering anything new or changing anything.

 

[Boxermom]

My clowns and anemones were bought with my first tank (a Red Sea 130d). There were 5 pretty good sized bubble tips in there, with 2 perculas, a peppermint shrimp, a couple of hermit crabs and a piece of trumpet coral. There was also about 5 pounds of hair algae in there. After tearing the tank down, transporting it 75 miles to home, then reassembling it (after removing as much algae as possible), the goofy anemones split...several times. We ended up with 11 anemones in a 130 litre aquarium!

I have since moved everything into a 60 gallon cube, and have 2 green and 1 small rose bubble tip for the 2 clowns, but the greens have split a couple of times since then. We basically sell them off once they've healed, and in the time since we first got the 130d, we've basically made back the money that we paid for the aquarium!

Any regrets? Nope, I like 'em. And they have so far been pretty tolerant of less than ideal water quality (when in the small tank). But they can be a pain in the butt when they start moving around, since most of the time they end up in teh sump or the filter sock. They didn't move much in the small tank, but have been pretty active in the larger one. That's the biggest drawback to them, I think.

The clowns may eventually end up being rehomed, as they are bullies. I have a hard time putting any new fish in there, because they beat the crap out of everybody.

 

[ReeferRob]

Bubble tips are damn near indestructible, I'm serious. They are a lot hardier than a lot of corals are. If you would have seen the cesspool that M's 130D was you'd know this to be true. I wrote a little summary about them and I LOVE anemones, all anemones. I wouldn't recommend a ritteri (H.magnifica) for anyone other than a seasoned vet as they can be VERY touchy and can succumb to the stresses of shipping if not handled properly right after they arrive. Here's my list of ease of care:
1- Bubble tips
2-Long tentacle
3-Carpets other than S. gigantea
4- H. ritteri
Do be aware that they need food and that bubble tips WILL move around unless they're happy.

 

[ReeferRob]

Here's a picture of her 130D not long after we brought it home, there are 9 GBTAs in there, a week later there were 11!

 

[Savage Henry]

My last (and the only one I ever owned) bubble tip was beautiful.
Maybe a tank with just live rock and bubbletips (and clowns) could look marvelous. It would certainly solve the chemical attack problems we have with our different corals.