anemone

[HoCkEyGmC]

i would like an anemone in my 28 gal, would it work? what kind? id like a green carpet. would it work? the tank is pretty much empty only snails shrimps and hermits. i am planning on making it a reef. how could i keep it small? could i just prune it up every once and a while? or split it and have another1 for another tank or something? so yeah...

 

[heylady]

Carpet anemones get way too big for a 28g. Not only that but they aren't the hardiest of anemones either.
First thing we need to know is what kind of lighting do you have on your tank? How long has the tank been up and running? How long have you been keeping saltwater?

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

lighting is halides, tank hasnt been up for too long but im just planning ahead cuz ill be out of town for a while. im reletivly new to saltwater.
Thanks!

 

[heylady]

Having metal halides over the tank is great, but it would help to know the wattage too

IMO, I would wait awhile before you get an anemone. They really do much better (have a better chance of survival) if the tank is mature, and the aquarist experienced. Give yourself and the tank 6 months and you should be ready. This will give you more time for research anyway!
When you do get an anemone, I would recommend that you get a captive bred one which is usually the bulb tip anemone (BTA). BTA's tend to do better than any other hosting anemone but be warned that even the BTA may outgrow your tank.
If you are not concerned with a hosting anemone then I would say that a flower anemone is the way to go. They stay small, so it won't ever outgrow your tank and they aren't being threatened in the wild.

HTH

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

its a 28 gal nanocube hqi, i dont know the exact watts but its ither 150 or 175.
so no carpet? dam. cuz they get too big? cant trim/"frag" them? could i get a really small 1 or no? otherwise i'd like a bta or rbta. ither way i think ill get a tube.
Thanks!

 

[pat8you]

Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates for Marine Aquariums: Carpet Anemone, Assorted

That site has some basic info. It says they get up to 1'8". You can't frag them. They will split on their own on occasion but there is no way to force them to do it. They are also quite aggressive and will kill any corals or fish that they sting. They require perfect water quality and will not tolerate any swings in your water parameters which is difficult to keep up with in a 28 gallon tank.

I would suggest sticking with the bta. They are a bit more forgiving and slightly less aggressive. They will also stay a bit small but keep in mind that they can get up to a good foot across as well. I would wait as heylady said at least a good 6 month until your tank is nice and stable and you have got a handle on your tank maintenance and all that good stuff. You do have good lighting for the bta and i'm sure you can keep one successfully if you take it slow and make sure you do your research on their needs.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

thx, ill stick with a bta until i get a bigger tank in maybe 2 years or so. ill be out of town for the remainder of the week so feel free to leave any other comments and such.
Thanks!

 

[melosu58]

I would wait if it was me till you have a bigger tank. Carpet`s are the most lethal of the aquarium anenomes. Any coral or fish that touches it will be a goner for sure. Tank is too small for such an aggressive anenome. JMO