Just in case you thought anemones were safe

[AquaRick]

Was going though some old pictures on my phone. And found this one. Just thought I'd share in case someone thinks anemones don't kill......

 

[mr_X]

That anemone didn't kill that fish IMO. I have always kept anemones with fish and they knew not to touch them. A sick fish however....could bump into an anemone.

 

[Airgoose2222]

That's a great example. Never know!! One quick flinch could be all it takes.

 

[AquaRick]

Doug, I had always thought the same and experienced the same until I saw it happen over a few minutes. Wish I would have had a camcorder to take a video instead. I didn't like that lavender tang. It was such a bully going after the other fish in the tank, so I let nature take it's course. It just swam into it and couldn't get out. Seemed the more it struggled the worse it got tangled in the ritteri. Eventually the anemone turned the tang around and started working on its tail.

 

[mr_X]

That's amazing. I had various anemones in various systems and never did I see any fish go near them, besides clowns of course.

 

[AquaRick]

Just always thought this particular anemone was weird. All sebaes, BTAs, and ritteri's I've had, always tend to attach themselves and point straight up or at a slight angle. This one attached itself to the side of the rock and pointed it's tentacles to the side.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

That's amazing. I had various anemones in various systems and never did I see any fish go near them, besides clowns of course.

My 6 line wrasse goes basically right up to the mouth of my bubble tip, and frequently. Ironically, my clowns want nothing to do with it, except occasionally they will show an interest in hosting, but nothing ever became official.

 

[obscurereef]

That's pretty crazy. What a huge meal...

 

[ccCapt]

That anemone didn't kill that fish IMO. I have always kept anemones with fish and they knew not to touch them. A sick fish however....could bump into an anemone.

I agree 100%. Every reef fish (excluding clowns and some damsels) knows to stay away from anemones. That tang may have been disoriented or spooked and swam into it, but I do not believe the anemone actively captured it. They aren't ambush hunters, but they will latch onto anything that swims into it.

 

[AquaRick]

I agree 100%. Every reef fish (excluding clowns and some damsels) knows to stay away from anemones. That tang may have been disoriented or spooked and swam into it, but I do not believe the anemone actively captured it. They aren't ambush hunters, but they will latch onto anything that swims into it.

Oh I absolutely agree. Anemone's aren't "active hunters". The fish just swam too close and paid the price.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

What kind of anemone is that? Magnificent?

 

[bettaowner]

In the wild certain fish like damsels and bangaii cardinals have been recorded living in or near anemones.

 

[AquaRick]

What kind of anemone is that? Magnificent?

Yup a ritteri ( H. Magnifica)

 

[mr_X]

Damsels and clowns are very closely related. Never seen a cardinal in an anemone however.

 

[Ella_e]

A new curious hermit crab was climbing rocks and bumped into my anemone and the anemone started latching on - I gently pulled the hermit crab away and all was well.
Would an anemone be able to pull out a hermit from its shell?
I have a condy anemone and one of my fish was stung once and then it never went close to it again.

 

[AquaRick]

A new curious hermit crab was climbing rocks and bumped into my anemone and the anemone started latching on - I gently pulled the hermit crab away and all was well.
Would an anemone be able to pull out a hermit from its shell?
I have a condy anemone and one of my fish was stung once and then it never went close to it again.

Hi Ella. I don't know if an anemone would be successful in yanking the hermit out of its shell but I'm sure it would at least try.

 

[JJ-MIK]

I was at a LFS last night and they have a 500g reef.. This anemone was at least 14" around and was laying next to 4 different corals and over lapping each other like they were friends... I thought anemones will fight with anything near it?? I've been wanting one. But don't want it to kill everything....

 

[mr_X]

If the sting doesn't kill the coral, It surely will stunt it's growth.
If your tank is ideal, it may never move and you will not have a problem, but I'm sure you've seen more than one thread where the OP's anemone moved around a bit. I keep anemones. I like them. I have 4 in the DT, and 5 in my back tanks. I don't see any trouble out of them.

 

[JJ-MIK]

I like anemones.. Never had them before. But I'm setting up a 55g in my basement solely for rose bta's. LFS said they grow at a very rapid rate and split very often. I could make my money back fast.. And he sells them for 60$..

 

[AquaRick]

Go for it. Btas are very hardy. They don't split too often in a tank by themselves. But you can propagate them by cutting them in half. Tons of you tube videos out there on how to do this.