Hi,

I have been considering purchasing an Atlantic anemone as my first anemone, I have read mixed opinions (may eat everything in my tank, can excrete toxins and the only clown they may host is a tomato)

However do you think this is a good starting point and how will it effect future compatibility purchases.

Thanks

I would go with a BTA, your clown will probably host in it. My cinanmon clowns loved it.

i agree, the BTA is a better place to start
they are more reef compatible and more docile, and yes more clowns will make them home.. :)

Thanks, I will read up on their requirements and see if I will be able to provide one with a good home.

What other species are in your tank? There's a good chance that animals specific to areas like the Red Sea or the Indo-Pacific region will have developed almost no natural defenses against an Atlantic anemone.

We had a Condylactis anemone for about 26 hours once. After acclimating (which went quickly, these anemones are quite hardy!) it proceeded to wander around the tank, which I figured was normal since most anemones prefer to choose their own spot in the tank. A few hours later it had wrapped itself around a small leather frag! BAD ANEMONE!! (put on the rubber gloves, move the anemone back to original position, feed it a few krill after placing it to con it into staying put).

Woke up in the morning and it was on the other side of the tank, upside down... because it's mouth was around a tiny caulastrea frag! (put on gloves, put anemone back in the fish bag, went back to the LFS).

That was the first (and last!) time we introduced an aggressive Atlantic species into a tank that's almost 100% Indo-Pacific specimens... Lesson learned! (and the 2 frags have mostly recovered).

PS. here's a mugshot of the culprit: Anemone (Condylactis gigantea) on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://flickr.com/photos/drthompson/295143745/)

i had both.. but i got it too early. didnt wait for my tank to mature. and both of my BTA and condylactus got sucked in the powerhead and died... oh well i dun think i'll get another anemone cuz my tank is full now. and i dun wanna risk polluting my tank wt anemone pieces

Yeah, the powerhead "thing"... we prepped and put big thick ugly prefilters on all our powerheads before the condy went in... but I swear you could see everything breathing a sigh of relief in the tank when those prefilters came off. They really impact water flow.

We recently made our second attempt and picked up a saddle carpet anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni) -- and of course, a saddleback clown to go with it. It stays in the sand so we don't bother covering the powerheads anymore, in fact I can see it's foot attached to the glass if I squeeze my head between the sump and the stand.
It's been doing quite well and didn't do any wandering when we first dropped it in -- although we did feed it every day for the first few days so it wouldn't feel the need to move. We were worried our Goby would bury it with his sand-sifting but the clown seems to keep him away and also helps brush off any detritus that gathers in the anemone's folds.

My girlfriend took some photos of it recently, they're on Flickr (http://flickr.com/photos/korosion/tags/stichodactylahaddoni/).

At the moment I only have 4 x 3 spotted damsels, feather duster, chalk goby, few turbo snails and hermit crabs.

I've decided I should stay well clear of Condylactis anemone and mixing oceans is not a good idea (I guess logically this would make since)

I'm please I held out as I want to eventually add various specimens and would hate to stress them out, I must continue to control my impulse purchasing :)

Iglowce: "both of my BTA and condylactus got sucked in the powerhead and died" Painful :(

PS. here's a mugshot of the culprit: Anemone (Condylactis gigantea) on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://flickr.com/photos/drthompson/295143745/)

Thats the exact same one I was considering, im please you answered my question :)

those are super hardy. when i first set up my tank i got two about 1 month in and some morron at the lfs said i should dose some copper based ick med to get rid of some ick on my yellow tang (still alive after 2.5 years) and it dyed them bright blue. i kept them for about 4 months till i started to get a little more reef smart. they were a big hit at the lfs when people saw these super bight blue pink tips

they were a big hit at the lfs when people saw these super bight blue pink tips

They do look cool and i was real close to coming home with one..

i think a bta should work great. ive been readin up on them, and i think im goin to get one soon too