IMO this is of little consequence.

- To some extent but I think you need to wait atleast 6 months to let you tank settle down before even thinking of an anemone. And then you need to double check all parameters before adding any.

IMO the terms "under control" and "good skimmer" are totally different from one person to the next. Beyond that, over skimming could be an issue for a filter feeding. FWIW, there are plenty of happy skimmerless anemones out there.

- Probably, but I think its always better to err on the side of overskimming than underskimming or not skimming at all. Also this would depend on the tolerance of the anemone species. FOr example, my LTA freaks out a lot earlier than my BTAs when water quality declines. Maybe there are a few people who have nurtured anemones without a skimmer (and there surely are reasons for their success) but I prefer the skimmer route. Its made a world of difference to the health of my anemone.

I believe watts/gallon is a meaningless standard. Intensity of light on the animal is all that matters. Indirect shaded light in 10000w/gal tank is still just indirect shaded light. Conversely, an anemone would be happy in a 10000 gallon tank at 1w/gal if it were right under the light. Ultimately, the BTA will likely find one of the highest/brightest spots in the tank and take up residence.

Personally I recommend MH lights. From what I've seen BTAs do MUCH better with them.

- agreed with the MH option. Anemone happy with 1 w/g if it were the right kind? ...Hmmmm...not totally sure about that. But I agree that its better to have more light and preferably MH and if the anemone needs shade it can always seek it.

Quote: 11) Clownfishes can be cute but also a pain sometimes when trying to feed an anemone as they can pilfer food. This is not always the case but is common.

I've seen this happen. But I've also seen clowns pull food out of the current and toss it in the anemone. Ultimately, I feel that a hosted clown will do far more good than harm.

- Probably in 95% of the cases. In my situation it was doing more bad than good and I sold a clarkii off to save to my LTA. Now I have an ocellaris that is much better behaved. I guess you just have to observe how the partnership develops. Its usually good but just because I have experienced otherwise I thought I should mention it. Some people just go and buy a clown when they find their anemone looks not so good. IMO, there are root causes for poor anemone health and most likely not because of the absence of a clown.

Quote: 12) Water changes of about 7-10% per week is good

This is an opinion about reefkeeping in general. Some believe it, some dont. Like my skimmer opinion, it's not hard to find happy old-water anemones.

Agreed - but this would be a tank to tank thing. It all depends on the quality of the water and how well the ecosystem is balanced. When its not, then you have trouble.

Thanks for the discussion Chris, I liked it and I think a lot of people will benifit from reading it as well. Ciao!!

Jake.

jacob_poly wrote: I know this is more than you asked for but thought I'd share it anyways.

Thats ok, thank you for all the helpful information.

Eric

the first week is usually the most critical. I would release teh anemone in an area of  medium water flow and close to where you want it to finally reside. Placing it in the proximity of a rock will help. Also if it does not float away you can place it in a crevice on the rock. BTAs usually attach pretty good and are easy to keep. Initially if it shies away from light and goes under some rock work let it be. Dont keep flipping rocks to have the BTA in view. Eventually it will move higher and try to bask in full light. Sometimes, unforunately for us, it decides to attach to the rear of a rock or the back glass....:(.

Also important is observing the color of the anemone. If its loses its zoo, it will be in the first couple of days. Watch the mouth, it should not start to look tired or gaping. The first couple of days might be stressful. However, if the anemone remains shrivelled for too long (a day or more) it could be because your water conditions are not up to the mark, lighting is not adequate, etc.

When trying to explain problems with anemones its best to use a check list -
1) What was the anemones conditions when it was bought?
2) What are Nh3, N02, N03 levels? (Atleast the first two should be zero and the last less than 15 ppm)
3) What is the age of the tank? Longer established tanks are more stable chemistry wise
4) What is the size of the tank? Larger tanks are always better. A minimum of 30 gallons being recommended.
5) Dissolved organics - are these under control with a good skimmer?
6) pH and alkalinity - are these good?
7) Lighting - Depending on species the type and amount of light required may vary. Taller tanks may need MH for greater penetration. Also a minimum of 4 Watts/Gallon is a MUST. Try and provide maximum lighting. 6 W/G and above is ideal
8) Try to avoid mixing corals and anemones in a tank if possible. Anemones can move, somtimes also float and can easily end by in hand to hand combat causing problems. Even if they do not they could still wage chemical warfare against each other.
9) You can attempt to feed an anemone a couple of days after introduction into a tank but dont exert repeated attempts to feed if it refuses food. Wont elaborate on feeding here as there are enough posts on the WWW about feeding methods, food, food size, frequency etc.
10) If adding more than one type of anemone (not really recommended for small tanks) try getting a bottom dweller and a rock dweller so that the twain will not meet.
11) Clownfishes can be cute but also a pain sometimes when trying to feed an anemone as they can pilfer food. This is not always the case but is common.
12) Water changes of about 7-10% per week is good
13) Specific gravity should be on the higher side - 1.024-1.026
14) Mouth should be tight and not gaping

Specifically I found BTAs to be low maintenance. They are quick feeders and generally more tolerant of not so pristine water conditions. Plus being rock dwellers tehy can climb higher to get more light.

I know this is more than you asked for but thought I'd share it anyways.

j's55 wrote: I meant if you force feed w/to large of food it is harder for them to eat it but I could be wrong. I thought it was bad for the anemone if you just shoved it down but the material I read could have been wrong too

I never said shove it down it's throat!    I simply place a piece of shrimp near a tentacle and it latches onto the food with it's nematocysts and pulls the food into it's own mouth.  If anemones can swallow fish, I doubt a chunk of shrimp will choke it.

What is xooanthellae?

Eric