Do Anemone Really Need a 1yr Old Tank

[ChrisKil]

I have seen several experienced aquarist warning newbies on this site about putting an anemone in a tank that is too new. I am wondering what prevents a new tank from adequately maintaining an anemone & can I work around this.

Any links to articles or first hand experience would be appreciated so I know this isn't just a misconception.

[oct2274]

no, one year is definitely overkill............. As long as your parameters are consistent I would say 3-4 months to be on the safeside. My tank was tore down to add sand and it has been up for 4 months now. I bought 3 bleached anenomes from a local reefer and they are all doing great in my aquarium. They feed wonderfully and are even starting to slowly color up. Just so you know though........I'm a freak about my water parameters, so I might be an exception to the rule.

[Toddrtrex]

This is just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

The main reason that I recommend waiting is mainly for the user to get "used" to his/her tank. It is easier to notice something off with your tank after you have been keeping tanks for a while ( before it would show up on a water test ). It allows the user to get into a schedule of maintenance before trying an anemone which are sensitive to changes.
An example, I've been keeping saltwater tanks for about 15 years now, and I feel I have a pretty good grasp of what needs to be done before it becomes an issue. I recently re-setup my 29, after 2 months I put in a bleached LTA, two months later you wouldn't be able to tell that it is the same anemone.

HTH ( and makes sense )

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10552135#post10552135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
This is just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

The main reason that I recommend waiting is mainly for the user to get "used" to his/her tank. It is easier to notice something off with your tank after you have been keeping tanks for a while ( before it would show up on a water test ). It allows the user to get into a schedule of maintenance before trying an anemone which are sensitive to changes.
An example, I've been keeping saltwater tanks for about 15 years now, and I feel I have a pretty good grasp of what needs to be done before it becomes an issue. I recently re-setup my 29, after 2 months I put in a bleached LTA, two months later you wouldn't be able to tell that it is the same anemone.

HTH ( and makes sense ) My feelings as well. Part of the 1 year is for the tank owner as much as the tank. You will find you get much better at maintaining water quality and parameters as time goes on. You will get to the point where you know how the tank is before even testing the water. 3-4 months just is not long enough for the tank itself. Many folks are still dealing with algae outbreaks at 5 and 6 months even.

An experienced tank keeper is pretty safe at 6 months provided that the tank has stabilized in this time (hit and miss)

You will find contrary opinions on this but most short timers (less than 2 years) are the guys that say go for it...

Most guys that have had tanks for 3 or more years and had successful Anemone tanks will swear by a year or more before adding the animal and with good reason... They like success :)

[aznlmpulse]

The 6mo rule is more directed towards those that are just starting out in the hobby. Ofcourse you want a stabilized tank. It's assumed that after about 6 mo's of being a reef addict, you would have learned enough about maintaining parameters, the do's and don'ts, the in's and out's, to the point of being able to care for one sufficiently. By that time, your nitrifying bacteria would've have multiplied to a good number as well allowing you to handle the new bio-load as well without any huge effects.

It really depends on you.

Someone that's been in this hobby for 20 yrs and have kept many nem's before might now wait as long as a newb who's doing research, learning new things every day and taking things super slow.

I bought my bta at two months (not first reef tank), but I've also got some experience under my belt.

On the other hand,
mandarins.........are a different story my friend.

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10552171#post10552171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randall_James
My feelings as well. Part of the 1 year is for the tank owner as much as the tank. You will find you get much better at maintaining water quality and parameters as time goes on. You will get to the point where you know how the tank is before even testing the water. 3-4 months just is not long enough for the tank itself. Many folks are still dealing with algae outbreaks at 5 and 6 months even.

An experienced tank keeper is pretty safe at 6 months provided that the tank has stabilized in this time (hit and miss)

You will find contrary opinions on this but most short timers (less than 2 years) are the guys that say go for it...

Most guys that have had tanks for 3 or more years and had successful Anemone tanks will swear by a year or more before adding the animal and with good reason... They like success :)

One thing I forgot to add, when I set up the 29, half of the rock that I used was from my other tank. I was a bit shocked ( happily ) that I didn't have any algae outbreaks.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10552135#post10552135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex

The main reason that I recommend waiting is mainly for the user to get "used" to his/her tank.

+1 more on this concept. The year (or whatever) waiting period for anemones or other delicate creatures is just as much for breaking in the owner as the tank, if not more so. I've put anemones in tanks that were 1 HOUR old, much less waiting one whole year - but, of course, I've been doing this sorta thing for a while. ;) Someone that's brand new would likely not have the experience to deal with the myriad problems that will likely pop up in the first year - algae blooms, equipment failure, livestock death, tank crashes, weird pests, aggressive live rock hitch hikers, acclimating your tank when you replace worn out bulbs, getting your water change schedule down pat, figuring out the interactions between calcium, pH, and alkalinity and how to keep all three stable, what happens once a sandbed or other substrate has been loaded with detritus and gets stirred up, how to deal with a rockslide, etc etc etc etc.

At any rate, this is a lifelong hobby. When you realize that a pair of clowns and an anemone might live together for decades in the wild, it gives you a sense of scale. These individuals deserve the best care you can give them, so they have the best chance at obtaining their natural lifespans while in your care. It's one thing to "bend the rules" and get lucky, it's another thing to take your time and assure yourself of long term success.

Make decisions with the LONG TERM in mind, not the instant gratification factor. It might seem hard to wait on things now, but in 5 or 10 years, you'll be very glad you did.

[Lotus99]

I put an anemone in my tank when it was about 7 months old. Although my readings were good, the anemone wasn't happy for about a month. It looked like it was about to die. Thankfully, it made it, and now looks reasonably healthy. It was a tank-raised bubble-tip anemone, so it is "rated" as one of the easiest to keep.

I don't think I'd recommend it to someone else starting out.

[ahullsb]

I agree that the one year mark is more for the owner than the tank. Someone with a ton of experience could get a tank stable in much less time, and not have any problems. But anyone who is new to the hobby needs to know, that you cannot give yourself a crash course in this hobby and expect good results. If you are still trying to figure out what you need to supplement, what you shouldn't supplement, what your water parameters are and why, there are plenty of things out there that aren't for you. (Where is that thread I voted for about care levels of animals?) :)

[loosecannon]

yes.