Best (lowest risk) anemone for sps tank?

[mv123]

Hi all,

I am interested in adding an anemone to my mainly sps tank. I know all of them have some risk, but I am willing to take it for a nice nem and clown pair. Tank is a 90g, so I can make room on one side of it for the anemone if I can get it to stay there, away form any sps.

On a side note I am not new to anemones, had a carpet and rbta in my old tank for 3+ years before Sandy. So I'm fairly confident that I can keep most of the common ones. Tank is mature, stable, good lighting and flow, etc.

I have been thinking rbta or carpet again, but not sure if there are better choices, maybe a gig? Any suggestions?

Cross posted from Anemone forum to get views from people with more SPS focus.

Thanks

[Drae]

Long tentacle imo. They tend to stay in the sand. I had one that never moved once it found its spot. They are extremely picky about flow though so make sure you don't change the flow up much.

[RynosReef]

I've got a rose bubble tip in my mainly sps tank and it's only a 75 gallon. However, I had the nem before I had most of my sps, and it was nice and settled in it's spot in the tank, so I glued my frags in such a way that I don't worry too much about the anemone moving and stinging them. It's kinda gonna depend on how densely stocked your tank is with sps. Anemones like to move around till they find their "spot". I would try to give it some room at first, but be prepared to either move some sps or have a knife handy to scrape the nem off the rock and move him as necessary. Also don't forget that anemones will multiply when they're happy. I like this because I trade them in at my LFS for more SPS ;) But it really depends on what you wanna do.

[schall4]

I agree with Drae that a LT is a good choice. I have used them for over 30 years and most clowns adapt to them quickly. I have one in my SPS tank now that is over 4 years old and it moved maybe 2 inches in the sandbed. Now it has grown so growth is a factor to keep in mind too.

[ct_vol]

If you go full bore, hard core SPS tank, with heavy flow and lighting and low nutrient, Gig would be my first choice. Downside is, they are hard to find healthy and they grow gigantic. ;) Mine will sting the heck out of any SPS near it, solution is don't put anythihng near it.

Mags and BTAs will wander, though I do have 2 Mags in one of my SPS tanks. Almost lost my German Blue Polyp to my Purple based Mag... RBTA's are the same. Will wander if unhappy.

LTA's and Haddonis prefer lower flow than what I consider appropriate for an SPS dominant tank.

Just my opinion. Hope it helps.

[MammothReefer]

Really depends on your aquascape. If you can isolate a rock cluster I mean fully isolate from all other rock or sides of your tank. Then you can get whatever you want. A healthy nem won't just let go and float around the tank and in my experience can't cross sand (unless it's a sand dwelling nem)

[watchguy123]

I have a rose bubble tip anemone. Had it on an island rock for about a year and then it apparently got big enough to make the great escape to the mainland. I can't get it out because of where it has attached to. It has stung some sps near it but I poke at it just to make it a little unhappy and has not spread its wings too much in the last couple of months. Bottomline, bubble tips even isolated can surprise you and "escape".

[ryanrid]

Gigantea

[Reefnub]

My Malu Anemone stays in the sand bed in a small rock crevice and my Rose is in a spot where I like it. It hasn't wander around yet. So far so good it has been a little over a year. Anemones have no reason to move if you give it sufficient lighting and flow.

Of course it also just depends on the anemone it self and conditions. I highly recommend Malu Anemone if you want something that won't sting your sps and isn't too big.