Tube Anemone - Yes or no?

[PeeperKeeper]

So I've finally got lots of light on my tank (4 48" HO T5's and 2 36" HO T5's) and tomorrow a friend is going to plumb the new sump and fuge. So I'll have a place to grow pods for my (someday) Mandarin and more current (Mag 9.5 on a SCWD plus some PH's) for everything else and a place for my new Turboflotor skimmer.

So I want to celebrate by buying a new invert. I've been looking at the tube anemones. I know they have a vicious sting, but I've seen in my searches several people say they haven't had a problem in thier tank as far as TA's taking out fish ( but I know a few anecdotal stories doesn't mean it won't happen). I don't have very many corals as of now (one rock of zoas with one xenia and a few more small clusters of zoas and a little patch of GSP's) , so I'm thinking if I'm going to do it, it's better to put it in first so it can get settled somewhere before I put more corals in. I'm planning mostly softies like shrooms, zoas, xenia, but maybe a frogspawn and some galaxia, perhaps some green fuzzy acro. I'd also like to have another big anemone with a clown or two if possible, but if you can't do that with a tube anemone in a 75g, I can live without it. Basically I like things that wave around in the current and fluoresce under actinic.

Here are my questions:
1. Do they require lower temp? My tank has been running around 76 - 77 I think, but with the lights being new and changing the sump/skimmer/fuge it could be different. I think I've planned ahead for that though by adding a couple big fans.

2. The fish I currently have are a flame angel, a shrimpgoby, two PJ cards and a fridmani dottyback. I think I'd like to get one more good sized fish like maybe a tang or something a little larger than the flame with bright colors, and of course a Mandarin one day. How likely is it that I will lose one or more of them to the tube anemone?

3. Do the wild colors fade over time (considering the light I mentioned on a 75g tank)? I think I want an orange one, but purple is cool too.

4. Any other words of wisdom or drawbacks I haven't already heard about?

[reefD]

they are very simple in care. your reef will support them and the only concern you know about. they have a good sting. as far as the color. dont be too attached to a color cause stuff in salt may stay bright in one tanbk and change color in another so just hop it stays orange or purple but it is no garenntee. and it doesnt mean its unhappy just adapting to its envirnment. your lighting not bad will always effect any corals if they shift color. no worries just normal behavior.

[Amphiprion]

1. Depends upon species. Many imported are tropical in origin and will do fine in higher temps in the long term.

2.A small one-no. If you get a larger one-possibly

3. No. If well fed and in good health, they will retain any color. Of course, certain lights will accentuate it (i.e. acinics).

4. Just feed it a LOT of smaller planktonic foods/finely chopped seafoods. Also, make sure to remove any tubes before puttin it in your tank and allow it to make another.

[PeeperKeeper]

Thank you VERY much, both of you. That's very helpful.

Amphiprion- follow up Q's:

1. How do I tell if it's a tropical one? color?

2. Glad you told me this, because I had my eye on one that was returned to the LFS when the previous owner broke down his tank, but it's really big. I was thinking of the large size as a good thing, but since you pointed that out, I guess starting small would give the fish, etc. time to get used to it being there without them getting roped in from a distance.

3. Good!

4. Another very helpful hint. I wouldn't have thought to remove its tube. So the sting isn't bad enough to hurt me, is it? Will it more likely want to burrow into the sand or find a cozy place in a rock? Right now I don't have much sand, almost BB, just enough to hide the glass bottom of the tank, but I can put a couple inches in.

[reefD]

i would NOT remove its tube. thats an added stress...whats the basis for doing that? exposing it in a new tank so it feels vulnerable and stressed?

[Sports Girl]

I have a purple one w/green center and it is burrowed in the sand underneath a rock. Mine has never stung me, I've had it for over a year now, not lost any fish (allof my fish are small, 2" or less), and has not lost color. It will make an interesting addition to your tank!

[agfahy]

Tubes are probably my favorite invert in the aquarium hobby.
Tubes are of course not anemones as you already know.
Tubes are actually worms. I tend to think of them as beautiful aptasias.
Water quality should be good but doesn't by any means need to be perfect. Tubes are very hardy.
Tubes are not photosynthetic, so lighting will never be an issue.
Tubes prefer a deeper and bed 2-4" because their tubes need to stay submerged under the sand. A deeper sand bed makes it easier for them to grow and will make it less of a pain for you because their "Bodies" won't be bulging up out of the sand.
Tubes are opertunistic and will eat fish if given the opertunity.
95% of the time a fish can swim away if it is stung. Sick fish are propably the only one suseptable to their tentacles.
Tubes don't loose their color but, with ages, will darken a bit. However they never loose their beauty.
These creatures grow rapidly if feed properly 2-3 times a week.
Take a turkey baster with some mysis, pellet food and some vitamins, and shoot it directly into the Tubes tentacles. He will grow like a weed. Mine went from a 6" tube and 2" tentacles to 24" and 8" tentacles in a matter of 8-12 months.
Good luck. LEt me know if you have any other questions.

[atzak]

mine have proven very hardy and very easy to care for. I feed it brine shrimp or mysid shrimp sized food once or twice a week. It comes in contact with a montipora digitada, and while the coral looks annoyed, it still lives. My smallest fish are, twinspot or candy hogfish, a yellow coris wrasse(I know it'snot really a coris),a six line wrasse and a flame hawk. I've seen the coris grab peices of shrimp out of the tentacles and not get stung.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e124/atzak/Picture146.jpg

[LobsterOfJustice]

Mandarins are notorious for being eaten by anemones... Something along the lines of they dont recognize it as a threat and sill swim right into it. I have a mandarin, so I just dont risk it - no anemones for me.

[Amphiprion]

The tubes are usually constructed with detritus and other organic debris. When you put it in your tank, it will often just rot anyway. But sometimes you get a relatively clean one. You have to weigh whether or not the "anemone" will do well with its original tube or not. It is best to remove it in cases where it is heavily encrusted--it is quite simple for the animal to build a new one, but should only be done if you have to (sorry for not clearing that up). It is hard to tell which ones are tropical, but many sites, like liveaquaria, etc do sell the true tropical varieties. BTW agfahy, tube anemones are not anemones or worms--they Ceriantipatharians.

[NicolaZ]

I have a orange one with a green center. Very hardy, and stings very hard. I don't no if it can sting you. If I want him to replace I take him by his tube, at the end (so it remains open). Make sure you don't place it next to a coral (min. 15 cm ), espesually softcorals. Mine have already taken two Chromis Vridis and its hunt also at sick or weak fishes. Feed 1 or 2 times a week, accepts everything, it can live for a month without eating. Make also sure you not place the Cerainthus sp. near a large stone. They grow underneath it, what to remove the Cerianthus sp. be very difficult. Most of the time de tropical cerianthus have bright colours, the one's from colder regions are brown or have a 'sandy colour'.

ps. sorry for my english I have to work on it....

Good luck

[sloshesv]

I have a purple with light blue center. I've had it for almost 2 years now and never had any trouble. My tank runs at 78 degress.

[RicksReefs]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2004/invert.htm

[Fl_seagull]

I had two and be came concerned as they grow larger. They would extend almost 6" out of the sand . With their ~6"+ tentacles, they covered a good section of the tank. Since I like my fish I returned them to the LFS. The grew well even though My tank hits 82 degrees during the summer.