Anemone For Clownfish

I’m considering attempting a Saltwater tank. The goal would be to have Oscellaris or Percula Clownfish. I currently have a 20 gallon and 29 gallon that would work for this. Lighting will depend on what I chose to have in the tank. I’m thinking about possibly having anemones. I’ve been looking at different species and I keep finding conflicting reviews as to tank size, etc. Are there any good moderate care anemones that do well in a 20-29g and will host clownfish?
stella1979 do you have any ideas?

 

A pair of Ocellaris (false perculas) would be my go-to, as they're supposedly less aggressive and tend to have slightly brighter colors.

As for a hosting nem, I'd go with a BTA. They're pretty hardy, and stay manageable in smaller tanks - that said, you'll still need pretty strong lighting and an established tank before any nem would thrive. You'd probably be looking at introducing a nem at least 2-6 months after the initial nitrogen cycle is over, IMO, although you could be adding fish, corals, and inverts way before that.

 

A pair of Ocellaris (false perculas) would be my go-to, as they're supposedly less aggressive and tend to have slightly brighter colors.

As for a hosting nem, I'd go with a BTA. They're pretty hardy, and stay manageable in smaller tanks - that said, you'll still need pretty strong lighting and an established tank before any nem would thrive. You'd probably be looking at introducing a nem at least 2-6 months after the initial nitrogen cycle is over, IMO, although you could be adding fish, corals, and inverts way before that.

I think I prefer the look of Oscellaris over Percula, but I was reading something about Perculas being a much brighter orange. I was looking at bubble tip anemones or condy anemones. I just read conflicting review as to minimum tank size. I also really like the look of flower anemones even though I know they won’t host clowns. I need to read more into the nitrogen cycle to see if it is possible to convert and already establish Freshwater tank to Saltwater slowly while saving my established cycle. If not, I’ll just have to wait a few months to get anemones.

It looks like because the bacteria in a freshwater nitrogen cycle is so closely related to that in a saltwater cycle that it will greatly speed up the process of growing the beneficial bacteria necessary for a saltwater tank.

 

It looks like because the bacteria in a freshwater nitrogen cycle is so closely related to that in a saltwater cycle that it will greatly speed up the process of growing the beneficial bacteria necessary for a saltwater tank.

good morning I think the BB is different between Freshwater and Saltwater and you can not seed salt water with BB for fresh water. I might be wrong but I think someone told me that when I was researching to start a salty myself..

 

good morning I think the BB is different between Freshwater and Saltwater and you can not seed salt water with BB for fresh water. I might be wrong but I think someone told me that when I was researching to start a salty myself..

The bacteria is different but are closely related. Freshwater bacteria is different, but it helps speed up the process of growing Saltwater bacteria.

 

The bacteria is different but are closely related. Freshwater bacteria is different, but it helps speed up the process of growing Saltwater bacteria.

That's good to know cause I was told you can't use it seed SW.. The Saltwater will kill it befor it has any time to to any good...

 

I think I prefer the look of Oscellaris over Percula, but I was reading something about Perculas being a much brighter orange. I was looking at bubble tip anemones or condy anemones. I just read conflicting review as to minimum tank size. I also really like the look of flower anemones even though I know they won’t host clowns. I need to read more into the nitrogen cycle to see if it is possible to convert and already establish Freshwater tank to Saltwater slowly while saving my established cycle. If not, I’ll just have to wait a few months to get anemones.

Ocellaris clowns will be a faded orange and tends to have a bit more black, while false percs will have a more vibrant orange. Ocellaris are also a bit more aggressive towards other fish and their mate, so that's also an issue.

I very, very seriously doubt the freshwater bacteria would do anything but die in a saltwater tank - they might help add ammonia to the water after their death, but I doubt anything else would occur.

The reason it's recommended to wait so long before you add an anemone isn't because of the Nitrogen Cycle. A tank doesn't take a month to mature - a tank takes well over a year to become completely stable. Anemones need that stability, and adding one early in a tank's life all too often ends up killing a creature that should live for a long, long time.

 

Yup, freshwater bacteria doesn't transfer to saltwater. Futhermore I wouldn't want any potential cross contamination issues from the old to the new and it's not like you are transferring filter media bacteria (since the bacteria and cycle is held in the rock in a saltwater tank and not the filter media).

 

Yup, freshwater bacteria doesn't transfer to saltwater. Futhermore I wouldn't want any potential cross contamination issues from the old to the new and it's not like you are transferring filter media bacteria (since the bacteria and cycle is held in the rock in a saltwater tank and not the filter media).

So if I'm getting already established live rock from my LFS, I'd have a cycled tank?

 

So if I'm getting already established live rock from my LFS, I'd have a cycled tank?

Not unless it's been cycled in another tank and has been kept submerged the whole time. If it has then yes it is likely cycled and will have little to no die off. Even so I would give the rock a week or two of testing every other day before you add anything.

 

Not unless it's been cycled in another tank and has been kept submerged the whole time. If it has then yes it is likely cycled and will have little to no die off. Even so I would give the rock a week or two of testing every other day before you add anything.

It has been submerged the entire time with an ammonia source. I picked up some salt and put some media in a 1 gallon tank with ammonia to have that too.

 

So has it constantly been exposed to ammonia or just initially to start the cycle?

 

So has it constantly been exposed to ammonia or just initially to start the cycle?

Constantly exposed

 

Not sure why they did it that way, as you only need to expose it initially until the cycle starts and then it will do it's thing. Either way, I would put it in your tank and monitor it for a week or two and see what it does and then add maybe a few snails (ie Astrea or Trochus) and see if they make it and then go from there.