Anemone help

[airtime23]

I'm thinking of adding an anemone to my 20 gallon reef. I have 4 fish, lots of zoas, polyps, mushroom, a few leathers and a toadstool.

Which anemones would be compatible with what I have and which ones should I avoid?

Please help...

[sir_dudeguy]

first off, what light do you have? Anemone's require pretty intense lighting...something that leathers and zoas and whatnot dont require...so i'm just going to assume you have only PC lights?

Second, have you considered that anemone's get very very large? One of them could overtake a small little 20g tank w/in a year.

I'm not saying you cant do it and its a horrible idea, because you most certainly CAN do it as long as you've got the right lights and water params...but keep in mind they get big.

[m1enbo1]

they will also roam in that small tank and sting injuring or most likely killing your softies

[Purple Penguins]

I have a 24 gal with an anemone in it, he is doing well, but when i first got him it was a complete nightmare, they move around ALOT to find that perfect spot, it took mine 3 weeks and a severe injury to finally find where he wanted to be, I had to do so much moving of my corals, polyps, mushrooms and zoos, I was moving around my tank every few hours because of him, not to mention dealing with the massive injury he inflicted on himself trying to fit in a terrible spot, all in all, If i had to do it all over again, I would not, good luck in your decision

[Slakker]

I don't know if you have or not, but ask over in the Anemone and Clownfish Forum here on RC, there are some good people who will give you some good advice, and there's a lot of experience with anemones over there.

[SNAKEMANVET]

Try a flower anemone, they stay smaller than other types of anemones. All the ones i have seen only got about 4 - 4.5 inchs in diameter.

[gunslingerone9]

if you want an anenome sey up a tank like the one you have setup let the anenome settle then put in your corals. worked for me.

[BCreefmaker]

i agree with SNAKEMANVET, flower anemones are smaller, and tend to wander less. they would be the best choice for a 20G if you do get one. when i first got my flower nem and he finally attached himself somewhere where he was half in shade, half in light. knowing anemones can move i wasent worried because i thought if he didnt like it he could move to a new place, however he just stayed in one that one spot. i had to re-arrange my rock work to suit him because after a few days the side in shade was starting to look really bad. hes still in the very same spot he attached to the first time, now just buried in my shallow sand bed instead of the rock right beside him.