Cerianthus Anemone

[Wilky]

Just doing some long term thinking about my system, has anyone had any experience with Cerianthus Anemones? We were quite taken with them last visit to fishmans, they were fascinating to watch when feeding but i'm not sure a mixed reef is the best place for them based on some quick research:

1. I've only an inch of sand for the most part, apart a couple of places at the back where its between 2 and 3 inches (wrasse bedrooms) but i'd want it near the front!
2. Plenty of clean up crew that could get scoffed
3. lighting should be fine
4. flow should be fine (i've a quiet spot)
5. Apparently they are difficult to maintain?
6. Species tanks seem to be recommended as they are aggressive towards other corals and even fish?

Everything is pointing to 'NO' but was wondering if the articles i have read are out of date with modern reef keeping and if people have had success?

[little urchin]

all i know is that they are very stingy and will take anything they touch....

[Norvern Rob]

I had one for several months and it didn't bother anything. It eventually came out of it's tube (fairly common apparently when they are bought without a proper tube as most are), and got blown under the rocks where I couldn't get to it.

There's someone on another forum with loads of them in a mainly LPS tank, all doing well and no fish losses that i'm aware of.

[frunkster]

I used to keep a lot of these in my old set up some years ago & can tell you they are very simple to keep, just a few ground rules to follow -

You must spot feed them meaty foods at lest twice a week.
They MUST have a good "sock" on them when you buy them - no sock no chance end of!
Moderate flow as they will particulate feed & also catch any passing copepods mysis & smaller organisms too small for out eyesight.


Other than that there is not much to keeping them as they are not photosynthetic & do not require a sandbed in all honesty & will happily inhabit a rubble bed as happily as sand & can even be placed directly on LR just as long as they have a good sock/tube, which is very sticky & will quite happily attach its self almost anywhere.

The only other thing is that you will have to place it/them quite some distance from other inhabitants, as the tentacles stretch for a considerable distance & go so fine at the tips that its hard to see just where they end & its usually these transparent ends that create all the problems with corals.

They will quite happily eat anything stupid enough to fall in to them though.

I took one on without a sock in hopes, but it kept growing new ones then ejecting its self a month or so later, this went on for over a year till eventually it went in to decline, but this is the only one I ever had any bother with.

Ideal sump inhabitants IMO & all the above are only my personal opinions & experiences with them.

[Wilky]

mmm could be a potential troublemaker then unless having a bare patch of tank to itself... i'll think i'll take it off the list for now.

Thanks for the advice.

[LTD]

Could be the ideal inhabitants for the dark side of my rock pillar ......