Anemone care and buying guide.

When it comes to anemones, there are plenty of different varieties from which to choose. From Bubble-Tips to Rock flowers, they come in many types and can have very different care requirements.  There are anemones for all coral reef aquarium owners.  Some could be considered the best corals for beginners, while others are labeled ‘experts-only’. The best place to begin when deciding what kind of anemone to buy is to evaluate your coral reef tank.  Do you have a community tank with many different fish and corals? Do you have a clown harem tank? Do you have a predator tank that you want to spice up a little bit? Whatever your answer, there is an anemone for you! 

Let’s start with the basic types of live coral anemones.  There are nine common species in the aquarium trade, with the best corals for beginners being the bubble-tip and rock flower. These are very easy anemones, which do not require feeding and won’t eat any fish. 

Carpet and mini carpet anemones are also very easy, but are far more aggressive.  There are many instances of carpet anemones eating fish and even severely stinging people. Latex or nitrile gloves are recommended when touching any anemone, but especially with a carpet anemone. 

Slightly more challenging, Tube Anemones and Long Tentacle Anemones are also able to eat fish, but are not as aggressive as carpet anemones. These are good options for those who have been keeping coral reef aquariums for a while, but aren’t necessarily experts.

The next tier of anemones, which would likely be considered high end coral for sale, are Condylactis anemones, Sebae anemones, and Ritteri anemones .  These are more difficult anemones that require a mature tank andregularly feeding. The Condylactis (or Condy) and Sebae anemones are typically white or brown with lightly colored tips, because of this they are not very good at photosynthesis. This group of anemones is also slightly more aggressive than bubble-tips and rock flowers, but not as aggressive as carpets.

Now that we have covered the basic types of anemone coral, it is time to discuss proper care. All anemones contain zooxanthellae algae, which gives them their color and a naturally occurring food source. Because of this, anemones are photosynthetic, but some are better than others.  The bubble-tip, carpet, long tentacle, tube, and rock flower anemone for sale are very proficient in photosynthesis, and therefore don’t require feeding as often as other anemone varieties. 

Choosing the right food is important. Great food options are mysis shrimp or raw shrimp for the grocery store.  If you opt for the latter, be sure to cut the shrimp into manageable half-inch pieces. Limit feeding to twice per week to avoid complications associated with overfeeding, including dirtier water and regurgitate later. Feeding is recommended because it helps to cause anemones to split and enhances their color.

To recap:

• We typically recommend either a bubble-tip or rock flower anemone for your first anemone, they are easy and not very aggressive.
• We recommend feeding once or twice per week to encourage good growth and color.
• If you are looking for an easy anemone that’s more unique, the tube anemone, long tentacle, or mini carpet are good for beginner to intermediate coral reef aquarium owners.  They come in bright colors and are not the most aggressive, but still should be watched closely, especially around small slow fish.
• If you have an established coral reef tank with very large fish or all clownfish, a carpet anemone might be a good choice. It should be watched closely and handled with gloves.
• If you are looking for a challenge, and a very unique anemone, then you may want to try out a Condy, Sebae, or Ritteri anemone.

We hope this article helped you learn more about these incredible anemones! If you have any other questions or would like to suggest an edit to this article, send us an email at queencitycorals@gmail.comor message us on Facebook or Instagram!