# second anemone ok for clownfish?



## larrywayne (Aug 4, 2009)

Hi. This is my first post and I'm a new user, so I'm not sure if this question has come up already. My anemone hasn't come "unshrink" in over a week, so I bought a bubble anemone for my maroon clownfish. Both of the anemone are still in the tank, though the old one might never rebound. The clownfish is very aggressive toward the newcomer, even ramming it.

Is it a mistake to put a new anemone in a tank with the one the clownfish already bonded too--even if the old one seems near death? The clownfish still makes a trip every now and then to the old one, but doesn't hang around it much. Should I take the old one out? Again, it has been all shrunk up for well over a week and seems near death.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i hate seeing these questions because to start clowns do not need an anemone to survive, or even to thrive. infact not all the time will a clown host an anemone and will decide it feels safer/more comfort from something else like a coral, piece of rock, the side of the tank, the algae scraper, ive even seen them in clams, basically anything and everything that they feel safe and comfort in.
to start i would need to know more about the tank, lighting, exact water parameters for everything you can test for and what test kit your using and how old it is if possible, how often you feed the tank/anemone, how long the tanks been setup, whats in it and everything and anything you can include. the more details you provide the better someone can turn around and help you. pictures also can be very helpful.
now, heres a very sticky situation. the nem you have in the tank that appears to be dying removing it may be best but putting it into another tank almost guarentees its death but keeping it in the tank wont guarentee its health esp with poor water quality. a dying anemone CAN cause an entire tank to crash, killing everything. i wish you seeing it dying was enough of an indicator not to replace it with another, but the damage has been done. if it is at all possible to return the new nem you bought i recommend it, atleast at this time until we can figure out whats going on with your tank. i would also see if a good LFS would be willing to take in your nem thats in bad shape, you prob. wont get any store credit for it but they may be able to save it.
anyways, welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any questions you may have.


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## larrywayne (Aug 4, 2009)

Hi, well, I'm sorry you hate questions like mine. I hesitated joining the forum because I heard some people on it have a low tolerance for newbies such as me. Anyway, my question wasn't so much about my sick anemone but about whether it's normal for a maroon clownfish to be aggressive toward a 2nd anemone introduced into the tank. I don't mean to be a bother. I'll just wait and see what happens in my tank.




onefish2fish said:


> i hate seeing these questions because to start clowns do not need an anemone to survive, or even to thrive. infact not all the time will a clown host an anemone and will decide it feels safer/more comfort from something else like a coral, piece of rock, the side of the tank, the algae scraper, ive even seen them in clams, basically anything and everything that they feel safe and comfort in.
> to start i would need to know more about the tank, lighting, exact water parameters for everything you can test for and what test kit your using and how old it is if possible, how often you feed the tank/anemone, how long the tanks been setup, whats in it and everything and anything you can include. the more details you provide the better someone can turn around and help you. pictures also can be very helpful.
> now, heres a very sticky situation. the nem you have in the tank that appears to be dying removing it may be best but putting it into another tank almost guarentees its death but keeping it in the tank wont guarentee its health esp with poor water quality. a dying anemone CAN cause an entire tank to crash, killing everything. i wish you seeing it dying was enough of an indicator not to replace it with another, but the damage has been done. if it is at all possible to return the new nem you bought i recommend it, atleast at this time until we can figure out whats going on with your tank. i would also see if a good LFS would be willing to take in your nem thats in bad shape, you prob. wont get any store credit for it but they may be able to save it.
> anyways, welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any questions you may have.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

I think you misinterpreted OF2F's response. This is a question that gets posted a lot because no one takes the time to research how to take care of these animals.

Anemones are a very sensitive creature that requires a stable, mature enviroment to thrive. So I will ask some questions to help diagnose the problem:

1) how old is your tank?
2) what are your exact water parameters: Nitrate, Ammonia, Nitrite, pH, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, Salinity, Temperature...anything else you feel is relevant
3) How big is your tank?
4) all the inhabitants: fish, inverts, snails, crabs, corals, etc...
5) what type of anemones are these?
6) What is your substrate? How deep? sand? crushed coral?
7) Do you have Live rock? How much?

Please give me all the information you can. We will help.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

im sorry if it seems i came off rude, i didnt mean it that way at all. wake is right and it seems as if this question comes up constantly. anemones need a reef enviroment, meaning good lighting and water quality. in the wild ive heard they live to 200 years but ive also heard theyre eternal meaning they live forever. either way thats a long time and no one has yet to accomplish this in a home aquarium.


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