Entacmea quadricolor 'Sunburst'
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Symbiotic anemones - the partners of clownfish
You are probably familiar with anemones ( Actinaria ) because they live together with clown or anemone fish ( Amphiprion sp. & Premnas sp.). However, only a few anemone species are actually suitable for keeping with these fish. Certain representatives of the genera Entacmaea , Heteractis and Stichodactyla are considered true host and partner anemones.
Keeping anemones
Anemones should only be kept in a well-established reef aquarium with a minimum lifespan of around 6 months. Although they do not have particularly high demands on the water parameters, these should be stable. A phosphate concentration of up to 0.1 mg/l and a nitrate concentration of up to 10 mg/l are tolerated by most anemones without any problems.
Feeding copper anemones - this is how it works
As with stony corals, small single-cell algae (zooxanthellae) live in the tissues of anemones, which provide them with nutrition. Anemones should therefore be kept under sufficiently strong lighting. Anemones can also absorb dissolved nutrients directly from their environment. Anemones therefore do not need to be actively fed, but will still be happy if you give them a few chunks of frozen food now and then. A feeding pipette is particularly suitable for this.
Planting anemones - the droplet method
Unlike most other corals, anemones absolutely have to be adapted to the water parameters in your tank. The best way to do this is to use the drip method. When introducing the animals, it is also advisable to turn off the pumps for a while. This gives them some time to attach their feet to a suitable place in your tank.