First, thank you PNWMAS for having this website - I just inherited a 50gal tank from a friend, and this site has been invaluable in helping me figure out how to care for it properly. Thanks!
One confusing bit I haven't been able to figure out yet is about the anemones in the tank. I had two long-tentacled anemones (clones of eachother), with a very attentive yellow striped maroon clownfish tending them. (The past tense will make sense in a bit). I'll tell the whole story, but my question boils down to: is there a way to encourage anemones to stop moving around so much?
When we got the tank a few weeks ago everything seemed to settle down pretty quickly after the move. But then after a week or so the two anemones just started cruising the tank at high speeds. One made a beeline for the mid-upper glass side near one of the pumps, and the other went and wedged its way down among the rocks.
The one in the rocks was the clownfish's absolute favorite of the two, but since the anemone was wedged in rocks, the clownfish would get scratches on her fins from trying to rub in the anemone but missing and hitting rocks. She would heal fast, but get new scratches just as fast.
Next, one of the anemones wandered too close to one of the pumps. I don't know exactly what happened, but we came home one day to find that one of them had gotten sucked up through the filter screen of one of the pumps, and had been reduced to anemone puree.
Finally, our remaining one continues its rapid cruising of the tank. I wouldn't care that it wants to move around except I don't want it heading back into the rocks again for the clownfish to tear her fins up, and it also has a nasty habit of sitting itself down right in the middle of the colony of Anthelia polyps and harassing them.
So, if anyone has some tips on convincing the remaining anemone to settle down, I'd really apreciate it! I don't want another case of blended anemone, and I would prefer to have the corals and anemone ignore each other instead of bickering. The tank's nutrient levels are a little high, and I'm working on getting those cut down - could that be it? I would have thought light issues, except that the first major movement was one anemone up and the other one down. What else could it be?
Thanks for your help, and again, thanks for being here PNWMAS!
-Kevin