Nem for Sexy Shrimps

[NanoNerd]

I've never wanted or intended to get an anemone. So I've never seriously educated myself on them. I know they move where they want in a tank and cant be reasoned with, stinging corals as they go, eating fish and other things if they can (?!), and most get very large!

I wanted to get some sexy shrimp for my 5g peninsula. It's fairly high light, high flow, mostly sps oriented. So not much that would interest a shrimp to live in at all. In my reading of corals I could potentially get for them, it seemed the most wide-spread success with them was the mini maxi carpet anemone. I knew of carpet anemones, but not this specific kind.

Would it be a good fit, do you think? Or is there something easier? What's your personal experience with them?

(Other tank inhabitants include 3 birdsnest corals, one branching cyphastrea, one plug of gsp on the back wall, tiny zoas and an entrusting Monti that can both be moved, some branching coralline algae, a cluster of fireworks cloves, cerith snails, one stomatella, one conch whom I love, and one temporary inhabitant of a peppermint shrimp who'll be gone once he finishes his aiptasia work.)

[Eatfrenchfries]

They seem to like any anemone ( in bigger nems they will hang out on tentacles) but people get small ones like rock flower, mini max, bali reds just so you can actually see the shrimp since they are so tiny. 

If you worry about stinging your SPS coral. Just get a big mushroom. 

With your current coral setup I'd just get some and see if they form a bond with what you've got. They need each other more than a host. 

Mine hang out on a mini max a couple days each week. For the most part they just form their huddle in random parts of the tank each day. 

Started with 15 in a 20gallon. Currently only see a tribe of 7 and a tribe of 4. 

 

[NanoNerd]

Thanks very much for sharing your experience (and pics, the anemone certainly is beautiful)! My boyfriend had also mentioned just getting a mushroom. Not sure how well they'd do in high light/flow or what would be best to try at least... I've also never really been into the ricordea type mushrooms, I guess. 

There's only one section of the tank that would be inconvenient for the anemone to plant itself. Most of the stuff in it can be moved. I may give the anemone a try! 😊