Chicago Sunburst Anemone

Can an anemone be kept in a Reef Casa nano reef tank?  The short answer is yes, with a little bit of preplanning.   While all bubble tip anemones are beautiful, the Chicago Sunburst Anemone is truly a standout option.  They are available in 3 different colour patterns, those being yellow, orange or red.  Regardless of the colour pattern, they all have a blue oral disc with tentacles that are green near the mouth and then transition to the particular colour morph.  It truly has to be seen to be believed.  As they are a type of bubble tip anemone, each tentacle ends with its namesake bulge.

Like other types of bubble tipped anemones, the Chicago Sunburst Anemone is found in the Indo-Pacific region. They can be found at depths of up to 20 meters and attach themselves to the reef rock with a pedal disc.  In a home aquarium, they require a similar environment and are usually placed against the rock on the substrate. Like other anemones, they are capable of moving around the tank. This means that in a smaller tank, such as the Reef Casa Studio 12, it is important to account for this.  One method is to introduce the anemone first and to allow it to settle into a spot before adding other corals.

The Chicago Sunburst Anemone prefers moderate levels of both light and flow.  Generally more intense lighting will make their colours more vivid and will encourage the development of the namesake bubbles at the ends of their tentacles.  Flow should be sufficient to prevent the buildup of detritus on the anemone.   Because it has the ability to move around the tank, it will generally find a spot with appropriate lighting and flow. Anemones contain the same photosynthetic algae as many corals and are able to meet the majority of their energy needs by using the aquarium lighting.  They should, however, be fed periodically.  They can either be fed chopped squid or other meaty foods or an anemone specific pellet food such as Vitalis Anemone Pellet Food.  If the anemone appears to be stringy it may be in need of supplemental feeding.

In the wild many types of anemones, including the Chicago sunburst anemone, will form a symbiotic relationship with clownfish with the clownfish living in, or “hosting”, the anemone.  Because clownfish are a great choice for a nano reef tank, this unique relationship can be recreated in a Reef Casa reef aquarium.