Red Carpet Anemone - First hand accounts

[triggerfish1976]

I am thinking about getting a red carpet anemone and I have heard that this specific color morph does not generally fair well in captivity for more than 6 months. Has anyone been able to keep one long term?

[Zestay]

careful, they are fish eaters!

[GSMguy]

talk to Shutiny he has like 20 of them

[triggerfish1976]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9635601#post9635601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zestay
careful, they are fish eaters!

I know. How many fish has yours eaten?

[J8851]

I have a green carpet with no missing fish yet i've only had him a few weeks

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9636142#post9636142 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by triggerfish1976
I know. How many fish has yours eaten?

ive had mine almost a month and not one fish has been eaten but that is most likely because my fish are not sick or stressed

[AquaReeferMan]

Boy Ive had my S. haddoni for a little over a year now and I have lost like 10 fish. The fish that stay a live are the fish that were around before I put it in. Ill try and put new fish in and within a couple of weeks I'll notice the nem rather large and wrapped up in something(a fish). Its a love, hate relationship. My clowns usually end up pushing fish into it.

[triggerfish1976]

I am not overly concerned about the fish eating aspect. I was just concerned if what I was hearing about the reds was true.
Is there any good place on the net to get some of the rarer colored carpets?

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9637263#post9637263 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by triggerfish1976
I am not overly concerned about the fish eating aspect. I was just concerned if what I was hearing about the reds was true.
Is there any good place on the net to get some of the rarer colored carpets?

you should have gotten zestays he is in Fla i think.

i would not reccomend having one shipped unless there is a good guarontee so ask the LFS in your area the reds go for some really high prices

[triggerfish1976]

I was really not looking to get one shipped but this is something that I doubt I will see in any LFS around me because there is not a huge demand for high dollar livestock, especially the fish eating kind.

[shutiny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9637366#post9637366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by triggerfish1976
I was really not looking to get one shipped but this is something that I doubt I will see in any LFS around me because there is not a huge demand for high dollar livestock, especially the fish eating kind.

Buying anemone on the web is risky, unless you work with a reputable dealer. There are many ways to stimulate an anemone so it looks better for the pictures, ie a tight mouth ....
Shipping stress is also a big issue with anemones.

I have been seeing some red carpet postings from your area, and they are selling at much more reasonable price, less than $200.

Check with " Zestay", he just got one recently from your area, I think.

In mine experiences, larger reds are a little more difficult to acclimate to captive environment than the green, blue and other more common colors. The smaller red species are as easy as the other S. haddoni.

The larger specie are not as sticky as the smaller ones. I have only lost one fish(blue face angel) to red carpet(smaller specie). Although they don't kill/eat fish as frequent as the green, blue, and other more common color ones in mine tank. In mine view, more room in your tank, is better for your fish, therefore, less likely of being injured or eaten.

Just mine personal experiences
;)

[arcab4]

shipping stress was a big time downer for me. i lost 2 before i found a healthy one that i had for over a year. then it got taken down by bad silversides..actually..i lost all my carpets to that fiasco.

but carpets i think once situated and healthy are pretty much the same to take are of.

the key for me was to not move them at all. let them move and then move the corals out of the way.

<a href="http://www.myfishtank.net"><img src="http://www.myfishtank.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/picture-291.jpg" border="0"></a>

[shutiny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9638475#post9638475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arcab4
shipping stress was a big time downer for me. i lost 2 before i found a healthy one that i had for over a year. then it got taken down by bad silversides..actually..i lost all my carpets to that fiasco.

but carpets i think once situated and healthy are pretty much the same to take are of.

the key for me was to not move them at all. let them move and then move the corals out of the way.

<a href="http://www.myfishtank.net"><img src="http://www.myfishtank.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/picture-291.jpg" border="0"></a>

Oh no, did you loose that one?

[arcab4]

yea. that's what made me take a break from carpets. for now.

going back to bta's and others. it was too painful of a lost.

[shutiny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9639012#post9639012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arcab4
yea. that's what made me take a break from carpets. for now.

going back to bta's and others. it was too painful of a lost.

I am soooo sorry, Johnny.

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9639012#post9639012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arcab4
yea. that's what made me take a break from carpets. for now.

going back to bta's and others. it was too painful of a lost.

how did silversides kill it?

[arcab4]

bad batch. killed my first one. then my 2nd. and stupid me had to feed it to the 3rd one to prove that it wasn't. hard lesson learned.

[SVXH6]

i had bad silversides kill a few anemones as well. it really upset me. i had them for quite sometime(2 years with significant growth) nothing changed in the tank at all, and i really believe it was the silversides.

[tpdpercula]

I have never heard of carpets eating fish in the aquairum let alone clownfish. I have a 10"+ Blue and was going to get a Red. Do reds kill more fish then blues or is it about the same. My fish host in my 16"+ RBTA and not the carpet but, would love to have a Red in my tank to add some color.

[isseym328]

I've lost quite a few red carpets as well. Longest living red was a year I believe and funny thing was it was in my small 20gallon back then and not my bigger 50g. I have bought 2 red carpets from AtlantisAquarium and both died within a few weeks....due to shipping. I have also lost some from too intense of a lighting. I also lost a couple from my onyx pair beating on it too much. So yes I gave up with carpets like johnny...or until i get my new tank. :D

[ATX aquarist]

http://www.reefscience.com/web/ultra_corals1.php
Here's one on reef science that has been there for a while. They marked it down to $699 if you're looking for one. I have no experience with red ones and don't have any advice, but I thought I may give you a place to find one.
Here's a pic of it
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/john082588/DSCF0161.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

[cschweitzer]

Best advice for finding one is to talk to Marcye at Sea in the City here in Orlando. She is the only LFS where I have seen a red carpet in good health in my life. beautiful red, not too pink, not too brown, just a nice almost bright brick red color. She may be able to find you one...no promises, though...it was a while ago that I saw it there.

[triggerfish1976]

I saw the one at reefscience before but I am going to try and find one locally. It appears that most of the problems that people encounter is from having them shipped to them.
I also think $699 is a little bit high since I have been mainly seeing them go for $200-$500 on most of the other online sites that I generally have had good luck with.

[cschweitzer]

Yeah, $700 is quite a price, even for something that big and beautiful. I think they use a lot of actinic to give it that solid neon pink look...probably a darker pink or light red in reality.

[triggerfish1976]

I sent you a PM.

[triggerfish1976]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9646491#post9646491 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cschweitzer
I think they use a lot of actinic to give it that solid neon pink look...probably a darker pink or light red in reality.

I agree. The blue background color is a dead give away.

[traveller7]

This thread appears off topic?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9634853#post9634853 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by triggerfish1976
I am thinking about getting a red carpet anemone and I have heard that this specific color morph does not generally fair well in captivity for more than 6 months. Has anyone been able to keep one long term?

Lets avoid creating a buying/selling/trading thread in a discussion forum.

Thanks.

[isseym328]

Oops sorry about that Scott. I wasn't even thinking about it. Was just trying to help.

But yeah I would say no to shipping. I've lost so many carpets due to that.

[triggerfish1976]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9647415#post9647415 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by traveller7
This thread appears off topic?



Lets avoid creating a buying/selling/trading thread in a discussion forum.

Thanks.

My mistake.