if you are looking for a Stichodactyla mertensii...

[sedgro]

Reefscience (a sponsor) appears to have one S. mertensii on their website right now, though it is hard to tell for sure without seeing the base. Looks exactly like mine though...

JB

[traveller7]

From that single top shot, it looks like mine upon first arrival as well. As you said, without a better picture showing the column, tough to be sure. A bit more expensive then I would expect, must have wholesaled for the same as the Red Haddoni's.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Where?..I don't see it:(
never mind I found it

[elegance coral]

I e-mailed them, and asked them to post a pic of the column here in this thread. Chad returned my message, in like 5 minutes, and said he would check into it when he gets to the warehouse today. $500 does seem a little steep, but if it is mertensii, I may order it.
You think I could slip it into the tank without the wife noticing?:confused:

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

I'll just wait till my LFS finds me one..with my LFS it should cost me no more than $250.

[elegance coral]

My LFS wouldn't know a mertensii if it was stuck to their arm. I don't think they will have one in my lifetime.

[GSMguy]

ive never heard or seen of a mertensii in a LFS

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

When there was one on LA divers den. It didn't cost that much.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

He said he won't be at the warehouse untill this evening.

[traveller7]

Don't know how an LFS can even order a Merten's. They typically arrive and are treated as "brown haddoni's". Unless they happen to be in good shape and showing the shaggy tentacles, then someone treats them like gigantea.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Hey Scott, does a mertensii have a sting like a haddoni? I've seen haddonis and giganteas in person but not a mertensii. So does it sting if you touch it?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Since they will not guarantee live arrival, anyone have any comments on the likelihood of live arrival of the various species of carpets from Reefscience?

$500 is a lot to risk without knowing the likelihood of success from a particular vendor.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Doni, she bought her purple haddoni carpet from reefscience.

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13401307#post13401307 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wicked_NaCl_h2o
Hey Scott, does a mertensii have a sting like a haddoni? I've seen haddonis and giganteas in person but not a mertensii. So does it sting if you touch it? Much milder sting then haddoni, at least to the human touch. Mine did not seem to much of a threat to the inhabitants.

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13401480#post13401480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Since they will not guarantee live arrival, anyone have any comments on the likelihood of live arrival of the various species of carpets from Reefscience?

$500 is a lot to risk without knowing the likelihood of success from a particular vendor. Based on the pictures, the one looking like a merten's is likely a good candidate. It does not appear bleached and they tend to ship fairly well based on the few arrivals I have tracked. If it is a mertens, they are not common so difficult to price; but they do not typically command a high price since they are very rarely ID'd properly.

Personally, I would avoid buying carpets without a guarantee unless the pricing is at a range to afford 3 attempts. Most are going to die in the first 10ish days.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Personally, I would avoid buying carpets without a guarantee unless the pricing is at a range to afford 3 attempts. Most are going to die in the first 10ish days.

OK, thanks. Maybe I'll stick to shopping the Divers Den. :)

[phender]

I have been lucky enough to get two mertens carpets. One was about 12" across when I got it. The other was ~4". The retail prices were $50 and $22 respectively. When I got mine most hobbyists did know what a mertens was. One of them was IDed correctly by the wholesaler the other was an "assorted carpet"

In my experience they do ship very well. The few that I have seen at wholesalers and the one I saw at a LFS were all in good shape.

Be warned, if it is a mertens, that 8-12" anemone will swell up to 16" once it acclimates to your tank and will be 24" before you know it.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/67981g50gal4705Full.jpg

[elegance coral]

The way I see it, if you're shopping for a mertensii, you can't afford to be picky. You got to grab it when/if you can. No one wants to pay $500 for an anemone that may die in a few days, but what choice do we have? It's not like we're going to get another chance any time soon.

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13402235#post13402235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elegance coral
The way I see it, if you're shopping for a mertensii, you can't afford to be picky. You got to grab it when/if you can. No one wants to pay $500 for an anemone that may die in a few days, but what choice do we have? It's not like we're going to get another chance any time soon.

I think you should ask yourself, "Why do you want one so bad?"
It is just a brownish yellow anemone. Its not like they do back flips or something when you feed them. You will rarely see the underside or the foot, which actually has some color. They aren't rare in the wild, just usually too big to collect.

For $50 it would be a nice anemone because it is accepted by most clowns, doesn't have a powerful sting and its hardy on par with haddoni, but for $500 no way. Unfortunately someone will buy it at that price and that will set the standard for prices in the future. :(

[Heterodonut]

Phil, I agree with what you say (usually do) but the one upside to the high ticket price is it will keep just anybody from buying it. Hopefully, whoever has that kind of dough, also has the equipment (lighting etc.), space, and the know-how to take care of it.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Hey Phil, what size tank was that mertensii in?

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13402592#post13402592 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wicked_NaCl_h2o
Hey Phil, what size tank was that mertensii in?

That is a 48" 55 gal. tank. At the time, it had 4x65 watt PC lighting.
As far as their care goes, it was very similar to that of a haddoni without the harmful side effects. :) The difference being that mertens like having their foot in a shallow crevice in the rock with a hard substrate over which to drape their oral disk. I loved the way the skunks used to "body surf" from the top the the anemone to the bottom.

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13402321#post13402321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
I think you should ask yourself, "Why do you want one so bad?"
It is just a brownish yellow anemone. Its not like they do back flips or something when you feed them. You will rarely see the underside or the foot, which actually has some color. They aren't rare in the wild, just usually too big to collect.

For $50 it would be a nice anemone because it is accepted by most clowns, doesn't have a powerful sting and its hardy on par with haddoni, but for $500 no way. Unfortunately someone will buy it at that price and that will set the standard for prices in the future. :(

I know the anemone isn't brightly colored like some of the others. For me, the hobby isn't about setting up a beautiful display tank in my living room. (nothing wrong with that though) For me it's about the animals. I have a magnifica, gigantea, haddoni, and two LTA's. The LTA's may be finding a new home soon. My collection is not complete without a mertensii. Besides, watching "the way the skunks used to "body surf" from the top the the anemone to the bottom.", would be a sight to see.

I don't think that one crazy person paying $500 for a brown anemone will set the industry standard. Think about it, we are on the largest web site of this kind, and I'm the only one even thinking about getting this anemone. If there were a market for large brown 500 dollar anemones, they would be collecting and importing these anemones more often. Most people want bright colored animals that will do back flips for their guests. They're not going to pay that much for a ugly brown anemone that just lays across the rocks.

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Does this look mertensii to you?

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7493/dscn2432nk6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I think it does.

[elegance coral]

I just looked on the site and it says SOLD!

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

so was it one?

[traveller7]

It looks merty to me, although the pictures color balance is way out of wack.

Slim chance it is another carpet species IMHO.

edit: Sure reads better with the second "it" in the sentence :D

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13404030#post13404030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elegance coral
...........
I don't think that one crazy person paying $500 for a brown anemone will set the industry standard. ..........

How do you think they set the standard price for coral frags? As soon as someone was able to get $80 for a tiny sunset monti frag, that became the standard price. How do people (LFSs included) decide how much to charge for frags? They set their price at whatever the Atlantis Aquarium Website (the most outlandish prices around) says.

You can pay what you want. Small individuals of this species will still probably mostly be brought in as "assorted carpets" and go for less than normal carpets. You just have to be patient and diligent. I hope I don't have to wait another 15 years. But if I do, I can live with that. Its one of those things that the excitement is in the hunt. Once you get it, its just another anemone, and you will laugh(or cry) that you dropped that much cash for it.

[phender]

Wow, I took way to long to write that last post. A picture was posted and it was sold in the time I started and finally posted.

I looks like a mertens to me. Did you get it Elegance Coral?

[elegance coral]

It doesn't look haddoni or gigantea so it must be mertensii. Looks like someone saved me 500 bucks.:rolleyes:

[traveller7]

Maybe it is a gigantic S. helianthus and you saved the lives of your fish too :)

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13404735#post13404735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
Wow, I took way to long to write that last post. A picture was posted and it was sold in the time I started and finally posted.

I looks like a mertens to me. Did you get it Elegance Coral?

No. I saw the pic, then checked the site, and it was gone. I guess there is more than one crazy person out there willing to pay 500 bucks for an ugly brown anemone. What's wrong with people? :confused: LOL

[traveller7]

It's no more crazy then some of the way out prices we pay for limited availability clowns, etc.

When there is a very limited supply, prices will be all over the map. Nature of the beast.

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13404780#post13404780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by traveller7
Maybe it is a gigantic S. helianthus and you saved the lives of your fish too :)

LOL Now that would be one monster Atlantic carpet.

[MarinaP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13404544#post13404544 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wicked_NaCl_h2o
Does this look mertensii to you?

a 100% :) It will look purple under 20K