Carpet Anemone angry or happy?

[nameissoftlover]

I have had my Carpet Anemone now for quite some time, he/she is sometimes stretching 16 inches wide and other times is is only stretched to maybe 10 inches. How am i to know if he is happy or sad. I recently went to the Columbus zoo and they have a carpet a little smaller than mine. The one in Columbus looked like mine when its not all the way open. SO this makes me wonder, is open and stretched good or bad?

[nikon187]

Could be stretching for light.. What kind of lighting do you have? and what type of carpet? They all have different requirments.

[nameissoftlover]

i will give this a try, and post a picturehttp://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-05-25_19-10-54_245.jpg

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-05-25_16-24-36_677-1.jpg

[nameissoftlover]

those were taken a few weeks ago, i added a new light that is slightly higher in watts and this is what I got now, i just took this now, http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-09_20-32-04_361-1.jpg

[Rippinfrags]

What size is your tank? And what type of lighting are you currently running?

Ps. Tank looks rather small, especially for that anemone. Lastly is that a metal bracket around your powerhead that I see in your picture?

[ja4207]

Looks fine to me.

[nameissoftlover]

the tank is now a 29 gallon nano, downgrade from a 55 gal, i have owned this carpet for 3 years now, started in a 29, upgraded to 55, back down to 29 nano, been in the nano for 3 months, has not moved yet, eats, but some days open stretched out, others like that, not really open, i am using pc lighting, 114 watts, its a plastic cover on the power-head, i am using maxi jets, both 1200, on for the filter and one in the tank both are using hydor circulators, i also run a 6500 k bulb for cheato and comes on at night, when the other lights go down on stages, he acts happy, has not moved, but seams to stretch alot and his colors seam to fade out, any suggested food to bring out the colors maybe?

[kduen]

I believe he was talking about the metal hose clamp holding the hydor flow director onto the maxi-jet. I could be wrong but I don't believe 114w of PC is gonna cut it, it appears to be stretching as thin as it can get to maxamize the available light. But it doesn't look bad or anything.

[Rippinfrags]

I never would have guessed that tank was a 29 gallon nano, that Carpet nem makes the tank look much smaller. However, 29 gallons probably isn't enough space for a 16 in. Nem. From your description, I would say you know more about anemones than I do, so I'm going to butt out and let the experts help you! Good luck...

[nameissoftlover]

yes it is a metal clamp, i did not even think about that, i should switch to maybe a very strong zip tie

[nameissoftlover]

when i had to downgrade to the smaller tank i put him in a 14 gal nano, very temp to get him back to health he touched all 4 sides at once, and the 55 gal, the issue was not checking and cleaning rock correctly, and yea,

[nikon187]

personally i would never keep a carpet unde PC, just not enough light.. But you have had it for years so?

[nameissoftlover]

i have had him for 3 years or so now, he has never been under anything other than power compact since i have had him, i think maybe i will add krill to his diet and see if this helps him with his colors and that, as of now all i have ever fed him were silver side, i am adding some mis-bar percs so i will add photos tomorrow and see if they bother him at all, i tested the salinity and am going to lower it to 1.022 after the clowns are acclimated and safe, as of now the tank sits at 1.025

[sjmantis]

These work great:

http://www.marinedepot.com/Plastic_Hose_Clamp_Hose_Clamps_for_Tubing-Plumbing_Parts-FT1513-FIFTTUHC-vi.html

[nameissoftlover]

Sjmantis, I will def. Be checking into that, thanks alot for that, the only house clamp I have ever used was a zip tie, thanks alot

[sjmantis]

No prob, hope your nem is ok. I've always wanted a big carpet :)

[nameissoftlover]

I will find out when I get homeif you have a good home for my carpet you could have him, I was considering donating him to columbus zoo, I feel like I'm not being fair to him/her being in the small tank

[sjmantis]

I would love to but my tank is pretty stocked right now. Is the zoo pretty setup as far as aquariums go?

[nameissoftlover]

They have several very nice aquariums, some are upwards of (my best guess) couple thousand gallons

[nameissoftlover]

One tank had 2 divers cleaning it, that one was bigger than a pool

[sjmantis]

Oh wow sounds awesome, I think they could definitely take in your nem. gl!

[deangelr]

personally i would never keep a carpet unde PC, just not enough light.. But you have had it for years so?

Not sure where you got this info from..Haddoni can do fine under PC lighting. IMO all NEMS can do well under PC's (given enough lighting).

Haddon's anemone has the lowest light requirements (maybe equal to BTA) of all the hosting anemones.

[nameissoftlover]

The columbus zoo already has a carpet that looks identical to mine

[dunk373]

try feeding it table shrimp with the shell removed. Give it a piece about the size of its mouth. Nems have soft guts and bones and shells are not good for them. Also what color temp are your lights mine has done the same thing. I found if you lack a 10k light it will flatten and curl around the edges. they are weird though mine has been huge for a while and lately it doesn't open as big I suspect the breeding clownfish are messing it up they lay eggs and constantly nudge the nem so it doesn't touch the eggs.

[nikon187]

Not sure where you got this info from..Haddoni can do fine under PC lighting. IMO all NEMS can do well under PC's (given enough lighting).

Haddon's anemone has the lowest light requirements (maybe equal to BTA) of all the hosting anemones.

I got this info from keeping anemones for over 10yrs.. I would love to see a gigantea or magnifica anemone do well under power compacts.

[Faye]

Not sure where you got this info from..Haddoni can do fine under PC lighting. IMO all NEMS can do well under PC's (given enough lighting).

Haddon's anemone has the lowest light requirements (maybe equal to BTA) of all the hosting anemones.

What you just said is ridiculous. There is no way on Gods green earth you are capable of keeping ritteri anemones under power compacts.

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-10_17-27-49_277.jpg

this photo was taken shortly after adding the mis bar percs

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-10_17-27-58_793.jpg

[nameissoftlover]

i took this a couple hours after the mis bars were added, the carpet and percs seam to be getting along i would think, never have i seen fish go strait to an anemone like this, he/she is still open all the way as you can see. http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-10_22-07-08_234.jpg

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-10_22-04-27_406.jpg

[nikon187]

looking good

[nameissoftlover]

thanks, we will see in the morning if they are still alive....

[dunk373]

looks good, those clowns are small no problem at all i would feed it. It looks hungry but no shells or bones. i would think it is ok in that tank but stability is key, as long as you keep up and no mistakes it'll be fine. you have a lot of white light in there that'll keep it happy if you turn days off before actinics you will notice how they react to the blue, mine hates actinics

[kduen]

Why do people keep saying no bones or shells? Do they really think that a boneless/shell-less meal is going to drift to the seafloor where these anemones live? I mean seriously thats like saying they need to make a boneless cow.

[nameissoftlover]

for lights i am running 3 50/50 bulbs, for a total of 114watts, the mis bars are about 6 months old or so, thats why they are so small

[nameissoftlover]

i know that my anemone has eaten many things in my past tanks, this is to include fish, hermit crabs, snails, so im not to worried about the shells and that i just feel that it would be easier if no bones or shells, i am going to try krill and shrimp however, usually i feed him/her a full silverside, and that is not even bigger than his mouth, his mouth is about 2"-3" wide, his base is about the size of a softball round, so he can eat just about anything, i just always fed only silverside, and by what everyone says, a variety in diet would be healthier for him.

[dunk373]

Why do people keep saying no bones or shells? Do they really think that a boneless/shell-less meal is going to drift to the seafloor where these anemones live? I mean seriously thats like saying they need to make a bonless cow.

My nem has eaten krill, silversides, unlucky stupid gobies, three in two days! But think, these nems are not in their natural environment, my water is not perfect, no one's is we keep animals from different parts of the world in one tank, so when you get the water right for one it's not right for the other. I could chew up a chicken bone and eat it and not die some people eat glass but i wouldn't recommend it. Why take a chance? I have heard many things about keeping corals, nems, fish, a lot contradict the other. I choose what and who i listen to. It just makes sense to me not to feed bones, will it kill It? No, will It stress it out? Maybe, just not a chance im willing to take when you can go to a seafood place and buy 1/2 pound of shrimp for app. $5 and it lasts 3-6 months why not do it. Especially an already stressed specimen or only a month acclimated.

[kduen]

I was just simply stating that in the ocean where all of the carpet anemones come from since there are no captive bred ones are used to eating whatever comes to them bones/shells or not. Believe me mine has ate a mandarin, 6 inch copperband, 2 anthias, and three cromis. In one night I watched a 4 inch anthias and a 2 inch chromis swim right into to it when the lights went off abruptly, two days later there was a ball of bones that was released. I'm not saying feed them bones and shells I was just saying that if there are some bones in it's meal it really isn't anything to worry about.

[dunk373]

http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

also haddoni's don't live on the sea floor. They live in less than three feet of water even though most give them blue light due to the better pop of colors they prefer full 6500k-10000k spectrum of light. they wash up on shore occasionally and survive hours in the sun out of the water until the tide sucks them back in. hope the link above works its the first one I found googling haddoni carpet in the wild pics

[dunk373]

I was just simply stating that in the ocean where all of the carpet anemones come from since there are no captive bred ones are used to eating whatever comes to them bones/shells or not. Believe me mine has ate a mandarin, 6 inch copperband, 2 anthias, and three cromis. In one night I watched a 4 inch anthias and a 2 inch chromis swim right into to it when the lights went off abruptly, two days later there was a ball of bones that was released. I'm not saying feed them bones and shells I was just saying that if there are some bones in it's meal it really isn't anything to worry about.

I agree i just try to keep them to a minimum. Lol have you ever tried to rescue a fish its impossible

[nameissoftlover]

one time i tryed to rescue a clown, then ended with me haveing a rash for several weeks and still a dead clown, i just was looking to find some other food than a silverside, im going to try krill today and see how that goes, my mis-bars wont leave the anemone now, they survived the night being with him, i guess ill have to see if they survive me feeding him.

[nameissoftlover]

the anem did eat the krill, took him longer than usual to eat, however, its atleast a source of food other than silversides, on a dif note, the clown fish only ate what fell close to the anem. they did not leave the anem to eat, im guessing this is a good sign that are hosting with him

[dunk373]

When my clowns first hosted they would not leave. But once they got used to it the look a lot healthier they will free swim and come back it was like they would hav it stolen from them if they swam 5" away lol. It'll get better.

[kduen]

http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

also haddoni's don't live on the sea floor. They live in less than three feet of water even though most give them blue light due to the better pop of colors they prefer full 6500k-10000k spectrum of light. they wash up on shore occasionally and survive hours in the sun out of the water until the tide sucks them back in. hope the link above works its the first one I found googling haddoni carpet in the wild pics

I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. The floor of the sea(sand) could be in 1 inch of water of three miles down.

[nameissoftlover]

i bought shrimp today at the store, the krill was so small i feel like he got nothing of much from it, ill wait a bit and see if he/she likes that, the fish seam to have no effect, they don't leave the anem side and are slowly moving out into the tank, and coming back real quick like, good signs i think

[dunk373]

gonna post some pics of my nem feeding

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-11_15-04-24_627.jpg

first time feeding him shrimp from the store,

[nameissoftlover]

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc502/nameischad725/2011-06-11_15-06-16_512.jpg

the anem ate quickly, and is open again already, good to me

[dunk373]

yeah they love shrimp i would take the hard tail part off too along with the shell now I don't know if you have seen it poop but with a meal that large it might. It's ok though the tank will cloud but clear overnight

[nameissoftlover]

Yea my anem has clouded my tank quite a few times, but this is the first shrimp I have given him/her, I usually feed the anem. Once a week and that's it

[dunk373]

i randomly feed but fed tonight and its full size again lookin good

[nameissoftlover]

the shrimp really made the anem happy, his colors look great tonight, i omost did not want the lights to go off

[dunk373]

glad to hear that, they like some shrimp... i like shrimp too lol

[nameissoftlover]

i know right, he is eating better than i am lol