New Print and eBook on Amazon:   Anemone Success Doing what it takes to keep Anemones healthy long-term by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Feeding Whole Fish to a Carpet Anemone 9/2/03 Hi, I just read again the following quote from "carpet anemone FAQ": "<another possibility here is that it was fed food that was too large. Many aquarists make this mistake with whole pieces of shrimp, krill or silversides (fish). Although the animal stings it and draws it in... that doesn't mean that it is appropriate, safe or even smart. Tears occur attempting to digest a whole chunk of food that would never make its way through a water column of fishes on a wild reef naturally. The rule is finely minced foods: 1/4 or smaller ideally>" Have you seen the pictures from the following web page?  Pretty amazing pieces of food being captured there, how does this fit in the bigger picture? http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/g510-2.htm < http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/text/g510-2.htm> Cheers, and thanks in advance, Alan <the site is not aquaristic, and look rather casual at that. To some extent it is a matter of good, better, best. Please heed practical experience in husbandry (numerous aquarists seeing large meals regurgitated after hours... damage to animal in some cases reported) and offer more natural sized prey. I assure you that far many more plankton get stuck to anemones tentacles than weak or dying fishes. Anemones are blind and sting any meaty food they touch... regardless of its natural/appropriate size or not. Anthony>
Feeding Whole Fish to a Carpet Anemone 9/3/03 The silversides I've bought (Hikari, I think) are quite large - 2 to 2.5 inches. How small should I cut these up, to feed to a 12" S. haddoni? Or should I be using them at all? Again, thanks. <the quality of the food is very fine.... just chop/mince into small pieces as described in the archives you referred to in the last e-mail: 1/4" bits are very safe and will never give you cause for concern. Still not an ideal food as a staple. Natural foods are zooplankton substitutes like Mysid, minced krill and Pacifica plankton. Anthony>

Carpet Anemone - bad choice? 8/17/03 Hi.  I purchased a green carpet anemone about three weeks ago.  He was doing fine, but now for the past three days he is shrunk and his foot is not attached to anything.  He keeps turning upside down.  His mouth was open for a while before that, but did not seem to eat,  I fed him phytoplankton, but anything larger he didn't eat.  I have a clown fish that is very stressed over the situation, and anemone crabs are still in the anemone.  I don't know if it is dying, or what to do at this point.  Any help or suggestions?  Thank you. Alice <there is so much to cover here... let me direct you to our comprehensive archives of FAQs and articles for starters: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemoneselfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonehealthfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anehlthfaq2.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemoneplacemtfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemonelgtgfaq2.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anehlthfaq3.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonef.htm best regards, Anthony>

Purchasing a Blue Carpet Anemone - 7/21/03 I just have a simple question and I hope that you don't mind answering it for me. <Sorry for the delay. No problem at all> I am thinking about getting a blue carpet anemone for my 30 gal tank. Well, I have lots of feelings on this subject so please hear me out. <First and foremost, regardless of your lighting, size of your tank, and even if it is the only inhabitant in the tank, carpet anemones do not typically do well in the captive environment as it stands. Many, many sources on the "why's we shouldn't" so I think I will avoid delving in to that area other than to say that anemones of this type are not prolific in the wild (because of breeding reproduction habits as well as habitat destruction). Just not a good idea to "TRY" one just to see if you can do it, in my opinion.> I have 35 pounds of live rock in it and am using a 400 gal/hr power filter as well as a 300 gal/hr protein skimmer. <Very good. I like the over spec on the hardware. Well done, my friend> For lighting I am planning on using two 96 watt power compacts. The tank is 3 feet long and 15 3/4 inches tall. and the ph is 8.3 with no detectable levels of ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates. So far I haven't added any livestock to the tank besides what resides in the live rock itself. <Sounds good to me, but I still have strong feelings for leaving wild anemones in the wild. Please look through our website with the keyword "carpet anemone" and see what others have had to say as well as search the web and a few books and articles on the subject. You know my feeling, now establish some thoughts on your own. From the tank perspective, I think it would be on par for success with some sort of anemone. I must say though this would be a great aquarium for some hardy Sarcophytons, Sinularias, hard corals, clams and such. Have you thought about these instead of the carpet anemone? In any case. good luck to you, and thanks for letting me speak on the subject. Please do more research and become knowledgeable on not only the specimen but the overall effect we, as consumers, have on animals that we claim to love and respect. (This goes for me as well) OK -Paul stepping down of his soap box>  Would this be an adequate setup for the blue carpet anemone? <I believe you have a very adequate aquarium for most anything. Just do a little research on the needs and current environmental impact of your specimens.> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. <thank you for visiting the site and taking the first step in being a Conscientious Marine Aquarist. -Paul>

Stichodactyla tapetum - mini-carpet anemones 7/20/03 Thanks for the quick response.  Something I had forgotten about, (due in part because I never see that part of the rock) is that on a zoo rock I bought back in May, is one of the .   smallest species of carpet anemones  - Stichodactyla tapetum.  I have been in contact with the fellow I bought the rock from, and he confirms that the un-identified critters I wrote you about are indeed the small anemones.  thanks for your help, and any advice you might have on keeping these happy would be appreciated. Neil <the mini-carpet anemones you have do not present any unusual challenges in husbandry. Treat as you would other anemones and corallimorphs... feeding fine foods several times weekly. A fishless refugium to produce plankton for them and others in the tank will be even better. They lean towards the hardy end of the spectrum relative to other cnidarians at large. Best regards, Anthony>

Anemone Husbandry... Hey Guys, <Scott F. your guy today..> I just bought a new carpet anemone (don't really know what kind, it has bright green, stubby tips) <Might be Stichodactyla mertensii...can be a tough one to keep, since it requires a lot of light and food... Also, you could be looking at S. haddoni, which has shorter, blunt tentacles. It gets quite large, but is otherwise about average in care requirements as carpet anemones go...Meaning- it is touchy...> and went to get new lights for it.  I bought Aqualight 20" quad strip with 96 watts (do you think that is enough) and I was wondering if I should feed him live food or just let him photosynthesize? <Well, in regards to the light- I think that you might need to move the animal high up on your rockwork to get adequate light. You may want to keep a close eye on the animal's behavior to see if the lighting is enough (on the surface, it sounds like it's not...You'll have to feed often, almost daily, in order to keep the animal in good shape)...And, again- light...lots of light- and current!> If I should feed him, what should I feed him? <Various forms of plankton tend to be natural foods.> Also, one more question, do you think black percula clowns will be more prone to live in the carpet than orange perculas. <Hard to say...Many perculas are tank raised, and have never seen an anemone...It is often disappointing for hobbyists to find that their clowns don't go into the anemone...Here's to hoping!> Thanks a lot guys. <My pleasure...really learn all that you can about the species that you have an it's husbandry...Anemones are simply not easy animals to keep, and require a high level of care...Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Green Carpet Anemone 6/29/03 Hi there, <Howdy!> I have had a green carpet anemone for a few months now. It took him a while to settle into a location, but he finally did. Now within the past couple of days he has not quit moving, and I have noticed one section of him looks like it is infected or something of that sort. It is just a ball covered in white. <not uncommon... even with hardier species. Most in captivity do not get the light and feeding that they need (they are far more demanding than most cnidarians/corals> I don't think he is going to pull through, though the rest of him still looks pretty good. Is there anything I can do? <water changes, quarantine, closer examination of water quality and lighting (metal halides here or VHO/PC over very shallow water hopefully)> I noticed the Nitrates had crept up a bit, so did a water change and got the level back down. Other than that nothing is out of the ordinary. Ideas? Thanks, Dawson <please do read more here my friend: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm kind regards, Anthony>

The Magic Carpet! I saw a very good-looking blue carpet in my LFS and acquired it. I have a 120g tank in prime condition and I have put it in. <Sounds really nice!> I was impressed by its reaction at the LFS. As soon as the owner tried to get to it, it folded up (it was fully open) and dug deeper into the substrate. It was removed very carefully with no damage to the foot but it was obviously stressed because it regurgitated part of its inside. <Unfortunately, a common reaction to traumatic situations> The trip home took about 20 minutes, it was acclimatized for 30-35 min and put into a rocky area, a sort of semicircle of rocks. Within 10-15 minutes the stomach was swallowed back and appeared normal. It started inflating and it has been inflated and normal now for about 7 hours. <Sounds good> Now, I read it mostly gets food at night. I tried feeding it but he didn't want to know. Can you tell me if the best time to feed it is at night? Will it be inflated then? <Hard to say, each animal is different, even within a given species. They all react differently to various stimuli. I'd try feeding it whenever you are satisfied that the animal appears to be settling in> In the LFS it was under normal fluorescent, but I have 2x250 MH, so I reckon it made a bit of a difference, although it seemed to like it being always inflated. I have noticed it is moving its foot more near the rocks now. <Sounds like it's finding a spot that it will like. Even though carpets prefer bright lighting, it will take the animal some time to adapt to your better lighting regimen, so keep this in mind> Will it finally feed and is it ok to use Zoecon and vitamins to enrich the food? <Well, as mentioned above- I'd give the animal a little more time to settle in, then go for it! I think that enriching the food is a fine idea> Many thanks, you are always the providers of best advice. Massimo, Brighton UK <Glad to hear that, Massimo! I'm sure that your new anemone will settle in nicely under your continued good care! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Carpet Anemones Hi there, I recently bought a carpet anemone. Before I bought the anemone I checked my tanks water. Nitrates and Nitrites were 0 and no ammonia etc. Water was perfect. At the LFS they removed the anemone with great care and she was not ripped or harmed in anyway. She gripped the hand of the shop assistant extremely well. The mouth on the anemone was also closed as it should be. I watched the anemone before I bought it and it seemed stable and well settled in the tank of the LFS. I then placed her in my tank at home. A week later I now have noticed that her mouth is open. Her tentacles pull back if I try feed her. She hasn't eaten at all since she has been in my tank. The LFS said she was beginning to split. I have not seen any sign of her splitting, and I am not to sure that they do split. I checked the water now again and low and behold suddenly I have ammonia etc in my water. Not at high levels but higher than what my tank is used to. I am wondering if the anemone caused this. I started this morning with doing small water changes to combat the nitrates etc. I will do on in the evening as soon as I get home as well. etc till the nitrates go away. My tank has been running for the last 6 months extremely stable. Usually if something is battling and you put it in my tank it comes right extremely quickly. This anemone has been just the opposite it as healthy and now it is going backwards.  Any ideas as I am out of them right now. Thanks, Rob. <Continue to export ammonia and nitrite as needed. 6 mos. is not a well aged or stable system. No mention of lighting, flow rate, water parameters. Read http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm  and optimize conditions as provided here.  These are demanding creatures for new systems and aquarists.  Good luck!  Craig>

Stichodactyla and clowns I purchased two 1" Ocellaris clowns yesterday.  I've read that carpet ( Stichodactyla gigantea ) anemones are the ones most likely to be a match, but that they are pretty aggressive.  I've got a 100-gallon reef tank with about 150 lbs of live rock.  My other inhabitants are 3 yellow tangs, cleaner wrasse, orange watchman (diamond) goby, longnose hawkfish , cleaner shrimp, Xenia , colt coral, arrow crab, emerald crab, various hermits, and assorted snails. Would you recommend Stichodactyla gigantea or another anemone? <I do not recommend this genus to many aquarists. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm  and on to the sections, FAQs on carpet anemones, over to the FAQs on Clownfishes and anemones... Bob Fenner>
Re: Anemone Recommendations? I've read the information on your site (it's invaluable--thanks very much!); in fact, I'm in one of the sections right now.  Because of the information on carpet anemones, I was wary of getting one.  I wanted an anemone 1) because I think that they're wonderful creatures and 2) as a "friend" for my clowns.  I was leaning toward carpets because they make the best match with Ocellaris, but I'm thinking that the cons outweigh the pros <You and I are in agreement> (I don't want to jeopardize my corals or other tank inhabitants--or the anemone).  Is there a "safe" anemone that my clowns might hook up with? <Yes. Keep reading. Bob Fenner>

Lighting for carpet anemone Hello! I wanted to know what kind of lighting you recommended to keep a carpet anemones? My tank is acrylic, so I can only use fluorescent lighting. This is because all other styles burn to hot and could melt the tank. The tank is approx. 2 feet deep. thanks very much <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemonelightngfaqs.htm and the anemone lighting FAQs 2 beyond, and: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemfaqs.htm and the FAQs beyond where they lead you. Bob Fenner>

Green Carpet Anemone Feeding Hello guys, how are you??? Happy new year. I live in Venezuela. A week ago, I arrived from the states, and brought with me a Sebae anemone, a Green carpet anemone, a green serpent star, and a sand sifting star. They where transported each in its bag, and all in an icebox. the people from the airline where very helpful. When I arrived, I started a dripping process for about 4 hours, and then I placed them in the tank. The sand sifting and the serpent star are doing very well, and also the sebae anemone which found a hole where to hide it's "foot" and eats very little every day. The problem is with the carpet anemone. I already had two sebae clowns for about 2 months, and as soon as they looked at the carpet, they entered en stayed there all the time. The anemone does not open like a flat carpet, it looks bright green, but it is like closed, the sides are undulated and the oral opening is obstructed by the sides of the anemone, so any food just falls to the floor. I try to insert very small pieces of fish, calamari, ham, etc. and it does sting them, but after a while, the pieces fall to the floor, or the clowns remove it from the anemone. I even pushed a very small piece of ham inside the "mouth" and the clowns removed it. What can I do??? My lighting is 2x55w power compact. the tank is 20inch. deep. I know it sounds low, but I had a Condy anemone with the same lighting and it grew very well. I have tried to place the anemone closer to the light, but it does not stand the water currents (nothing exaggerated) and keeps ending in the floor. The water is perfect, all parameters, and very well skimmed. Any suggestions??? Thank you very much. Julio <Hi Julio, I suggest you go to WetWebMedia.com and type "carpet anemone" into the google search engine to find out the habits/conditions your anemone needs.  This anemone will want to be close to your lighting, in a moderate current that it is comfortable with, and fed the correct food.  These are sea creatures and they have preferred foods, which do NOT include HAM!! This anemone will eat marine meats like shrimp, scallops, silversides, small fish, etc. You should adjust the current to fit the high light location the anemone needs so it can attach and stay in one place.  Not attaching is NOT a good sign. DO NOT try to force feed it, WAIT for it to attach and then open in the correct light and current, and LET it eat passively when it is adjusted.  It is important that you read about this inhabitant and provide the proper conditions. I hope this gets you on the right track! Craig>

Anemone Feeding I have another question , this one concerning a blue carpet anemone. Is there any signs or symptoms that the animals health is declining. My water quality is good Ammonia 0, nitrates 0 temp 75-77 ph 8.4-8.6. The color is still a rich blue, it eats once a week, but it does seem to shrink up quite often and turn its stomach out. <both are signs of stress, attrition or possibly impending death> My LFS says that this happens and I should not be alarmed <they are mistaken from having seen so many stressed and dying ones on import. Yours is undoubtedly slowly starving on a weekly feeding schedule. These animals need to be fed daily or nearly so. A few months of weekly feeding is taking its toll. Another common problem with these animals is people feeding chunks of food that are too large. Whole pieces of shrimp/fish in time can harm most anemones. It is a wholly unnatural food. They can cause internal tears and stress in general trying to digest it. Such a huge chunk of food would almost never make its way through the water column on a reef past all those watching eyes (fishes, crabs, shrimp, other scavengers) to land on the tentacles of this anemone. Your anemone eats zooplankton at night. 1/4" or smaller! Feed finely minced meats of marine origin. Perhaps whole mysids or Gammarus if you don't have the interest in preparing food for it>> but I have not been able to find any in depth literature on these creatures habits. Do you have any suggestions on a book or website that can give me more details on their habits. Thanks again. Mike Winston <hmmm... for what its worth. Shimek offers a cheap book on "Anemone Secrets" Best regards, Anthony>
Re: blue carpet anemone Thanks for the quick response, will feeding on a daily basis bring it back around or is it possibly to late? I really want to try to bring it back to good health. Thanks again <daily feeding can certainly save this animal! Small frequent feedings are key. Be careful not to overfeed (evident by a mucous ball of regurgent released long after the lights are off each night). A teaspoon is likely more than enough of not too much daily for a small medium carpet anemone. Feed high protein marine meats. Mysids are one of the best. Please NEVER feed adult brine shrimp... to anything (hollow and nutrient poor). Pacifica plankton and Gammarus shrimp are good too. Minced krill... outstanding. Many possibilities. Best of luck! Take pictures of your progress and share them please. Kindly, Anthony>

Re: carpet anemone I got a carpet anemone a few days ago. So far I think it ate a few of my fish and some shrimp. <They are renowned for this.> I found some big piles next to it full of bones. I am scared to get anymore fish. One of the fish was a harlequin Sweetlips 2" long. The anemone is 6" in diameter. Can it do this sort of thing? <Yep> What should I do? <Send the anemone to time out for being bad.> What fish won't this guy eat? <The kind that will stay away, i.e. the ones that live in a different tank. This is one of many reasons we generally recommend anemones be kept in species tanks devoted to their care and particular needs.> Thanks, Todd <Best of luck! -Steven Pro>

Re: Anemones, Calcium Reactors, etc. Thanks for the quick reply Anthony!  I have 1 Hammer coral, 2 bulb tip anemones, and one large carpet that is quite happy.   <ahhh... yes, my friend. The two anemone species are especially problematic. We get buried in e-mail on issues around this. All seem to look good for as much as a year. In some cases towards two years. Almost none will make it beyond 2 years (allelopathy). The carpet will overwhelm the other anemones and many of the coral by then. Extremely noxious> It is attached to a rock and the bottom of the tank.  Any ideas to remove it without ripping it's foot?   <yes... many ways. But have some rubble (small and loose) piled near to its foot/base. Then shade the light directly above the anemone with a small ceramic plate/dish or like safe obstruction between the light and the water surface. This is an easy an gentle way to move most anemones (they will crawl onto the rubble  and into brighter light).> Also are the Fiji plate corals in the tank, are they considered LPS?   <yep... very hardy and easy to propagate keep... but extremely "hungry". They are less than 80% satisfied by the products of photosynthesis under the best lights. More than 20% of daily carbon needs to come from target feeding. This animal needs fed almost daily in aquaria or it starves in less than 2 years (most in less than 1). If fed... they are incredible! Hardy and fun> Should those be removed also? <Hmm... its not a pure science. All corals produce some amount of chemical defense. We are best to simply minimize unnatural aggression. 2 LPS in a tank of SPS is no big deal... but 10 is too much. How can we satisfy corals collected in 40-60 foot of water (LPS) with others collected in less than 10 feet? Not in the confines of a 24"tank under standardized lighting. Some fare well while others suffer in time> Thanks for the "heads up" about chemical war between the animals.  I will remove the anemones and the LPS this weekend.   <definitely the anemones ASAP. By themselves in a sunlit window would be magnificent! Think of a 60 hex with only that big bad carpet anemone in a southern window and a dozen humbug damsels playing in it!? Wonderful> About the calcium carbonate, I do add the B-Ionic but have never shaken the container before doing so.   <Aieeeeee! My ears <G>> Only at first when I received it. Could be my culprit.   <OH ya! Its a big problem. The ingredients are all clear but separate in the bottle and get dosed imbalanced (you can actually see the separation if you let the solution set over night in a clear graduated cylinder... looks like a thermocline)> I like the Knop C reactor also but the Korallin C 1502 might be better when I get a 180 gallon tank in the future.  Any thoughts on the Korallin models?   <no strong preference for any brand by me. I like Knop for their longevity and reputation. Some aquarists do not favor its smaller size. The new dual chamber Knop reactors are pretty sweet though! Have you priced them at Di's place yet? General Aquatics?> For such a pricey piece of equipment I don't want to buy a second one, if you know what I mean. Thanks for all the help! Brad Stefanko <Agreed... best regards, Anthony>

Carpet Anemone emergency!!! Hi all!! <cheers> I think the underside of its foot has split open.   <unusual and does not occur spontaneously. If it hasn't moved or been moved lately (2 weeks) then look for a predator (like a crab, nipping dwarf angel of puffer, etc)> I had noticed it move behind some rocks recently and today I tried to see if it was okay and possibly move it to a different area.  Well when I was feeling around, I hadn't tried to move it yet, it seemed as though I was feeling inside it.  I carefully detached it from the bottom and it looked like its inside are coming out the bottom!<indeed... mesenterial filaments in defense perhaps. Worse... organ tissue> There is a slime coat that it usually has when has just expelled food from eating or where it attaches at the base, but this looks different.  It reminds me of a dying anemone after it has been sucked in a power head.   <another possibility here is that it was fed food that was too large. Many aquarists make this mistake with whole pieces of shrimp, krill or silversides (fish). Although the animal stings it and draws it in... that doesn't mean that it is appropriate, safe or even smart. Tears occur attempting to digest a whole chunk of food that would never make its way through a water column of fishes on a wild reef naturally. The rule is finely minced foods: 1/4 or smaller ideally> I moved him to corner where I can keep an eye, but I am getting nervous.  Any suggestions.  I don't know what could have caused this since it was moving while still attached under the sand bed. <no worries for now my friend... they can heal rather quickly, sometimes they will propagate (split)... but know that they rot quickly (24 hours for lack of skeletal mass)... and so... no matter how bad it looks, don't give up unless you see it become necrotic at which point remove it immediately. Maintain good water quality and very small feedings in the meantime> Please help, Kim <best regards, Anthony>
Carpet Anemone emergency!!! So, if it doesn't become necrotic within, ...let's say 48 hours, then I should be somewhat in the "clear"??   <without a guarantee, we can say that after 48 hours... an injured anemone with integrity is in a very hopeful/good position. Most would succumb within that time if they were going to> What I mean is, maybe it is healing if a tear or wound is the case?   <yes... agreed> This morning it has swelled up to it's normal size, but it's foot has still not completely gone under the sand bed like normal. <no worries... all in good time. An excellent behavior. Sounds good> Since I normally on feed once or twice a week, should I keep this regime or increase the times per week and still keep the feedings small?? <under normal conditions several times weekly with small minced foods would be recommended. Almost daily for optimum growth/health if you like. Many small feedings are better than occasional large ones> How about adding anything to the water, aside from water changes? <normal maintenance for now. Perhaps just a little bit of reef iodine if you do not add it already. Small daily doses here too are better than large weekly ones. Iodine is antiseptic, nutritive and improves water quality slightly> Thanks again for the help...Kim <best regards, Anthony>

Blue Carpet Anemone I have a 180 reef tank with 3 175 watt 10,000K MH's and 2 140 watt 50/50 VHO's. Water chemistry is Ammonia 0, nitrite/nitrate 0, salinity 1.022-1.024 and pH 8.2-8.3 My question is my carpet anemone is placing its foot under the rock (between rock and glass) and only displaying the very top of its body leaving very little space for the clowns to play in. I have been feeding it twice a week (squid) and it accepts food fine. Is this usual behavior or is something causing it to do this. <It is very normal for carpet to bury their foot.> Thanks, Mike Winston <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Carpet Anemone Hi guys and gals, <Hello Kim. How are you doing? What did you think of MACNA?> Yesterday morning I woke to find that my carpet had been slightly sucked onto/into my pump (talk about instant caffeine)! <Ugh!> You are probably wondering why this happened and where was my sponge guard? Well this pump (used to be a return pump that wasn't working hard enough) was in the top portion (not secured well enough I now gather) of my tank and has (had) a slotted cover that pretty much helped in protecting my fish, but unfortunately while I was sleeping my pump fell to the bottom of the tank. <This happens fairly often. One of the reasons why Anthony and, more and more, I hate powerheads in tanks. Excess heat, possibly killing invertebrates that climb too close to unprotected intakes, occasionally falling down from suction cups that don't stick and blowing sand all over the place, and even more possible problems that I cannot think of right now.> This wouldn't have been a problem if my carpet hadn't decide to move into the same area the night the pump fell. <Murphy's Law> Luckily this guy has a lot of mass so the part that got stuck didn't get far and the main body of the anemone wasn't harmed. He's a fighter! The pump is no longer in use until I can adapt a sponge to it and get a better secure spot for it. I know this event can be pretty traumatic even if they aren't chopped up by an impeller, but it seems to be recovering really well. He is opening up back to original size <A very good sign> and the clowns seem to be trying to nurse it back to health. So anyway, last night I noticed a milky, white substance (it looked like milk) flowing out of the mouth of the anemone for about 30 minutes, which was fluttered away by the clown. I was concerned that this was a delayed reaction to the night before, possibly some toxins or waste, but when I woke this morning, everything was fine in the tank (meaning no fish or inverts were dying of apparent ammonia or toxin poisoning, let alone there was no cloudiness or visual signs of trouble. So, I was wondering what you might think this was? <I do not really know. It almost sounds like a reproductive event, but not likely.> I don't recall ever seeing this happen before, but then again, it happened for such a short while that it is possible I have never noticed before. Was this just a way to remove waste, or a reaction to the stress? <It could be either or an unrelated event.> Also, is there anything care-wise that I can do to aid in the carpet's rehabilitation aside from water changes? <I would feed a little heavier, but nothing too large. I would also use some iodine. Dose as per manufacturer's recommendations.> Food? Lighting change, or lack there of? <I would maintain stability, that would include lighting.> Thanks, Kim <Good luck! -Steven Pro>

Injured Chromis, Carpet Anemone, Corals Hey Guys salutations!.... <Salute!> I have a 150 gal reef tank with 3 Maldives clowns, 2 carpets, various SPS's, a school of 8 Chromis, and an Asfur. Today I noticed one of the Chromis' having one side of its scales ripped off by its gills. Its still active and eats with the school but is it a disease of some sort?  <tough to say but unlikely... if so it may be quite a condition. Fears here of a Septicemia. Without a clear photo were speculating here> The Asfur does magnificently disperse the school periodically in a fit of rage but I have yet to see him actually nip at one.  <statistically he'll succeed one day if he hasn't already...Ha!> My other thoughts are that I have lost 2 Chromis' to the carpets, I guess they stupidly float in there at night or something because on the afternoon after the disappearances my carpets spit out a meatless carcass of bones that suspiciously look like the frame of the Chromis. <indeed> Could this particular Chromis somehow brushed the side of its face against the carpet causing some blisters?  <possible... but carpets are so potently aggressive I would expect a kill> Everything seems normal, but I will make a water change today just in case. Give it to me straight...thanks!!!!  <OK... separate the anemone and other cnidarians (SPS corals and the like)... its a long term recipe for disaster (3-5 year plan). Noxious chemical warfare and the motile nature of the anemone> Oh yeah any good clubs to join in the Los Angeles area? <Absolutely... MASLAC at http://www.maslac.org/ I'll be speaking there in two weeks :) several other clubs in neighboring areas... SO CAL reefers, San Diego, etc> Regards, Dennis <best regards, Anthony>

Wrasse type/safety and carpet anemone move Hello again Anthony Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I've had a minor op on my foot and only just come back to work.  <no worries... hoping you are well!> I must also apologize for the long e-mail but I have a couple of worries to share with you. In my last e-mail I was asking about a Lawnmower Blenny and the fish it would have to live with in my two tanks, the gist of the e-mail and my return response is this: [regarding algae control] << I know about the skimming but I have a problem in getting a hang on type to fit my tank which has glass ledges 6" wide each end as well as front and back ledges of 2" plus no room for a sump! if you know of any skimmers I could use please tell me the brands.  <Tunze makes some fantastic rail mount models if you don't mind the top mount. Else, you can use a sump model and pump from the display to an upstream vessel like a refugium with a skimmer and them let the water overflow back down to the display> I have an adapted sea clone that came with the tank (2nd hand) and the glass was broken at the top to accommodate the SC. I plan to get a new tank eventually but not yet. The other tank is newish but not reef ready and I bought a prism skimmer for 140 pounds sterling before I found your site!>> <Ughhh... sorry about the sea clone and the prism <G>> >In the FOWLR he would have to mix with 1 7" Naso , 1 7" green  >wrasse, 1 3 1/2" yellow tang, 1 3" pyjama tang, 2 percula clowns  >and 2 green Chromis. ><hmmm... I do have concern that the Green Bird (?) Wrasse will eat  >the Percs, Chromis and lawnmower in time. They get quite large and  >aggressive at sexual maturity.. they behave for a year or so. After  >that, I have seen them fed 4" crayfish which they smash to pieces  >off the rocks. Do consider removing in time. Kindly, Anthony> << I think my Wrasse is a male Thalassoma lunare , mainly green with slight flecks of blue on the body and blue/red markings on his face, he also has a yellow tail. He is very active, nosey and a fast swimmer but I haven't seen him be aggressive towards anything else in the tank. Is he fully grown at 7" and will he continue to be a good chap in my tank? <alas... no. Lunare wrasses are magnificently hardy and beautiful fishes but the are notoriously aggressive...eating live feeder fishes and crayfish as adults! I have seen specimens over 30cm long> I am very fond of him because of his character!  <yes... a wonderfully personable fish> I also think my Pajama tang is not what you think of as a Pajama tang! looking on your site I got the idea that in the USA you call a Naso a Pajama tang is this right?  <not correct... perhaps a typographical error. We call Nasos "Naso" or "lipstick" tang> mine looks just like a Acanthurus Lineatus (Pajama surgeon) oh dear! what now? can he stay with his tank mates listed above or not? >> <indeed... you do have a "pajama/clown" tang which is a somewhat challenging fish to keep. Easy to feed but difficult to keep alive on a captive diet for many. Also needs large long tanks with very strong water movement and they can be quite aggressive> While I have your attention may I ask about my Carpet anemone's re housing? I have moved him ,his two clowns and a cleaner shrimp into a two foot tank which I know will not do for long term but thought this would be good for a while because of the chemical warfare you warned me of in the reef where he was. <agreed> He was stuck fast and would not budge, I dare not handle him without gloves because of his stinging. I had to use some pressure to force him to let go but I don't think I damaged him in any way except for stress.  <very good... and know that the edge of a credit card can be quite handy for extracting them> I didn't know they were so strong, He shriveled up to a fraction of his normal size and seemed to turn almost inside out, I was very worried for a while, he seems o.k. now though apart from a bit of mouth gaping which I know is not good but as his body has returned to normal (even bigger than before) and he is feeding I think he will be o.k. (I hope) . <agreed... perhaps just a little agitated> The problem is that he has wandered up to the very top of the tank near the lights and I'm worried he will get burned but I don't want to touch him again in case I stress him out again. What should I do if anything?  <nothing just yet... the movement is common on acclimation in trying to find good light or water flow. If it continues for weeks, consider that more light or water flow may be needed> How can you move a carpet without hurting/stressing him ?  <folks have also used a spoon or long thumbnail to slowly/gently peel them away from the substrate> I will need to know when he has to go into a big species tank. Also I bought 1 marine white and 1 actinic fluorescent lights for him but am wondering if this is enough light even though it is a small tank.?  <may not be enough... more daylight is better for most corals and anemones... the actinic light is more pleasing to us :) > it seems bright but ...what do you think? <they are very demanding for light... it sounds modest to me but you can compensate somewhat by extra feedings (fine meaty foods)> many thanks for you patience and help. Jenny <truly my pleasure... Anthony>

Carpet anemone Hola mi amigos!! <whassssup!> I just added some more water flow to my tank, and it is definitely a little more chaotic. My carpet has started moving around, which seems to be that it is trying to find the best place to be in regards to the current. Is it safe to assume that since up until my upgrade it was pretty sessile? <agreed!> Tanks, Kim P.S.-Can't wait to meet you guys at MACNA!!! My first one! :) <excellent, my friend... hopefully you are going to the banquet too (you got a full weekend pass?)... we need witnesses to say that Steve and I don't look too shabby in suits :) Be seeing you soon! Anthony>

Ritteri anemone moving away from light Hello, <cheers> About two months ago I purchased Ritteri anemone for my 90g FOWLR tank. She is about 9" in diameter (was half the size at the LFS). There are three retrofit kits under the canopy with 35" light strips as follows: 3 96W 10K white, 2 96W 7100 actinic and a 96W 6100 white (all intended for future reef).  <wow... this light scheme is not even remotely adequate to keep a ritteri anemone, my friend. Especially is the anemone is below 12" of water depth. As good as the these PC lights can be in light quality... they are poor in penetration. Very poor. MH lighting is quite necessary for this most demanding anemone. In fact, Ritteri anemones are more demanding than almost any coral in the trade for light. Thus the reason why most die within a year... if not 6 months> Before I got this anemone I would only use 1 10Kwhite and 1 7100 actinic for the fish. Now I am running 2 10K white and 1 actinic.  <indeed heavier daylight is necessary for this animal... little actinic needed or useful here> I placed the anemone at the top of the rock in the current, about 9" away from the lights.  <excellent> Anemone did not like it there and slowly moved to the middle of the tank (18" away from the light) as if trying to move away from the light and wedged herself in between the rocks. Is it possible that I have too much light for her (this sounds not right)? . <not even remotely possible. Anemones move for many reasons: dynamics of water flow, sensation of a neighboring cnidarian (polyp, anemone, coral, etc), etc> She also developed a second mouth about a month ago, but is not dividing.  <now that is interesting! This anemone may begin to look peaked because it is about to divide. Please continue to feed well with very finely shredded ocean meats (never chunks) if it will take it. Maintain very good water clarity in the meantime (carbon use, water changes, etc)> Is there anything that I should change in this setup to maximize her health? Thank you. P.S. There is a mated pair of maroons that feed and clean her every day < a marvelous site to see although not a mutualistic relationship. Clownfish in captivity are generally a burden or detriment to anemones and many in the wild live without any clownfish whatsoever. Still... enjoy the beauty of it all. Anthony>

Anemone problem Hi Bob Fenner, <Anthony Calfo in your service> Long time no speak. I hope all is well with you. You and your book were both instrumental in my successful reef tank setup. I am now on my second tank and loving it.  <outstanding!> Looking back I really haven't had too many problems: Cyanobacteria, hair algae, and flatworms. I've managed to keep all somewhat in check. The flatworms seem to be the peskiest so far. <all common and manageable> I recently added a Macrodactyla doreensis anemone to my tank. It's been in my tank for 5 days now. I've successfully fed him krill twice now.  <hmmm... know that large chunks of food are often regurgitated at night leaving you to think that the animal is feeding well. The anemone still starves in time. As a rule, all anemone food should be finely shredded (1/4 or smaller pieces)> It quickly took hold in my live rock, but only lasted there 2 days before moving to the sand. It spent 2 more days trying to get a foot in the sand, but now appears weak and limp. I tried to feed him more krill today but he kept it covered up for hours without ever eating it. Finally a cleaner shrimp stole it from him. I'll put my tank parameters below to see if you see something that looks amiss. 90G with 15 gallon sump 90lbs LR 4x55 Power compacts 2- 10K and 2- actinic 1- 40W 10K fluorescent SG 1.0235 temp 82F ph 8.1 Calcium is ~400 Alkalinity is ?? was around 6 last week. Daily Kalkwasser dripping should've brought it up, but I haven't checked. I also have a healthy Condy at the other end of the tank. He's been in the same hole for over 2 years.  <two very different animals and tolerances> I'm not sure what else I should tell you. Hope this is enough. Regards, Craig Douai <the lighting for this anemone strikes me as moderate at best and problematic if the specimen is lower than 12" in this tank. PCs are great quality of light usually, but have weak intensity (ability to penetrate water at depth like MH). If this is the case, then the anemone has been struggling to reach its compensation point. I hope this helps, my friend. Anthony Calfo>

Carpet anemone I inherited from someone a carpet anemone and clown fish. They have been alive for 3 years with this guy so its fairly healthy. Anyhow, its about 12-14" (green anemone) from end to end (quite large). I'm wondering how much to actually feed the anemone. <Small bits of shrimp, fish, etc., nothing bigger than 1/4" about 2-3 times per day.> He is a green haddoni, but is currently light green. I believe he should be darker, but it could be the new surroundings. <Different lighting.> Anyhow, the diet currently is strips of fish, squid, and fresh shrimp. Wondering, should I feed the whole shrimp, or cut it into 3 or 4 pieces and feed? <Small pieces, but use all the shrimp and use uncooked.> Also, I notice when I feed a small piece of shrimp, the clown will bite at it, even when the anemone has it. It's almost like the anemone snatches it from the clown. Is this normal? <Sounds normal. It is not unusual for clownfish for play with the food, either trying to eat it themselves or appearing to feed the anemone.> Thanks, Jim <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Anemone problem I have looked at a very large amount of anemone websites on the internet and I believe that you site is ranked as one of the most informative in my opinion.  <thank you... as it is intended. I for one feel that most anemones should not be collected and that most aquarists should not buy/keep them. We could talk for hours about the reasons why. Simply know that for starters that they are likely doomed to fail (assuming you can even get a healthy undamaged one) if they are not kept in a species tank: no other cnidarians! No coral and no other anemones> I have kept many anemones with not much luck. They just all seem to slowly die. I hate that.  <don't keep buying them my friend> I currently had a big beautiful ritteri anemone.  <perhaps the most difficult of them all. They need full reef lighting... more than most coral. How many aquarists are willing to spend $1000 on a hefty halide lighting system just to keep a single anemone. This... most climb the walls starving for light and die without it or get torn/killed in a pump or overflow intake in their search. Tragic> It seems to be big in the morning but as the day progresses it just seems to get much smaller and tentacles begin to deflate. It has plenty of light  <250-400 watt metal halides?> and a moderate amount of water movement.  <very strong water movement needed here too> The thing with all my anemones is when the begin to die, they look like they begin to expel some sort of a smoky substance. Can you tell me what that is?  <one possibility is the expulsion of zooxanthellae under duress> And is there anything I can do to help my anemone? <natural sunlight supplemented with big halides, no unguarded pump intakes, heavy feedings of micro sized ocean meats, weekly water changes... essentially a species tank> thanks, Chris <best regards, Anthony>

Carpet Anemone Help I have a 55 gallon invert tank with 2 Percula clowns. I bought a green carpet anemone last night from the LFS. This morning the anemone is not looking too good. His mouth is somewhat spilling over.  <the anemone appears to be dying of shipping induced trauma as it is all too common with many anemones. This and all animals furthermore need to be brought home to a quarantine tank first to prevent the transmission of disease, improve survivability of new stock and in this case... prevent the chance of wiping out your entire tank if this animal should die and be unattended for more than a couple hours overnight or while you are at work. Please read up on proper quarantine protocol> I tested my levels this morning and it seems okay. PH-8.2, Ammonia-0.0, Nitrate<10, Nitrite<0.22. Nitrate and Nitrite readings are the lowest my test kit can go. The tank is powered by a 800gph power head. Filtration is through live rock/sand with an AquaC Remora Skimmer. I took some pictures. Please let me know what I can do to heal my anemone! Thanks. <please do a Google search of WWM (check bullet) from the Wet Web Media.com home (index) page. Do a keyword search of "carpet anemone" and other like terms (sick anemone, etc). There is a tremendous amount of content written on this topic waiting to help/advise you my friend> Robert Benitez

Re: URGENT carpet help? ok - have told my wife to feed it since I am at work - it still seems to have strings and small balls expelling from its mouth ... I hope the food will help revive it - I am quite concerned about the amount of expectorant - is this normal for a stressing fish OR for a dying fish?  <alas... not uncommon at all for a stressed animal> well - it finally lost its foot again, left a slime trail down to the lower corner of the tank, and turned upside down.  <yes... bad> at that point, it was obviously done - so I took it out of the tank. thanks again for your help - there really should be some pics like the ones I sent you somewhere on the net so that others can SEE what is going on -  <they are on the net now and will be archived soon <wink> Thank you> there are tons of questions from folks when these types of things start happening that may help them see what could happen. <yes, agreed. And do consider the value of the "deposit game" that Bob describes in his book as an invaluable tool to procure healthy animals and keep dealers honest even before bringing an animal home to a proper QT (bare bottom tank, one species per, 4 weeks, etc)> thanks again! ken
<my very best regards, Anthony>

Anemones (Carpets) Hello, Will a green and blue carpet do well together in a 180 gal? Or will they poison each other? I was thinking about adding a red carpet.  <probably no anyway you slice it. Green carpets are a legitimate and natural color/species. Blue, Red and Yellow carpets are most often dyed and most are not destined to live long for the stress of it all. If they are otherwise naturally occurring distinct species, then you are still beat from the extra specific aggression. Bottom line... two different anemones are not recommended together. Besides... carpets get enormous and you would need a huge tank for two three foot diameter carpets <wink>. Do read though the archives for information on dyed anemones> also what else can you feed them besides Thawed krill, shrimp silver sides? <the above foods are good if finely shredded. Feeding large whole prey otherwise can be harmful to an anemone in the long run. Most meaty foods of ocean origins are fine (Pacifica plankton, Mysid shrimp, fish roe, etc). Thanks, Scott <best regards, Anthony>

Captive Anemone Compatibility hi there again... you guys are so smart... <flattery will get you very far here <smile>> you often say that two different anemone will kill each other, knowing they are in the tank. give off poison.  <yes...so to speak and/or literally> can two anemone of the same variety be together, like two carpets? or do they have to be exact carpets, like s. magnifwhatever. <if/when possible they must be the same exact species... and even then there is no guarantee. With coral there is an action known anastomize branches... it is when two separate colonies of the same species will tolerate each other in proximate growth. Very often though, separate colonies of the same species will not tolerate each other at all. It does vary among such cnidarians. I can't imagine how big of a tank you would need anyway for TWO carpet anemones (adult size measured in feet in diameter). If you are interested in a pair though... they are said to actually have distinct sexes and can actually be sexed at times. Dr. Ron Shimek has discussed/written on this topic among others. You could court him on Reef Central for further advice on the topic if so inclined. Best regards, Anthony>

Blue carpet anemones Hello, I have question about blue carpets. A local shop has some but they have brown rings around their mouths. They have had them for about a week now and I was wondering if this was normal and if not would this go away? Or are they on their way out? <possibly yes, but not for the reason that you suspect. The color of the mouth is highly variable and not an indicator of health. An open or gaping mouth would be a bad sign. The brown ring may be more natural than most would think. It is quite possible that this anemone has been color dyed. Happens every day. And the anemones "true colors" are shining through. Brown and green carpets are common and natural. Most others in the trade are dyed. Sebae anemones are also victim to this abhorrent practice. Read more under anemones at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/MarInd5of6.htm. Kindly, Anthony> Thanks, Scott