Haddoni anemone won't stay attached.      11/16/19
Hello, I have had it for over a year. When I first got it about 1 1/2" , now about 6" . It is in 2 year old, 65g tank with a 3" saddleback, coral beauty and Tomini tang.
<I'm surprised this anemone hasn't eaten the last two>
water 1.026 ph 8.2 dkh 9-10 m 1360 cal 380 . Lightning hydra 26's 4 t5's.
600gph w/wave makers. It has great color on its flesh, light pink and light to dark green tentacles. It appetite is great.
<What and how often do you feed this Actinarian?>
It stands up when the lights come on as the lights intensify it flattens or cones.
<... something odd here>
It won't stay attached to bare, soft or course substrates.
<Umm; see Mike Maddox's piece here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_3/capranem.html
and my coverage; linked at the bottom>
Currently it has attached to a small peace of egg crate.
<READ now; this is not a natural, useful attachment>
If i try to add sand around it foot it lets go and lays on top w/stem down but its foot curved so it doesn't touch sand. I have looked at its foot and don't see anything obvious wrong. It has attached to snail shells, it let them go when i cleared a 12" * 12" bare spot ( sand bed 6" ). It partially attached to bare spot. The clown is sometimes aggressive rubbing on it so i have the clown separated (clown pissed).
<Good>
If clown is in with the anemone it won't stay attached.
<They may be incompatible. I'd cover the anemone with an inverted "strawberry" basket; or remove the clown to elsewhere>
? Mangrove mud on top of bare glass ? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have tried lots of things without any real success. It had moved around and then stayed in the same place. This is where I bared the bottom.
<The reading. Write back if you aren't clear here. Bob Fenner>

Stichodactyla haddoni; losing to other Actinarians      12/17/14
Bob:
I spoke with you at the SWFMAS meeting in Ft. Myers. One of my customers has a green Haddon's carpet anemone which had been doing very well (growing from about 6 inches to about 16-18). It is in a 220 gallon, long established tank with good water parameters and a combo of three 250 watt MH, and four 96 watt PC's. During the past two months it has shrunk to about 8 inches and does not consume food, even though the tentacles are still quite sticky.
<Mmm; "something/s" changed... a deficiency, a pest...>
It has two adult Clarkii clownfish hosted in it. Could they be so aggressive that it does not expand?
<Yes; is a possibility... could remove and see if this helps>
I could send pics if it would help. There are three other species of anemones in the tank (one RBTA, two rock anemones, and two beaded anemones)
>Oh! Much more likely they're "winning" here at the Stichodactylas loss>
and all are doing excellent.
<A good clue>
There are also a fair number of fish, but weekly water changes of 60-90 gallons keep the nitrates in check). I do not believe the anemone had been dyed. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you.
Jim Wedel
<I'd move the Haddon's and have you and your customer read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/AnemCompF5.htm
and the linked files... till you have a grasp of what is likely going on here allelopathically. Bob Fenner>
Fw: Stichodactyla haddoni
Sorry, the PAR readings are at 75 where the anemone is located.
<Better at 100 or so. I'd "move it on up" in a system where this was higher. BobF>
James Wedel

Problem with Carpet Anemone   5/18/11
Hi!
<Hello Liza>
I've been searching through your articles and FAQ's and still have a question about a problem we're having with our carpet anemone (Stichodactyla gigantea).
When fully open (or at least his typical state) he is about 15" across, has blue foot and green tentacles (not relevant though I guess). Has been in the tank for about 4-5 months, once he found a the spot he liked after about 2 weeks, camped out and stayed put. The tank is 180g and has been running for 8 months though all rock was aged (a lot of growth, coraline algae, etc).
A few weeks back, we had an issue in the 75g tank where we had to treat with Rally
<A scam product>
(whole other story) and though the claim is that it doesn't affect corals, we found that it definitely did. Ended up moving all of the corals and Monti caps into the big tank so we wouldn't lose them but got a little crowded.
About the same time, the anemone was not opening up to his normal size though still eating normally and not other symptoms. Just recently he's has started moving around and has shrunk up quite a bit. This afternoon we had seen where he had fallen off the rock
<?!>
he moved to and was upside down on the substrate. His mouth looks somewhat distended (large) compared to his small size (4" across).
<Very bad signs>
Righted him and we'll see his condition this evening. One of the Monti's we put in the tank was shading him and from what I have been reading, these guys like their light. I would expect him to move but would you expect him to shrink up?
<... something else at play here>
Could this just be a matter of lighting or is something else going on. In most of the postings, I read where someone has just brought one home and mostly likely a victim of harvesting techniques.
<This and inappropriate environment>
We've had this anemone for quite a
while and he was thriving with the previous owner (did not get from LFS but from individual).
The basic parameters in the tank are:
pH = 8.3
NH3/4 = 0
NO2 = trace (slightly off from zero reading)
NO3 = 20 ppm
PO4 = .25-.5
SG = 1.024
Temp =~78
However, even with the PO4 being high (using a reactor to try and reduce) and higher on the nitrates, none of these have changed - have been pretty much stable.
We have, in the last two days, removed the Monti that was shading him. I was going to try and move him back to his original perch that he had seemed to like so much.
Any thoughts or insight other than giving him more access to light and/or water
change? Any additional info that would helpful?
<I would move the Montipora, any other Cnidarians elsewhere, likely spiff up my skimmer, employ appropriate chemical filtrants to discount allelopathy>
Thanks for you help and appreciate all the info on your site!
Liza Cobb
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

gigantea anemone is limp... so is English, information, reading...   12/4/06 i <I> have recently about 2 weeks ago bought a gigantea anemone, it was doing really well in my 200ltr tank, i noticed yesterday it didn't open, and today on further inspection i found a what looks like a rotted section on the edge of the tentacle area, it is also very limp, with little or no reaction to touch, its mouth appears to be inside out, and my male clown has started to pick at it. <...> i recently had a pufferfish and a decorator crab die for what seems like no apparent reason, <....> i cant <can't> find the puffer fish in the tank and was wondering could this be a cause for my Anenome being ill? or given the symptoms, is there anything you could suggest could be the cause and what can i do to help get it back on the mend. please help!!! <... Puffers and anemones are incompatible... you provide no useful information re your system, water quality, tests... and obviously haven't read what is posted re Stichodactyla in captivity: Read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm and the links above... and please, correct your English before sending... Bob Fenner>

Carpet Anemone with crab problems - 12/9/03 oh yeah, your reply on the carpet....  no nibbling from the crabs.  I had a large crab, and it took a huge chunk out of it, as well as swallowed a feather duster one lonely night. <Hmmm. What kind of crab??> As you might think, the large crab is no longer with me......<understood if you are sure the crab was a the likely suspect>  Since then (about 4 weeks), the carpet anemone has stared growing it's tentacles back. <Fantastic! ~Paul> GR