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>

Anemone Mouth is "Inside-Out" - 10/15/06
First of all thank you for all the valuable information you have provided on this website.
<<A collective effort...you are quite welcome>>
I have recently purchased a Stichodactyla haddoni approximately 9" diameter at full extension.
<<Do have a read here and among the linked files at the top of the page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>>
First of all my tank is a 90 gallon, lighting provided by dual 150HQI 10,000K dual 110W actinic PC and moon lighting.
<<Sounds good>>
Temp is 77-79, SG 1.025, NH3-0, NO2-0, NO3-0 or not detectable, Calcium 410ppm.
<<Good again>>
Approximately 120lbs of live rock and 3" sand bed.
<<Mmm, would recommend a bit less rock and more open substrate with an inch or two more depth for this species>>
Flow is provided by the 1200GPH return pump corrected to 700GPH and dual outlets, also a SEIO 1500GPH.  Inhabitants include:
-Bubble Coral Medium-Small Size
-Green Star Polyps
-Large Montipora capricornis
-A few SPS frags Acropora mostly
-A few various frags
-Small bright green candy cane
<<Am sure you are aware of our feelings re mixing sessile and motile invertebrates???
I have been careful to allow appropriate distance between all corals and allowing growing room.
<<One can hope...>>
Fish include:
-Pair of Percula Misbars
-Atlantic Blue Tang
<<The tank is too small for this fish>>
-Solar Rentis Wrasse
<<...?  Solorensis Wrasse?>>
-Blue Spot Goby
-Two Cleaner Shrimps
Filtration is provided by a 160 (at least can't remember exact) gallon capacity Euro-Reef skimmer and a reverse light cycle Chaetomorpha refugium.
<<Great skimmer, great macro-algae/application>>
All water is RO/DI and weekly 10% water changes.  Needless to say I am aware of the high demands of an anemone and did quite a bit of research however this has been a specimen I have been searching for.
<<Then you are aware they are best kept in species/specimen specific systems>>
The tank is approximately 9 months old and has been very stable with no deaths after initial cycling except for the occasional overturned snail.
<<Yet still a bit "young" for an anemone system>>
This is not my first tank though I am no professional aquarist
<<Me neither <grin> >>
I do however care to learn as much about an animal as I can prior to purchase and now I am trying to figure out a way to care for this animal given its recent behavior.
<<I see>>
I have been reading about the problem I have and have found conflicting information regarding it.
<<Ah yes...is a hobby based on much "opinion">>
Apparently some sources say that when an Anemone exposes its insides so to speak it is near death likely caused by poor acclimation out of the ocean and constant transport.
<<Not uncommon>>
This makes sense for me, I have had this anemone for 6 days and it was transshipped from the ocean probably the week before that or less.
<<Likely a stressed animal then, yes>>
However I read some posts by Anthony on this website and his concern for problems similar to this were not this serious.
<<Perhaps differences in circumstance/symptoms>>
I am wondering is there anything I can do.  The anemone will eat PE Mysis if I feed it however I feel like feeding is not necessary more than once a week from what I have read.
<<A couple "light" feedings a week would be fine>>
The anemone is still sticky to touch but not as sticky as when I purchased.
<<Not always symptomatic of something bad as long as the anemone can still capture/each foodstuffs>>
He deflates at night and re-inflates, as it gets closer to lights on in the morning staying inflated throughout the day.  Often it is night when I see this inside out mouth behavior, you can almost see what resembles 'guts' bulging out of the mouth.
<<Mmm...at this point/based on your previous info I think this anemone is likely recovering from the stress of capture/handling/transport and getting "settled-in">>
During the day the anemones mouth is usually tight and closed.
<<A good sign>>
I first though maybe a cleaner shrimp got to his mouth and started digging however seeing the anemone return to normal eased these concerns.  The cleaner shrimp do often steel food from the anemone with no concern of getting stung.
<<Indeed...though rarely do they do any real "harm">>
The anemone does not host the clowns currently and the clowns ignore him as far as I can tell.
<<Actually, this is better for the anemone at this stage.  Clownfish can get pretty rough at times with their host anemones and this is hard on (sometimes fatal to) an already stressed specimen>>
I realize there is little I can do for a sick anemone but I am curious to rather or not he is dying or I am to expect this behavior for a new acclimated anemone or if there are any steps I can take?
<<Keep a close eye on it, maintain pristine water conditions, and keep feeding...>>
Also the anemone is attached to the rock not the sand.
<<Hmm...is there room on the substrate?  This species does like to retract/hide in the substrate when disturbed>>
The foot looks healthy and the anemone is retaining his light green color with no sign of bleaching.
<<Keep up the good care and there's a good chance this anemone will recover>>
Thanks again, Wyatt
<<Happy to assist, EricR>>

Carpet Anemone/Gorilla Glue ... health    5/4/06
Hi there and thanks for all the help you give to all of us out here.
<You're welcome.>  I have a carpet anemone and today I was feeding it and I dropped a piece of scallop, so I reached in to grab it and my clown kept on attacking my hand so I  used my net to pick up the piece of food.  When doing so I accidentally  brushed along the carpet and it stuck to the net.  I didn't pull it off of  the net but kind of let it dangle. Since then it has been shriveled up and the tentacles don't look as healthy as they were.  so my question is, say that  the problem is I damaged the tentacles, are they likely to repair  themselves, or what can I do?
<You did the right thing by not forcing the net from him.  The anemone should have released the net by now.  No damage should occur.  Keep in mind this anemone is
very difficult to keep alive for an extended period of time.  Do search/read articles/FAQ's in regard to this anemone.  In future queries, do cap all your
"i"s and beginnings of sentences.  It saves us work as we have to do this for you before posting.>  
Thanks a bunch.
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Justin from PA

Anemone Systems/Green Carpet Anemone Death    5/2/06
Hi guys and gals.  I just had a carpet anemone pass after having him for a little longer than a week.  I did a large water change and added some carbon
to try and prevent any noxious elements from harming the rest of the livestock.  Here are the specs on the tank:
36 gallon, 30" wide, 20" tall bowfront reef tank.  <Much too small a tank for keeping this anemone.> The tank has 45 pounds of
liverock, 40 pounds of sand, a hang on the back - 3 gallon refugium with multiple macroalgae (no Caulerpa).  The refugium lighting is on when the
tank lighting is off and vice versa.  The livestock is two perc clowns, one coral beauty angel, one star polyp, one pom pom xenia, a few blue-legged
hermit crabs, two turbo snails and a cleaner shrimp.  The tank is lit by a 130W powercompact, one 65w actinic and one 65w 10,000K/6700K SunPaq.
<Not nearly enough light for keeping this species.> (I have two 150watt, 10,000K MH bulbs on the way).  The lights are on for 10
hours a day.
The anemone arrived and looked to be in very good condition.  I placed him on the live rock and he moved to a location in the back of the tank lodged
between some rock and the glass.  A day later he moved a couple inches away and then moved back.  I fed him three 1/4" chunks of silverside during the
first week.  Two days ago I fed him a 1/4" chunk of raw shrimp to vary the diet.  Before I fed him the raw shrimp he was staying expanded about half
the day and contracted the rest.  Sometimes when he was contracted it would look as though his insides were coming out or his mouth was shaped like a
ping pong ball.  After feeding him the shrimp he never expanded again.
I ordered him from liveaquaria.com so I'll get a full refund, but that really isn't the point.  I'd like to prevent this from happening again.
What parameters besides ammonia, nitrites, nitrates can I check?  I ordered some reef plus to add vitamins to the tank and also some Selcon to dip food
in.  Are there any other suggestion for improvement?
<Your system is very non-supportive for this animal. Carpet anemones are sensitive to changes in water parameters.  This can happen fast in a 36 gallon tank.  A
minimum tank size of 100 gallons would be my recommendation.  Live Aquaria states a minimum of 30 gallons, yet they tell you this animal is for expert aquarists only.
Doesn't make much sense to me as these anemones can grow close to two feet in diameter.  With your size tank I'd forget about carpets completely.  I might point out that all the anemone species the percula clowns prefer are difficult to keep for any length of time.>
Thanks for the great website.  I literally have three web browsers open at any given time because I don't want to lose my place once I follow a link!
<James (Salty Dog)>
Ryan Mullinax

Re: Anemone Systems/Green Carpet Anemone Death  - 5/2/2006
Thanks Salty.  I'll be sure to do more research before any more purchases.
<You're welcome and yes, do research all animals before buying.>
Can you recommend what marine testing kits NOT to get?
<I'm not real fond of the Red Sea Test Kits (personal opinion)> I've been reading the testing kit FAQs and they're pointing to Lamotte and Hach, but I'm reading that they're very expensive.
<Yes, I've used Lamotte kits, very nice and accurate.  I'm sure Hach follows the same order.>  I also didn't see calcium test kits on their sites.
<I'm sure both companies make this kit.  The Sea Chem Calcium Test Kit is one of my favorites, don't care too much for their pH/alkalinity kit though.  Is accurate but clumsy to use, especially the pH.  For pH and nitrate I use Aquariums Systems kits.
James (Salty Dog)>
Ryan Mullinax  <Ryan, do not place phone numbers, mailing addys or other personal info in your queries.  I just delete them anyway for your own privacy as gazillions of people read the dailies.> <<And they are archived, viewed for all eternity... RMF>>

Carpet Issues?
>Hi everyone,
>>Hello Andrea.  Marina here.
>I hate to do this but I am truly worried about the carpet anemone I got about 5 days ago.
>>What do you hate to do?  Ask a question or three?  It's why we're here!
>I have a 100 gal tank with approx 125 lbs LR and a 2 1/2-3 inch LS bed.  It has a Remora pro skimmer, a canister filter and multiple power heads.  The inhabitants are: 3 pajama cardinals, 1 algae blenny, 1 mandarin goby, 1 Percula clown, 1 stripped shrimp goby of some sort, 1 fairy wrasse, various types of polyps, a bubble tip anemone, a smaaaallll piece of gorgonian (less than an inch), various types of mushrooms and now a carpet anemone and the
crab that lives on it. Oh yes, and a couple of hermit crabs and a billion baby snails.
>>Ok.
>It has looked fine up until the day before yesterday when my husband forgot to turn on the lights in the morning. We had a timer system, then he got me a Coralife light with 2 10,000K and 2 actinic bulbs that wouldn't work with the timer (too powerful for it) and the lights were off until about noon when I came home.  
>>This is absolutely NOT a problem.  The problem with carpet anemones is much more so that they seem to do dismally poorly in home systems (require pristine water quality, from what I understand feeding is more important than lighting, though lighting IS important).
>The anemone was lying on its side for hours but finally stood up again by the end of the day.
>>It is not unusual for any anemone to spend a few hours to a full day, day and a half deflated and looking as though they're recovering from a bender.
>Now it has laid down on its side a couple of times since then, and at this moment it is slumped over its rock and is totally deflated!  
>>It is at this point that I'm more concerned about water quality, HOWEVER, you are not outside the window of normal behavior, especially if you do directly feed.  (Have you seen it exuding waste?  Does it appear to be disintegrating anywhere at all?)
>I feed a mixture of frozen Mysis shrimp, BioPlankton and invert food but it has never really looked like it has eaten anything that I can tell.  
>>Try chunks of fish, squid, krill, shrimp.  These anemones have such powerful nematocysts precisely to catch and kill larger creatures.
>The tank is 24" tall and it is on the sand bed.
>What am I doing wrong?  
>>See above, test results are important, and when in doubt, DO A WATER CHANGE.  (That's my mantra, along with QUARANTINE)
>My bubble tip has done so well that it has split about 5 times since I got it more than 3 years ago.  
>>Wow, well it's good to know that you're not completely new at this anemone thing, but BTAs are a bit easier than carpets.
>I am totally at my wits end.  please help...it would be sooo appreciated. thanks in advance.  Andrea Brown
>>Don't panic just yet, remember, all animals are shipped in darkness, this DEFINITELY won't cause harm, especially only a few hours' worth.  Try the feeding, and do watch the water quality closely.  Marina

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

Carpet anemone problem 11/26/03
I just bought a carpet anemone two days ago and today it started to form a bubble in its mouth and its body didn't look so good it was kind of leaning over and my boyfriend thought it was dying but I told him to leave it in the tank just to see what would happen but I wanted to know is that normal to get an anemone and have the mouth puff up or no. I need to know so I don't come home and have everything in my tank dead  Please write back thanks Lori
<hmm... the symptom does not elicit any specific concern with me. Let me guide you to our articles and FAQs where something might catch your attention:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm
please notice the many links at the top of this page to follow for ever so much more information. Best regards, Anthony>

Anemone questions 10/18/03
Hi Bob, Anthony, et able...
<Hola>
I have read a lot of different things on your site about anemones and inverts, amongst other topics and much of what you say makes sense, and some things you have spoke about I have experienced first hand. I hope you can forgive me for the length of this, but there is a lot to tell you so you can better answer my questions as I have many.
<Okey-dokey>
I have a haddoni carpet, and I must say it has been through a lot of things, but in the year and a half I have had it, I am pleased to say it has grown from when I bought it.
<FWIW, do realize that many anemones and corals appear to "grow" but instead are simply panning for light as bulbs age and water clarity darkens from lack of weekly carbon/ozone over time (months)>
If you could get the thing to lay flat, the diameter would be somewhere around 9-10 inches (or what I can ascertain through the glass with a tape measure) and it was around 7 inches before when I got it. Despite my success on that aspect, and given the fact that many hobbyists can't keep a given species of one of these creatures for that long, my success has not been without problems in between. Here is October, since May or so I have had some problems with my tank, and my anemone "seems" to be OK, and I don't know if the way it has been acting was due to any single one thing or a combination of problems. When I moved from FL to where I am now, I put everything in 5 gallon buckets, and from an 80+ temp, the water temp dropped to a chilly 68. I noticed some white spots around the crown of my anemone, and I was scared as I knew this was not good. I immediately got my tank setup, started the power heads to get some O2 going, and of course turn the heater on. The anemone started to settle in its place in the tank, and it would move around, so it did survive. It took some time for the tissue to heal, and in time its tentacles even came back.
<good to hear>
When it eats now, I notice as parts of the crown (that were damaged) act as arms, and that part of the anemone inflates to grab food, it looks clear, and the tentacles tend to disappear. However at rest, you could not tell that there was damage to the same parts of the crown. Other parts of the crown that were not damaged sometimes appear to be the same in appearance, so I wonder if the damage done is permanent, or its just going to take forever to heal?
<it will heal in time>
Is it just my imagination and I am in panic mode? It took a few weeks or so for it to look normal and as each day went, it showed improvement. It ate like you would not believe.
<healing an reproduction tend to be slow in these animals>
After that, I had another issue. The center of the critter inflated like the oral disc does during feeding, but I was not feeding. At the time I added a sebae clown to it, and I noticed this swell. Time went on, it got worse and not better. I did a water change, and it got worse quicker. I had 4 theories as to the cause of this, 1 was reproduction as I was seeing signs consistent with what is noted in the breeders registry and my water params are close to what Dr. Shimek (sp) has (which I know you disagree with),
<indeed... high reef temps are dangerous to recommend to most aquarists.>
the other theory was infection from my sick clown I just added,
<nope... not communicable to this/any cnidarian>
and the third theory said the classic Ca/alk issue,
<irritating if inconsistent>
and the 4th said I over fed the thing. This thing has at times eaten as much as a quarter of a pound of cleaned squid in a week!
<this is a common mistake... feeding chunks that are too large. Harmful to even some large anemones. Fine minced meats akin to phytoplankton only please>
Possibility 1 is rare, so I was not leaning so much towards that. I figured later on that a spoonful of fish for a critter twice the size of mine a day was sufficient let alone a quarter pound of squid a week. I then decided to explore the other theory of the Ca and alk problem. My Ca was off the test kit chart, my alk was next to nothing, and my pH was in the high 7's, and had been for a while.
<yikes!>
So I figured this could be the issue,
<don't make this a habit>
and as far as eating, the thing could not take in food as much as it wanted to because the oral disc or gut was so inflated it was unreal.
<there is also the matter of the clownfish itself simply being irritating. There is no benefit to keeping a clownfish in well fed anemones. Some are quite irritating>
After a few weeks I got my alkalinity under control and eased up on the Ca considerably, and all appears to be well on that. My alk is
around 9 dKH, and Ca unknown. The coralline is growing, so something must be right. So anyway, this thing is still inflated to hell, and it is not getting better but worse. The oral disc and the lips for lack of a better description inflated to softball size. I read some things on the breeders registry that said for that specimen consistent with what I was seeing. My critter stood erect, and the softball size inflation was consistent with this. I also noted that a nylon or silky looking substance was excreted from the oral disc, and it was tilted at an angle as it excreted this. These findings have been documented in the breeders registry for  male specimens of haddoni carpets in captivity.
<understood/agreed>
My water parameters were the same as noted, and after the excrement, the tissue began to shrink.
<stress induced perhaps?>
It took some time for the tissue to shrink and get back to normal, and then my lights went. I replaced 3 of my bulbs (240W of fluoros for a 55 gallon), so that was about half of my lighting. I upgraded from 1 actinic blue and 2 10,000K bulbs to 2 18,000K bulbs, and one appears to be a 6500K but I thought it was a 18,000K bulb.
<if your lamps were over 10 months old... I assure you that this was the biggest stress of all, and contributory to the size of your anemone/growth>
It showed an increased amount of improvement after a brief color change after this. It then looked a little pale in color until I moved a rock to let it open more, and its color came back really fast.   The mouth on it is still open, but I can see the gut is closed, and lately the mouth is not nearly as open as it was, and I would not consider it to be gaping. It seems to be more narrow and more elongated. I am thinking this could be a sign of it closing. It is sticky and it has accepted smaller feedings of cleaned squid for the past few days now. It is more open than it has been in a while. It seems to be closing more with the clown than before, but it is not totally closed. Is this normal with symbiotes?
<I question just how symbiotic the relationship is in many. Studies I have read show that less than half of all anemones that can host clowns even do. Again, not needed and possibly a source of irritation>
I have also noticed in the past when it would not eat that there seems to be a direct correlation between the stickiness and the correct alkalinity of my water. What have your experiences been on that aspect?
<no but interesting>
I am also noticing that some tentacles are becoming significantly larger than usual or in comparison with the rest. The tentacles near the oral disc look like baby tentacles of a Condy anemone. Is this a sign of growth perhaps?
<perhaps>
When these things grow, do they grow from the crown out or how?
<fissionary indeed>
I see no other abnormalities with my critter. I am seeing larger folds in it when it sits in the tank, and depending on how it folds when it eats, I can see another cyclical fold on occasion. I can only presume that it is starting to grow even further, but it will take some months before there is anything more measurable.
As far as tank parameters go, this is a 55 gallon Berlin filtration tank and I have experimented with Dr. Shimek's advice with no real adverse affects that I can contribute to the temp issue.
<heehee... other than low dissolved oxygen and a sick looking anemone on a tank with a weak skimmer and a high DOC level. Sorry... I couldn't resist <G>>
I have a DSB, about 50 lbs of LR, 240W of fluoros, a Sea Clone 100 hang on skimmer, and 4 300gph power heads. My water temp used to be near 86, I have since backed it down to about 84, and everything in that tank has been like that for over a year now. The SG is typically between 1.026-1.028 pending evap, pH between 8.3-8.4, alk yesterday was 9dKH and in excess of 15dKH today (but I expect that will erode tomorrow as my lights will go off, and we know what happens).
<ahhh... got the dKH. Now... your RO water is definitely admitting minerals... or... your test kit is inaccurate... or ... you are adding way too much buffer>
I have never had a nitrate or ammonia problem since I moved the tank, but after that I have not had that issue. The fish look great, the clown is no longer sick, and the anemone looks really good now as it ever has for the most part. I am trying to get your insight at least on my anemone, and I know you don't agree with what Dr. Shimek says, however I have found some catches to it, and both your site and Shimek make valid and even overlapping points. If you do use a warmer temp (which I used as his haddoni carpet has bred in captivity in like water params), you can have
a disaster if you don't do other things correctly. However, if you keep your alk in check along with your Ca, that is one issue. The other issue is that you need some very serious current. As both you and Shimek point out, the rate of metabolism doubles with every 10 degrees centigrade increase in temp relative to a given temp.
<but why would you want to speed up an animals metabolism in a closed aquarium system with low DO and high DOCs not to mention a tank that is honestly too small for this animals and the amount of food fed/attempted each week plus other livestock. Add to this the high salinity (even lower DO/oxygen) and you have a problem IMO>
To compensate for such, you need more current to accommodate the speed of which the processes of your biological filtration are metabolizing at. If you don't, yes you will have a disaster on your hands.    My anemone is still growing, but as I have stated problems have come about. Luckily I intervened to prevent it from dying. I am just wondering what (if any) long term affects may be, or if there is not enough information to say either way.
<shorter lifespans too for the higher water temps>
Thanks for reading my novel of an email and in advance for your opinion. Thank You, Joseph
<very thoughtful Joseph... wishing you the best of luck. 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

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>

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>

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>

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>