Carpet Anemone ID
Hey Wet Web People...
<Discriminating against extraterrestrials, are we?  The shame!>
I bought a carpet anemone...sadly I for once didn't look up your website and wonder if I will regret it now.  They are cheap here in Bangkok and I got suckered in (US$8) as it looked healthy and well coloured.
<Starting off with a healthy specimen is half the battle, but PLEASE do your research before impulse buying!  Life should not be measured by the cost of acquiring it>
I am not sure what species of carpet it is.
<Most likely Stichodactyla haddoni or Stichodactyla gigantea...can you get a picture of it, especially a pic of it's mouth?>
The colouration is a soft pinky burgundy base and the tentacles are light green.  Its about 7 inch wide.  Also very sticky.  Is it gigantea?
<See above.  Stickiness is a good sign though, make sure you feed it often>
Are all carpets fish eaters?  I have seen tanks with them with fish in the past...it's one hell of an ordeal to get LFS to take stock back here so I am hoping not to.  The tank occupants are two pipe fish - Doryrhamphus sp.. (black snout/orange front to the body/blue back section with a black tail with a white central patch and rim?), a clarkii clown, and sifting goby of some variety. Other than the clown, I am guessing they aren't the best tank mates with one of these.
<Yes they are, and expect to lose all of your fish eventually except for the clarkii, especially the pipe fish.  Do you have adequate lighting, space, and water flow for your new anemone?  They like bright light, you will need halides or natural sunlight to keep one long term.  Make sure you keep it well fed also, with shredded\small pieces (1\4") of fresh seafoods>
Thanks for the advice
<Anytime>
Brett Moloney
<M. Maddox>
Bangkok
<Aym ah Texan>

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>

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>

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>