par <PAR> for haddoni      1/30/14
Hi guys
<Cam>
I have a green haddoni.  He's currently in my sump with his own AI Sol Nano LED light (part of a 1,000l system).  He gets 3 small (<1cm square) meaty morsels every day or two.  He's growing fast!  He's got two pink skunk clowns for company.  I have bought him his own 500l tank so everyone can see how beautiful he is.  It's fantastic scaring small children when they watch him grab the food and put it in his mouth.  They never believe me when I say that's what he'll do.  I was wondering what is the minimum PAR for these anemones?
<Likely somewhere near 100 proximally>
  The new tank is 60cm deep tank with AI Vega LEDs.  I have a PAR meter and want to double check before I transfer him over as it's a deep-ish tank.  I have read a lot on your website but couldn't find actual figures.  I have got lots of sand (4-6"), GHL computer and dosing pump to keep things nice and stable for him, no other fish/victims - just the lighting I'm doubting…
<Well; as you are aware; this Carpet can/does derive nutrition other than via photosynthesis... All I've encountered in the wild have been in shallow (maybe ten meters maximum) bright light settings though>
Thanks heaps!
Camille
<Similarly welcome. Bob Fenner> 

Injured Carpet Anemone/Stichodactyla Systems/Health 2/28/2011
Good morning fish gurus,
<Good morning, EJ.>
I recently added a carpet anemone to my tank. Right now the left half of the tank is lit by LED lights and the right half metal halides. I put the anemone on the metal halide side. He did not seem to like the lights there. The parts of him that were under direct exposure would shrink and only the area in the shade would inflate. Also he would only grab on with half of his foot and not very securely. I woke up this morning and found him in a fan style powerhead.
<Yikes, should have researched first.>
He has injuries around the edge but his foot is undamaged. I moved him to the LED side
and he fully grabbed onto rock with his foot right away. He hasn't opened up much all day today. But that is to be expected. My question is can he survive injuries like that or is he a goner.
<A pic or two would have helped, but generally do not survive.>
As I said his ain body is fully intact. But along the edges he has damage.
He sort of looks frayed in spots. Also I have a rose bubble and a maxi mini that are doing very well. Both on the led side of the tank. Don't worry, They are several feet from the carpet (it's an 8 foot wide tank), I also have all the fish in quarantine to fight an ich outbreak so there are no fish in the tank at this time and ammonia nitrite and nitrate all test to 0.
<Do read/learn by going here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_3/capranem.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
Thanks for your help.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Ej

Planned lighting, Stichodactyla sys.   4/14/10
Good evening,
<Now AM...>
er... morning here. I am planning a 58 gallon aquarium that is 21 inches deep and I plan to put 6 39 watt T-5 bulbs above it. Would I be able to keep most SPS and anemones under this lighting?
<Not together...>
Mainly wondering about a Haddoni Carpet anemone as far as anemones go. I've only ever had tanks that are less
than 30 gallons before and I'm unsure abut lighting a larger aquarium.
Thanks for everything! The website is amazing.
<The T-5's should be fine if the carpet is placed on an elevated rock... I would not mix Scleractinians in with it in this size, shape system. Bob Fenner, who should have referred the querior to the sect.s on...>

Carpet Anemone, treated like a rug...   11/26/09
I just got a new blue carpet anemone. I let it drop in front of my rock and now its attached to the glass. Will it go to the rock?
<Assuming it's the blue morph of the widely traded Stichodactyla haddoni, this species is a sand-dwelling anemone that needs a substrate of coral sand at least 10 cm deep. Anemones will of course move about if conditions are not to their liking, particularly with regard to water current and light intensity. It's a sad fact that most anemones die in home aquaria precisely because people buy them without first checking on their VERY specific needs. Do read here about Carpet Anemones:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_3/capranem.html
Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>

T5 Lighting For Haddoni Anemones 2/25/09 Hi, <Hello Brian> I am due to replace the light fixture on my 6 x 2 x 1.5 high 100 gallonish tank. I mainly have Zoanthids and three haddoni carpets a red, blue and purple. I am replacing a 2 x 250w halide Arcadia Series 3 pendant. I am tossing up between a 3 x 150w halide Arcadia Series 4 and a 6 x 80w T5 ATI power module. With the deep sand bed the tank is only 12'" or 13" deep, will the T5 fitting be sufficient for the anemones? I have had them for about four years now and don't want to jeopardize their health. <Brian, if you have kept them (Stichodactyla haddoni) that long, consider yourself a very lucky man as they are one of the most difficult anemones to keep. I would not change the lighting. If the lamps need replacing, replace with the same Kelvin temperature you are using now. The T5's are not going to be enough light for these anemones. If you need to replace the 2x250 pendant because it is defective, then go with no less than the 3x150 fixture. I would make sure that the Kelvin temperature of the new lamps are the same as the 250 watt lamps. Any change in Kelvin temperature at this stage may cause some negative impact on the photosynthesis process of  the anemones.> Looking forward to your reply, <Cheers. James (Salty Dog)> Brian.
Re: T5 Lighting For Haddoni Anemones 2/25/09 Thanks for the reply, James. <You're welcome> I will go with the 3 x 150 as the other fitting is defective. We do get lucky here in Australia as the anemones spend little time in transit after being collected if you deal with the collectors. <Ah, makes all the difference in the world as they do ship poorly.> Our only problem is that the really colourful specimens are rarely available. <Geez, I'd just be glad to keep them that long.> Thanks again, <You're welcome, Brian> Brian.

Carpet anemone/light, nutrition, reading  -- 06/29/08 Hi Guys, <& Dolls James> I have a carpet anemone, the short tentacled one. I had him in my main display tank which has lots of light. Unfortunately, as I mentioned to Eric, my Queen angel started eating him. <This is the relationship twixt Pomacanthids and Actinarians...> So I moved him to another tank (185g) in my system where my naughty boy Picasso trigger lives. <These sample too> I only have 4 x 55w t5 tubes on this tank. <Insufficient> About a quarter of the tank has no lights directly above. This is the area where the anemone moved to and lives. After reading all the info about them on wwm I see they need lot's of light. <Yes> I was going to put a metal halide on this tank. As he likes to stay in the slightly darker area I'm not sure what to do now. He seems very happy. <Perhaps with lots of supplementary feeding...> I also read to feed them small amounts of food like krill and chopped up mussel, shrimp etc. I was feeding him whole prawns and calamari so now I know. <Mmm... don't eat such in the wild... instead much in the way of small foodstuffs, fecal material from the fishes above and about them. Read on my friend. Bob Fenner> Thanks again, James.

Carpet Anemone- lighting, stocking - 6/7/08 Hi, <Hello> Sorry I could not find the exact information that I was looking for. I was wondering if I should buy a red carpet anemone. <Probably not.> It is a good price, but I am worried about lighting. I have a current-usa unit. It is the four bulb, 65watt each, power compact. My aquarium is a 90 gallon. <I would say this is too little light for a carpet anemone.> I have had great success with my rose bubble anemone! Thanks for the help! <Ah. Then definitely not. Two species of anemone should never be mixed in an aquarium, due to allelopathic tendencies. Also, carpet anemones require a tremendous amount of light, and have a terrible regeneration rate on the reef.> Travis <Benjamin>

Success with a Blue Carpet Anemone, sys., fdg.   2/10/08 I apologize for the delay in answering. I own the blue carpet in the pictures with the Scientific American. You asked me to what I attribute my success in growing this specimen. Considering I move every two years due to my employer- I'm surprised it has thrived. I do tailor my setup to him though and take special care while moving him. But here's what I do for him when we're not on the go. I have two 400w halides (Reeflux 12k) but directly over him I have a 96w actinic power compact by Coralife. I change the bulb from actinic blue to actinic white in the winter. <Interesting> Although that light is there specifically for him- I really think that his food is what has made him so large. I have directed the sump return so that I can drop a big pinch of marine pellet food into the tank and it will blow directly onto him. <Ahh! This "falling bits" (including fecal pellets) IS a large source of carpet anemone nutrition in the wild> I do that daily. Once a week he gets a special target feeding. I put a good deal of Nutrafin max marine flake, PhytoPlan, three droppers of Zoomax, a spoonful of Cyclop-Eeze, a handful of silversides, and five mussels into a blender. I blend it until smooth and I freeze it inside a gallon zip lock bag laid flat. I break off a chunk and dissolve it in a cup of water taken from the tank. I use a turkey baster to feed it to him. I experimented with adding egg to his food but his host maroon clown would abandon him for around 3 days after he ate so I decided to stop the egg. I also take precautions when I place him into the tank after a move. I make sure that only Haitian shelf rock touches him- it seems to work better although the majority of my reef is Fiji. Early on I noticed that it gravitated toward smoother surfaces where it's foot would be surrounded securely without being too restrictive. Fiji's bubbly, super-textured surface made him go on tank-obliterating romps. Until he came up on a section of Haitian- he'd hunker down and stay there. I started building my reefs with the Haitian in the two corners- not extending fully to the glass. I place him in the left-hand corner and after I see that he is anchoring I place another much smaller piece of Haitian in front of his foot. Once he's anchored completely I know that the maroon clown will take the next week moving the rock out of the way- but it seems to make the anemone feel more secure. The reason I speculate that this is so; he has not moved from the left corner where I've placed him in years. He hasn't relocated once since I've used this method. I also give it cooked chicken bits and whenever family or friends are over we stick a mussel on a long chopstick and let them feed it to him. I use Prime for water changes, Kent Marine Essential Elements (when I started supplementing with this as opposed to just traditional single-iodine supplements his growth rate exploded), and Kalkwasser. The rest of my chemicals are home brewed using mostly Kent Marine and Seachem. I use a few different types of resin in my sump. I have not used carbon filtration in a year and I don't use a RO/DI system for water changes where I live now- it isn't necessary. I only use my hand to lift his foot from the glass when I need to. And that's basically it. Nothing huge. Thanks, Janelle Ferrero <Thank you for sharing. Very useful. Bob Fenner>

Stichodactyla gigantea, Lighting -- 9/29/07 Hi guys, <Hello K, Brenda here> I am a big fan of your site for the individualized help you give the people who write in. <Thank you!> While I haven't been in this hobby very long, I realize that every veteran has a differing opinions and experiences to offer. I live in Japan, where sea horses are local creatures and natural clean sea water is easy to get a hold of. Not many people acclimate their corals or anemones in Japan, and some people in Japan install tanks and put in corals on almost the same day. <Ouch!> So, it really surprises me sometimes how cautious and meticulous the advice is on English websites in comparison. <Now you have me surprised!> My tank is a 36X18X20 acrylic tank (huge by Japan standards, but small by US standards, it seems) which holds approximately 50 gallons. I have a sump/fuge where I use a simple skimmer that I plan to upgrade next month and use one 150W MH clip lamp with two moonlights. I mostly keep LPS, so this has been more than sufficient lighting. Recently, I purchased a Sebae anemone, which we call a "white-string anemone" in Japanese (they appear white in our local waters). The anemone currently sits below the MH and has expanded widely, which I take to be a good sign. <Would need to see a picture. Expanding widely may be a sign that it is trying to get more light.> Most anemone keepers in Japan say it is important to buy anemones taken from Japanese waters, as they are subject to much less transport stress and will have not been fished using chemicals. <Transport is very stressful on anemones, chemicals are deadly! Here in the US many people are propagating anemones.> As expected, locally caught anemones fetch 3-5 times the price as those from Southeast Asia. There are many people in Japan who have raised Sebae without using MH and compensate by feeding "regularly." Your FAQs have been extremely helpful in helping me slowly determine what to feed and what "regularly" means. It still does not eat much yet, but I have been feeding it old leftover frozen fatty tuna and krill. My question is regarding the lighting requirements for carpet anemones of the gigantea variety, which I know require more light than most varieties. <Yes, and this is an extremely difficult anemone to keep. It should only be kept by those with a lot of experience keeping anemones.> I know there will be warfare if I have both in the tank at the same time, but I plan to remove the sebae once I decide to get a carpet anemone. <Good> Planning in advance to see whether I could meet a carpet anemone's needs will be the determining factor in whether I actually purchase one. In regards to lighting, is a 150W MH enough? <This anemone needs more lighting than 150W. I would go with 250W MH myself.> My tank isn't all that large and the light is focused only on the anemone right now. I realize that more light will also reach the anemone better with clearer water, which is part of my reasoning in upgrading skimmers. <Excellent water parameters are a necessity here.> Being that Tokyo has limited electrical power allocated to apartment units, running a second MH is probably not the best option. Perhaps I should lower the current lamp and raise the sandbed? <I don't believe this will provide enough lighting.> Other than buying a LED unit such as the Solaris, do you have any suggestions? <The best option is to find away to get a 250W MH over this anemone.> Thanks so much. Your fan, K <I did run a few questions by Bob. His response is below: Brenda> Bob, <Bren> What can you tell me about Japanese water quality and collection of anemones there? <Water quality is variable... and aquarists in Japan tend to "go overboard" with gear, particularly lighting, filtration...> There is a question in my in-box that has me a bit shocked. Particularly the paragraphs below: 'Not many people acclimate their corals or anemones in Japan, and some people in Japan install tanks and put in corals on almost the same day. So, it really surprises me sometimes how cautious and meticulous the advice is on English websites in comparison.' <Mmm, this is so to an extent> 'I purchased a sebae anemone, which we call a "white-string anemone" in Japanese (they appear white in our local waters).' Thanks, Brenda <Yes... "things" are different in general twixt here and there. BobF>
Re: Stichodactyla gigantea, Lighting, Collection -- 9/29/07 Thank you for your advice, Brenda! <You're Welcome!> Today, I was re-reading my issues of Coral Fish, the major reef publication here, and, in short, they say that so few healthy carpet anemones come into Japan that they cannot recommend buying most imported specimens. <I would have to agree with that. Collection and transport is very difficult on them. Here in the US, I recommend propagated anemones over wild collected. Too many anemones die from collection and shipping.> They believe one should be an expert at judging the health of an anemone before purchasing one (and, even then, recommend purchasing domestically raised carpets). <Definitely learn how to select a healthy anemone.> I have yet to see a blue carpet from Okinawa, so after reading your advice and this, I will give my tank at least a few more years before thinking about this again. <Good!> Bob is right about going overboard in gear here. People here tend to want the newest, "best" thing that they often don't need, such as new snowboards and cell phones 'every' year. I luckily get most of my equipment from a store with a conscience, which is why I have a simpler set-up than most people here. <Wise choice!> Also, I think I was unclear in my last e-mail. "Acclimating" in English seems to also include matching the temperature of the water in the anemone/coral bag to the tank before putting it in, which many people in Japan do in fact do with at least anemones (often by floating the bag in the tank water). I had only intended it to mean when you slowly drip in the water from the main tank into the container containing the anemone/coral. I did it with the Sebae thanks to the advice in your FAQ, but the store I purchased it from feels that if your water quality is as good as it should be, it is unnecessary. <Even if water parameters are excellent, there will still be some variation in chemistry. Introducing an anemone to a new environment is very stressful, and it is best to do so slowly. Keep in mind you will have no idea what this anemone has been through before it got to you. I can assure you, if it has recently been removed from the ocean, it has suffered some degree of stress. If you can eliminate any added stress, I recommend doing so.> Thank you again so much for your helpful advice! <You're welcome! Brenda> Your fan, K

Strontium and anemones   3/11/07 Bob, <Sorry to disappoint, but tis' Brandon tonight.> A few months ago I purchased a blue carpet anemone.   <Big buggers.> I introduced it into the tank and it immediately buried its foot into the sand and took up residence.   <Definitely a good sign.> It would fully expand and I would feed it dime sized pieces of raw shrimp from the grocery store a couple of times a week.   <My buddy and me.  I love Anemones and would not trade mine for the world.> It was doing so good that I bit the bullet and dropped a hundred bucks on a very large green carpet.   <Bit the bullet indeed.  Two huge Anemones in one tank?  Sounds like a clash of the titans to me.  Seriously, there should never be more than one Anemone in any given system.  And there should never be an Anemone in a system that is new and/or does not have an experienced caretaker.> I introduced it and had the same results.   <This is sheer luck my friend.  The outcome could have been far worse.> I was also adding Reef Solution by Ecosystem (highly recommended by my online retailer) at the rate of ½ tsp every other day to an approx. 70 gallon system. <I 'like' all the products that I sell, as well as highly recommend them. (;^D)> At about the same time, I started looking at my strontium concentration. <Here it comes.>   I had always monitored my Calcium level (kept around 420-440ppm) and alkalinity levels (maintained at 3 meq/L), but after reading that strontium is the second most important component next to calcium, <<No... RMF>>  I decided that I needed to start looking at it for the health of my clams and SPS corals.  I obtained a Salifert Sr test kit and tested my water.  The test indicated that no Sr was present.  So, I discontinued the use of the Reef Solution (a blend of many components) and started slowly increasing the Sr concentration by using Kent Turbo Strontium.  Over the course of a few weeks, I was able to get the Sr concentration up to 10-16 ppm as recommended in the literature I've read. <I don't personally advocate the use of supplements.  I believe that if you use the right salt mix, there is no need for this, as you can easily replenish missing or depleted elements with regular water changes.> But during this time, both carpet anemones started behaving strangely.  They weren't expanding like they normally had, they started moving around very frequently, and the green carpet quit accepting the shrimp altogether.  Both eventually died. <Sounds like poisoning.  Or likely too rapid an environment change.> Now, after reading some of your literature, I think I realized what happened.  I overdosed the system with strontium and killed them.  Do you agree?  <Tis' possible.>  I've since read that Sr (considered a heavy metal I guess) has no place in a system hosting anemones.  If this is true, knowing that Sr is critical for corals, how can a balance be struck?   <Sr is present, in all seawater.  I don't dose Sr, and I am successfully keeping Euphyllia, Acropora, Montipora, Trachyphyllia, Tubastrea, Galaxea, and many others.> Or do you think I just over did the strontium trying to get my levels up?  What do you recommend using for additives in a clam/coral/anemone system? <Tinker with your water at your own risk.  Please see above Re: water changes.> I have since discontinued use of the Turbo Sr and switched back to Reef Solution every other day at a1/2 tsp. dose.  My remaining anemones (a Sebae and four pink tube anemones) seem to have weathered the storm and are doing ok. <Please see above Re: one Anemone per system.  This is a ticking time bomb.> Thanks, <You are welcome.  Do try to get the other Anemones into other systems.  Brandon F.> Bryan S.

Carpet..., just read   10/8/06 Hi WWM Crew   I have a 30 gallon tank.  Would a Stichodactyla haddoni (Carpet Anemone) fit in my 30 gallon tank? <Nope>   Because they get large.  I have a powerhead I am going to use for extra water movement for the anemone.  Also what lighting requirements are needed for the Stichodactyla haddoni?   I am making sure that I research before I buy.     Thank you for your reply <Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm and the linked files above. BobF>

How Much Sand For S. haddoni?    7/13/06 Hey all, first time posting. Just have a real quick question. <Okay> I have been reading and reading and reading some more on S. haddoni. I plan on adding one to my tank soon. <... not easily kept...> I am using HQI lighting and have good flow. My reef has been setup and stable for 2 years. I feel I am ready for one. I have a blue S. haddoni available to me and I will be buying it. I have previous experience with many BTA's and I can say with pride I never lost a single one. All thrived and grew well in my tank. <Good> My question is. How much sand does S. haddoni require? Are we talking deep sand bed? Or would a couple inches suffice? <Either one... not important for the animal per se, but can be as a means of maintaining optimum, stable water quality> I can always take more sand from one side and add it to where I plan on placing him.. or I suppose I could just add more sand to the tank in general. I have about a 1 or 2" sand bed. It's not huge, but it's decent size. It is my understanding that S. haddoni likes to plant themselves in the sand in between the cracks of Live Rock. <Mmm, the popularly called "carpet Anemones" do live in soft substrates, but don't "pull" themselves below...> Although, I have read they may prefer one spot more than the other .. (I understand it's an animal, it will do and go where it pleases) <Yes> Any help and information would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to shoot any other useful information or tips on this anemone, too. Thanks for the resources you have already given me. Wet Web Media is a great website.. keep up the good work. :) <Will continue... Bob Fenner>
Re: How much sand for S. haddoni.?  7/14/06 Thanks for your reply, Bob. <Welcome> I should have specified in my original post. I am buying this haddoni from another reefer who has been keeping it in his tank. I have a much better chance of survival knowing it came from an established reef. I trust he knows how to remove the anemone without damaging it. <Ah, good to know/read, understand> I feel as if most people say they are not easily kept because of the way they are collected and shipped all over the world. <Mmm, the largest/chief hurdle likely... but improper environment rates right up there with this as a principal source of hobbyist-caused mortality> This is why I wouldn't purchase one from an LFS or order one online (unless of course I am able to view the anemone and see what kind of shape it is in) Anyhow.. thanks for the reply. Any general tips or information you can give me on placement or anything you may know about S. Haddoni I don't know.. I'd be very grateful. Thanks for your time. Scott <You have read here?: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm and the linked files above? Worthwhile... Bob Fenner>

Lighting For a 30" Anemone Tank - 04/26/06 Hi all. <<Hello>> I just want to say that I am addicted to your site and have learned so much in just the couple days I've been reading. <<Good to hear...and do keep reading!>> Glad I'm not terribly busy at work right now. <<Ha!>> My question is about lighting a 36 gallon, 30" wide bow front reef tank.  The tank has 45 pounds of live rock, 40 pounds of sand, and a hang on the back - 3 gallon refugium with multiple macro algae.  The refugium lighting is on when the tank lighting is off and vice versa. <<Mmm, if this "mix" of macro algae includes Caulerpa species you may want to consider a 24/7 light cycle for the refugium to forestall the algae going "sexual"...do some (more) reading here, and follow the links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpafaq5.htm >> The livestock is two percula clowns, one coral beauty angel, one star polyp, one pom-pom xenia, one green carpet anemone (not doing so well right now.  I'm about to do a water change and see if that helps), a few blue-legged hermit crabs and two turbo snails.   <<Be sure to read through our FAQs re "Carpet Anemones": http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemfaqs.htm >> The width of this tank isn't as common as others (24" or 36") so finding appropriate lighting can be a bit difficult. <<Sounds like you need a metal halide pendant fixture, mate>> I currently have a Current USA Power Compact Orbit fixture with one 65W Dual 6700K White/10000K White SunPaq Power Compact Bulb and one 65W 7100K Blue Power Compact Bulb.  This works out to be 3.6 watts per gallon. <<Not enough for the anemone, in my opinion>> My LFS says that this should be enough, even for the carpet anemone. <<I disagree>> I just found a 30 inch 2 X 250 HQI Metal Halide Power Compact ( http://cgi.ebay.com/30-inch-2-X-250-HQI-Metal-Halide-Power-Compact-new_W0QQitemZ7718407940QQcategoryZ46314QQcmdZViewItem) on eBay. <<Yikes, pricey...and "more" than you need really>> My question is will 630 watts (17.5 watts per gallon) be too much for the tank? <<The "watts per gallon" rule is a "basic" guideline at best...many things to be considered here.  But for your specie of anemone, no, I do not feel this would be "too much".  But I also think you could do well with less.  A single 250w MH pendant with a 10,000K bulb would be fine for your tank.  If you think you "want" some actinic lighting as well, some pendants feature supplemental PC lighting as well>> On a side note, does adding supplements such as Reef Plus help coral growth or are regular water changes just as or more effective? <<I do like the Seachem products, and adding vitamins to your system is always of benefit>> Would dipping the silversides that I'm feeding the green carpet anemone in Reef Plus be beneficial? <<Possibly, but I prefer Selcon for this (more HUFAs/fatty acids).  You should also vary the anemones diet (marine fish flesh, shrimp, krill, and squid)>> Thanks for taking the time to read my question. <<No problem, is what we do <grin> >> Hopefully I'll be able to put the computer away for a bit tonight so my fiancée' doesn't kill me.  :) <<Not a "pet fish" person, eh>> Ryan Mullinax <<Regards, EricR>>

Carpet Anemone/Anemone Systems  - 04/01/2006 Hi,  <Hello Lizanne> Please help! My Carpet Anemone looks really ill. He shrunk and where you normally could not see much of his mouth it is now protruding and looking really tacky. I bought him about 2 weeks ago and he looked happy. Then he started moving around and on to his side. I looked closely at my tank and I think I saw one of the clown fish take a bite out of his mouth flesh. He is not slimy, yet, but the Fire shrimps seem to be interested in him too. I had an Anemone that behaved in more or less the same way, it died and got slimy. I don't want too loose another one. What should I do? <Lizanne, did you do any research as to requirements in keeping Carpet Anemones? They are one of the most difficult of anemones to keep for any length of time. They require a minimum of a 55 gallon tank with excellent water quality, intense metal halide/HQI lighting system, and good water flow, preferably wavemaker style. Does this represent your system?  Read here and related links. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm James (Salty Dog)> Lizanne Coetser
Re: Carpet Anemone/Anemone Systems  - 04/01/2006 James,  <Lizanne, unusual name, nice though.> Obviously, I did not do enough research! I think I murdered my anemone's! I will never take a shop owners advice again, I will do my own reading. <Exactly. Keep in mind they are retailers, want to move the stock, better to die in your tank than theirs.  Unfortunately, this behavior results in lost customers down the road.> I have a more or less a 40 gallon tank <Not large enough.  It isn't the size as much as it is the water volume...water parameters do not change as fast in larger systems and anemones do not appreciate shifting water parameters.> with a protein skimmer, coral filter and a neon light. <I've never heard of anyone using a neon light on an aquarium.> I was told that I have an excellent system. <For mollies.> I think I have good water quality, <How can you think this when in the next sentence you ask how to test it?> how do I test it? I did not even know about the other stuff. Stupid, I know! <Lizanne, at your experience level, anemones are not going to fill the bill.  You need to start here  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm and read related articles/FAQ's found there as well.  Do get a better understanding of what you are getting into.  It's not difficult.> I hope you are not too angry with me to give me any further advice. <Not angry, we are here to help avoid what just happened to you.  There are volumes of info on the Wet Web Media, using the Google search tool will find you most anything you want to learn.> I would appreciate it if you could help me make sure all is ok with my other creatures. Here is what I have: 2 x Fire shrimps 1 x Boxer shrimp 1 x cleaner shrimp 1 x black and orange starfish 2 x orange clown fish 2 x Amphiprion chrysogaster clown fish (if I am not mistaken) 2 x Some thing that looks like angel fish ( black with a yellow line behind the gills and bright blue lightning markings on the back) A couple of live rocks <Do not add any more fish to this tank.> A hard coral and a soft coral that are both making tentacles <Not going to live long in your system.  Do Google Coral Systems/Lighting, etc> 1 x giant clam  <Another guy that won't be around long.  Google Clams.> Millions of tiny anemones that I bought on a rock, they said was very valuable (starfish seems to eat them) <Aiptasia?...Lets hope not.> My water looks very clear <Clear water alone is not an indicator of good water quality.> and there is very little protein in the skimmer. I give my tank half a teaspoon of calcium everyday and a few drops of Coral Vite once a week. I feed my tank about two pinches of Brine Shrimp flakes every second day and every second feed they get a block of frozen fish food. I will give up on any new anemones. I also have another smaller tank that I want to put in my unborn baby's room when he is born. If I should take anything out, I can put it in there.  <My dear, you have a lot of reading/learning to do.  Do search/read/learn before any future purchases are made.  I think I'd be finding another dealer also.  James (Salty Dog)> Regards Lizanne
Re: Carpet Anemone/Anemone Systems  - 04/01/2006 Thank you very much for your advice! <You're welcome, Lizanne.> I did not expect you to reply to my mail on a Sunday. Especially since you are not the guy I spent my fortunes on.  <Donations gladly accepted:)> After you first reply, I put what was left of my Carpet Anemone in a plastic packet with water from my tank (I knew he was dead already), and took it to the store owner that sold him to me. I burst out in tears (on purpose) <Isn't this standard equipment for women?:)> and pleaded with him to fix my 'sick' anemone. It must have been a bit of a scene but other customers heard and he, hopefully, a bit wiser. The main reason we have a Reef tank, (knock off version of one) is because my husband and I both lived near the ocean. We would love to go back but we need to stay where the money is, for now, to make a living. We don't believe in taking any animal from the wild and to place them in captivity, we just thought that the tank would help us feel a little closer to home. When things like this happen just to make a bit of money, it makes me very sad. Do I need to give my corals and clam to some one with a better tank, or is there still hope? <Hopefully you've read the links I referred you to.  You should understand what type of system is need to support these animals.  Intense lighting will be number one on the list.  These animals get most of their nourishment from symbiotic algae living within.  The strong lighting is needed for the algae and the host to survive.> (I will even put them back in the see if that will help.) Sorry, I made two mistakes in my previous mail; it is not a neon light it looks like one blue and one white florescent light. <That's better, but not enough for anemones to survive.> My tank holds 200 litres; I am not sure what that is in gallons <Approximately 52 gallons and you need to know this as most additive instructions are in gallons.> (South African). Thank you for your help. I will do some research immediately and most probably ask you some more questions, if you don't mind. <As I mentioned earlier, most if not all of the information you seek is readily available on the Wet Web Media.> Kind Regards  <James (Salty Dog)> Lizanne
Re: Carpet Anemone/Anemone Systems  - 04/01/2006 Hi, <Hello> Me again. Could you please recommend a book, some thing like a 'Reef aquariums for Dummies'?  <I can recommend a few.  Conscientious Marine Aquarist/Robert Fenner, The New Marine Aquarium/Michael Paletta, and, if you intend keeping invertebrates, Reef Invertebrates/Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner.  Not a bad idea to keep a couple of reference books around for quick info.> Thanks  <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)> Lizanne
Re: Carpet Anemone/Anemone Systems  - 04/01/2006 Morning, <Lizanne> My action plan: I moved all my corals and the clam to the highest possible point in my tank right underneath the light (+/- 20 cm). I am looking for a better light today that will fit my tank, still investigating which. I will buy a water testing kit (with instructions) today and depending on the results get the necessary chemicals. I will read before I buy, not just buy because it is pretty! (Female thing) <Yes, more reading, less buying for now.> Don't worry, I am still reading, but these will be my first steps, hopefully not backwards. Oh, the small anemones in my tank is not Aiptasia, they look like the Anemonia majano pictures on your site only with bright green tips. They are very pretty, should I get rid of them? My starfish seems to like them! <Not as bad as Aiptasia, not nearly as prolific but still have a potent sting and could harm other invertebrates.  Sounds like the starfish will take care of these guys for you.> I really appreciate your help. I can't believe there are still people out there willing to help. You are truly amazing! <Thank you, James (Salty Dog)> Regards Lizanne

Carpet Anemone ... What? sys., beh.   3/18/06 Hey Guys,  <Hello Seth> Thanks for this site, it has provided me with lots of info on my travels into the Marine world! I have a question that I was unable to find an answer for in the search. I have a green haddoni carpet that has been in my tank for about 4-5 months now. Has always been healthy and eating and planted himself in the sand of my 55. The 2 Ocellaris (sp) clowns hardly came near him, except for the female who would wander over and nip at some of the anemones tentacles/nubs. Well last week the female decided that she would host in the anemone (which I was happy about) however, I noticed that the anemone has not let go of the floor where he was rooted and is kinda just moving along the sand. It doesn't look like he is sick, as his color is still nice and he eats. But I don't want to have him die in there. Is this normal? Is there anything I should do to help him re-plant himself? Or anything I should be looking for? It doesn't look like his foot is damaged, but I don't really know what that would look like either. I don't see any torn flesh.  <Anemones will move if they don't like their present location.  Can be caused by changes in water current, poor lighting etc.  This anemone does require intense lighting that can only be provided by MH or HQI.> Thanks for the help!  <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)> Seth

Blue Carpet Anemone System - 02/28/06 - 2/28/2006 Hi again everyone, <<Hello Julia>> Thank you so much for the great web site and the previous advices you have given me. <<We're pleased to be of assistance.>> It was good meeting Bob Fenner at the Puget Sound Aquarium Society last weekend.  Thanks for the informative algae talk, Bob!  Anyway, I know you guys are busy so I will get to the point.  I just bought a blue carpet anemone (I have waited for years, knowing that I need to provide proper conditions for it and just now I believe that I can make that commitment). <<A difficult specimen to keep indeed.>> It is a "used" anemone, I try not to buy such difficult critters "new" since I do not really want to support their collection in the wild. <<I see...and you're satisfied then that this is not a "dyed" animal?>> I was just wondering, is there a sure way to tell what species it is?  I tried to research it on the web, but not all sources agree on the description between Stichodactyla haddoni and Stichodactyla gigantea. <<Can be difficult to distinguish the two.  If I recall correctly, the tentacles on S. gigantea are the more compact/uniform of the two.>> Mine has a pinkish tan body, with short blue-tipped tentacles.  I do not know if that helps. <<Mmm, sounds like S. haddoni...but then...>> The anemone is going into a 65 gallon hex (it is 25 inches tall) and I have a 400 watt MH light (14000K bulb currently in it) for it.  Obviously I have a heater in it as well. <<Obviously <grin> >> I was just wondering, what should I do to optimize the conditions for this animal? <<Have you read through our FAQs re these animals?  You can start here, and be sure to follow the indices in blue at the top of the page:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemsysfaqs.htm >> How deep should the sand bed be? <<A 4"-6" sugar-fine DSB will suffice.>> How much live rock should I put in? <<Difficult to say exactly.  You want enough to provide sufficient biological filtration, but not so much as to obscure the bulk of the sand bed.  I think this will be difficult to achieve with your choice of tank style for this animal.  Another option is to plumb a large sump/refugium and load this with the live rock.>> Should I use a skimmer? <<I would, yes.  These creatures require pristine water conditions.>> Carbon? <<A good idea...and some Poly-Filter too.>> Mechanical filtration? <<Unless you're willing to clean/change out every couple of days I would leave this.>> Refugium with macro algae? <<Oh yes!>> How much water flow do I need (specifically, what power head(s) should I use, if I need any in addition to the current produced by filter/skimmer/refugium return pump/etc)? <<How much flow do you have now?  Strive for about 10x the tank's volume in random turbulent flow.  Any brand/model powerhead can do, just be sure to not blast the anemone directly.>> Is it OK to put sexy shrimp in the tank?  Or any other anemone shrimp? <<Is a risk.>> If so, how many would be OK?  Can I mix different species shrimp?  If so, which would be the best ones?  Any crabs, or other critters?  Could a purple banded coral shrimp live in the anemone tank or is it a bad idea? <<I'm not a fan of crabs, but do research specifically any critters you want to add to this system.  Some will prey on the anemone...others will become anemone prey.>> What temperature would be best, and what specific gravity?  What chemicals should I regularly add to the anemone tank?  Calcium?  Magnesium?  Iodine? <<All should be as for a "reef" system and can be found on our site.  "Chemical" additions will likely not be necessary with frequent partial water changes.  Looks like you have some reading/researching ahead of you <G>.>> Thank you again, Julia. <<Welcome, EricR>> P.S.  I told Bob about this anemone at the meeting, its foot was damaged when I got it.  I just wanted to say thanks for the advice on taking care of it then, it is recovering very well :).  I wish there had been enough time to ask all of the above questions, so that I would not bug you with them now! <<No worries, you're not bugging us...is why we are here.  I'm sure Bob will be pleased to know the anemone is recovering.  Regards, EricR>> <Am. RMF>

Carpet Anemone Care and its snacks'¦.I mean tank mates 12/1/2005 I purchased a green carpet from my LFS today after observing it for 3 weeks (I had hoped this would serve as a pseudo-QT) <Well as I'm sure you know animals are best quarantined in a closed system for personal observation. This was a risk even if a small one.> It was slowly acclimated and looked beautiful (about 9 in. across) and had dug into the substrate, but mere hours later it had everted its mouth, and a couple hours later it deflated <<Better described as a "prolapse", rather than an inversion.  Marina>> <Normal, they expel the water within them and take on new water..> to about 3 inches. After reading previous entries I did a 5gal H2O change, and increased water flow (as recommended in the Reef Aquarium vol 2). <Good but I would keep a more discipline water change regime, at least 10% weekly on a reef tank.> It is a beautiful creature and I will feel awful to see it perish in my tank (which I always thought would be less stressful than a dealers), is there anything else I can do? <Just provide pristine conditions. And feed meaty foods of marine origin once a week. I hope you have done your research on these animals as they are quite hard to sustain in home aquaria.> 90 gal tank, 15 gal sump/ planted refugium wet/dry filter; aggressor skimmer <That sounds good.> Fish: 8 Chromis, 2 ocellaris, dragon goby, bicolor blenny,& fairy wrasse various small hermit crabs, snails, blue linckia, royal urchin, crocea clam toadstool leather, Montiporas, xenia, & mushrooms <Hmm'¦well one thing is for sure, in your research you overlooked compatibility. Most of your fish are at high risk for becoming snacks for your new anemone and your sessile inverts are all in danger as well. This anemone can reach 3 feet in diameter and will sting anything it touches'¦including you. The anemone was not a great addition as far as tank mates.> salinity: 1.023 ammonia : 0 nitrite: 0 nitrate: 20-25 ppm <These need to be much lower, less than 10 in a reef tank. Keep up on the water changes.> pH 8.3 temp: 78-80 I use instant Ocean salt and Kent Coral Accel, Coral Vite and Essential Elements, and Weiss' Combo Vital at 1/2 recommended dose due to a light coral load. <<I suggest you do a bit of research regarding the efficacy of the Weiss products as well.  Marina>> <What type of lighting do you have? Read here for more detail on care for your new animal: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cptanemfaqs.htm > Thank you, Denise <Welcome, Adam J.> 
Re: Carpet Anemone Care  12/2/05 The lighting is VHO's and power compacts for a total of over 300 watts in a 90 gallon. <Okay be sure to change the VHO bulbs about every 12 months and the PC's every 6 to 9 months for best results.> Sorry for not specifying, but the 5 gal water change was in addition to my weekly 5% <Ahh, good.> two days prior (it was all the water that I had aged). I was under the impression that SPS liked slightly elevated nitrates  <SPS come from some of the most nutrient depleted rather sterile (as far as nutrients and plankton) water in the world. Keep nitrates as close to zero as possible, if you are worried about food for the SPS there are other ways to go about is, I like the oyster eggs cultured by DT's for feeding SPS.> (around 20 ppm) which wouldn't harm my other inhabitants, am I following bad advise? <20ppm won't cause any short term damage but really, nitrates are best kept under 10, most reef keepers shoot for zero.> The anemone swelled back up this AM, but still had a little of its mouth everted but closed. <It's still adjusting. Give it some time.> Then a few hours after basting some shrimp onto it, he deflated again, should I move him to a different location? <No, if it does not like its current position it will move on its own.> He is in high flow, but in the substrate at the bottom of the tank. How can I tell if he is a sand or rock dweller (in the LFS I was told to put it in the sand)? <Most flock toward the sand but you should not move it anywhere as mentioned above.> I fear that in my effort to find the most suitable anemone for my ocellaris (I was mistakenly proud to have chosen the carpet, over the flashy Heteractis magnifica (due to it's poor captive record) <Yes it is a better choice than H. magnifica that's for sure but no anemone is easy by any definition of the word.> that I neglected the other inhabitants of the tank. <A captive raised E. quadricolor would be my only choice if I ever wanted to keep an anemone.> Do you have any advise on which tankmates will be most endangered, or have I condemned them all? <Well from the fish list you gave me, all of those will be at risk of being consumed especially the smaller/slower moving fish like gobies and the dragonet you have.> Thank you for your valuable advise <Quite welcome, Adam J.> 

Lighting a S. haddoni Hi,<Hello, Ryan with you today> I am wondering if  I have enough lighting to support the anemone.  I believe that it is a S. Haddoni as it is bright green with stubby tentacles and it is about 10" or so across.  We have a 90 gal community reef 48x24x24 with a wave shaped front.  Our current lighting is 2, 40w 03 actinics, 2, 65w  pc SmartLite bulbs, and 2, 10000K 65w pc bulbs all in 48" hooded design.  Is this enough to sustain the anemone. <Almost 4 watts per gallon...I'd say he has a good chance of success> Currently it has moved from where I originally placed it about 3/4 the way up in the tank to about the 1/2 point or even a little lower. <He'll move again> It at least is facing the front of the tank and looks totally awesome.  It is curled and tends to swell way up and go down every 10 to 15 min at first but lately it does it about every hour.  Since I put it in the tank yesterday it may still be adjusting to the tank.  water quality is good probably thanks to 100# of live rock and two Eheim pro II 92 gal tank filters with a remora hang on skimmer. <Great, feed him chopped clams, shrimp, etc.  Good luck! Ryan> Any help will be appreciated as I am a rookie. Kevin

Carpet anemone question Hello, <Hi> I am a frequent reader and this is my first time submitting a question to you guys. I was interested in purchasing a carpet anemone for my false Percula. I currently have a 30 gallon tank with 25 lbs. of live rock some mushroom corals and a blue devil damsel also about a 3.5 in. sand bed tank has been running for almost two years for filtration I have a CPR USA Bak Pak protein skimmer and biofilter it is powered by a Maxijet 1200 295gph and I have a Rio 90 for circulation. As for my lighting I currently have a Coralife 65 watt 50/50 10000k and actinic. I also have 3 20 watt minis at 6700k, and 2. 20 watt 10 wpf fluorescent bulbs one actinic and one 10000k a total of 165 watts. my water parameters are steady. my question is, in your opinion with the information that I have provided, would it be safe for me to invest in a carpet anemone for my clown. <My concerns are two fold on the anemone. I am very concerned about how big they get. They are known to get huge. Secondly they put out a lot of waste and that could be a very big problem in a 30 gallon tank.> I would really enjoy watching him swim in it. thank you for your time. Oh one more thing do you think I have enough light to keep (SPS) and (LPS) corals in my tank. <The general rule for SPS and LPS is about 4 watts per gallon. In my opinion its also about spectrum, and making sure you have the correct spectrums for what you wish to keep.>

Anemone troubles? Howdy Crew, Looking for some info on Stichodactyla tapetum.  Found one attached to a colony of pipe organ. I thought it was a Ricordea  and chipped it off to give it (and the pipe organ) some breathing room. << No real need to chip it off. >> But when it stuck to my fingers, I thought it a bit odd an looked it up.   I'm not positive but from the bit of info I did find, Stichodactyla tapetum seemed to fit the bill.  The poor fellow doesn't look so happy after his move.   What kind of lighting do they prefer? << Lighting is big.  Lots of light, whole spectrum.  Also they eat anything.  I feed them krill and silversides. >> Any favorite foods? << Leftovers. >> I'd like to place the little guy ~20" directly under a 150W MH.   This is~4" deeper, but more direct than where I found it. << Well it will move around. So don't get set on a particular place. >>  Of course,  if it's not happy it I guess it will up and move ( will it??) << Yep. >>.  Thanks for your help. -matt <<  Blundell  >>

Carpet anemone Hi,  <How goes it?> thanks for any help you can give me on this as I read through your site and could find nothing that pertains. <Let us add something to the archive then> We have a 90 gallon reef, with mostly soft corals, a Midas blenny, assorted cleaning crew, about 120 pounds of live rock, 2 maroon clowns and a fantastic green carpet anemone we've had for about a year. Our salinity is 1.024, <might want to bump that to 1.025> our PH 8.4 and 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites. <all good>  We are running a sump with a Berlin protein skimmer and a MD 40 xlt Iwaki pump. Our lighting is power compacts, 4 at 65 watts each. <Ack!  Not enough light, at all...and no halides?!  You need to upgrade your lighting before your anemone eventually succumbs> Since we've upgraded from a 75 gallon tank about a month ago, the anemone sucks itself down under the rocks every few days and we have to disassemble the one side of the reef to get it out.  <It may just be stressed from the move> The two maroon clowns are hosting in it and it is very healthy...the mouth is firm and it eats like a horse <at least you've been feeding it a lot, as that's why it's still alive>...Mysis and Cyclop-Eeze being the main foods fed to the tank. The anemone seems completely healthy and is well taken care of by the clowns <Clowns never really take care of an anemone, besides sometimes scaring off potential predators> and never seems to be in any distress before it sucks itself down into the rocks. The foot is firmly planted and it has good color...Any way we can stop him from moving down under the rocks?  <What kind of carpet anemone is it?  Some like to have their foot buried in the sand, and that may be what it's trying to do> Can he get himself out again or do we have to keep up the rescue operations? <I would leave him be and watch what happens, unless it's a haddoni or another carpet species that prefers sand> He is in almost the exact same place as he was in the 75 gallon and we never had this problem then. Any help would be greatly appreciated.  <Definitely look into purchase some metal halide lighting for your anemone.  Slowly acclimate it to the new lighting (check our archives for how) and make sure it isn't a carpet species that prefers sand> Marcye, Orlando <M. Maddox>  

Re: New Set Up of Established Tank... Accommodating a Carpet Anemone in Bare-bottom  Dear Bob, <Jason> Thanks for the feedback ... <Welcome> As a follow-up to the previous question, with a bare bottom MAIN tank, how should I handle my existing green magnificent carpet anemone? I mean, there is no sand!! <Mmm, if it were me, mine, I would make a sand bed area for this animal... likely an all plastic or glass Pyrex cooking "pan"... with fine, calcareous sand (likely crushed coral)... that though it might look funky, will serve as substrate for this purpose> Option 1: just place it on glass bottom. Option 2: just place it on flat piece of rocks Option 3: place it in a shallow plate with sand ... BUT might have issues with... <This one> a. sand spilling over to the bare bottom glass. b. detritus collecting in the sand within the shallow plate. c. anemone growing larger than the plate allow! Currently, it is already 1 foot across, and I heard it can be as large as 3 feet!! <But base of foot/pedicle is only size concern... other issues not a big deal> I really want to try out a bare bottom tank. However, the anemone is the ONLY reason why I am thinking otherwise! Please advice, and thank you again. Jason <I would go the above route. Bob Fenner> 

Carpet Anemone...LFS's conflicting stories To the wonderful crew at WWM, <Hello there> This is the first time I've e-mailed to ask a question, I have limited access to a computer but have researched as much as I can on the following topic, but my specific questions weren't answered. I do apologize if I missed the answer to my questions.... I did try to read as much as I could!  <Good> My husband's co-worker was given a short notice re-assignment and needed to move right away. He had a 55 gal fish tank. We currently have a 180 gallon and a 200 gallon fish-only aquariums. We've had these set-up for almost 2 years and have done well with them. Anyways, his co-worker knew we had aquariums and was in need of selling his fish. I'm fine with fish, but these were two black Percs that came with what he told us was a white Atlantic carpet anemone. <... Atlantic Carpet...?> He had already sold the aquarium and the live rock to another co-worker, he couldn't find anyone he trusted to purchase the Percs and the anemone (they come as a group). My husband said we would take them....we purchased a SeaClear System II 30 gallon show aquarium (built-in wet/dry filtration)... <Do keep your eye on water quality with this system... as you will know, the SeaClear integral filter systems are undersized, trouble to work on/with... better to look into either adding other gear on, basically ignoring the II gear, or get another rig altogether> ...just for them, no plans to add any other livestock. We worked a deal with the LFS to hold on to the fish/anemone until the tank was cycled. I've never dealt with a tank this small.... we let the tank cycle with a half bag of crushed coral and one 20lb bag of live sand and about 15lbs of pre-cured live rock for about 5 weeks. (the sand bed is about 4" deep) The anemone was added to the tank 3 weeks ago (with the Percs). Up to this point he's been on top of the rock that he's been on (he was moved into the LFS's tank, and then into my tank on the same piece of rock....he never did move from that spot on the rock from the original tank!)  The tank is 30 gallons (36"x 12" x16 high) and he was about 4 inches from the top of the tank. The LFS does free water testing and always tells me my water parameters are perfect. 3 days ago my anemone moved for the first time to under the rock, away from the light. His white color turned mostly brown and his usually short plump tentacles turned longer and stringy...he looked as though he was barely hanging onto the rock. The LFS is telling me that I may have too much light for my white anemone.... <Mmm, highly unlikely... the brown color change is actually a step in the right direction> ...but from everything I've read on your site and others, I'm a bit confused on lighting for my specific anemone. <Mmm, me too... actually re the species identification outright... there are indeed some "carpet" anemones from the tropical West Atlantic... and Clownfishes will at times/places establish symbiotic relations with some of these... but...> The previous owner stated that they had regular lights (whatever that means) and the LFS had normal (old/poor quality) lights. We purchased a Dual Satellite Compact which Includes Dual Daylight 6,700°K/10,000°K and Dual Actinic 420nm/460nm bulbs. I turn the actinic on about 1100am, the daylight on about noon and turn off the daylight about 11pm and turn off the actinic around midnight, when the actinic goes off the lunar light stays on for another 2 hours (ish, whenever my puppies wake me up). This has been the routine since we took them home. Sorry I'm rambling, I just want what's best for the anemone...the Percs seem to be doing fine and the anemone does look a little better, he is still eating and his tentacles have plumped up a bit, but he is still brownish. (I feed a variety of food...squid, plankton, Mysis, formula 1 and 2, Special VHO, gamma, salt-water multipack stuff too...all soaked in Selcon or Vita-Chem). I don't currently have a skimmer, still looking for one a good one...any suggestions? <Many... a small Remora (Aqua-C) highest> I've seen what "not to buy" listed on your site! If you could please advise on the lighting I would greatly appreciate it.  <What you have/state is fine for all species possible... I would switch out one of the actinics to another "white" lamp in future> Also, my LFS is a fairly new business, the old FS packed up and moved away.  They tell me that the only pertinent tests are PH, Nitrate, Nitrite and Oxygen....I am planning on getting my own test kit soon since we now have the anemone.  Could there be another factor contributing to my anemone's behavior? Any advice you have would be greatly welcomed.  <I would add alkalinity and phosphate to the above test kit list... The behavior you have described is fine... water quality may be slipping per the small volume, inadequate filtration...> Thank you and have a wonderful day, New Anemone Owner :)  PS - sorry about the length of this e-mail...just trying to give some background! <Delightful to read. Pleased to meet with another intelligent, sensitive fishkeeping person. Bob Fenner> 
Re: Carpet Anemone...LFS's conflicting stories Thank you so much for your response. The anemone still hasn't moved, <It shouldn't if it's "happy" where it is> but with partial water changes and the addition of a skimmer, looks much better. I am new to "water changes" as my LFS (the one that packed up and moved, as well as the newly established one) assured us that they were not needed and that they never performed them.  <Mmm, they won't be in business for long> After reading up on your website I've learned otherwise! We've only performed two water changes to our 180 and 200 gallon FO aquariums and that was almost a year ago when we moved (and we saved most of the tank water). This would probably explain the numerous problems we just started noticing (almost 3 years later). PH is consistently around 7.7 in the 180 and 8.0 in the 200. Regardless of how much buffer is added.  (I've also learned on your site that I need to perform "hardness" tests before I continue to buffer the heck out of my tanks and throw them even more off balance.)  All current fish are/have been active...recent problem with 16" lionfish not eating. The local fish stores only offer guppies and goldfish. The old fish store had Rosie's...but not the current one. When one store closed it was 6 weeks before another opened...during that 6-week period my husband and I tried desperately to swap our lion over to frozen/fresh food with no avail...6 weeks. He accepted one piece of krill, on accident, it was quickly spit back out! I've been reading over lionfish feeding on your website but knowing that my fish would rather starve to death than eat anything that does not breathe... what are my options? <Other live marine organisms> Are there marine fish that I should purchase for consumption...I know that may be an expensive route, but I know that the goldfish are probably killing him.... any suggestions? We've tried numerous times to change to frozen/fresh by using string, clear chopsticks, etc....he won't even eat a feeder fish if it's near death (from salt) or if any other fish in the tank touches it first.  Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated! On another note...we have millions of copepods/amphipods? In the 180. The 180 houses 1-8" porcupine puffer, 1-8" dogface puffer, 1-10" blonde Naso tang (who up until today, feasted on romaine lettuce...I'll be heading to the store for Nori today), and 1- 16" lionfish.... we don't have any live rock or sand....could these be a cause for high nitrates? Is it ok to have them in the tank? I currently cannot add any fish to the tank...parameters are not acceptable for new fish...the others have been in the tank since it cycled almost three years ago...new fish don't survive! PH too low/nitrates too high...LFS, no help at all! 3-years into the trade and learning beginner tricks of the trade...don't I feel uneducated!...your website is just awesome, slowly but surely I'm learning!!  <Keep reading!> Thank you again for your response in regards to the anemone....I'm still wondering what type of anemone it is...pretty sure it's NOT an Atlantic carpet! :)  <Me too. Bob Fenner>

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 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>

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>

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>