carpet experts - acclimation question

[jacksonpt]

Calling all carpet anemone experts...

I'm going to purchasing a green carpet anemone tonight from my LSF (provided it still looks/acts healthy). My LFS is currently keeping it under 20w NO light, it's been there for 6 days. I have 2 tanks at home, one with 120w NO, and one with 250w MH. Both tanks have near identical water params. I'm trying to decide what would cause less stress to the carpet.

Here are my options.

Option 1:
Today: at the LFS under 20w NO in a 20g tank
Tonight: at my house under 120w NO in a 75g tank
Next Friday: at my house under 250w MH in a 44g tank
**note: eventually it will outgrow the 44. By then I will have MH over my 75 and it can be moved to that tank.

Option 2:
Today: at the LFS under 20w NO in a 20g tank
Tonight: at my house under 250w MH in a 44g tank
**note: eventually it will outgrow the 44. By then I will have MH over my 75 and it can be moved to that tank.

Option 1 should prevent the anemone from being shocked by the sudden increase in light from the MH, however, it will also mean the anemone will have to be moved between tanks a second time. Option 2 limits the number of times the anemone will have to be moved, but might cause stress from the sudden increase in light.

Thoughts?

[jacobdol]

moving a carpet anemone is a very stressful process for both parties...especially if it buried in sand in between LR. What is preventing you from putting it into 75g tank right away? Carpets do not need MH lighting.

[jacksonpt]

All the research I've done says that carpets need very intense lighting. Is that case, or do they just need nourishment - something they could get from more frequent direct feedings?

[brianlena2000]

Hi Jacksonpt,

I would put it directly in the tank with the metal halides. Reduce the photo period for the halides to a minimum and then gradually bring it back up over a period of a week or so. You are correct, the light in the other tank won't be sufficient in the long run (carpets need intense lighting to thrive) and an additional tank move will just be more stressful.

Hope that helps!

Brian

:bum:

[jacksonpt]

Thanks for the info Brain. I tried to do as much research as possible before I bought the anemone. I know how tough than can be to keep, so I wanted to make sure I had the right environment before I took it home. I purchased the carpet on my lunch break today, acclimated it to the MH tank, and it is starting to settle in. I tried to make a little nook between some rocks that he could work his way into then bury his foot in the sand. I'm going to run the halides for about 5 hours today, then add 30 minutes every other day to the photo period until they are back to their normal 7 hour duration.

I took a few pics, but I have yet to pull them of my camera. I'll post them in a few minutes.

[jacksonpt]

Here are pics. Can anyone tell me which specific species of carpet this is? It had only been in my tank for about 10 minutes when I snapped these pics, so I should have some better pics next week - once it's gotten settled.

http://128.226.93.56/reef/pictures/carpet3.jpg

http://128.226.93.56/reef/pictures/carpet4.jpg

http://128.226.93.56/reef/pictures/carpet2.jpg

[MarinaP]

It is a gigantea. I think 5 hours is too much to start with. I would do 2 hours for the first few days, and see how well the anemone takes the change. Can you supplement w/PC lights? She looks a little bit bleached, so try and feed her tomorrow. See if she takes a chunck of a silverside. If it does not, try a chunk of shrimp. Make sure your water motion is strong. Keep us posted, giganteas are tough to keep.

[BlAcK_PeRcUlA]

sorry to get off topic but is that a wheel of coraline on the glass in your 3rd pic? SWEET that's the best coraline shape i've ever seen.

[catinhat]

How did you get a hold of a gigantea? I've looked high and low and only can find haddini.

[jacksonpt]

Originally posted by BlAcK_PeRcUlA
sorry to get off topic but is that a wheel of coraline on the glass in your 3rd pic? SWEET that's the best coraline shape i've ever seen.

Yes, it is... I've got them all over my glass if various locations.



Originally posted by catinhat
How did you get a hold of a gigantea? I've looked high and low and only can find haddini.

My lfs has been getting them for about 6 weeks now - he says it has to do with the time of year and where his suppliers are collecting from. I've been watching them and they all have been pretty healthy. Ordinarily I wouldn't have purchased one, but I got a pretty good deal on it and I had a gift certificate to the LFS - it's always easier to make a risky purchase when you're spending someone else's money :D

[BonsaiNut]

Do you have another photo now that it has been in your tank for a bit?

It doesn't look like a gigantea at all to me. I think it may be a C. adhaesivum. The two separate fields of tentacles are the normal indicator. See how on your anemone it almost looks like there is a "rim" of shorter stubbier tentacles all around the edge, and then the tentacles on the inside are all longer? Gigantea doesn't have two different types of tentacles - they will all be the same.

If you have another photo I'd love to see it. Normally C. adhaesivum lies flat on the bottom of the tank in the sand, while S. gigantea lies in folds and waves. Also, the inner tentacles of C. adhaevsivum often fork and have several tips, while the tentacles of S. gigantea are uniform and never split. It is difficult to see in your photo, since the anemone is still acclimating to the tank...

[jacksonpt]

Originally posted by BonsaiNut
Do you have another photo now that it has been in your tank for a bit?

Normally C. adhaesivum lies flat on the bottom of the tank in the sand, while S. gigantea lies in folds and waves. Also, the inner tentacles of C. adhaevsivum often fork and have several tips, while the tentacles of S. gigantea are uniform and never split. It is difficult to see in your photo, since the anemone is still acclimating to the tank...

Your description of C. Adhaesivum sounds exactly like the anemone pictured. Doesn't really fold up, just stays flat. It also has some tentalce that do fork generally into 2 parts.


Unfortunatly, I had to get rid of the above anemone. I went too feed it yesterday and noticed that it's foot wasn't anchored, it had no sting, tentacles weren't sticky, and it would't take food. It was completely unresponsive. From my experience, that's all the signs of an unhealthy anemone. I wasn't about to take my chances with an unhealthy anemone, and I certainly wasn't about to pay $100 for an unhealthy critter. So I returned it to my lfs for a smaller, but much healthier green carpet. I'll try to get some pics over the weekend. I don't believe it is a C. Adhaesivum, as it displays none of the characteristics you mentioned. I'll try to post some pics on Monday for everyone.

[BonsaiNut]

Here is a picture of a BIG green carpet (gigantea). Note that it doesn't really look like your old anemone (at least not to me). Note the absence of the outter rim of stubby tentacles, the fact that the tentacles are uniform throughout, and that none of the tentacles split. Also, a healthy gigantea always lays like this one - in piles and waves.

http://www.splash-sea.co.jp/zukan/image/253.jpg

Shoot us a photo of your new one :) I would love to see it!

[~SIRENA~]

Amazing!
rookie question:
Are there 2 types of green carpets (Gigantea and haddoni).
I personally want one in the future and would like to know the difference. BTW I will be researching before I do get one.

[BonsaiNut]

There are several types of carpet anemones, including some that do not host clowns in the wild.

Of the anemones that host clowns, three are normally called "carpet anemones". They are Stichodactyla gigantea (gigantic sea anemone), Sitchodactyla haddoni (haddon's sea anemone, also known as "saddleback" anemone), and Stichodactyla mertensii (merten's sea anemone). S. mertensii is rarely seen in the aquarium trade because it is so huge.

The anemone in this post, Cryptodendrum adhaesivum (adhesive sea anemone) is not normally called a carpet (at least in the stores I have been to) but it certainly looks carpet like :) More so than any of the carpet anemones, C. adhaesivum lies flat on the sand - and looks like a pancake or frisbee. C. adhaesivum can also be very beautiful - I have seen them in the wild with a lot of pink and purple - though they will not be uniformly colored like S. gigantea or S. mertensii, but will usually have a striped look (similar in some ways to certain specimens of S. haddoni). BTW C. adhaesivum got its name from its ability to grab and hold on to things :) If you ever have the pleasure of getting grabbed by one, you will know what I mean :)

In general, I have found the easiest "carpet" anemone to keep to be S. haddoni (by far). S. haddoni is (in my opinion) about as forgiving as E. quadricolor in terms of poor tank conditions. However, haddoni is also a notorious fish-eater. It is best to keep haddoni with a clown or two, so that the clowns will keep your other reef fish away. In general, anemones should be considered "advanced" invertebrates to care for. They are not as hard to keep as stony corals, in my opinion, but they are certainly harder than some soft corals (like leathers) and anemone-like inverts like zooanthids and mushrooms. It is best to make sure that you have a tank where mushrooms and leathers would THRIVE before you jump into anemones (my advice).

[showjet98]

that is definitely not a gigantea!!!!!! It is a haddoni!! how could anyone think thats a gigantea? some of these people should not be allowed to identify these, they have no clue on how far off they are. I've worked at one of the biggest importers of corals and reef fish in the U.S. for the past 2 years and am an expert on anemone id. That's my specialty. Also with clowns too. If anyone needs to know what kind of clownfish hosting anemone they have or are possibly planning on purchasing let me know. Thanks.

[MarinaP]

showjet98,

You are new to this board and already SO aggressive. There was a different picture accompanying the original post asking for ID (I am 99% sure). Why do you think BonsaiNut thought this anemone was C. adhaesivum? IT LOOKED DIFFERENT.

We all make mistakes. Sorry if I misled somebody. My opinion was just that - an opinion.

Let's see what you have to offer to this group in the long run.

[BonsaiNut]

The pictures I was refering to are no longer in this thread. They were pictures of a C. adhaesivum (I am almost positive - and I think most people agreed). However since the pictures are gone it is somewhat of a moot point :) If you read the thread, you will see where he says he had to return the original anemone because it wasn't doing well in his tank, and instead bought a new one (photos attached).

BTW, I agree that the new anemone looks like S. haddoni. My opinion.

Also, since the photos have been switched around in this thread, it is pretty tough to follow the flow of logic here. Rereading the whole thread from start to finish I am not sure WHAT is going on. Maybe this thread should be deleted because it is now so confusing.