are there any nems that are safe with sps?

[brob22]

are there any nems that stay pretty much stationary and go good in sps dominated tanks?

 

[Allmost]

carpet anemone would not climb rocks.

but they are not easy to care for, and finding a healthy one is even harder.

 

[davocean]

That is why I normally keep sand dwellars, crispa, doreenis, malu, and now a hadonni.
My clowns are not digging this hadonni though, might be making a change.
Any nem touching sps is pretty much death for that sps.

 

[christopherjudd]

what about for other types of corals? (lps, shrooms and zoas)

 

[D-Nak]

carpet anemone would not climb rocks.

but they are not easy to care for, and finding a healthy one is even harder.

Gigantea and mertensii are carpet anemones that live in rocks. Haddoni is the only carpet that's a sand dweller.

 

[D-Nak]

Any nem touching sps is pretty much death for that sps.

+1. Nems will win 100% of the time.

If you can find a healthy carpet (gigantea or mertensii) and don't mind losing a few corals while it settles in, IME they don't move much unless you change water parameters, lighting, or flow.

 

[Allmost]

Gigantea and mertensii are carpet anemones that live in rocks. Haddoni is the only carpet that's a sand dweller.

ohh ! I always thought haddoni is called carpet. thanks for clarification.

 

[davocean]

ohh ! I always thought haddoni is called carpet. thanks for clarification.

It's one of three, just like there are two types of sebaes, yet both also very different in needs

 

[trueperc]

Aren't most carpet anemones fish eaters. I have hear a many stories of prize fish become lunch to any type of carpet. From my understanding Long tentacles are sand only dwellers, much easier to keep and find health than carpets.

 

[davocean]

Aren't most carpet anemones fish eaters. I have hear a many stories of prize fish become lunch to any type of carpet. From my understanding Long tentacles are sand only dwellers, much easier to keep and find health than carpets.

All sea anemones have potential for eating fish, but usually fish know to stay away, unless they are sick or weak, and occasionally the rare ignorant that don't know better.
The only fish loss I have had over many years keeping nems were 3 baby blond naso's, of which all 3 swam straight into my nems seemingly for protection on intro:facepalm:
Blond naso parents must fail in teaching of nems apparently...
All 3 swam into my Sebae/Crispa
I have not lost anything to my hadonni, but I will say their tentacles are much more sticky than others I've had, and if a weak fish touches it will probably have a better chance to stick.
I think all too often nems are blamed for what was already on the bubble, or appropriate swim space/buffer area may not have been provided.

 

[brob22]

thanks for the posts, this is a good discussion. i love the carpet nems alot, but not sure if i want to take the leap yet. ive never kept one and im scared i may not care for it right.

 

[MarlinHooker]

You might want to have a talk with my 10" carpet anemone as I have watched twice climb over the top of a rock wall to get to the back of my aquarium where he liked it better ... And we're talking about 20" here ....

 

[brob22]

thats crazy

ur carpet anenome seems to have a mind of its own

 

[Chrisq0904]

Do you have sps in the tank already? The reason I ask is because I have a RBTA and sps in my tank. I put the RBTA first and waited. When I saw it was settled in I decided to put the sps in. It has yet to move. BUT they are known to move all the time so it's not a sure thing it won't move

 

[D-Nak]

ohh ! I always thought haddoni is called carpet. thanks for clarification.

Most people do refer to haddoni a carpet anemone. It's a general term. Even on many wholesalers lists it's often just written as Carpet Anemone - Stichodactyla spp. The reason being is that haddoni are by far the most common. Furthermore, most LFS can't tell the difference between the three. Many mertensii are mislabeled as generic carpet anemones and are sold for say, 40 bucks. Not a bad pick-up for a nem that can cost $400+.

 

[cichlidconvert]

Every had done I've had stayed put buried in sand backed up against rocks after the first week or so. But as far as eating fish my giant red had eaten a 5" foxface! So I would say that's way better with sps than other nems. My gigs stayed put also after the first week but they swayed a lot.