Carpet Anem pops out of LR, suprise!!!

[Genin]

Well I have a 15gallon tank that I keep with a very minimal aquascape. I decided to get another piece of LR to make a small addition in the tank. The live rock had a couple of polyps on it and a little piece of xenia, nothing special. Well I put it in my tank, acclimated for the xenia and polyps and my daughter tells me a few hours later that there's something coming out from under the rock. Sure enough it was a flippin anemone.

Here's some pics of it when it climed half way up a rock on the left side:

Here it is today (24 hours later and moved to the right side of the tank):

Before you guys get all wacky on me, I am not keeping the anemone. I have kept them in the past with success but will not attempt it in a 15gallon, maybe a BTA but never a S. Gigantea which is what I think it is. It will be given to my local reef shop tomorrow since they only open Friday, Sat, Sun and I'm hoping he'll give me some macro and some more cleaner snails for the anemone.

What do you guys think the anemone is?

 

[2Addicted]

Atlantic carpet anemone.

 

[this is me]

Atlantic carpet anemone. Not known to host but known for eating fish including your clowns.

 

[Genin]

lmao, well I am very happy it is going to the reef store tomorrow!

 

[aday2remmbr]

i would keep it, they do not get very large i have had one for several years healthy as can be and it maxed out at about 5-6 inches wide some days maybe it got to about 7, but i have never had problems with them eating my fish but just dont expect clowns to host in it. they are also very hardy probably equivelant to a condy as atlantic nems seem to be.

 

[Genin]

Gentlemen what is the scientific name of this anemone?

 

[Genin]

Stichodactyla helianthus?

 

[2Addicted]

Stichodactyla helianthus?

Yes.

 

[2Addicted]

i would keep it, they do not get very large i have had one for several years healthy as can be and it maxed out at about 5-6 inches wide some days maybe it got to about 7, but i have never had problems with them eating my fish but just dont expect clowns to host in it. they are also very hardy probably equivelant to a condy as atlantic nems seem to be.

Awesome user name!

 

[Featherdusters]

I think thats a pretty neat surprise. I would have had the same reaction, especially seeing something like that come out from no where.

 

[Genin]

I'm still giving it to the reef store today but it was a pretty wild suprise. I thought you guys would be shocked too.

 

[Reef1589]

haah thats pretty crazy its still neat even though its an atlantic.. that it came out from the rock..
imagine if it was a s. haddoni. =P

 

[kduen]

Imagine if it were a Mertensii.........

 

[ziyaadb]

Awesome luck,
Here is a fellow reefers hitch hiker as well:

A few months ago I bought a whole lot of live rock from a fellow reefer. After unpacking the lot and letting the rock settle in, I noticed what at first looked like a majano anemone, no bigger than a zoa head.

So I let this baby lie and moved it with its piece of rubble rock to the nursery tank where it now basks in sunshine. I have been feeding it tiny pinches of mysis and krill every other day. Appears to be growing nicely

He is on here as Adrianfynn i think

Link to his thread on our forum in SA
http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showthread.php?t=15306&page=23

 

[Genin]

Yeah it was pretty cool to have a hitchiking anemone. The store owner was really cool and gave me some macro algae and a bunch of snails in a straight up trade. I was just going to give the thing to him but he hooked me up. Cool guy.