Carpet Anemone Care

[Toddrtrex]

If it looks like the following, the end it most likely near.

 

[this is me]

How does it look now? Does it deflate often?
With the pictures you have posted, I don't see a reason to be concerned or alarmed. Anemone with open mouth and deflating to flush their system and acclimate to the new environment is pretty normal. However, if it keeps on doing it then it's a concern.

 

[jonnyu]

Well Toddrtrex he does not look that bad. Thankfully. Here are some updated pics.
Here is last night
<a href="http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/?action=view&current=IMAG0551.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/IMAG0551.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Then here is this afternoon
<a href="http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/?action=view&current=IMAG0553.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/IMAG0553.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/?action=view&current=IMAG0554.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac292/jonugalde/110%20saltwater/IMAG0554.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
HE is so up and down with the way he looks. I am hoping he pulls through it. I guess its just a waiting game for now.

 

[ocellaris123]

I had a green one do just the same thing yours is. Struggled to attach, mouth gaped and puffed the same yours did. He didn't make it unfortunatley.

He doesn't look 100 percent healthy in your photos, but he doesn't look to be on deaths door either, but it certainly doesn't look good for the animal.

 

[greech]

Looks like it is hiding from your lights or is is looking for the right (maybe lower?) flow. Not sure what lights it was under and in your LFS and how long they had it under that lighting before you bought it but light acclimation is pretty important to these guys. Todd has recommended a number of time to use layers of window screen and remove a layer per week (or as the nems behavior dictates).

 

[jonnyu]

well he is hanging out in the shade. So maybe he will slowly feel better. I am hoping he gets better. I really like him just wish I could do more to help. I wish I would have found this forum before I got him. I would have done many things differently.

 

[125mph]

well he is hanging out in the shade. So maybe he will slowly feel better. I am hoping he gets better. I really like him just wish I could do more to help. I wish I would have found this forum before I got him. I would have done many things differently.

What would you do different?

 

[dunk373]

I have the same nem. It has been in my tank for 6 years. I was lucky when I started with it I was the person that liked the pinkish look to a tank so I had four 10k vho's. The nem anchored the first day by a rock through the dsb to the bottom of the tank. From research I have found that these like full spectrum light. And I have proven this theory. When I changed my bulbs the ran out of 10k so I got 12k along with actinics and the nem would not fully open I installed a 10k only one and over the nem and it's back to normal. They like to bury in the sand. Either sand only or against a rock they live along beaches in shallow water often 3 feet or less. They wash up on the beach for hours and float back out with the tide. I would do a 10 k light and give random water flow, not harsh sharp flow but a lot of gentle flow mine seems to like it when the short tentacles are randomly flushed. This will be a good starting point. Do not feed anything with bones or shells. I feed mine table shrimp, usually tiger shrimp. I also eat sushi and it gets the leftovers I have fed red snapper, tuna, salmon, it should be sticky to the touch but be gentle. My nems mouth doesn't gape but is visible when it's hungry. Feed about once a week something about the size of it's mouth but never feed it anything with bones or shells. There are many other things that are soft that u can feed it. Plus it's much cheaper remember the nem is very soft and it sucks ur tank water in to inflate. I once added salt in my sump to bring up the salinity and some undissolved salt touched it and it sucked completely under the sand. In one second. They like deep sand too hope it's not too late it will by far be ur best animal in the tank. Oh also don't get gobies. They will be eaten they are stupid lol. Good luck

 

[dunk373]

Oh and I don't think they need tremendous amount of light mh may be too much now the screen trick will be good. But I strongly recommend a lower k light I read 6500-10000 is the spectrum they prefer. Bit again how long was it at the Lfs what lighting did they have. I would recommend to google haddonni carpet in the wild. Then you will see where they live a lot of people think they live on a reef, but from what I've found it's on a beach. I have done this type of search with all corals in my tank and have been surprised with the results of placing them in an area of the tank where they receive the proper spectrum of light as close to their natural habitat as possible. Good luck I'll be checking in on this as much as possible I hope we can help you it's a great specimen.

 

[125mph]

Hey jonnyu, how is your nem doing now? Looking better or is it worse?

 

[nameissoftlover]

jonnyu> any updates? alive? dead? hopefully alive

 

[jonnyu]

well things did not work out. he seemed to be getting better but then just turned for the worse. The things I would have done differently would be. 1 buy from a lfs that had him for a few weeks un there tank. this way I can see if he is doing good. when I bought him I ordered so the LFS gave me him in the bag. so I had no chance to inspect. I would have changed the k rating on the lights. thanks everyone for the help. does anyone know where I can get a nice carpet ? dunk I will be researching the lights. thanks for the help.

 

[125mph]

I have the same nem. It has been in my tank for 6 years. I was lucky when I started with it I was the person that liked the pinkish look to a tank so I had four 10k vho's. The nem anchored the first day by a rock through the dsb to the bottom of the tank. From research I have found that these like full spectrum light. And I have proven this theory. When I changed my bulbs the ran out of 10k so I got 12k along with actinics and the nem would not fully open I installed a 10k only one and over the nem and it's back to normal. They like to bury in the sand. Either sand only or against a rock they live along beaches in shallow water often 3 feet or less. They wash up on the beach for hours and float back out with the tide. I would do a 10 k light and give random water flow, not harsh sharp flow but a lot of gentle flow mine seems to like it when the short tentacles are randomly flushed. This will be a good starting point. Do not feed anything with bones or shells. I feed mine table shrimp, usually tiger shrimp. I also eat sushi and it gets the leftovers I have fed red snapper, tuna, salmon, it should be sticky to the touch but be gentle. My nems mouth doesn't gape but is visible when it's hungry. Feed about once a week something about the size of it's mouth but never feed it anything with bones or shells. There are many other things that are soft that u can feed it. Plus it's much cheaper remember the nem is very soft and it sucks ur tank water in to inflate.

Hey, what about LED lights? I have the red one under AI LEDs. It has three colors (white, cyan and blue) on it independently controlled. I have it set to around 20k to the human eye but I think the white light always pushes out 6500 and blue and cyan are in the other shorter wavelengths.

 

[jonnyu]

Does anyone have an article on keeping Carpets? ex. Where to buy or how to buy, What lighting, water parameters, and ect. Thanks

 

[saltydogs]

If you do a search for the type you are interested in you can find a boat load of info on care. Best of luck. Ours have never been really hard to keep alive.