Mertensii care?

[aklee987]

I've found a mertensii anemone at a LFS near me.

I'm really tempted to buy it, but I can't find too much information about them.

Things I think I know:
1. Fairly certain they like to plant on rocks as opposed to the sand.
2. I'm assuming high light and moderate flow as well.
3. Long acclimation period after purchase
4. Do not keep with other anemones
5. Be wary of carbon dosing
6. Even if I do everything right, it may not make it

Any thoughts or further advice?

 

[taylor t]

I've have one. I found the same problem as you - not much useful detailed info on them.

With mine, it hasn't moved from the spot I put it, maybe / almost a couple years now? I have it with a BTA, and a crispa in the sand, but I don't recommend mixing anemones - I haven't experienced any major problems with doing so though. I keep a very basic system.
Filtration: as the water flows, filter sock that may get changed every couple weeks if I remember, skimmer, refugium, return pump. That's it. Suppliments are mixed/all over depending on what I have, remember to dose, etc. I don't use carbon or any GFO or anything like that. I don't do regular scheduled water changes, but have done large water changes in the past year, just not recently. My 50 gallon vertical tank has been empty since halloween. Last week I did one though, 5 gallons - only because I dropped off some stuff at the LFS and needed to add it to the sump. I use 2part, and have a kalk reactor, but my reactor is running ro water only at the moment.

I think mertens are extremely hearty, like a BTA. It took quite a few months for it to really look like it "settled" in, maybe like 6 months or so. It has a potent sting. Mine touches a BTA that refuses to leave, has for almost it's whole time in my tank. BTA will definately loose to it if it ever came down to a "real war". Only complaint I have is it's not the fastest eater, never has been. It's a good eater, just doesn't bring it to it's mouth as quick as I'd like it to. I've got 6 tangs that like to steal it's food, so I have to fan it closed on the food to prevent the tangs from getting it.

I have pretty high flow in my tank, tank is a 210 with (2) mp40's, and a closed loop, and the return has an eductor on it. When everythings on at once, I'd say my tank has high flow, and it loves it. My closed loop is on a timer 15 minute on/off. Mp40's are on max on reefcrest, I think - orange.

I've fed it anywhere from nothing for a month or 2, to every day. Mine seems to like to be fed every day, but I've stopped doing that. It grows pretty quick, based on food.

This is just my experience with the one I have. If you have the space for one, you'll love it! Post some pics when you get it!

 

[taylor t]

And for light, I started mine on LED. I changed back to MH because my 600 watts of heaters ran all the time, so it was stupid to use LED and spend more. LED will go back on in the hot weather. I would say, as much light as you can give it. I'm using MH 250 right now with T5 suppliments. In spring, I'll put my DIY LED 68 3watt crees back on over it. Treat it like any other carpet, high light.

 

[Winwood]

As long as they are not bleached they are super hearty. Mine reminded me of a BTA just more flattened out once it reached the edge of the reef where it wanted to expose itself. I don't believe they are very particular as far as flow and lighting go and will make due with basic host anemone requirements.

 

[illcssd]

These are IMO the least difficult anemone to care for w/the bta. They don't require a ton of flow/light, and seem to ship fairly well for anemones. I had mine in a moderate flow tank, under a 175w halides. Be wary though, as he ended up taking over my entire 60g and will grow massive. Regular feeding, excellent water quality, and good lights and you should be set.
Tell us about your system and I can judge better. Also, if you decide not to get it, mind pming me the name/number of the lfs that has it? I'm looking for another one for one of my tanks.

 

[BonsaiNut]

It is my understanding that they are extremely hardy - as much if not more so than S. haddoni. The issue is their SIZE - they can get 3' diameter in the wild.

Phil has some experience with them. If he doesn't chime in on this thread, send him a PM and I'm sure he'll help you out.

 

[aklee987]

Well my tank is a 40 breeder. Kind of small, though I can always upgrade in a couple years if I need to. Tank has been up and running for 2 and a half years. ATO, kalk dosing, etc. Very stable parameters.

The mertensii I'm looking at is about dinner plate size.

I also wouldn't mind eventually it becoming a "single anemone with a couple clowns" tank.

DIY LED fixture, when it's a full blast, I get a par reading of over 500 on the sand.

Flow: mp40 on one side, mp10 on the other side.

Who is Phil?

Also, there is a ritteri that is about the same size that I could go with instead. Any thoughts on getting that instead?

 

[phender]

I am Phil.

What the others have said is basically correct. If the anemone is new to the store and is the size of a dinner plate, when it gets used to your tank it could easily expand another 50% bigger. When they first come in they tend to stay a little contracted for a while.

IME, they are indeed one of the easier anemones to keep. All of mine have preferred to attach to rocks in similar foot holds as BTAs, the difference being that they like to have an area to drape themselves over.

If it were me, I would take a mertens over a ritteri every time. (I've had both) The question is, do you think your tank is big enough if/when the anemone gets 50% bigger in a month or so?

 

[rssjsb]

Phil - How do these anemones compare to other big nems in the fish-eating department? I would think a huge nem like that would be a worse menace than haddoni in anything but a huge tank, even if it's not as sticky.

 

[illcssd]

Phil - How do these anemones compare to other big nems in the fish-eating department? I would think a huge nem like that would be a worse menace than haddoni in anything but a huge tank, even if it's not as sticky.

Ime, they're not as big of a threat to fish as a haddoni, as in both systems I had them in, they were model citizens and ate no fish. Of course, the majority of the time it was in a dedicated system with only gobies and banghaiis for roommates with the percs. But, if there isn't room around them for other inhabitants to swim, likely hood of a fish getting eaten goes up dramatically.

 

[phender]

They are not nearly as bad as haddoni. I did have a rabbitfish that got stung pretty bad but wasn't eaten. A couple weeks later, while still in a weakened state, he wasn't so lucky. That was the only fish I lost in the 5 years I had my large one. Smaller ones have never been a problem.
This pic gives you an idea of how much of the tank it took up and still I only lost 1 fish.

 

[D-Nak]

I would take a mertensii over a magnifica as well. Ritteris are notoriously hard to acclimate. I would rate only gigantea as being more difficult. If the mertensii has good color and the price is right, I'd go for it. I've found that once the LFS knows what they have, the price shoots up. If they don't know what it is and you do, then it could be a steal.

According to an anemone expert who frequents the boards, mertensii aren't a concern when it comes to color shifting in clowns -- particularly loss of blank in Onyx clowns -- which can occur with BTAs and even magnifica. So, I would consider that another nice quality of a mertensii.

 

[Reefvette]

Mertens can cause hyper melanism my luecokranos got very brown in one and white tail chrystoerus got dark too.

Mertens are associated with darker clowns.