Carpet Anenome

[ruhspolostar]

Hey Guys,

Well i'm a bit upset right now, so I thought I would burry myself in fish to shake it off. My last game of the year (regular season), in waterpolo, down my one, to go to the playoffs, the senior (me) gets the ball, 2 seconds left, SHOOTS!!, and he misses...what a note to end on..., whatever...

-Well anyway back to fish, My tank is pretty well established, and I've started adding inverts., One of the inverts that I have always found particularly interresting is the Carpet Sea Anenome, espeacially the white one. The only thing stopping me is a couple of horror storries I have heard, so...


1.) What is the chance they will eat one of my fish (percentage?)?
-Current fish stock
1. "baby" sailfin tang 1.5"
2. x3 blue green chromis 6" total
3. x1 perc clown 1.8"
4. orange spotted gobbie 2.4"
5. yellow head gobbie 3.4"
6. blue (regal) tang 3"
7. leopard wrasse (new addition responsive beutiful and healthy -female-) 2"
8. baby kole tang 2.8"
9. (king of the tank) Blonde Naso Tang 6"
10. lawnmower blenny 3.6"(kinda mean)


2.) What is the chance it will harm another invert?
i.e. my bubble tip anenome (3.5") diameter
i.e. my bubble coral (which I'm probally gonna get rid of because it looks dead and has not openned in 2.5 weeks)


Tank has plent of sand and LR to share it is about 156 gallons (custom job)

-50 gallon sump w/ protein skimmer
-Ca reactor
-Good lighting (take my word for it)
-3" DSB (and no ones making me get rid of it)
- 50 gallon Salt Water Storrage
-1/3 horsepower ARTICA chiller (awesome)

-so I know I'm up to the challenges of keeping a white carpet anenome, what are the chances of it thriving without killing everything,

-thanks in advance

_______________________________
"Live Long and Prosper"

-a sad (and no longer or ever again able to say busy at least foa a year) waterpolo player )

-but nobodys heard the last of #8, just a new beginning

[ruhspolostar]

I really like the blue one too...

-man it would be neat to see me clown swim through something like this

[Alice]

I can't give you a percentage but the chances are pretty high that your carpet is going to find some of your tank inhabitants tasty. Also, if it doesn't settle down somewhere in the tank pretty quickly it can sting the holy-you-know-what out of sessile inverts.

They can be beautiful and some people never have problems with them; they just aren't something with which I'm willing to take the risk in my tank.

My $.02

Alice

[Homer]

I have had a green one for about a year or more now. I had to rearrange my rocks once it decided where to settle down. I really like it especially when my clowns, parents and three kids, all host in it. Mine is now over a foot in diameter in my 90g. I have had some fish missing so I bet the carpet anemone got them.

Homer

[tims]

i cam mot belive the bubble still has not opened yet. thoought about putting it in the refuge instead of tossing it out? (just in case).
do not know much about carpets but have been toying with the idea myself. sorry i know this is no help at all.

[GeoJoe]

just make sure you give it lots of room!

it will open up and get huge (1'+) if it likes your system...

on another note.. watch out for it trying to eat YOU! These guys have a sharp sting and I've been left with quite a rash after mine tried to eat me for lunch.

I think mine did eat my goby though.

[cath]

Reading all of that, I wouldn't get one if I were you. There are lots of other beauties out there that your clowns will like. They will find something

[SJLord]

I would have to agree with Cath, I had one of these personally, and I cannot say that I didnt love it, because I did. But if your going to keep other fish, and you want to keep them alive, and you really dont want to give yoru new carpet expensive meals, then really the best choice for your other fish is to NOT get one. I have lost about 15 fish when I got my carpet, in fact, I lost every fish except my Clown that was hosting inside it.

Steven

[AJ_77]

You've got some fish in there that are good candidates for Carpet Lunch.

1. "baby" sailfin tang 1.5" (high risk)
2. x3 blue green chromis 6" total (medium risk)
4. orange spotted gobbie 2.4" (medium risk)
5. yellow head gobbie 3.4" (medium risk)
6. blue (regal) tang 3" (high risk)
8. baby kole tang 2.8" (high risk)
10. lawnmower blenny 3.6"(kinda mean) (medium risk)

Also, keep in mind that Carpets and BTAs are nototious adversaries in reef aquariums, and will go toe-to-toe at some point (physical warfare), or one will release sufficient toxins into the water to overwhelm the other (chemical warfare).

I would recommend nursing that baby BTA to a healthy, thriving state and make it your "one-and-only".

Good luck!

[ruhspolostar]

-Thanks for the advice guys I did some research and heard some storries about Carpets, was afraid to take the risk because I'm attached to some of my fish...(I'm a looser)..., and I decided not to get it, instead I have to decided to research another type of anenome (but I'll probally stick w/ the one).

-As for the bubble tip I took some pictures of it to 2 of my friends (ones a marine biologist) where I volunteer and the other works at a LFS, I told them the whole thing, the "bubbles" were shrivelled and popped it was not sweeping and eating w/ its tentacles and that it was closed up going on 3 weeks, so I took it out, to make room for my new anenome, I have plenty in the tank, its 156 gallons with plenty of rocks, caves and crevices...

...Today I also have finished setting up a nano (7 gallons) for my moms b-day, she wanted a finding Nemo tank, 2 baby false percs and a cleaner shrimp and one hermit w/ some assorted shells, looks great I'll post some pics



-THANKS FOR EVERYONES HELP THIS SITE CONTINUES TO AMAZE MR DAY IN AND DAY OUT...


*-"LIVE LONG AND PROSPER"

[Python73]

You made a wise decision. Frankly, I'm impressed that you not only asked first, but were willing to be disuaded by what you heard. Good for you.

The only changes I'd make to AJ's list is to bump some from medium to high, and then add every other fish you listed as "possible to be eaten." I know people who had carpets eat their CLOWNS!

I know it isn't always easy, but the BEST display possible for an anemone is its own system. No other anemones, no corals, and only fish that are part of the display.

Good luck with your system.

S !

[ruhspolostar]

A carpet anenome killed 5 of my friends fish within a week and one was a saddle back clown...I'm just gonna focus on what I have since polo season is over, this means I'll have extra time too....


______________________
"Live Long and Prosper"



-#8

[salt creepette]

good decision on the carpet (Ive never had one but wouldnt, with their track record...i love my fish too much).

(nano pics....we want NANO PICS!)

[ruhspolostar]

lol, okay I gotta find my camera, their is no coral in it yet, just two clowns and a shrimp, but once I get propper lighting I hope to get some zoanthid collonies, their so cool, There is one piece of LR in it and this morning when I woke up I saw a clam on it I was open to, really small but cool...

[Reefdude5]

Good choice on the carpet. I had one for a while but he passed away after getting damaged by a powerhead. And my 2 watchman gobies went missing... I've heard great records for the quadritip tricolor(what's their common name?) Supposly very hardy/good citizen anemones!