Anemone

[Matthew Lavigne]

I am trying to figure out why my green Carpet Anemone is laying flat so much. besides when I feed him and when the lights are off, for the most part he is flat on the sand. He did move about 8inches after I added him to the tank so I am assuming that he likes the location where he is now. Any suggestions ?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

pictures?

 

[Jason mack]

Gonna need more info and pictures ..
what are your Parameters?
How old is your tank ?
What lights are you running ..
the more info you can give the more chance of an accurate answer .,!

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

I don't get it

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

PH: 7.8. temp: 76. light is an orbit with adjustable white and blue. Nitrate:0. Nitrite:0 Cal: 420 Phos:0 there is a little ammonia: .18
20 gallon tank that has been running for 6 months now.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

That's normal posture for a carpet anemone; they typically bury their body column in the sand so that only the stingy bits are exposed. This one does look bleached a bit though, so be sure to feed regularly until it starts to regain zooxanthellae.

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

how often? I have been feeding him every four days switching between silversides and scallops ?

 

[Jason mack]

That's normal posture for a carpet anemone; they typically bury their body column in the sand so that only the stingy bits are exposed. This one does look bleached a bit though, so be sure to feed regularly until it starts to regain zooxanthellae.

+1 .. plus your tank is still very young for an anamone .. even at 6 months ..

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

should I be feeding him more ?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Every 4 days should be fine, he does look happy there but is definitely a bit bleached. Just keep your tank stable and keep up the weekly feedings and he will color up with any luck.

 

[Jason mack]

should I be feeding him more ?

How much and how often do you feed him now .. plus what lights do you have him under ??

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

I'd go with more frequent, smaller meals. Eyeballing the size in comparison to a 20gallon, that's a ~6" anemone? If so, I'd be feeding small meals every 2nd or 3rd day. I actually like mysis shrimp for carpet anemones.

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

the light is a Orbit Marine LED, he is about 6 to 7 inches across.
I have been feeding him half of a large Silverside or one third of a scallop at a time...

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

is the lighting causing the bleaching or the lack of food ?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

He came that color from your fish store right? If so the bleaching came from the stress of being caught and shipped. You are hopefully in the process of healing him.

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

He came that color from your fish store right? If so the bleaching came from the stress of being caught and shipped. You are hopefully in the process of healing him.

yes for the most part, how much green will show ? a few shades or a lot darker ?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Depends on the specimen but if you google green carpet anemone you can get an idea of what some look like normally.

 

[Matthew Lavigne]

Depends on the specimen but if you google green carpet anemone you can get an idea of what some look like normally.

ok, last question? should he have full light 80% 60% 40% ( white light )

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Sorry i have zero experience with that fixture.

 

[Rod's Food]

is the lighting causing the bleaching or the lack of food ?

Size and type of food would be more of a factor. S. hadoni ( your anemone ) and H.magnifica are somewhat exceptions to the rule, but the rule for most hosting anemones is smaller pieces with no bones. When gut contents have been studied - small plankton is what is usually found. Anemones expel more energy than what is gained when trying to digest larger pieces of food - especially with bones. You would be better off to feed your fish a little heavier and let the anemone catch the food that is missed by the fish. Target feeding can be OK too but do so with smaller pieces. Mysis size is OK, but I would use something that has a more natural omegas. (mysis is freshwater) . Once your anemone regains color, an occasional large piece to show friends will be OK, but consistent large feedings is not the best idea.

Oh, yes, like others have said - the positioning is fine and if its not roaming, its probably happy.

There are 3 types of "carpet anemone" S. hadoni, S.gigantea, and S.mertensii .. mertensii get super large and arent often found in the aquarium trade. gigantea are also less common than hadoni. gigantea used to be nearly impossible to keep but many are haveing more success than what we used to. hadoni - most common and considered to be a bit easier. They are also much more likely to capture a fish than the other 2 carpets. Im not going to fear monger saying its going to eat your fish - just saying that when compared to gigantea and mertensii - the posibilities are higher.