Carpet anem ate my convict

[Gregg @ ADP]

I have a client who had a green carpet that was about 16” in diameter. Over the 6 or 7 years she had it before finally giving it the boot, I estimate that it ate more than $4k worth of fish.

Among the victims, a pair of Sargassum triggers (yes, both of them) that were 6” long and a (I’m weeping as I type this) gorgeous male Labouti wrasse.

 

[WetPets]

well now we got that figured out. anyone have any idea how to get that bad boy out. he is stuck to the bottom of the tank?

You have to get under it wear a glove so you do not get stung. A scaper blade normally works the best to get it started then you can use your fingers. Just try not to tear it.

 

[stevieduk]

mine ate my pet grouper. i had it four years and trained it to take food from my fingers, one day i fed it and it didnt quiet grasp the piece of fish which started to sink to the bottom and the grouper chased it , straight into ... yes you guessed it ... the carpet. it was like the fish had a electric shock and the anemone was wrapped around it in seconds, sadness for days, but you cant blame the carpet , it was just doing what its programmed to do. plus when you get a nice one they are stunning,(literally)

 

[Samandar]

Hi, I have an carpet anemonea. It ate once a sand sifter star fish.

 

[davocean]

All anemone's are opportunistic feeders, they do not hunt fish or anything, just that the hadonni is known to have a stronger sting and stickier tentacles, so better chance that if a fish is sick, or swim space makes close quarters and more likely for a fish to bump into it, more likely it's going to end badly.

Swim space and buffer area will lessen the chance of a healthy fish being eaten.

Adding more clowns will not help, one pair to a normal tank is best unless you are doing a harem from same clutch, and in fact probably having more clowns could cause more issues as they fight each other or chase fish from their territory.

 

[Victoria M]

Why take the risk? I enjoy my aquarium inhabitants too much to watch them get eaten like that.

 

[davocean]

Why take the risk? I enjoy my aquarium inhabitants too much to watch them get eaten like that.

Lots of anemone keepers don't really have losses of healthy fish if you research and plan properly, I don't lose fish to my mag or many of the nems I've kept over the years.
I think far too often it's an already sick fish and the nem gets the blame, or people crowd tanks and make it hard for fish to not bump into them.

 

[Victoria M]

Lots of anemone keepers don't really have losses of healthy fish if you research and plan properly, I don't lose fish to my mag or many of the nems I've kept over the years.
I think far too often it's an already sick fish and the nem gets the blame, or people crowd tanks and make it hard for fish to not bump into them.

HI Dave! I kept BTAs with clown fish for 11 years. I meant why keep a carpet anemone? Why take that risk? It seems eventually they get somebody. Keeping marine tanks going is hard enough! LOL.
PS aka Mrs. Music

 

[davocean]

HI Dave! I kept BTAs with clown fish for 11 years. I meant why keep a carpet anemone? Why take that risk? It seems eventually they get somebody. Keeping marine tanks going is hard enough! LOL.
PS aka Mrs. Music

Hello Mrs Music, good to see friendly people from other places!

I kinda thought that might be what you meant, and I kinda agree w/ you when that carpet happens to be a hadonni, gigs and mertensi seem much less problematic among carpet nems.
Hadonni happen to not be my personal favorite, but for those that like them make sure you have lots of swim space to avoid them.
I'll stick w/ my mags!