I have a 12g marineland tank system. It's only been set up a few weeks. I've had my carpet for about a week. This morning it appeared fine. When I got home this evening it's condensed down and not moving. It's extremely sticky to the touch and still holding on to a rock, so I don't think it's dead yet, but it appears to be on the way. Everything else in the tank appears to be doing great. Any tips?
Any tips to save my carpet anemone?
- Thread starter Elyssa
- Start date
Witfull
Well-Known Member
a few problems here:
first, your tank is no way mature enough for any anemone, let alone a carpet.
second, your tank is WAY to small for a carpet.
third, you didnt list your water parameters.
carpets will shrink up from time to time then re-inflate. if it remains this way for several days then there is a serious issue.
best advice, is take the carpet back to where you bought it from, and if they told you your tank was fine for it, never do business with them again.
first, your tank is no way mature enough for any anemone, let alone a carpet.
second, your tank is WAY to small for a carpet.
third, you didnt list your water parameters.
carpets will shrink up from time to time then re-inflate. if it remains this way for several days then there is a serious issue.
best advice, is take the carpet back to where you bought it from, and if they told you your tank was fine for it, never do business with them again.
degibson84
Active Member
also you dont want the nem to be moving they only move if they aren't comfortable
Sapphire
Active Member
As tempting as it is to get an anemone they do not belong in a new tank. They really need to go into a tank that has had stable excellent water parameters for at least six months, preferably a year. They also require high light levels (in general), good flow and an appropriately sized tank. Carpet anemones in particular grow very large and should not be housed in a small tank.
I agree that the best thing you can do for this anemone is to take it back to where you bought it.
I don't mean to sound harsh but it is the reality
There are lot of really awesome creatures you can keep in a nano - check out the nano forum for some ideas and advice.
I agree that the best thing you can do for this anemone is to take it back to where you bought it.
I don't mean to sound harsh but it is the reality
There are lot of really awesome creatures you can keep in a nano - check out the nano forum for some ideas and advice.
Neptunesghost
Member
+++1 Take it back.
There is no way a carpet nem belongs in that tank. it will soon be larger than the tank itself, if it were to survive...unlikely.
There is no way a carpet nem belongs in that tank. it will soon be larger than the tank itself, if it were to survive...unlikely.
The carpet is back to normal this morning. I plan on getting a larger tank relatively shortly, so I'm not too worried about the carpet's size. I also got everything in my tank from an established tank. My tank has been set up exactly 5 and a half weeks. Water parameters are perfect and have been since I set it up. It bypassed the average cycle period.
Thanks for the advice anyway.
Thanks for the advice anyway.
lcstorc
Well-Known Member
If you are not worried about the size (and you should be tey can easilly get a foot across) then you need to worry about the lighting and water parameters this extremely delicate creature requires.
Anemones in general are very difficult and a carpet is one of the most challenging. It also requires the most lighting. Don't fool yourself because it looks fine for days or weeks. They have a very slow metabolism and can hide symptoms for months while they are slowly dying.
Do some research on the species and you will see what I am referring to.
Anemones in general are very difficult and a carpet is one of the most challenging. It also requires the most lighting. Don't fool yourself because it looks fine for days or weeks. They have a very slow metabolism and can hide symptoms for months while they are slowly dying.
Do some research on the species and you will see what I am referring to.
Neptunesghost
Member
What filtration and lighting are you running, what is the tank temp and salinity?
chipmunkofdoom2
Well-Known Member
Planning to upgrade to a new tank is great, but that still leaves the fact that the new tank will not be well established. Getting everything, even the water, from an established tank does not make your setup established. Subtle things liked different lighting, water flow, size, and temperature will cause changes in the water, and change is pretty much why an established tank is good for an anemone.. there is none.
If you're unwilling to listen to any of the above comments, heed this warning: When it dies, you MUST remove the carcass IMMEDIATELY or it will nuke your tank.
If you're unwilling to listen to any of the above comments, heed this warning: When it dies, you MUST remove the carcass IMMEDIATELY or it will nuke your tank.
thearnley
Member
rmlevasseur
Active Member
Welcome to RS Ellysa!
No matter what board you post this question, you are going to get the same responses. Whoever told you that a carpet in a 12 gallon would be ok needs to crunched in one himself.
To understand why, you must understand how the anemone functions. These things use the water like their blood. They take in nutrients and they expell nutrients through the water that they live in. Like all animals, they excrete. In a 12-gallon system, they are regularly ingesting their own waste. Who would like that?
Of course, you could counter with daily water changes, but the problem with that is that this animal requires extreme stability. Even minor fluctuations in the salinity of your water changes can unbalance the water.
Another problem is lighting. Anemones require high lighting, and unless you are perhaps lighting the system with high grade LEDs, it is almost impossible to keep enough light over the system w/o causing temperature spikes. Turn the light off at night, and 10-12 gallons of water can drop 4-5 degrees quickly. Again, there goes your stability.
Anemones also need to be fed. In a 12 gallon system, water can foul so quickly. IMO, systems this small shouldn't be fed at all, and if so, very sparingly. Not gonna work with a nem.
Alas, in your situation the best way to save your carpet is to return it immediately. As mentioned in an earlier thread, you are probably already doing damage which may preclude this animal from a healthy recovery even in an appropriate tank. These animals can't show distress like many other animals. They look great one day, and dead the next. Sick anemones don't stay sick long.
Finally, keep in mind that these animals regularly fail in very large systems as well. Sometimes it has little to do with your reef-keeping skills at all. They ship very poorly, and more often than not fail in even the best of captive environments.
No matter what board you post this question, you are going to get the same responses. Whoever told you that a carpet in a 12 gallon would be ok needs to crunched in one himself.
To understand why, you must understand how the anemone functions. These things use the water like their blood. They take in nutrients and they expell nutrients through the water that they live in. Like all animals, they excrete. In a 12-gallon system, they are regularly ingesting their own waste. Who would like that?
Of course, you could counter with daily water changes, but the problem with that is that this animal requires extreme stability. Even minor fluctuations in the salinity of your water changes can unbalance the water.
Another problem is lighting. Anemones require high lighting, and unless you are perhaps lighting the system with high grade LEDs, it is almost impossible to keep enough light over the system w/o causing temperature spikes. Turn the light off at night, and 10-12 gallons of water can drop 4-5 degrees quickly. Again, there goes your stability.
Anemones also need to be fed. In a 12 gallon system, water can foul so quickly. IMO, systems this small shouldn't be fed at all, and if so, very sparingly. Not gonna work with a nem.
Alas, in your situation the best way to save your carpet is to return it immediately. As mentioned in an earlier thread, you are probably already doing damage which may preclude this animal from a healthy recovery even in an appropriate tank. These animals can't show distress like many other animals. They look great one day, and dead the next. Sick anemones don't stay sick long.
Finally, keep in mind that these animals regularly fail in very large systems as well. Sometimes it has little to do with your reef-keeping skills at all. They ship very poorly, and more often than not fail in even the best of captive environments.