FAC_WNY Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Hey all, So...I wanted an fairly "unusual" host for my clowns, and as I'll soon be increasing the size of my system (and possibly adding another whole tank to it), I went out looking for one of the harder to keep/more interesting host species. I went to the LFS's in the area and found the usual array of dying Sebae's etc etc. Then I walked into the last one for the night, and they had a GORGEOUS Sebae (tan tentacles, fully expanded) that was just too big and also too firmly attached to a rock. There was also a not-too-shabby Heteractis magnifica (it too, was too firmly attached to rockwork). There was also a largish blue carpet (probably Stichodactyla gigantea) that was on-hold and sold while I was there. So I continued to look and found a beautiful little carpet (unsure of the species at the time) that was starting to look a bit rough, but that could definately be saved. Brought it home, acclimated it, tossed him in. I figured I had plenty of sand-bed space and that two out of the three mainly imported carpet species are sand-bed dwellers and not rock dwellers, that I'd be safe. So, I head upstairs....trying to get a positive ID. Wouldn't you know it, I get the ONE species of carpet that lives ON rockwork(and it quickly decided to start working its way up there after I put it on the sandbed last night..lol)...Stichodactyla mertensii. So, I'm a tad peeved at myself about that...but what are you doing to do..it's about the perfect size (if there IS a perfect size for a carpet you're putting into a nano for grow-out..lol)..I'd say about 8" across the disc (big enought that should my clarkii decide to host, it isn't going to tear it apart). So, to make a long story short, I thought I'd start this thread to document the condition of the anemone in my care, as well as determine the viability of growing them out in a smallish system. Cheers, Fred (As and edit..the plans for upgrades are as follows: In late May-Early June, I'm adding a 37gal cube to my system. The goal would eventually be to move the little guy into his own custom tank when he gets larger...I was thinking something in the 3'X3'X18" deep range..as a specimen tank with a couple of clowns. But of course, that would be quite a ways down the road) Link to comment
animal-lover Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Hey Fred, Got any pictures for us yet??? Sounds interesting... Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted April 1, 2005 Author Share Posted April 1, 2005 I'll try for a few shots tonight.... He's a fairly nice little green specimen..he was "gaping" a bit last night (again..like I said, he was a bit rough looking), but that was the only real sign of stress he was showing (that is to say, he was sticky as all get-out and attached to substrate)..hopefully when I get home today he will have decided to stop that and we'll try and give him a feeding. Cheers, Fred Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 Sorry...didn't get any shots of the anemone yet....(we had a hellish weekend here weather-wise and of course I had to be OUT in it..ugh). Just a little Day 4 update. As I put the S. mertensii on the sandbed initially, it has , of course, spent the last 3 days walking its way up the rockwork. (And of course, over 2 corals....) It looks like it's going to settle itself at the very top of my rockwork, dead center in the tank (which is okay..because there isn't anything there right now. My only concern at this point is the possibility of it shading my clam if it takes that position, but we'll worry about that when the time comes. It looked a bit better yesterday during the day but again started gaping a bit right before lights-out. This morning..it was back to looking fine again. We'll see how well it does...but I'm trying my best right now to "get things in line"....hopefully we'll have some pics tonight. Cheers, Fred Link to comment
SLOreefer Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 have you tried feeding it at all? if so does it respond to feeding? i know you said it looked stressed from the get go but i have had an anenome gape and then accept food and be perfectly fine afterwards. maybe give it a shot and see what happens Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted April 6, 2005 Author Share Posted April 6, 2005 It accepted a minced piece of shrimp yesterday and a 1/4" chunk of Cyclop-eeze today...it's odd...it tends to look perfectly fine for the first 7 or 8 hours the halides are on...but then starts looking kind of crappy after that (more gaping, deflation, etc). When I start things up the next morning, it's fine again. What also has me concerned is that is hasn't completely stopped gaping yet..that is to say, the mouth is never completely closed (I can always still see at least a little bit of the gastro-vascular cavity). It looks like it's closing more and more each day (by small degrees), but I still don't think I'm out of the woods yet. Also....it seems to have found one of the funniest possible places to "take root". Currently, it's attached to my T. crocea's shell. When I came home and saw this, I was initially concerned..until I realized that the crocea's mantle was completely expanded and it didn't seem bothered at all. Then I was concerned about the anemone (loss of 'stickiness' can be a bad sign), so I stuck my finger against the very edge of it's tentacles and got "stuck". I'd never heard about "selective" stinging in anemones...I'd always thought they discharged nematocysts against anything "meaty". I dunno...all I can say I guess is we'll wait and see.... oh...and "curiouser and curiouser". Cheers, Fred Link to comment
offsprg01 Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 good luck on the anemone. good water quaility and lights with occasional feed should bring him back in no time. and we wanna See Pics! oh and don't worry to much about him still gaping. it shouldclose up over the next week or two. anemones never do anything fast. but then agian if you lived for centuries in the the wild you wouldn't either. lol Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 Pic..as promised...he still isn't looking very good in this one..but..it was taken late in the photoperiod (around 6:30 pm..10 hours into MH photoperiod), and as I said..he starts to look droopy around hour 9. Cheers, Fred Link to comment
Steve973 Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Fred, That's a very nice clam, by the way. Link to comment
offsprg01 Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 maybe he's just adjusting to the light. my sebea goes thoght phases everyday as have all my anemones. i think it's natural. although in your case it is stress related. but he should come around. have patients. looks like he's goping to color up real nice. maybe purple or red base with neon green. beautiful. Link to comment
FAC_WNY Posted April 11, 2005 Author Share Posted April 11, 2005 Everything was going so well...and then....CRASH! My S. mertensii is no more...it deteriorated rapidly over the course of the weekend and had to be removed yesterday (followed by a small waterchange as well). Further proof that you should never buy a "dinged up" anemone. At least its last few days were in good water and good lighting... Cheers, Fred Link to comment
BKtomodachi Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 Yeah... I must learn myself to be more patient and wait for JUST the right specimen... Link to comment
offsprg01 Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 damn dude that sucks. i'm sorry to hear that. i always hate loosing my inhabitants. huge bummer. Link to comment
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