Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board - AHHHHHH! Stupid Carpet Anemone is eating all my fish!

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- - AHHHHHH! Stupid Carpet Anemone is eating all my fish! (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=47449)

Brad yours is a haddoni but I think due to the large footprint of your tank, the "relative real estate consumed" by the carpet is proportionally much smaller than average. Thus the odds of a fish randomly stumbling into the carpet are much smaller than average (so to speak).

Justin, to me the carpet looks just like a smaller version of a haddoni, but I'm stuck on the fact you say it splits. Haddoni's just don't split, as far as I know. So I'm left with believing yours is indeed tapetum, and I guess we've just learned that tapetums are potentially very strong feeders much like haddoni's.

That's my guess anyhow. :)

Check out this link:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm

Not sure if it will help with your ID but here is some pretty good info there.

Someone on RC is saying stichodactyla helianthus which is the "dreaded" Atlantic Carpet Anenome. Eats everything including clowns. The problem with that is, it doesn't look like stichodactyla helianthus! Those ones clearly look different to me. I could be wrong though.

I don't know but I had a hard time even sleeping last night knowing my new mandarin was hanging out beside it. He made it through the night though. Apparently they should know to stay away from the thing. Maybe the little fish got mesmerized :lol:

Brad I agree, it looks a bit different from yours but it is way smaller so maybe thats why? I am going to take a pic today once its all open. In that last pic it was kind of closed still after eating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtreme (Post 368584)

Check out this link:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/carpetanemones.htm

Not sure if it will help with your ID but here is some pretty good info there.

Thanks, yes I was looking at this last night and this is how I came up with haddoni.

Anyone want it? Hahahahaha...what am I going to do with this thing?!?

I am sorry for you. I saw those carpet anemones at an LFS last year but was too new to buy one. Sure glad I didn't. From now on I am asking you guys before adding anything since I learned my lesson the hard way already. I had no clue they could even eat most of the stuff you mention.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer (Post 368524)

So yesterday I witnessed my larger carpet eat a Fang Blenny. It was slowly pulling it in as the fish thrashed around trying to escape. Today the smaller carpet (split a while ago from the mother) had something. It took me a while but eventually I got it partly open (you can't touch these ones, had to use a stick) and found my clown goby. I was really starting to like this little guy :(

I am also missing another goby.

These are the mini carpet anemones. Don't seem to be many around. They are very beautiful anemones but I don't know if they are worth it since my plan is to keep small fish. Just wondering how common this problem is with carpets?

Oh and the big ones "eaten" list is much longer than that even...It has eaten:

A monti frag that fell on it (spits the skeleton back out a few days later)
Many hermit crabs
A star fish
An arrow crabs leg
A Serpent Stars leg
A mushroom that it moved beside and proceeded to eat
Digi frag

And a partridge in a pear tree...

I am so torn because I love how it looks and would have a heck of a time trying to get it out but it just seems like it will keep eating my fish. I am even scared that if my new mandarin touches it that it will not be strong enough to get away. The mandarin is quite a decent size but this anemone does NOT let go once it touches something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties (Post 368610)

Oh I knew larger carpets can be a pain and the only reason I bought this one is that I was told its a small species. It was not from a store. Someones tank.

:eek: :surprise: WOW!!!! I had no idea carpet anemones could eat fish!!!!!! I was going to get a blue one but after reading this I think not! heaven forbid I come home to one of my angelfish being eaten! RBTA it is :biggrin:

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishoholic (Post 368619)

Some species of carpets are not very aggressive. Just make sure you do your research and ID it right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer (Post 368621)

Some species of carpets are not very aggressive. Just make sure you do your research and ID it right.

Good to know thanks. The one Carpet Anemone, Blue (Stichodactyla haddoni), that I liked is aggressive. Guess reading about them is important.