Haddoni and bare bottom experience

[chizerbunoi]

The intent of this thread is to track experiences with keeping haddoni carpets in a bare bottom environment. Hopefully we will get some good data over time.

My haddoni decided to walk across the tank one day and cause a huge outbreak of dinoflagellates. That was when I decided no more DSB.

Tank has been without sand for 3 weeks now and the two haddoni were on the bottom glass. But very evidently unhappy (constant wondering to find a new location). I am hoping to not keep them in containers or with sand during this experiment.


Today the large metallic green haddoni moved into the Tonga branch with the gigantea. It’s in high flow. And the smaller gray green haddoni was moving up the glass. It’s back in the floor again now.

What is also interesting to note is that my clowns are preparing to nest. And the third wheel is participating in this process. They are all very happy to have another large host to surf in.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Well what started as cool ended up not. Remember in primary school when 7, 8 (ate) 9? That’s what’s happening, well it didn’t eat it. Just moved underneath. The gigantea wouldn’t tolerate it. I am going to have to rearrange the aquascape tonight before I end up with a dead carpet.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Well should I give up on this experiment? It moved to the back wall corner where it found sand. Only 2 days of observation from it moving but maybe this was meant to be.

 

[tnw50cal]

following

 

[chizerbunoi]

Well today was unfortunate for the smaller stripped haddoni. Hopefully it will work itself out and can recover. I have lost more anemones to these Tunze powerheads than to bacterial infections. The fact that it release tells me it was not happy on the bare bottom. Looks like the Mertensii took over it’s spot in the back corner and caused it to release.

 

[Colorado reefer]

Well today was unfortunate for the smaller stripped haddoni. Hopefully it will work itself out and can recover. I have lost more anemones to these Tunze powerheads than to bacterial infections. The fact that it release tells me it was not happy on the bare bottom. Looks like the Mertensii took over it’s spot in the back corner and caused it to release.

Got to figure out a way to cover those pumps!
I have several carpets too and lost two to pumps before I finally took anemone proofed them

 

[Colorado reefer]

Well today was unfortunate for the smaller stripped haddoni. Hopefully it will work itself out and can recover. I have lost more anemones to these Tunze powerheads than to bacterial infections. The fact that it release tells me it was not happy on the bare bottom. Looks like the Mertensii took over it’s spot in the back corner and caused it to release.

Also 2 btas

 

[chizerbunoi]

I try to make my tank easy on maintenance. When I cover the pumps it requires too much cleaning.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Haddoni is going to make it. I will try it again once it’s healed up. This timein a corner where I can box it in from all sides.

And top down pics of the wall to wall anemones.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Well more bad news. This time the metallic green haddoni went into the powerhead. This is after spending over a month in the back corner.

I am going to conclude that bare bottom and sand dwellers do not work. They do indeed keep searching for that proper space as Minh stated.

Going forward I am now going to experiment with keeping them in containers. Let’s see how this works out. I will test with mugs. If there is long term success then I could build some PVC structures into the rock.

It was 12-15” before. Without the sand it hasn’t opened up like before.

The tank is very unhappy right now.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Haddoni are still happy where they are and have recovered from the powerhead incident. The smaller one is now surrounded by caulerpa and is still in bare bottom but at a corner. If it moves or goes into the powerhead I will move it into another cup.

 

[chizerbunoi]

The haddoni bailed the cup today. I am going to summarize that regardless of DSB, barebottom or in a container, they are going to move when they want. And they do move frequently. Whether a change in lighting or flow.

 

[lemonade]

Not a true bare bottom, but this was a Haddoni I kept in a BioCube for a few years with maybe 1/2” sand bed. Sat in a corner like yours and was happy there.

 

[Taylor t]

Nice! Years ago I took a 1 gallon vinegar bottle and cut the bottom to 4” and buried it in the sand for a Malu I had that kept wandering. It stayed in the vinegar bottom filled with sand, and just did laps in that container I had in the sand. I had a sand bed, but used that to try keeping it where I wanted. It worked, but it always moved in that container. Never tried with Haddoni. Nice color on that green!