I think I've found my home - but I need some help with my carpet

[stnc]

Hey everyone,

I'm newer to reefing, but after getting started and originally going down the mostly-fish route, I'm finding I much prefer anemones and inverts, because once you see a bunch of clownfish acting like it's the best day ever when a new carpet anemone arrives, your life will never be the same.

Anyway, I had a new Giganta arrive on Tuesday, and he seems to be doing well, he's taken the feedings (reef blizzard a), attached himself the rock, but I'm noticing he's sticking his insides out more frequently (and since I started writing this to now he's pulled it in a bit). Am I just being overly sensitive, or is there something I should be doing?

He had a 1.5 hour drip, parameters are all within limits (my other carpet and bubble are doing great) - so I'm just trying to talk myself down.

Before I started the post:

After:

 

[agame2021]

nems can be tricky I hear carpets are more so than bubble tips but idk. Maybe @ReefSquad can help?

 

[chizerbunoi]

Are you sure it’s a gigantea as it looks like a Haddoni from my phone. Do you see the verrucae dots on the under side of the column?

And for the mouth protruding out, give it time. If it starts to deflate let us know. I would read up in treatment. It’s a sticky on this thread and be prepared if you need to buy some meds.

 

[argiBK]

I agree, on first glance it looks like a S. haddoni, in which case, they prefer to bury their foot in the sand, or under a rock where it meets the sand.

It may move there on its own. As with all anemones, give it time, they never truly acclimate immediately to a new tank.

I would avoid feeding it for a week or two until it's more settled, however. Feeding too early can cause more stress.

 

[stnc]

Thanks y'all - I thought it was a Blue Gigantea Carpet Anemone, as that's what I ordered (and confirmed with the shop) but oh well, he's welcome here regardless.

My bad about feeding, noted for next time. I'll let him settle.

Are you sure it’s a gigantea as it looks like a Haddoni from my phone. Do you see the verrucae dots on the under side of the column?

And for the mouth protruding out, give it time. If it starts to deflate let us know. I would read up in treatment. It’s a sticky on this thread and be prepared if you need to buy some meds.

By deflate you mean the entire anemone, right? Checking the sticky on meds now - thanks y'all!

 

[argiBK]

Thanks y'all - I thought it was a Blue Gigantea Carpet Anemone, as that's what I ordered (and confirmed with the shop) but oh well, he's welcome here regardless.

My bad about feeding, noted for next time. I'll let him settle.


By deflate you mean the entire anemone, right? Checking the sticky on meds now - thanks y'all!

The anemone on that page was definitely a gigantea, you can see the verrucae in the video, which are not present in your photos. Would it be possible to examine the rest of the column to see if the spots are definitely missing?

Unfortunately, something like this has happened to be before, ordered a green gigantea from Live Aquaria and they sent me a haddoni, they ended up refunding the purchase.

I'd definitely call the vendor and let them know what happened. Gigs are an order of magnitude more expensive than haddonis.

If you do want a gigantea @Nemguy123 and bluekaiaquatics.com (@Asagi) are two of the best to deal with as they have healthy specimens, I think @D-Nak sells some from time to time as well. Galactic Coral in Houston, and Aquatic Collection in the Bay Area also carries healthy gigs from time to time.

 

[stnc]

The anemone on that page was definitely a gigantea, you can see the verrucae in the video, which are not present in your photos. Would it be possible to examine the rest of the column to see if the spots are definitely missing?

Unfortunately, something like this has happened to be before, ordered a green gigantea from Live Aquaria and they sent me a haddoni, they ended up refunding the purchase.

I'd definitely call the vendor and let them know what happened. Gigs are an order of magnitude more expensive than haddonis.

If you do want a gigantea @Nemguy123 and bluekaiaquatics.com (@Asagi) are two of the best to deal with as they have healthy specimens, I think @D-Nak sells some from time to time as well. Galactic Coral in Houston, and Aquatic Collection in the Bay Area also carries healthy gigs from time to time.

Thanks for all this info! I don't see the verrucae, took some more pics. Good news is he's moving around. I tried to get column pics but he's getting out of sight haha

Last night:

Just now:

I reached out to the store to let them know, we'll see what they say.

Thanks for the recommendations as well, my fiance lives in Houston and I'm there often, as well as the Bay Area, so I'll check those out.

 

[stnc]

So it turns out they did send me a Haddoni, but sadly he didn't make it. I came home from a two-day trip and he had liquified.

I did pick up another one from my LFS, is this a gigantea given the markings on the column?

 

[argiBK]

Sorry for the your loss, hopefully you were able to get the remains out before it soured your tank. I haven't had the best of luck with hadonnis for some reason (not my cup of tea though).

On the new nem: We'd have to see more of the petal disc and tentacles to be sure, but a quick glance suggests you may have a H. Mertensii. The bright orange tips give it away for me, it also has a much more dense abundance of dark verrucae than you see on gigs. They're pretty hardy, need to be on a rock structure (preferably large and flat), and can get HUGE.

Good luck!

 

[lemonade]

I agree, the new one looks like a Merten's not a Gig.

How old is your system? Do you have any other nems or corals growing? These species of anemone are not as forgiving as others. You probably would've been better off starting with some RFA, Mini Maxi, Bubbletip something like that to make sure your system can properly house anemones. With no treatment these carpets really need top notch conditions to overcome any infection/disease they might have. Keep us posted on the health of this one and if you can look into getting some Cipro sooner than later.

 

[chizerbunoi]

I agree on first review it is a Mertensii. They are pretty awesome as well. My clowns chew the mouth tentacles down short. They also get stung badly and get dark pigments from hosting. No other nems do this to my clowns. Merts grow fast. Very fast.

I don recommend feeding them. Give your new nem time to acclimate. If it survives after many months then feed. They could be dying from spoiled food.

Mine has orange tips in blue light. Notice the verrucae is scattered and goes down the bottom of the foot.

good luck.

 

[stnc]

Sorry for the your loss, hopefully you were able to get the remains out before it soured your tank. I haven't had the best of luck with hadonnis for some reason (not my cup of tea though).

On the new nem: We'd have to see more of the petal disc and tentacles to be sure, but a quick glance suggests you may have a H. Mertensii. The bright orange tips give it away for me, it also has a much more dense abundance of dark verrucae than you see on gigs. They're pretty hardy, need to be on a rock structure (preferably large and flat), and can get HUGE.

Good luck!

I was able to get it cleaned with only a few corals (sadly a showpiece, but alas) and nems (very small bubble and carpet) He's on the tank wall and seems to be doing well, the clowns love him.

I agree, the new one looks like a Merten's not a Gig.

How old is your system? Do you have any other nems or corals growing? These species of anemone are not as forgiving as others. You probably would've been better off starting with some RFA, Mini Maxi, Bubbletip something like that to make sure your system can properly house anemones. With no treatment these carpets really need top notch conditions to overcome any infection/disease they might have. Keep us posted on the health of this one and if you can look into getting some Cipro sooner than later.

I may have done this a bit fast, the tank is three months old, but I've got other nems (rock flower) and coral (LPS/soft) doing great. The bubble and carpet nems were doing great before, and parameters are in line with the conditions and things have been stable otherwise. I have cipro on hand (12x250mg), but he seems fine. I assume I'm looking for the mouth to expand as a clue that he's struggling?

I agree on first review it is a Mertensii. They are pretty awesome as well. My clowns chew the mouth tentacles down short. They also get stung badly and get dark pigments from hosting. No other nems do this to my clowns. Merts grow fast. Very fast.

I don recommend feeding them. Give your new nem time to acclimate. If it survives after many months then feed. They could be dying from spoiled food.

Mine has orange tips in blue light. Notice the verrucae is scattered and goes down the bottom of the foot.

good luck.

Oh wow that's CRAZY! I'll likely turn this tank into a nem focus to keep it stable and setup another tank sooner for the fish.

 

[LBReefer]

Any updates on this tank? I've been looking around for a Giganta, but I'm a but nervous.

 

[Hot2na]

fwiw : the haddoni was salvageable..look up cipro treatment..its a shame it didnt make it

 

[stnc]

Any updates on this tank? I've been looking around
for a Giganta, but I'm a but nervous.

fwiw : the haddoni was salvageable..look up cipro treatment..its a shame it didnt make it

It wasn’t salvageable, as it died a few days later with me being hands off, and that caused a bit of chaos (nicknamed the great anemone reckoning). Learned a lot In the pre and post, which doesn’t excuse that it sucks that it happened, but I think it wasn’t healthy from the start pre shipping, I mean after all it wasn’t even the right anemone shipped so it raised eyes about quality. Since then I’ve added a new carpet that’s much bigger and honestly much healthier from the start from Route66 and he’s doing great. Feelings are minimal (he also ate a blue spotted puffer) I’ve done some supplemental cipro treatments for other items, but sadly it’s a not a guarantee. I do dose cipro in the display now more consistently, and that’s helped a ton. I also visited Galatic and I don’t have anything but positive words to say, great guys and great shop.