Giant Carpet Anemone Care

The gigantic sea anemone stichodactyla gigantea loves warmer water 84 86f and will move often if not feed.

Giant carpet anemone care.

The result is the expulsion of the animal s complement of zooxanthellae which eventually leaves the host looking very pale to white or even translucent. Like most corals and several other anemones giant carpet anemones utilize a combination of methods to obtain food. Similarly a water heater can burn the tentacles of an anemone. Low to moderate lighting.

Feed them several times per week and keep your water quality stable and high. The giant carpet anemone is an expert only anemone that needs high lighting and strong water movement. Carpet anemone gigantea carpet anemone scientific name. Stichodactyla gigantea reef safe.

Is exposed to elevated temperatures that get too high for too long. A healthy specimen will have a tightly closed mouth and will be very sticky. The giant carpet anemone stichodactyla gigantea can play host to clownfish threespot domino damsels and periclimenes shrimp but have been occasionally known to eat their residents and can consume other fish and invertebrates with wild abandon. The majority of their energy is derived from symbiotic algae living within their cells providing the anemones with excess energy that they make via photosynthesis the use of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into food energy.

I feed mine 5 silversides a week. Bleaching occurs primarily when an anemone coral giant clam etc. This species is very aggressive so give a minimum of a foot of space between a fully inflated giant carpet anemone and any other anemones and corals. The large carpet anemone plays host to a variety of clownfish in the wild.

Although not necessary the saltwater species that will live in symbiosis include amphiprion clarkii a. Open water pumps in the aquarium can be dangerous for them as their tentacles can get easily caught in the pump and can even lead to their death. Make sure your tank is at least 2 years old before adding this invert to your tank and make sure you have a 3 to 4 sand bed for the anemone to bury its foot. Feed at least weekly with chunks of frozen silversides shrimp squid and other meaty foods for large carnivores.

Some comments by michael. Around 34 to 36 inches. The gigantean carpet anemone typically will get over 2 feet in diameter and will frequently get to around 3 feet when kept in ideal conditions. Vho compact fluorescent and t5 high output lighting or metal halide lamps should suffice depending on the depth of the aquarium.

Carpet anemones house symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae in their tissues just like reef dwelling corals and they are highly dependent on strong lighting to stay healthy.