Advice? Carpet Nem - 1, fish - 0

I had one once and lost fish to it. It was sticky all the time so I don't think it matters how often or how much you feed it. Either the fish will stick and get hurt trying to get unstuck or it gets eaten. Also had a horrible reaction to the sting so between that and it eating fish, it was an incentive to get rid of it. Carpets are very cool though and today I do keep a couple maxi minis. Doesn't host fish but they do come in some nice colors. I just make sure not to touch them

 

Tagging along....have avoided carpets for this reason and wondering what others have done...

 

I've always been a huge fan of carpet anemones and as such I've read a lot about others' experiences with them, as well as my own. I am assuming you have a haddoni? From what I've read, it sounds like they are the most likely to eat fish, and really more questions of when and how many. However, like anything, everyone's situation is a little different. Regarding your question if feeding more helps, my guess is no. If a fish is caught it will eat it, doesn't matter if it is desert or the main course.

 

Try to switch up his diet. I would possibly try silversides as well as your shrimp. Keep well fed, but off of your nice expensive fish. Ours did the same! Lol. Till we tried the assortment of other foods.

 

I would be under the impression (based on BTA's not carpets) that the more you spot feed it the bigger it will get and then you will have a greater chance of it eating more fish. I remember a story where this guy's carpet nem ate his wife's favorite fish.......so needless to say he had to get another fish and get rid of the nem!

I also read that most fish will try and stay away from the nem given enough room (hence the need to not have a growing carpet) but a fish will once in awhile get unlucky. Maybe you could have a tank with just clowns? *insert clown smiley*

 

Or lose fish. ........

 

I spot fed mine everyday for 2 years he never moved then one night he decided to kill himself by going into my pumps killed himself and my whole tank corals, fish, inverts... that was 5 years ago in my sps dominant tank with 6 years of growth.....

They are beautiful nems but never again for me

 

The carpet nem would outgrow the 8g biocube pretty fast so idk if that would be good for it but thats my opinion.

You can keep it in your main tank that was just what happened to me.

Ive seen several people keep them for a long time in their main system with no problems except them eating their fish lol

I did get out for a bit and sold everything lol but i came back in the hobby.

 

I have one he was supposed to be a lot smaller then he is lol. he was supposed to be like 4 inches but when I got him he is much larger. At first he kinda tore my rock work apart they are very strong and every sticky and try not to touch it because it does hurt sometimes. Hasn't ate any fish yet and actually when my linkia touched it, it pulled away. My gold stripe clown fish love the 3 bubble tip anems in my tank but wont touch the carpet but I don't blame them its kinda scary. He does make some pretty sweet shapes though and eats a lot.