[dinor2]

I will post this on the other forum for things for sale/free but, I thought this would be a good place to offer a free mertens carpet since you all have the larger tanks! I'll take a pic of it today but it's going to split into two any day now and I honestly know I barely have enough room in my 55 deep tank for one!

So if anyone is planning on getting some kind of carpet for their huge tank, please consider the one below as I"m sure the new one will look the same, has nice coloring and pattern to it and, imho very easy to take care of, so far (knock on wood!). I am willing to ship with cool or warm bags (depending on where it'll be shipped). I am just interested in finding a good home for it (or them, am really open to giving away the one I have before it splits if you'd like but, guessing people'd only want one of these!)

ANyways, my kiddo needs me, I'll post the pic asap.

Thanks,
Dana

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by dinor2

I will post this on the other forum for things for sale/free but, I thought this would be a good place to offer a free mertens carpet since you all have the larger tanks! I'll take a pic of it today but it's going to split into two any day now and I honestly know I barely have enough room in my 55 deep tank for one!

So if anyone is planning on getting some kind of carpet for their huge tank, please consider the one below as I"m sure the new one will look the same, has nice coloring and pattern to it and, imho very easy to take care of, so far (knock on wood!). I am willing to ship with cool or warm bags (depending on where it'll be shipped). I am just interested in finding a good home for it (or them, am really open to giving away the one I have before it splits if you'd like but, guessing people'd only want one of these!)

ANyways, my kiddo needs me, I'll post the pic asap.

Thanks,
Dana

I would really appreciate it if you could post a pic of the carpet looking like its going to split! Usually the anemones look pretty sickly when they go thru this process. Some people even think they are dying. Dont know for sure, just thinking out loud, this might be a bad time to ship the animal. The carpets are special animals as I posted in one of your earlier threads on the subject. Be nice to see it get a bigger home. Thanks for your efforts to make this happen.

[dinor2]

Ya, well, it's been a learning experience having one, they really are amazing creatures! I'd love to have one after I upgrade to my 300 gallon tank but, that'll be after my kids are grown and gone so I've got a while to wait... Got sidetracked but will post pics first thing tomorrow.

As for it looking sickly, it only looks sick in that it's loosing the bulbs in some patches... will post pics though.

Thanks.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by dinor2

Ya, well, it's been a learning experience having one, they really are amazing creatures! I'd love to have one after I upgrade to my 300 gallon tank but, that'll be after my kids are grown and gone so I've got a while to wait... Got sidetracked but will post pics first thing tomorrow.

As for it looking sickly, it only looks sick in that it's loosing the bulbs in some patches... will post pics though.

Thanks.

does it still respond when food is laid on it?

[dinor2]

Yep, still eats anything I put on it, chopped up silversides, scallops, krill, plankton... Here are some pics, it was acting strange yesterday, it'd curl or fold in on itself like in the pic below and the mouth would swell for a few minutes like it was gonna blow. Then, it'd flatten out again. Never really closed, just the fold thing a couple times.

Will has actually offerred to take the anemone for me and is sending me frags from some of his corals (nice guy!) so I'm going to ship as soon as I feel the anemone is ready for that journey, not too far though from Texas to Georgia.

Here's what it looks like now.

[dinor2]

Oh, btw, my photography doesn't do my lights justice yet, still figuring this out!

What do you think, healthy and about to split or growing larger? I've never had an anemone so not sure what these behaviors mean.

[WILLIAM1]

Beautiful pics. That will be a great addition. I will post pics here after he arrives....

[dinor2]

That'd be great! Thanks! Well, I just pm'd you about if you saw the pics...lol. Glad you like it! Look healthy enough to ship? I swear the thing is growing FAST! I'm relieved it's going to a much roomier home, and with clowns! I had actually forgotten to acclimate the poor thing before placing it in the dt, still doing great! (it was bagged for over 2 hours on the road getting here). Tough guy.

I also tested low for iodine this morning, .02 so I'm sure after that gets up to .05 or .06 he'll be even more colorful, and so will my frogspawn, overnight, it's gotten more neon greenish under the purple tips! Very pretty!

Can't wait to see the pics of this guy in your tank! And how big he gets!

[WILLIAM1]

I dose a little iodine every week or so. He will love it I have a huge colt coral in the spot now about 10 inches when open but I am moving him making more room for the anemone. there alot of room there for him...

[aquasalt]

You're lucky man Will!

[WILLIAM1]

Thank you.. If it splits I will give the twin to someone else here and pass on some love...

[jimw369]

This is funny! What kind of fish you got William? You are gonna lose some. The carpet is still a great addition...just be prepared and understand most experts agree they need to be kept in species specifc tanks.

[WILLIAM1]

2 clowns, 1 midas blenny, 1 hippo tang, 1 three striped damsel that I hope gets eaten, 1 manderine which hides all the time. I dont have alot of fish and dont really plan on it.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by WILLIAM1

2 clowns, 1 midas blenny, 1 hippo tang, 1 three striped damsel that I hope gets eaten, 1 manderine which hides all the time. I dont have alot of fish and dont really plan on it.

Just wait and see what happens. The carpet will eat anything. I have chosen to keep the carpet and deal with the fish issues. To me the carpet is truly an amazing animal that can live centuries and I am privileged to have one in my tank. If it would die from fault of me I might just pack it in. Thats how strong I feel about a few things in my tank. Great looking carpet and hope to see it some someday in person!

For anyone reading this Im just going to say....keep your eye on williams tank. Ive pretty much had my eye on it from the start. William has even had to pack that tank up and move it a 1000 miles with the critters. His methods are simple. Hes got frags going. His tank is starting to grow and looks like it has the potential to be a great one. It is a reflection of william. Nothing ever seems to be rushed. Very slow and methodical. Hes joined a great local club and is involved based on what I see on the clubs website/forum.
Keep your eyes on this one guys. I can just see the tank and its owner growing together which is what a nice reef takes!

Great job William.

[aquasalt]

I agree! William your tank is really starting to look nice and the carpet will really make it special!

[dinor2]

I am not sure if this could/would change with the size of the carpet but, I feed it every other day chopped meats, a few small pieces at a time or one cube of frozen plankton at a time and so far, my fish are all here... I have 3 false percs, 1 cherub angel and 1 lawnmower blenny. I believe that this also may be because the dominate clown is doing a fantastic job of keeping everyone, even me! away from her anemone! Even the shrimp.

I really will miss this carpet and I'm so glad I know it's going to a really good home to a guy who knows his reef stuff! I only hope my lil 55gallon will thrive as well as yours Will! So far, I'm copying your strategy of taking it slow, easier on my budget this way too!

[WILLIAM1]

Thanks everyone! Its been a long time coming for the hobby. I think now a year and a half.

The last six months I have been working on my reef tank one step at a time. I remember when my wife took me out to purchase the tank I have now for an early B-day present...

I have always been a keeper of fish ever since I was 6 years old with my ten gallon and gold fish the ones with the bubble eyes. It meant alot to me to be able to watch and learn things threw my beginner tank..

When I first started out I didnt know alot about saltwater tanks. I thought all tanks were the same wrong wrong wrong....My 90 gallon came with a stand usless canopy that opened from the top not front DUHHHH. 1 pc light 4 bags of LS bucket of reef salt, mag pump wet/dry filter.

Wow I was on my way. Not really I had no LR, no fish, nothing but a deselant tank with cool moon lights.

Next purchase was some rock which I was finding very exspensive.. So after browsing the internet I found Marcorocks and ordered about 150 lbs. Not live rock but a great price. I cleaned the rock well not curing it but cleaned it well. And then threw it in the tank... Mind you (HAHAHAHA) I dont know **** about tanks. The next day the whole house stunk like s@#% wow no skimmer oopppss.

So on to my next purchase, a skimmer. Well after becoming a member here I found that after reading the endless threads on skimmers I should have one. Well lets look at skimmers WOW all kinds out there everyone has there own idea of a great skimmer. So lets skip naming them all...Just to many. So I found lifereef and bought my first skimmer... And I needed it too the protien was building up everywhere (FOAM for the newbees)

So lets see tank, stand, salt, skimmer, rock, algea, more algea, more algea. The light I was told to buy was just good enough for lets see nothing but fish...

The first year I just tried to keep regular parameters and add some fish and small zoas after adding a second light. Just keep everything alive. my 1000 mile move with everything Shoot it was alot of money...Ge to think I would just leave it all behind....

Well needless to say a few things made the trip I lost a seaba anemone, huge frogspawn,fish,hermits, alotAfter my move to the ATL I fixed everything that was wronge one step at a time. 6 months later I have installed a refugium new lights more sand more LR.

Finally I was ready to start keeping anything I want. Parameters are always on point I'm dosing on a regular and have great growth in all my lifestock and corals...

Its been a hard and long road to complete this tank but patience is key when your in this hobby.. It would be great for all people interested in this hobby to do the reserch first for six months and get as much info as possible before starting your tank....It hasnt been until the last 3 months that I really have been enjoying my hobby.

So thanks to everyone for the support and complements even when I first started it helped me keep going even when things did not want to go my way...And for all the newbees out there we are always here to anwser your questions and help out as much as possible. Just remember what works for some people doesnt always work for you.. You have to try and make those decisions on our own only using us for guidence. Heres a pic of my tank then and know notice the artificail anemone all white ha ha ha.... first pic is funny my wife said we might not fit the tank when we moved shi^(^^ she was wrong all those buckets are filled with LR and water.the door on the largest uhaul truck bairly closed..

[dinor2]

Umm, guys? Help!!!!! How do I get this guy OFF my rock!!!!????? I think he's plastered cement to his foot and the rock... I don't want to hurt him but, I really want to keep my 6 pound rock! If I feed him will he loosen up? He's pretty mad at me now, along with the fish. Help!

[WILLIAM1]

maybe message his foot a little or put a power head on him with directy flow he probly wont like it and start to move..

[aquasalt]

Wow Will, the tank really has come along way! I didn't realize you had been in this for so long. Thanks for sharing your story, and might I suggest a build thread to document your progress and the tank maturing?

Is that your son?

[dinor2]

Ok, all I can say about this anemone is it is pretty darn tough! I, never having removed an anemone before, probably got close to killing it, BUT, it's still alive and I'm leaving it alone in the bag on the window sill so it has plenty of light. It hasn't attached anywhere in the bag yet but good news is, I didn't kill it. Bad news is, I'm not real sure it'll survive the move and acclimation... please let me know how it goes. I am real sorry about it not doing so well after I (finally) got it off the rock. I tried about 4 different methods, if it arives alive and acclimates well, I hope you never plan on removing it! This one's like a huge muscle on steriods but I hope it's alright, seems to be very tough for a carpet...

I'm shipping him at 4:30 and you should get him sometime tomorrow Will. I apologize ahead of time if he doesn't make it, I underestimated how easy it'd be to get him out! Please let me know if he makes it.

[WILLIAM1]

He should not have a problem if his foot didnt tear. How do you plan on packing him for the trip. I always clearly mark the box with live animals and this side up so it doesnt get battered all the way here. Some styrophome should be placerd on everyside of him... They are pretty hearty animals so he should be okay... Dont forget to ask for early delivery before noon...

[dinor2]

Will do. I can finally breathe now that I know he'll be ok, his foot's attached to the bag now, moving tentacles around, and the foot looks pretty good, he took a chunk of my rock with him... so you get some live rock for free too!

Ok, I'm letting him 'bask' in the window for now, seems to make him happy, then i'll pack him in a second bag, then I have either some air pocket things or packing peanuts, I'll use both just to be sure he's good and snug. I'll write in sharpie on the box, fragile, live animal and he'll get to the ups store at 4:30 and I'll make sure he gets there before noon tomorrow.

It's funny, my percs are still very mad about what I did, they've been attacking my hand no matter where I put it in now. They like the new cave I made from displacing the rocks though!

[WILLIAM1]

Dinor2 you are the best I will takes pics of the arrivel and accl.. and keep everyone posted.Good job

[jimw369]

Carpets ship poorly. Many sites do not give an arrive alive gaurantee on these creatures.

"In a bag on the window sill" sounds like a disaster to me.

It would take some time to get a carpet ready for shipment from your tank. You do not decide the best time...the carpet does. Power heads blowing on it may take days to get it to remove or loosen its foot. Ice in a bag held on its foot may take hours if it works at all.
Not feeding for weeks or shading his area may take a month. Its up to the carpet what happens.

Some one stated a thread the other day saying "research before you buy" and here is a classic example. I say it all the time about the carpets, they are special creatures requiring special care. They are not for everybody especially those new in the hobby.

I find it hard to understand why some one else thats been in the hooby (and whom I respect and know care for there animals) would give this anemone and clowns to a new comer to the hobby. Im sure it was done with the best of intentions.

Another post that does not make me a very popular person...sigh...

Of course I wish the best for this carpet. If it doesnt make it please veiw this as constructive criticizm(sp).