Merten’s Anemone
 

I ordered a Merten’s from DD. It arrives Wednesday. This will be my first Merten’s. Any tips?

Merten’s Anemone
 

Cover any powerheads you have.
Oh. And have a huge tank because that nem will grow fast and get about 3’ across.

I have kept a Merten’s for about two years. It has been quite hardy for me. Not as colorful as other carpets, but the clowns love it.

If you don't have it already, order Cipro (Fish Flox from Thomas Labs is Cipro and available without a prescription).
Also prepare a quarantine tank.
You want to observe the anemone for at least a week, better two, to be sure it's healthy. And should it be sick you want to have the medication ready to go.

As for the placement in the display tank, mertensi like to sit in rock crevices the same way as crispa, and they can retreat into it with enough force to make a loose rock pile crumble. So you better have a solid aquascape that is ideally cemented.
And like crispa they like decent flow.

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Thanks for the information. I’ll order the Cipro ASAP.

How much has it grown in the two years?

Great suggestions from ThRoewer! Having the antibiotic ready is important.

One other tip, I have my Merten’s with its foot anchored in a small clay pot. I then have live rock around the perimeter so the anemone is supported as it spreads out. Seems to like spot. It is has never moved from that set up I, even when I relocated it from one spot in the tank to another. Sort of a detritus trap, but the flow helps.

It’s has only grown about 4 inches across. I rarely feed it.

Good luck with this rare anemone. Anemones only grow if fed, either intentionally by Reefers or what ever it catch. Fish foods or fishes (or snails). Good condition and light will only help them grow very slowly. When ever I have an anemone reach the size I want for the space I have in my tank, I just stop feeding and the hardly ever out grow it.

Thanks everyone for the good advice.

The Merten’s arrived yesterday in excellent condition.

Great. Keep us update

Looks good!

Thanks guys. Under the right light it has gold tips on its tentacles. Also, the base has beautiful red spots. The clown in the picture is only temporary. After the nem grows a bit I'll decide what species for it to host.

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Pic of my Mertens. The close up with the clown is from April of 2013 and in the full tank shot you’ll see where it settled and how big it got in just 2 months (you can see the same clownfish underneath it) full tank pic is from June of 2013. Loved the Mertens and would definitely get another, but they grow big and fast !!


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Just fed the Merten's Small Hikari Mysis. Very quick feeding response. This is a well conditioned carpet. Went to buy the second one but it was gone.

Pic of my Mertens. The close up with the clown is from April of 2013 and in the full tank shot you’ll see where it settled and how big it got in just 2 months (you can see the same clownfish underneath it) full tank pic is from June of 2013. Loved the Mertens and would definitely get another, but they grow big and fast !!


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Nice one! I hope to grow it fast. I saw one on YouTube that's 40 inches in diameter!

Nice pick up!

Mertens seem to be more like haddoni in terms of their "durability" with shipping. Most I've seen in the LFS looked really good.

Thanks. I agree that it ships better that gigantea and magnifica

what's a guy that supposedly has all kinds of wholesale connections doing buying an anemone off DD?

Mertensi are rarely imported and therefore kind of hard to find.

My friend at the wholesaler means well but he can’t tell a haddoni from a mertensii. I gave up trying to get a mertensii from him so when I saw one on DD I bought it. It wasn’t expensive and it is in excellent health albeit a bit on the small size.

Oops! I spooked my percs while taking the video. The mertensii is in a 4" pot. My poor haddoni is still bleached but getting better. At night the female perc sleeps in the mertensii and the male in the haddoni. https://youtu.be/g3rFWqLAB1M

I'd like to know how the collectors get the Merten's and the magnificas off the rocks without damaging the foot. The haddonis are easy to collect because they live in sand. That's probably why haddonis are common in the trade.

I only have ONE wholesale connection and when my friend retires I'll have NO connections unless I get a resale number and run a business which I doubt I'll be doing at my age.

The writing's on the wall. Eventually we will not be able to get wild fish. I am very impressed with what Bali Aquarich has accomplished. They've just announced the successful breeding and raising of the Regal Angel, P. diacanthus! Their captive bred angels, tangs, clown triggers, etc. look perfect but not their clowns. There's still something off with they're captive bred clowns although they are probably the best captive bred clowns around. I just prefer natural colors and patterns and don't care much for the "designer" morphs.