Although keeping anemones in aquariums has been increasing over the last couple of years, we have noticed more and more people specifically looking to keep a carpet anemone in their aquarium due to their unique looks.
We know that some types of carpet anemone are considered beginner friendly as far as anemones go but they are not without their risks and some people have unfortunately found this out the hard way.
Every month we see people reaching out to asking about carpet anemone eating fish in their tanks so we wanted to publish this dedicated article to try and share as much information as possible about this surprisingly common problem.
Before we go any further, we just want to say that it is totally natural for all types of carpet anemone to try and eat any fish in their tank.
We know that there are some sources online saying that it is not a normal behavior but this is not correct, all carpet anemone, even mini carpet anemone will try to eat fish in their tank if the fish gets too close.
Is It Normal For A Carpet Anemone To Eat Your Fish?
As we said above, it is totally normal for a carpet anemone to try and eat any fish in their tank and they will usually only be successful if the fish is small enough to fit inside their mouth but they can try to eat larger fish.
The main reason that carpet anemone eat fish is because they are looking for an easy meal and they see the fish as food with fish making up a large portion of their calorie intake in the wild.
Carpet anemone are not able to move around the tank so they will sit in one spot and wait for food to come to them, this is why they see any fish that gets too close as an easy meal.
What Type Of Fish Do Carpet Anemone Eat?
Carpet anemone will try to eat any type of fish regardless of the size, shape or color but they will usually only be successful in eating smaller fish.
Some of the most common types of fish that we see being eaten by carpet anemone are:
- Clownfish
- Gobies
- Wrasses
- Dottybacks
- Cardinals
- Chromis
- Flasher Wrasses
- Pygmy Angels
- Dartfish
These are just some of the most common examples but we have seen carpet anemone eat much larger fish so it really does depend on the size of the anemone and the size of the fish.
What Carpet Anemone Will Eat Fish?
The vast majority of carpet anemone will try to eat fish at some point but there are some species that are more likely to do this than others.
Many people think that micro or mini carpet anemones will not eat fish but this is not correct!
In the first situation, usually in small tanks and if the fish is sick, a micro or mini carpet anemone can and will eat the fish in their tank.
The larger types of carpet anemone are definitely more likely to try and eat the fish in their tanks though and this is why we usually recommend that people new to keeping anemones avoid them.
Will Carpet Anemone Eat Clownfish?
Clownfish are one of the most common types of fish that we see being eaten by carpet anemone and this is because they are small enough to fit inside the anemones mouth.
The massive popularity of keeping clownfish also means that there are more people with clownfish in their tanks reporting their fish being eaten by their carpet anemone.
On top of that, many people who do try to keep clownfish in their tanks want to encourage their clownfish to host an anemone.
Unfortinatley, this can result in people using a carpet anemone but they are usually not suitable for a clownfish to host as a clownfish is unable to build up their natural immunity to anemones with the type of sting carpet anemones have.
Our article going over the best anemones for clownfish should be able to help you choose a much better option for your clownfish to host rather than going with a carpet anemone.
Although clownfish have a symbiotic relationship with anemones in the wild, this does not stop them from being eaten by some types of unsuitable anemone.
Why Do Carpet Anemone Eat Fish?
As we have said above, the main reason that carpet anemone eat fish is because they are looking for an easy meal and they see the fish as food with fish making up a large portion of their calorie intake in the wild.
Carpet anemone are not able to move around the tank so they will sit in one spot and wait for food to come to them, this is why they see any fish that gets too close as an easy meal.
It is also worth mentioning that some carpet anemone will eat fish because they are not getting enough food from their tank mates or from the water column and so they turn to eating fish as a way to get the extra food that they need.
This is usually only seen in poorly cared for tanks with very few fish or inverts so it is something that can be avoided by ensuring your tank is set up and maintained correctly.
How To Stop Carpet Anemone From Eating Fish!
The best way to stop a carpet anemone from eating fish is to not put any fish that you are not willing to lose into the same tank as the anemone.
This might seem like an obvious solution but it is one that many people do not follow and then they are surprised when their fish gets eaten.
Another way to stop a carpet anemone from eating fish is to make sure that the anemone is getting enough food from other sources such as a well-fed tank mate or from the water column.
If the anemone is not getting enough food then it is more likely to try and eat fish so this is something that you should always keep an eye on.
Another way to reduce the chances of your carpet anemone eating fish is to choose a species that is less likely to do so such as the mini or micro carpet anemones.
As we have said above, these anemones are much less likely to eat fish than their larger cousins but they can still do so if they are hungry enough.
A final way to stop your carpet anemone from eating fish is to provide it with a suitable alternative such as live shrimp or other small inverts that it can eat.
This will give the anemone something else to focus on and should reduce the chances of it trying to eat your fish.
