Stichodactyla haddoni, Saddle Carpet, Saddle back anemone, Haddoni anemone. This anemone is often not distinguished from other carpets in dealers tanks. The tentacles are short and knobby and usually densely packed. There is usually a reddish to pinkish ring around the mouth that isn't present on carpets. Groups of tentacles on the same anemone may be of different colors forming a striped pattern on the anemone. If not striped they are usually a grayish green, although bright greens, yellows and even blues are sometimes seen.

Good points - This may be the easiest anemone to keep for longer periods of time. Light levels for soft corals and commonly kept hard corals is enough. Reasonable nitrate levels for fish seem to be OK for this anemone. Nitrate levels up to 30 ppm don't seem to bother it. They will grow faster however with better water quality. 

Good points - Normal reef lighting is enough [ above 4 watts per gallon ] for this type of anemone and may be more than enough. Nitrate levels bellow 20 ppm are preferred. Small ones may reproduce asexually in your aquarium by dividing into two smaller anemones. Their sting is rather weak and won't harm your other fish. They are accepted by Clarki type clowns, all the different Tomato type clowns, Maroon clowns and sometimes, although very rarely, Percula and Ocellaris clowns.

Bad points - These anemones tend to wander around the tank more often than others, sometimes causing their own deaths from lack of light or being sucked through a power head. They like to have their foot shaded inside a crevice in the rock or coral with their tentacles in the light. This preference might be met by placing a short piece of PVC pipe sized to the anemone, where you want the anemone to stay and putting its base into the pipe. They seem to be sensitive to being shipped. Make sure the one you pick out has a tight mouth and is firmly attached to something in the dealers tank. Any anemone that is not attached to something in the dealers tank is probably not healthy. In addition, when the dealer tries to remove the anemone from the tank the anemone should show some type of reaction, usually they contract.

Macrodactyla doreensis, Long tentacled anemone.
These anemones have very long [up to 5 - 6 in.], smooth, thick tentacles sometimes with longitudinal stripes extending into the oral disk. The tentacles originate from a round flat oral disk, distinguishing it from the condylactis anemone. The foot of the base is almost always bright red or orange.

Good points - they are hardy if kept under Metal Halide lights. Under lower light levels they seem to slowly waste away. They come in a variety of patterns and colors including purple. Accepted by Clarki clowns, Tomato type clowns and pink skunk clowns.

Bad points - They must have bright lighting. They normally live with their base buried deep in the sand and sometimes have a difficult time finding and attachment spot in a reef type tank.

Difficult to keep anemones

Heteractis crispa or H. Malu, Sebae anemone, Singapore anemone, pink tipped [but not condylactis] anemone. Tentacles range from long and thin to short and fat depending on the condition of the anemone [ short and fat means the anemones is starting to waste away]. Tentacles usually have magenta colored tips although yellowish green tips are not uncommon. Colors can be dyed yellow, dyed pink, natural pink / purple, natural yellow, tan, but by far the most common is pure white. The oral disk may also have a green sheen under actinic light.

Good points - They are very common in stores and are the least expensive of the host anemones. They are accepted by virtually all clown fish whether they occur in nature or not. Some not so white specimens can regenerate their symbiotic algae thus becoming a brown color. If you can obtain a tan specimen with long thin tentacles they should do well under conditions similar to that required for bulb anemones.

Bad points - No one , not even the public aquariums, can keep the white or yellow ones alive for more than 6 - 8 months. Out of 20 responses regarding sebaes only 2 anemones had stayed alive for more than a year. Both the anemones were tan in color either when purchased or had turned tan shortly there after. Getting otherwise healthy sebaes to " color up" by feeding once a week  with fresh fish, clam, shrimp or gelatin. They should also get brine shrimp, adult and baby. In addition to frequent feedings the anemones should be under metal halide lights. If the anemone is not able to replace its zooxanthellae it is doomed to a very slow starvation once is the tank. There are cream colored sebae anemones found in shallow water in the wild, but they not the transparent  white color found in dealers tanks. They don't seem to be good beginners anemone despite articles that say they are.

Hateractis magnifica - Ritteri, African, yellow tipped anemone.
This anemone is usually rather large. Their tentacles are long with very blunt types that are lighter in color than the shafts. The base can be red or purple but brown is more common.

Good points - They are relatively common in the market. They are accepted by almost every variety of clown fish.

Bad points - They tend to move to the highest point in the tank, often up the sides of the tank very near the water return pipe. In nature they tend to be found at the highest parts of the reef exposed to strong light and currents. In the aquarium they will need very strong lighting  [metal halide] and very strong alternating [wave] currents to do well. They also have the reputation for being able to catch and eat medium sized non-clown fish.

Stichodactyla gigantea - Giant carpet, colored carpet.
These anemones have short pointed tentacles that seem to constantly vibrate. The tentacles are usually not very densely packed except near the edges of the disk. Specimens with blue, bright green, yellow, or white tipped tentacles can be found and at some times of the year are even common, but light brown is still the most common color. The oral disk often lies in a wave pattern if the anemone is on a flat surface.

Good points - The colored ones are very pretty! A pink specimen is featured  on the cover of Martin Moe's "Beginner to Breeder" book.. They are accepted by most clown fish.

Bad points - They can sting non clowns fish and may eat other anemones. Giant carpets unlike their relative the saddle carpet seem to be very difficult to keep in captivity. One of the reasons for the difficulty in keeping the giant carpets may stem from the fact that most are collected from very shallow waterless than 3 feet. And that it may be difficult for the aquariust to give the anemone all the light it needs.