Who keeps anemones in a reef?

bencameron27 · Dec 29, 2013

Hi thanks for the advice I bought it yesterday and was told it's a Malu and if you google it they are pretty much look the same, does that mean they are all bleached? And what does bleached mean? It's only been in the tank around 24 hours now, when I put it in it attached straight away (like I put it on the rock and I saw it suck on) it hasn't moved at all really from that space maybe just a few cm, I haven't tried feeding yet but it felt sticky when I put it in. If it is bleached shouldn't I take it back surely they can't sell it to me like that, also it had been in the aquarium for 3 weeks before I bought it. Thanks again.

twelvefive · Dec 29, 2013

If it's a malu, then it's not bleached. They are one of the more difficult to keep anemones though.

Eienna · Dec 29, 2013

A nem is considered "bleached" when it has either expelled or lost a noticeable amount of zooxanthellae, causing it to appear lighter in color (as if someone had dipped it in bleach.) This is usually caused by stress or illness.

bencameron27 · Dec 29, 2013

Thank you for your posts it is all very helpful, so if it is a Malu anemone it isn't bleached? The anemone from in the picture does look quite white but in person it does actually look quite green beneath the white is this normal? Thanks

twelvefive · Dec 29, 2013

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+499+637&pcatid=637

Looks like the one in the bottom of this picture to me.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+499+637&pcatid=637

shred5 · Dec 30, 2013

bencameron27 It is bleached and is not uncommon for H. malu or H. Crispas they dont ship well. Zooxanellae are brown and give the anemone a brown appearance. It is possible it is not 100 percent bleached but it is bleached. They may not be the hardest to keep but they are not easy to keep either..

Also when bleached the two look allot the same and it is can be almost impossible to tell the two apart from looking at the oral disk especially when unhealthy... Some of the difference when healthy is a H. Malu usually has few and shorter tentacles and a H. crispa has more and longer tentacle. The malu is a sand dwelling anemone where a crispa lives on the rocks or rock sand interface... Also a crispa has a more tapered tentacles but sometime again hard to tell when bleached because a crispa will pull in and shorten it's tentacles. .. A H.crispa has a more leathery base and larger base and that is the real tell.... Both have verruca... H. Crispas also get huge..

bencameron27 · Dec 30, 2013

Thank you I'm still stuck on telling which one it is because I put it half on the rock and half sand it sucked on straight away and stayed there ever since, so I'm confused.

shred5 · Dec 30, 2013

bencameron27 said:
Thank you I'm still stuck on telling which one it is because I put it half on the rock and half sand it sucked on straight away and stayed there ever since, so I'm confused.

Look at the base if it looks leathery especially around the crown it is a crispa.. This is why it is nicknamed the leather anemone.

Smoother base with verruca it is a malu..

Both have verruca though and as you can see your does. Malus are more defined.

Crispas like sand rock interface allot they will also attach in the sand but only if they can attach to something under it like the glass.

A malu will most likely only go for a rock is if it can not find anywhere in the sand where it is not happy. This is why it is nicknamed the sand anemone.

Dont wory where you placed it it will move where it wants to and is happy.

bencameron27 · Dec 30, 2013

Okay thank you, what is a verruca? Also it hasn't moved at all so I'm guessing have on the sand and half rock is what it wants, I'm hoping it will be okay it stuck on straight away and it's mouth is open only a tiny bit like 2 or 3 mm so as far as my knowledge goes it's doing okay so far well I hope so anyway.

shred5 · Dec 30, 2013

Verruca look like dots or sometimes bumps on the column of a anemone.. They are used to grip...

bencameron27 · Dec 30, 2013

Yeah it's definitely a Malu, my clarkii just started hosting in it to. It looks like it's doing okay it just really inflated and opened up nice looks healthy to me, let's just hope I'm right. Thanks for the info

Sarg · Dec 31, 2013

Here is a pic of mine. (iPhone)

It's stayed in this spot since I moved it (touch wood) and it occasionally stings the base of some sps but doesn't seem to cause long term damage. It sat on an encrusting monti at one stage but it come back ok.

Couldn't have the tank without it ;-)