Is this Heteractis crispa?

[219mem]

I bought this anemone in a store without my "stocking manual", trusting the seller. When I arrived home and tryed to identify it, I think it might be Heteractis crispa...

If it is, this is a difficult to keep anemone, isn't it?

 

[Len]

More then likely, yes. They are easily stressed during shipping and thus sometimes have a tough time after introduction, but once it settles in, they are fairly hardy. It's going to get darker in color once it gets healthier.

 

[219mem]

Does it need trace elements? Such as?
Is it agressive towards my oder inverts/fishes?

 

[wade1]

No trace elements, just a great deal of light, good water conditions (water changes are a good idea) and occassional feedings (or feed the fish/tank and let it consume some of that).

As for aggressiveness, all anemones _can_ eat fish, but most fish know to avoid them. The only real worries as far as the fish go are blennies, hawkfish, and any other types that tend to settle onto something to rest.

 

[Anonymous]

And mandarins, in my sad experience.

 

[219mem]

Along with the anemone I introduced 2 salarias fasciatus... One is missing. Then it probably was the anemone? But shouldn't it be some leftovers? It was a fairly big salarias... There is no trace of it.
I thought that it was probably hiding somewere...

I introduced all of them 3 days ago. On the first day there were 2 salarias, but after that I never saw one of them again...

 

[219mem]

Do you think it's probably best to return it? I like it a lot...
When you say strong light you mean HQI? It won't hold with 2 aquamedic 54w 10,000k flourescents?

 

[wade1]

I would say no, it is probably not the anemone. I would also say that you would be amazed what an anemone can consume. I fed a 5" diameter butterfly (it had died, stuck on my overflow) to a 6" bubble tip anemone... it ate the whole thing (and promptly made a new one!).

Most of the time, vanished fish have been moved by current under the edges of rocks and even in a smaller tank you will likely never see them again. I've found backbones months later and never saw large fish when they died.

My guess is that it just died in the tank and is under the rock.

 

[wade1]

I highly recommend some form of halides for all anemones excepting E. quadricolor (even tho they do fine under them too). The amount of light greatly depends on the depth in the water column, but in general, I would say you will have a tough time keeping the anemone under PC lighting. It will have to expand mightily just to get enough light energy to keep operating. Regular feedings could help, but won't be enough.

H. magnifica's in the wild live on pinnacles and reef ledges in full sunlight.

Returning it is up to you, but you have to be careful about meeting requirements.

 

[219mem]

I've had some time now and I've been studying a bit about this friend.
There's no doubt in my mind that I need to return it asap.

This anemone grows up to 50cm. It needs HQI.
I am building a 80% fish 20% coral aquarium 130 cm tank. (100 gallon tank+sump)
I have 2 clowns and I was hoping to get a host for them... Just once I left my stocking encyclopedia at home and trusted the seller. This is what I get. Can you believe it? Do you think there's one for them suitable for the tank and conditions I have?

I have PC lights and I can't aford HQI's. In Portugal these are VERY expensive. For my tank I would have to spend at least USD1700. And after that change the lamps every 8-12 months.
Besides, I like fish better. Maybe this is because I never kept corals before.
I will have some soft ones to try, though.

Thanks. bstrgrds

 

[wade1]

Keep in mind, that the designation HQI is an expensive form of Metal Halide (MH) lighting. Standard metal halides are cheaper.

As for a species that would work, I would imagine that an E. quadricolor (bubble tip) anemone would be fine in your tank and take up a great deal less room.