Anemone ID please

[Melfy77]

So I just got this nice anemone that was sold to me as a H crispa but just wanted your opinion. Looks healthy to me

[davocean]

Looks like crispa, though tentacles are not best for ID

Crispa foot is yellowish and see the goosebump looking dots on this, that is best ID for crispa

[Melfy77]

Hard to say...looks white/yellowish...

[OrionN]

It is a Malu, will stay small and will got into the sand, instead of rock (like Crispa)
Your anemone tentacles count is a little ow for Crispa. Malu 75%/Crispa 25%. Know for sure once he settle down and grow a bit, if he grow. Malu will not get any larger than 6-8 inches.

[Melfy77]

Originally Posted by OrionN

It is a Malu, will stay small and will got into the sand, instead of rock (like Crispa)
Your anemone tentacles count is a little ow for Crispa. Malu 75%/Crispa 25%. Know for sure once he settle down and grow a bit, if he grow. Malu will not get any larger than 6-8 inches.

Oh no! I didn't want a malu, my sand bed is not deep enough, it's more difficult than a crispa and clearly the bicinctus clown won't even look at it then... i really like it, hopefully it doesn't die on me

[davocean]

If a malu I don't think they are really difficult, and their size makes ok in shallower sand bed.
I also find that malu, while not natural to all clowns, every clown I've had has quickly accepted them, even clowns that refused other nems.

They are one of my favorite for mixed reef, easy to control, no rock climbing, smaller size allows buffer zone easily.

I've had a number of Malus over the years

[Melfy77]

Originally Posted by davocean

If a malu I don't think they are really difficult, and their size makes ok in shallower sand bed.
I also find that malu, while not natural to all clowns, every clown I've had has quickly accepted them, even clowns that refused other nems.

They are one of my favorite for mixed reef, easy to control, no rock climbing, smaller size allows buffer zone easily.

I've had a number of Malus over the years

Thank you!!! That's very reassuring and makes me hopefull! Which clownfish ended up taking it? Other than Clarkii? I dug a hole, put the anemone in it and surrounded it with sand, with a little piece of rock behind. We'll see if it stays put.

[davocean]

I had several percs that flat out refused hadonni and BTA launch into malus as soon as they were added.
LTA is another that seem to be an overall crowd pleaser even w/ non natural matches.

I'm surprised Malu are not a lot more popular, they retain super bright colors more than many others, and their size makes them so much more manageable.

I can't recall any posts saying hey, my clown won't go into my malu...

[Melfy77]

I have some ocellaris already in a different tank. I think I'm gonna return the bicinctus (I had 2 but one was dead when I got home). I'll let the anemone settle in and go from there. Here's a pic in my tank. It's still in the spot where I put it, so hopefully it's a good sign. Mouth is closed so that's good too. Not sure what to think

[davocean]

That looks very malu, and settled in what looks like a good spot for one

I'm not super familiar w/ bicinctus, had to look up natural hosts, has a number of them.
My guess is should be fine, and I personally would probably prefer to occs, just because we don't see many, and occs seem a little more fussy w/ non natural, and less easy options for hosts, malu not being one of them.

[Melfy77]

Yeah I was looking for something different than ocellaris. I'll see what happens with the survivor. The anemone is about 5 inches when fully open. That being said my light is brigter than the store's so tentacles are closer to each other. It's under a AI prime, running at 50ish percent

[davocean]

Hopefully they can provide you a small male bicinctus, and hopefully existing does well.

I always say don't judge nem by size, as they can expand or contract, increase or decrease surface area to take in light as needed.

I do like to provide a slight overhang or ledge for both LTA and Malu so they can pull in or out as needed, but I would not mess w/ that one, not much anyway, let it do it's thing.

[Melfy77]

Well looks like the anemone really dug herself in the sand, only the disc is now visible. It hasn't moved and even accepted a mysis shrimp.

[davocean]

Nice, classic malu disposition.
I'd mostly leave it alone, would not even really spot feed, just let mysis of other small fish foods drift towards it, let it settle and take in whatever it catches as needed.

[Melfy77]

Sounds good to me this morning it looks like it put it foot under a small crevice I had made on purpose , covered with sand. Also looks a lot more open, tentacles longer (maybe because the lights are off and it will get used to my lighting. I turned the white channel down a bit) Last pic for now

[OrionN]

It is a Malu. Classic position, color. I mostly keep Percula and Ocellaris and hybrid of the two. They never have problem with accepting Malu as host. I love wild type Onyx A. percula. Hard to get a good pair and they are so beautiful. Great for small and comunity tank also. Malu are hardy and not to demanding. Does not like a lot of current.
They are internal fertilization, females Malu tank in sperm and fertilize eggs internally and release fully formed baby anemones. You may want to keep more than one and be one of the first reefer able to breed Malu sexually in aquarium.

[Melfy77]

Originally Posted by OrionN

It is a Malu. Classic position, color. I mostly keep Percula and Ocellaris and hybrid of the two. They never have problem with accepting Malu as host. I love wild type Onyx A. percula. Hard to get a good pair and they are so beautiful. Great for small and comunity tank also. Malu are hardy and not to demanding. Does not like a lot of current.
They are internal fertilization, females Malu tank in sperm and fertilize eggs internally and release fully formed baby anemones. You may want to keep more than one and be one of the first reefer able to breed Malu sexually in aquarium.

I might try A percula then (I already have a pair of occys in a different tank) and I've never had a pair. How about pink or orange skunk clownfish? My goal is the have a clownfish/anemone tank. There's only a wheeler goby with its pistol shrimp. Had to put the anemone far enough so the shrimp wouldn't take the sand away and uncover its foot
It is a smaller tank so that's a bonus too lol

[OrionN]

The only clowns that use H. malu as natural host is A. clarkii. Just because Ocellaris and Percula do not use them naturally does not mean that they wont use them in aquarium. I find that they really readily accept them in aquarium. Much more than BTA.


The sticky posted above regarding which clownfish to which anemone is terrible/horrible and not at all accurate. However, if you go into Clownfish & Anemone FAQ, then to the Anemones FAQ, you will find everything you may need to know about clownfish and anemones. This is such valuable information. The efforts go into it is huge from multi anemone keepers. It is too bad that RC buried it under multiple links like that so no one ever look at them.

[davocean]

^^ Absolutely agree w/ Minh, stickies here have needed updating for quite some time.

I also highly recommend the book, "Anemone fishes and their host sea anemone's" by Fautin and Allen, that's my go to book and probably most accurate giving details on clowns and anemone's and natural matches

[Melfy77]

I did read the FAQ (which is really well done!!) and that's where I saw that it was difficult to keep and only had A clarkii as natural hosts. Which is not good at all because it's a small tank and clarkiis would be on the big side for it. And I also misread about the bicinctus since it says 5.5 inches...not sure w

[Melfy77]

Ok so it's expelling brown stringy stuff which I'm guessing could be its zooxantelles...which is not good. I have a feeling it might be the light so I turned it down and will slowly bring it up. Otherwise NO3 at 2.5, NO2 0, ph8.2. S.g 1.025. PO4 between 0 and 0.03 (I hate, HATE that Hannah checker).

[davocean]

Would not stress, they often dispel waste, and often look cruddy for a week or two, just chill.

Malu are not difficult, and as mentioned many clowns accept them, natural or not, BTA and hadonni IME are not as forgiving in that way.

[Melfy77]

Yep...and it looks good again hahaha...yup I'm hopeless lol

[Melfy77]

I did notice the goosebumps dots on it, and I wrote to ibluewater, and the guy told me a very interesting thing about malu having rings on its tentacles, he sent me a picture and mine doesn't have those rings. Anyone else noticed those rings on their malu?

[davocean]

The rings are very common on Malu, but not always.
I've seen a number of nems that were clearly Malu, yet did not have them.