Advice on Heteractis Crispa

[Rlr23]

I have had this anemone for a while now and it was extremely bleached but has recovered most of it color. The only thing I'm concerned about are the tentacles, towards the mouth the are very short, should I just give it more time?

 

[worm5406]

It looks really good.

Tentacles are shorter sometimes toward the mouth.

Give it more time. Are you feeding it?

 

[Rlr23]

Table shrimp and squid

 

[worm5406]

Looks plump and well colored. Can you take a pic with more white light in it?

 

[ThRoewer]

I would say from the rather low tentacle count that there is also the possibility that it may be a H. malu.
How big is it?

 

[Rlr23]

Advice on Heteractis Crispa

About 4-6 inches

 

[Rlr23]

Here are a couple more photos, not sure if they will help with identification.

 

[ThRoewer]

That looks a more like a crispa but it is still in the size range of a malu.
For how long do you have it and did it get bigger or smaller?

 

[Rlr23]

I have had it about 2 months and it has gotten bigger

 

[Rlr23]

I found this picture, it was taken the day I got it.

 

[ThRoewer]

If it is getting bigger and got its color back I don't think you need to worry too much. Just give it a bit more time and feed it.

 

[Rlr23]

My pair of wild caught chrysopterus took to it right away if that is any indication of species. Now it hosts a pair of clarkii

 

[Rlr23]

What flow would you say crispas prefer?

 

[ThRoewer]

My pair of wild caught chrysopterus took to it right away if that is any indication of species. Now it hosts a pair of clarkii

I don't think chrysopterus or any of the clarkii complex anemone fish are in captivity too picky when it comes to anemones. I had a chrysogaster that hosted in an Actinia (equina or more likely bermudensis)

BTW: what happened to you chrysopterus pair?

What flow would you say crispas prefer?

To my experience and what I have seen in videos from the reef they like it from very slow to so strong that the anemone fish have a hard time not to be blown away. Ideally you would try to alternate between strong and mellow flow to simulate tidal variations.
Otherwise I would try something in-between. Only important is that the flow is rather laminar.

 

[Rlr23]

I have the chrysopterus in their own tank. They were extremely aggressive to all other tank mates

 

[Amphiprion]

This is definitely H. crispa from the one shot of the underside of the oral disc. Feed well with finely chopped foods at least twice weekly (I recommend fish-based meats). Flow can vary as long as it does not physically flap the oral disc upward continually. The occasional blast that does this is okay, just not all the time. I always had mine in generous indirect flow.

 

[Rlr23]

I have a maxspect gyre on one end on pulse mode and a vortech mp10 on reef crest mode on the other side, creates a lot of random flow.

 

[Rlr23]

Amphiprion, thank you for the id!

 

[Winwood]

I don't think chrysopterus or any of the clarkii complex anemone fish are in captivity too picky when it comes to anemones. I had a chrysogaster that hosted in an Actinia (equina or more likely bermudensis)

BTW: what happened to you chrysopterus pair?

Chrysopterus are a little stand offish with mags I've found. Atleast the white tailed varieties. Mine in the past actually appeared to be stung by the tentacles of the anemone. Also, keep in mind that just because two species look similar, it doesn't mean they are that closely related. I believe it was recently shown that A. clarkii is closer related to A. frenatus than A. chrysopterus. Here is an article on amphiprion phylogenetic analysis.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/what-we-really-know-about-the-diversity-of-clownfish-1

 

[Rlr23]

Chrysopterus are a little stand offish with mags I've found. Atleast the white tailed varieties. Mine in the past actually appeared to be stung by the tentacles of the anemone. Also, keep in mind that just because two species look similar, it doesn't mean they are that closely related. I believe it was recently shown that A. clarkii is closer related to A. frenatus than A. chrysopterus. Here is an article on amphiprion phylogenetic analysis.


Thanks for the info but I am a bit confused as to why you provided this info. I have a pair of clarkii as well as chrysopterus.