Ritteri anemone

[melsueshepp]

My husband brought home a ritteri anem. I hear they are difficult to care for and i don't really have much expirence w/ anemones besides bubble tips. Should i take him back to the store? anyone w/ suggestions on how to care for ritteries.

 

[garygb]

They need good water flow, bright light, a flat, large rock to sit on top of, good water quality including proper salinity (1.026ish). I feed mine with silversides, squid, shrimp, etc.

 

[melsueshepp]

I have PC lighting. is a MH more Ideal?

 

[Slakker]

Yes, MH is almost required.

Most that have kept these note that under PC's or T5's they tend to wander around. They seem to prefer to the point-source lighting, as well as intensity, provided by Halides.

If you are not prepared to keep this creature, I would consider returning it.

 

[fatdaddy]

I keep a Ritteri under MH lighting. I've had him over a year and he settle on a rock with bright lighting and lots of flow.

I got him on day #2 of my plunge into the hobby without knowing what I was doing, and I've been able to keep him happy. Mine likes the foods mentioned above and I add the occasional anchovy. I found that it tends to grow with more oil in it's diet.

Although, I've heard that ritteri's are "hard", this one has always fed well. I almost lost it from lack of decent lighting, but adding MH's to the tank ($1000 investment) turned him around.

Edit: in about 18 months it went from 2" to about 12".

 

[garygb]

I had mine for years under PC, but very close to the bulbs, all daylight spectrum and no acrylic/glass shields between the bulbs and anemone. When I say close to the bulbs, the tentacles were probably 3 or 4 inches from the bulbs, with no barriers between.

I now have one under T-5 that is fine and the others are under MH. To some extent, anemones requirements for light might be a reflection of where they were collected in the wild (depth, water turbidity, etc.)

 

[OneGroovyChic]

Hey Melsue!!! I told you to take it back!

 

[OrionN]

Even not looking at the light, the 20 g you have is not big enough. the 55 g with a snowflake ell is not suitable for H. magnifica anemone (Ritteri) If I am you, I would return the anemone.
Regarding light, if H. magnifica does not get the light it need, it will wander and sting everything before it die or get torn up by the PH or overflow. If this happen, all your fish will be kill (unless your the H. magnifica is so far gone that it have not too much sting anymore).