Sebae experts chime in.

[tcmfish]

So bad idea...

But I bought this nem from the LFS labeled a Sebae. It looks brownish which is good, but it was upside down at the LFS... I asked the guy at the LFS if I could see how the mouth looked and if it was kind of sticky. He said they don't get sticky and just float around the tank... good one!

The mouth looks pretty tight and it already tried to attach to a rock I have in a vase with it (so the vortech) doesn't claim it. I want to nurse it back to health before I let it loose. The tentacles look small and I want to try and feed it but I don't think I can with such deflated tentacles.

Also I want to know if it is infact a H. crispa. The goal is a H. crispa with a pair of Latz. I'm sure you guys can't tell without pics (which I'll try and attempt tonight) but what should I look for to tell the difference between H. malu?

I probably shouldn't have bought it but I felt bad and it wasn't too pricey so I really want to nurse it back to health and think I can! Let's do this!

 

[tcmfish]

DBL post.

 

[tcmfish]

Looks to be doing better. Seems to be putting its foot down and attaching to stuff. I have three rocks around it and a vase to keep it from floating around. Looks okay. I don't know when or if I should try to feed it.

It is under a 250 watt HQI halide.

 

[taylor t]

Looks like a malu to me. Normally, they are a sand dweller. Mine looked just like that when I got it. I always thought mine was a malu, bought it as a malu. Tentacles got much longer, and it lost the pattern on the tentacles. I was told not too long ago, after posting a picture, that mine is a crispa, not malu. I'm not real sure, but either way, I like them. Best of luck.

 

[tcmfish]

I don't have sand :/ I was reading that crispa is probably okay in bare bottom... but if malu can't survive I might just sell it.

 

[bradleym]

IMO it looks like H. Crispa. After a week try feeding it tiny bits of krill or mysis. Turn off all your flow, set the food on top in the middle, and wait a minute. If the nem is hungry, it will wrap around the food. (Again IMO) the short round tentacles will get longer in a couple months time.

 

[Winwood]

I would venture to say you have H. malu as well. What does the foot/column look like? As far as crispas go. Some like sand and some don't. My friend's is very happy with it's foot buried in the sand. Mine will uproot itself everytime if I bury it's foot. I learned this the hard way twice.

 

[AGYDAL]

Short tentacles are a sign of starvation.

<a href=http://s1131.photobucket.com/albums/m547/AGYDAL/?action=view&current=30438_10100231507728519_6824047_59502154_506683_n-1.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m547/AGYDAL/30438_10100231507728519_6824047_59502154_506683_n-1.jpg border=0 alt=></a>

That was mine when I bought it, it's a crispa for sure now...can't say 100% (I'm like 85%) on yours if its a Sebae, can you get a clearer shot of the tentacles?

Also, what size tank do you have it in? These things get huge fffffffaaaaaaaasssssssstttt, like take up half a 75 to themselves, those tentacles should be about 6" long when healthy, also since they're not all that colorful with zoolanthe they need to eat more, in a small tank that kills water quality fast.

IMO return it.

 

[tcmfish]

The vase and rocks are distorting/blocking the view of the foot/column right now. It seems a whole lot happier than it looked at the store right now, but I am going to keep updating with pics and next time I take pics I'll snap some of the bottom of it. If I don't put pics up tomorrow I'll definitely have some up Wednesday.

If it doesn't seem happy in my tank, I'll be more than willing to find a good home for it in someone else's tank, but I'm going to try and get it more healthy first.

 

[AGYDAL]

Is it going in the 29 in your signature? It will outgrow it in 6 months or less when healthy, I don't mean to be negative but i'd start looking for a new and proper home for it now, please don't nurse it back to health then take it back to your LFS to doom it again

How long do you plan on keeping it in the vase? There isn't going to be much flow in there to keep the water from getting nasty. You do know they make foam covers for vortechs, so your anemone is less likely to wander it's way out of the gene pool via vortech?

 

[tcmfish]

The tentacles were moving in the vase, so it is getting flow, and yes I have the foam cover. Right now it is in the 29 because that is the best place for it now. I have other tanks so I'll start thinking of ideas for it. Please don't flame me for it I am trying to save it. I also have a friend with a 300 who would take it and he has sand in his tank. I have some options.

The goal is H. crispa and Latz pair. So if it is not a H. crispa I will probably put it in his tank. Also I wouldn't return it to that store if it came to that, I work for a different store as well that I could bring it too.

I am just trying to get it healthy and see which species it is. If it were a H. crispa I would probably set up something like a 58 gallon for it. Just debating lighting options.

 

[garygb]

It looks like malu to me, too.

 

[AGYDAL]

Sorry, wasn't trying to flame you...I just don't get why people can't put holds (I don't shop places that say they will not) on livestock to make sure it's not a detrimental purchase..I have a Sebae and it's huge, i hate the thing...they say they're delicate, I guess mine hasn't heard that. A dedicated tank for it would be cool, that's what mine did on it's own haha. I'm wanting to rehome it but too busy to get around to tearing apart the tank it's in to get it out. By the questions you were asking and only having a 29 in your signature line I was figuring that's all you had...seems to be the trend, cheap disposable anemone to put in a little tank; that the LFS mysteriously never seem to know shouldn't be white (at least yours is tanish )

Good luck, mine was pretty easy to bring back.

 

[tcmfish]

Wow a difference. So this morning I shined a little light on it (the room, outside, and tank are all pitch black this early in the morning (stupid work schedule)) and it is standing upright inbetween the rocks and seems to have a good hold on the bottom of the vase in between the rocks.

I was using my phone as a flashlight so I had to turn that off and try literally take shots in the dark with my phone. It has little bits of rock and sediment attached underneath the tentacles. I am trying to feed it now with raw shrimp.

Any more ideas as to what it is? I seem to be getting mixed answers..

It is hard to get a good look at the verrucae because of the little rocks it has attached right there.

Also couple of other questions:
1) Are these guys fish eaters?
2) Why does it seem like big ones in captivity have such spread out (space inbetween) tentacles, but in the wild their tentacles seem pretty dense? If you feed it more will it get that fill in look?

Again thanks for the help, it won't be going in this 29 long term. Let's work together.

 

[tcmfish]

The shrimp definitely elicited a feeding response. Watching it open and close its mouth was pretty amazing. But I had to run to work. It seemed like it was having trouble getting the piece in its mouth. I could only watch it for like 40 min. When I turned the flow on it started to float up so I left the vortech off and redirected the return. Ill see how it is after work.

 

[xtlosx]

looks like a crispa to me from those pictures!! Although I'm no expert..

 

[tcmfish]

 

[tcmfish]

 

[LesMartin]

I'd say it was a H.crispa. One of the lesser used names for these is 'leathery anemone' and if you look at the column in your pics you'll see why. The other indicators ie brown tentacles, purple tips are there so I'd say you have what you want. Are those last two pics a feeding sequence ? Did it eventually take the prawn completely ? I'd suggest smaller pieces of food initially. Sometimes large pieces will be taken but spit out within a couple of hours partly digested. But see what happens with yours and use that as a guide.

 

[tcmfish]

Thanks for the advice Les. I also think I should have started smaller but when I tore it apart that is what came off and once it started trying to eat it I didn't want to mess with it too much.

So while I was at work it looks to have eaten the shrimp for now. It also reattached on the vase so I turned the pumps back on. It gets some decent flow because the return is point toward the vase so there is an almost spiral flow in it.

The main lights still have come on but it is starting to look real good. Got some more pics much better angle to ID from. Looks more H. crispa to me based on what you guys have said a H. crispa should look like.