Heteractis Crispa

[mihkaail]

Hi all,

Ive been given the opportunity to buy a non-bleached light purple (not dyed either) Heteractis Crispa.

Ive been considering these guys for a while and have not got any real conclusion. Anyone had any experience with these guys?

Do they roam, burrow, rock dwellers? etc

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[djconn]

Got a pic?

 

[mihkaail]

Hi

Sorry, no pic, no digicam, spent all my money on my tank

Its in really good condition. Just wanted to know its survivability. Eg magnificas, no matter how immaculate the specimen, dont have a good track record etc.

 

[Kris]

Crispa has a descent track record. They need to be fed on a regular basis. At least twice a week. They also require a nominal amount of light and will not make it unless these requirements are met.

As for water quality, they are pretty forgiving. As long as everything is within the green, you are fine, paired with the above nfo.

I have had several crispas perish due to non feeding. Once they start in that direction, nothing will stop it. Shrinking is a very good sign that it is on it's way out.

Crispas come in several colors in the wild, cream and white. Alot of people think they are bleached when they come in white, some might be but you will notice them being more translucent than white in this case. I had a sebae for about a year that stayed white. It grew and ate and was happy. It was also under a halide.

Good Luck!

 

[mihkaail]

Hi

Thanks Kris for your reply. I was thinking of the wandering the most. He'll be the first inhabitant of a well cycled tank but i still wory bout the movement. Do you think he'll wander more than a BTA would? Do they generally like sand substrate or rocks to bury their foot in?

Yeah, the feeding part i understand. I can do that every 2/3 days no problem. Hope nitrates dont become a problem though.

Also, a guy up in Queensland says he can sell me a pair of Akindynos(Barrier Reef Clowns) for $40! They cost 54 each if i buy them. They'll happily either take the crispa or the BTA. Any comparisons?

 

[Kris]

mihkaail-

Sounds like a winner to me

Wandering with sebaes should not be a problem. They are more of a "carpet" type of anemone. What I mean by this is they like to expand and lay like carpet anemones do. At least, this has always been my experience. They like to lay flat against rocks or in crvices near the sand bed. The only time they ball up is to eat.

You should not have a nitrate problem at all as long as the anemone eats the food. If it does not and it drops to the sand and is left uneaten, then there will be a spiker. Nothing terrible if you keep an eye on things tho.

I have found sebaes are 50/50 on either rock or sand. Mine have always like the rocks. Some like the sand area. It all depends. Once settled tho, you should not have a problem.

Those clowns sound like a good bargain. There is nothing cooler than a clownfish/anemone pair!

Good luck and let us know how it all turns out!