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View Full Version : H. Malu conundrum


naclh20
02/03/2001, 12:58 AM
I bought a H. Malu (which the LFS guy swore was a sebae) because: A) I felt I had done the 'homework', and B) it seemed like an extremely healthy specimen, and C) i gave in to the old "well, someone is gonna buy it anyway..." selfish thinking.

SO - this very white (i know, i know, he should have been darker if he was really healthy..still learning i am)anenome with pretty purple tips seems to hate the two 65w PC (6100k and 8200k) on my 20 gallon tank. Everything I read says anenomes need LOTS of light, yet even one of these lights seems to make the poor Malu shrink up and stop 'dancing' and stretching.

It has eaten two small pieces of shrimp in 10 days since purchase.

The big questions are:
1) could it really be reacting poorly to the light (1 hr blue, 1hr blue and daylight, 7hrs daylight, last hr just blue for a total of 8 hrs with at least 65w and at most 130w.) The tank is 16 tall, with the Malu probably within 12 inches of the light. Maybe that's just much too close?

2) could the Percula that I brought home with the Malu be the thing stressing the Malu out? This Percula (true) really 'digs' the anenome, like a dog burying a bone constantly into the tentacles. The fish seems very pleased, the anenome seems stressed.

I tried removing the Percula tonight for a couple of hours while the lights were off. The Malu is wiggling and stretching, and frilling its tentacles all around - he seems much less stressed. Of course I can't tell from this little test whether its the fish or the light...so....any thoughts?

Thanks for ideas or descriptions of your experiences.

O'Man
02/28/2001, 11:35 PM
It is possible that your light is too much if the anemone has lost most of its' symbiotic algae. You may find you can shade part of the tank, and gradually expose it to more light.

Is it eating?

naclh20
03/04/2001, 09:37 PM
Thanks for your reply - I didn't get back to this thread because the malu died and I swore off anenomes, especially tricky ones like H.Malu. Then, someone sent me a condylactis and flower-rock anenome as part of a live rock order. I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. That was three weeks ago - and the condy did abosolutely great for the three weeks, then I found it with its expelled gut contents on Saturday morning. Ugh! I have no clue what it ate, or what happened. I just know that this is VERY depressing. I don't know what to do differently, if its my fault or a mantis or something attacked it, or if it ate something that killed it, or what. It is now in a sick-tank falling apart, at least half of it has sloughed off, but the live half can move and react to light. Anyway, sorry about the sob story but I did appreciate getting a reply to the Malu post. No more anenomes for me - but I hope my flower anenome makes it.

Thanks again.