Where to buy anemones

[saltyhog]

Question for all of you anemone experts. Where do you get yours? I've used LA a lot in the past for fish but recently got a clam from them that was in bad shape. Because of that I'm a little leary about ordering a neme from them.

I'm looking for a H. malu and all of my LFS never have anything except BTA's and an occasional S. haddoni. How does H. crispa compare to malu in difficulty/appearance/requirements.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Have you checked out the r2r marketplace at all? I see anemones all the time for sale from some really reputable members :)

 

[dbl]

If you don't see any in the marketplace, @AcroNem @Amoo @OrionN are a few resident nem experts that may have an idea.

 

[davocean]

While LA does have mishaps, I still think they are best for online, and they back their sales.

Crispa, very hearty, large, 2' diamter max, loves a ton of light and good flow.

Malu, much smaller, 8-10" max, medium light and flow, usually come in very bright colors, lay low at sand bed and easy to contain.

I usually will ask an LFS to order something for me, or if doing online I try DD section so I can see what I'm actually getting.

 

[saltyhog]

While LA does have mishaps, I still think they are best for online, and they back their sales.

Crispa, very hearty, large, 2' diamter max, loves a ton of light and good flow.

Malu, much smaller, 8-10" max, medium light and flow, usually come in very bright colors, lay low at sand bed and easy to contain.

I usually will ask an LFS to order something for me, or if doing online I try DD section so I can see what I'm actually getting.

Thanks @daveocean! I'm signed up for email notification for H. malu on LA. I'll also ask my best LFS to see if they can order one! I would really like to have a neme I can keep on the sand. I do have adequate light on the sand bed for SPS (tank is only 21" deep) with my current lighting.

 

[OrionN]

There isn't any one place that have nice anemones. Nicer anemones are rarer these days than years ago. If you want to get anemones, you just have to be patient, and keep a running QT for your anemone, when you see one.
LA and DD are nice because of the 2 week warranty. No one can guarantee that the anemone will arrive at your house in perfect shape every time you order, but LA and DD have a no hassle 100% refund if they don't live for 2 weeks. What else can you ask from a seller?

 

[davocean]

I really love Malu, I've had a few over the years, they come in such bright colors and retain those colors pretty well usually.
Their size also makes them ideal for mixed reefs and they don't climb rockwork.

While they may not be natural hosts in wild for many clowns we keep, they seem very quickly accepted by most clowns, more so than what I see w/ BTA's for example.

This is one of my past malu's, and this shows typical placement, in sand close to rockwork, lays very low compared to crispa, the other sebae.

 

[davocean]

There isn't any one place that have nice anemones. Nicer anemones are rarer these days than years ago. If you want to get anemones, you just have to be patient, and keep a running QT for your anemone, when you see one.
LA and DD are nice because of the 2 week warranty. No one can guarantee that the anemone will arrive at your house in perfect shape every time you order, but LA and DD have a no hassle 100% refund if they don't live for 2 weeks. What else can you ask from a seller?

Agree, especially for online purchases.

I'm fortunate that I have LFS that will actually carry them or order them, but even w/ that it once took me 8 months of searching to actually find a malu, and I'm not sure why they are not more popular based on their smaller size, colors, and sand placement which works so well w/ mixed reefs.

LA is good option for reasons mentioned, but even then they do mistake ID's, so warranty is nice, and this is why I prefer DD so I can see and ID, though they do get snatched up quick there so you have to move quickly if you see one there.

 

[Captain Quint]

I honestly have not bought one in at least 10 years. My BTA's continue to drop clones and I just give 'em to locals if their tank is mature enough.

But if I could get down to even 6, I would buy something rare and exotic from a good member in standing or reputable online thingy.

My two 'go to' LFS' generally don't carry any over two or three hundred dollars.

 

[Dsnakes]

@saltyhog have you found a Malu yet? I have decided on one for my tank and will begin my search now. @davocean that one you had is very nice!