Ritteri Anemone

Overview

Everything you need to know about Ritteri Anemones, at a glance:

• Common Names: Magnificent Sea Anemone
• Scientific Name: Heteractis magnifica
• Max Size: ~70cm
• Temperature Range: 23-26°C
• pH Range: 8.1-8.4
• Salinity Range (SG): 1.023-1.025
• Compatibility: Reef-safe, with caution
• Area Of Origin: Indo-Pacfic
• Suitable Foods: Meaty foods, such as cut up smelt, mussels, and shrimps
• Special Requirements: Challenging species to keep, requires strong lighting and strong but intermittent flow

What is a Ritteri Anemone?

Ritteri Anemones, also known as Magnificent Sea Anemones, are a large type of anemone native to the Indo-Pacific region. Their species name, magnifica, is inspired by the bright colour of their column – the outer structure that can be seen when the anemone retracts. These columns range from electric blue to green, red, pink, purple, or brown.

As a member of the Hexacorallia family, this anemone usually carries tentacles in multiples of six, positioned in concentric circles around its mouth. These tentacles grow pretty long, often exceeding 8cm in length, and their tips are typically lighter in colouration with vivid, almost luminous spots. Most Ritteri Anemones have a red column and creamy coloured tentacles with greenish tips.

Like other anemones, Ritteri Anemones are motile and can (and will) move around your aquarium. They also host anemonefish like Clownfish, providing them with shelter as they provide them with food and help rid them of parasites. This mutualistic relationship has been observed with many species of clownfish, particularly Amphiprion perideraion. Adding these fish to your aquarium alongside a Ritteri Anemone will help it acclimate.

How do I care for a Ritteri Anemone?

Ritteri Anemones are tough to keep and require specialist care that should dissuade beginner anemone keepers. Like several other anemones, they’re incredibly delicate and need to be kept in a large, established aquarium that’s at least six months old, preferably older. They also require stable water parameters, optimised to replicate their natural environment.

While they may be found at depths of up to 20m in the wild, Ritteri Anemones like a lot of light. For this reason, they may climb to the highest point of your reef structure in search of a suitable ‘basking spot’. They also require moderate to strong and intermittent water movement, enough to simulate a chaotic marine environment but not enough to dislodge them from their high perch.

Ritteri Anemones are semi-aggressive in nature and covered in stinging nematocysts that could pose a danger to your aquarium’s other inhabitants. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be kept in a large reef tank, but care must be taken to create coral-free paths that they can move along. A lot of aquarists who keep Ritteri Anemones tend to keep them in large aquariums that focus solely on them as the main display.

Like other anemones, Ritteri Anemones harbour photosynthetic zooxanthellae that provide them with a lot of their nutrition. That said, they do also need to be regularly fed meaty foods like smelt, mussels, and shrimps. These foods should be cut/shredded to the appropriate size for the anemone’s mouth and offered with a pair of tongs. Ritteri Anemones also need to be fed at least once a week to curb their predatory instincts.

How is this Ritteri Anemone delivered?

All of our aquatic animals are dispatched from our livestock distributor and delivered directly to your door. Our distributor dispatches and delivers livestock packages Tuesday through Friday to avoid animals being in transit over the weekend.

After placing your livestock order, you’ll receive all the information needed to track your livestock order via email. If you have any problems regarding delivery, or concerns about the health/wellbeing of your animal(s) upon arrival, please contact us, Swell UK Ltd, immediately, or at least within 48 hours of receiving your livestock order.

Any other, non-livestock items that you purchase alongside livestock will be sent via standard or express delivery and arrive at your delivery address in a different package. This means that, depending on when you place your order, you may receive your non-livestock items before or after your livestock package.

For a detailed breakdown of when you can expect to receive your livestock package depending on the day you place your order, be sure to check the delivery details in the specifications below.

How do you acclimate a Ritteri Anemone to an aquarium?

It’s very important that you acclimatise new animals to your aquarium. This is the process of gradually adjusting an animal to its new environment and it’s especially important in an aquatic setting where sudden changes in water temperature, pH, and salinity can cause stress, illness and, in some cases, even death.

Before you acclimate your Ritteri Anemone, it’s recommended that you put on a pair of water-proof gloves (rubber gloves work fine). This will stop your Ritteri Anemone from stinging you and protect them from any toxic substances/residue that may be present on your hands.

To acclimate your Ritteri Anemone, place the bag with the anemone inside into your aquarium. Float the bag for at least 20 minutes to allow the temperature of the water in the bag to match the temperature of the water in your aquarium. Then, open the bag and, over the course of an hour, add small amounts of aquarium water.

After an hour, your Ritteri Anemone should be ready to release. It’s recommended that you discard the water from the bag before transferring your anemone. Also, place your new anemone where your sand bed is deepest, and as far away from your wave pump as possible. Consider turning off your wave pump during this acclimation process.

Above images for illustration purposes only. Exact colours, patterns, and size may vary between individuals.

Please note: The livestock that is sold on our online site is not held in store at our Swell shop, or available for collection from the shop. Species sold at our Swell store will differ from ones available to order to your door.