Majano Anemone:Innocent Looking Pest at Best

The saltwater aquarium, as diverse as it is beautiful. So many of the animals available to the marine aquarist feature not only a fascinating personality but beauty that rivals any other colorful splendor we can dream up or imagine. Unfortunately, many aquarists tend to become complacent in all the glitter and excitement of their livestock and, all to often, succumb to a predetermined fate that has these same aquarists scratching their heads and panicking. Majano anemones represent one such pest, weed, nightmare or host of many other less than glamorous adjectives describing these prolific predators.

Majano Anemones are not an inhabitant of choice. I don't think their are too many hobbyists that would venture out on a limb to reiterate their past intentions of purchasing this species of anemone. Tulip anemones, as Majano anemones are sometimes called, are truly one of the bad boys in the marine aquarium hobby. The fact that these anemones reproduce at an astonishing rate through asexual reproduction is cause enough for concern. Now, top that off with the reality that these anemones can and will injure or kill anything they come in contact with just solidifies the truth that these animals do not belong in a marine aquarium, especially a reef biotope.

Aiptasia(glass anemone) and Majano anemones represent a plague that can inflict destruction of epic proportions in no time. Majano anemones look like small tulip flowers that can come in many colors from white or tan to green. Usually, Majano anemones are no larger than a quarter in diameter with short bulbous tentacles and a base normally no longer than inch in length. These anemones display an appealing coloration that makes them aesthetically pleasing and the fact that they remain small, like zoanthid colonial polyps provides a false sense of security to anyone reluctant to rid them from their aquariums. Majano anemones arrive in aquariums as hitchhikers much in the same was as other predatory pests would like Pyram Snails and Shame Face Crabs on live rock or corals we purchase from on line venues or local pet shops. Sometimes it is no fault of our own that these pests find their way into our delicate aquarium systems, but ensuring that thorough inspection of live rock and coral prior to adding to your aquarium will help reduce the likelihood of these animals invading our tanks.

Like their cousins, the Aiptasia anemone, the can survive under almost any condition possible from high light to almost no light, hyposalinity to hyposalinity and elevated nutrients to little at all. This misfortune gives these pests just another weapon in their arsenal to evolve and flourish within the confines of closed system marine environments. If we could be so lucky, to be faced with this problem when it comes to growing out many of the corals we maintain in our aquariums, especially when it comes to many of the more delicate and beautiful small polyp stony corals such as Acropora and Montipora!

There is some hope for aquarists that have or will experience an Aiptasia or Majano anemone bloom. Their are numerous liquid solutions such as Joe's Juice or other brand products that are made specifically for the control of these pests. If you would rather take the El natural approach, lemon or lime juice, vinegar and hot water will also work. Another very good product that kills these animals is using Kalkwasser and a little water to make a thick milky liquid solution. Which ever bullet you choose to eliminate these animals you will need to use a syringe to inject the liquid directly in the center of their oral disk(mouth) for best results. Care must be used to ensure that the solution doesn't come in contact with neighboring inverts or corals, especially when using the Kalkwasser solution to reduce the chances of injuring them. If you don't have a population explosion of these anemones, you could remove the rock and scrape or pry off the anemone. I you have a great deal of them, however, you may be better to raise the white flag and remove the rock from your tank and soak it in a hot water bath or set out in the sun for the day to kill the anemones. The only drawback to this method is you will kill all the beneficial bacteria and other living inhabitants that live on and in the rock as well. AT LEAST ALL OF THE PEST ANEMONES WILL BE DEAD!!!!

When it comes to any unwanted hitchhiker, the best way of reducing the chances of introducing these pests into your aquarium, is to inspect your possession thoroughly. You should do this with any animal you plan on adding to your tank for that matter such as fish and invertebrates as well to ensure they are not inflicted by parasite or disease which is just as important, in my opinion.

We are all in constant search of creating and maintaining the most beautiful, enjoyable and healthy aquarium possible. Taking the initial steps to reduce the likelihood that unwanted pests, parasites and diseases are introduced into our delicate and diverse aquariums will only increase the odds that we will be successful in obtaining the goals we set out to reach when we decided to set up our aquariums in the first place. We don't need to throw another monkey wrench into the mix, as the hobby is challenging enough to ensure optimal success.