- Kingdom: Animalia.
- Phylum: Cnidaria
- Class: Anthozoa /Order: Actinaria/Suborder: Nyantheae
- Family: Actiniidae
- Genus: Anemonia
- Species: Anemonia manjano
Description: It is considered a ‘pest’ and is also capable of competing with other inhabitants of the reef aquarium. It has a pedal column with a sticky foot used to attach to the rock surface and an oral disc surrounded by tentacles. The main difference between Manjano and Aiptasia is that Aiptasia tentacles are usually thin and very pointed at the tips, whereas Manjano has «stubby» tentacles that are often bulbous at the tips.
Reproduction: It reproduces very easily: a piece of tissue can develop into an individual. For this reason, attempting to remove it incorrectly will only result in a large number of new individuals.
Habitat: Generally found in colonies originating from a single individual. They are mainly located in crevices.
Distribution: Western Indo-Pacific.
Color: Generally greenish-brown to brown, with tentacles that have white or light-colored tips.
Size: This anemone can grow up to 3 cm (1.5 in) in diameter.
Caution: Stinging.
Diet: It feeds mainly on what its zooxanthellae algae provide, but it can also feed on phytoplankton and plankton.
Natural predators: In nature, it has only one enemy: the nudibranch Aeolidiella.
Chemical treatments: The chemical used to eliminate Majano anemones is calcium hydroxide. It is commonly known as Kalkwasser, Kalk, and pickling lime. Other items needed for this anemone removal process include a small bowl or container for mixing and an applicator for applying the paste.
Prevention: Since they often arrive in crevices with corals and live rock, a quarantine aquarium helps you spot and eliminate them before they enter the main tank.
The process of removing Majano with calcium hydroxide- First – Turn off the pumps. It is much easier to apply the paste in an aquarium without any water flow. This also reduces the risk of harming anything other than the Majano anemones.
- Second – Mix the calcium hydroxide powder with enough water to make a thick paste with the consistency of toothpaste.
- Third – Apply the paste over the entire Majano anemone.
- Fourth – Leave the pumps off for about 30 minutes.
Important: Concentrated calcium hydroxide is a moderately strong base and will kill or severely injure anything it is applied to. In addition, applying this solution to many Majano anemones at once can negatively affect pH and alkalinity in the reef aquarium, and the paste will be more difficult to control when the pumps are turned back on.
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