African Heteractis magnifica

[Ron Popeil]

So rumor has it that the ritteri or magnifica anemones that come out of africa have the whitish yellow tentacles and the deep red bases.

like this

my local store received two of these alleged anemones. one was typical: brownish red base with tan tentacles tipped in gold.

the other was very bleached, but in its current state had a red base and white tentacles tipped with gold.

my question with people who have seen several of these, will this bleached specimen richen up as it recovers and get a deep red base?

my thought is that it will redden up... but only to a brownish red and the tentacles will deepen to a gold tipped tan color.

thoughts?

 

[elegance coral]

I think you're right. As the anemones health improves, the color of its column may darken, but you're not going to change an anemone with a brownish red column into one with a bright red column like the one pictured.

 

[AD87]

IMO the Mag collected out of the red sea are the most colorful (red base). I havent seen a red base come out of the Tahiti region, where most mags are collected.

 

[Ron Popeil]

well to clarify, the specimen i am interested in has a bleached red base. i am just unsure if that red will deepen to an actual red...or a brown.

 

[AD87]

I would go for it and see what it becomes....If it already shows promise of a red base its unlikely to change to brown.

 

[MarinaP]

... as it recovers...?

It won't.

Bleached red bases are notorious for not living in captivity.

 

[elegance coral]

It won't.

Bleached red bases are notorious for not living in captivity.

What's up Marina? Still havin a bad day?

Ron Popeil has years of experience with this species. He knows what he's doing. He may be asking for other opinions in this thread, but he surely doesn't need it. He has kept some of the best looking mag's I've seen. If anyone can save this mag, it would be him, IMHO. I'm sure he's fully aware of the delicate nature of these animals.

It's not just the red bases. It's bleached mag's in general that are notorious for not living in captivity.

 

[MarinaP]

Me and Jordan have been friends on this board for years. He is perfectly capable of taking or leaving my advice without extra sugarcoating.

 

[1fishkeeper]

I have seen the Red Sea ones while out diving over there. If only I could have some of the ones that I seen. I would say give it a shot I know you could bring it back to good health more then the rest of us. Plus it would be a great chance to document it for all of the rest of us to follow. Plus that is almost temping to for me to drive down there and pick one up myself.

 

[sedgro]

out of the Tahiti region, where most mags are collected.

??? I would be shocked if any H. magnifica are collected in Tahiti... Fish collection let alone invert collection from French Polynesia is rare at best. I would bet Indonesia supplies the vast majority of H. magnificas that show up.

 

[OrionN]

I have keep bleached Mag before and nurse them back to healthy. IMO, if the Magnifica is otherwise healthy, they will recover and coloration should return to normal.

 

[Ron Popeil]

thank you everyone for your input. i decided to take the anemone home. here are some pictures of what i was attempting to describe. depending on how this anemone does, this will encourage me to attempt a forced split to one of my other mags.

 

[1fishkeeper]

Very nice, I wish I could just get my hands a nice healthy one.

 

[AD87]

Good luck it looks good!

 

[elegance coral]

Did you get the little one on the left in the first pic or the really bleached one in the background?

 

[Ron Popeil]

The really bleached one.

 

[Mirror Pond]

Hopefully that will color up with a deep red base, I've had really good luck with the Mags from that store. Do you know where it was collected? Keep us updated Jordan.

 

[Ron Popeil]

dave, it came in on an african shipment.

i just took these, the base is much more pink than what is shown.

 

[OrionN]

He seem healthy and nice. Good luck with him.

 

[LesMartin]

How's it doing ? Any updated pics ?