Best way to transport a Magnifica

[fishez4alivin]

I've located a healthy magnifica locally, around a 35 mile drive. When she returns from vacation, I am going to get it. What would be the best course of action in removing and transporting this animal? I have resources for all types of containers etc...

 

[srusso]

I wouldn't remove it from the rock, so buy that from her if you can...
If you can get it out of the tank without leaving water would be even better... Put anemone w/ rock in container while its in the water, flip up the container, lift out water/anemone/rock/container all together. Transport it to a larger 5 gallon buck filled with its tank water. Put a lid on the bucket and drive home as fast as you can!! lol

 

[jeff@zina.com]

How would you transport it if you bought it at the LFS? Same deal.

By the way, thumb tacking it to the hood doesn't work. Above 30 MPH the thumb tacks don't hold.

Jeff

 

[fishez4alivin]

I just thought at a LFS they use bags which I guess I could get, but thought maybe a 5 gallon bucket would be safer, if I needed it for transporting the rock too. BTW, the only time I bought a nem from a LFS, was years ago, and the girl, destroyed it's foot, trying to get it to release from a rock. She then lifted the animal out of the water, and plunked it into the bag. Because I wasn't paying attention, and asked her method of removing after the fact, I decided to pass on the purchase. I assume that was not the protocol she should have followed?

 

[this is me]

How big is the magnifica? If the tank owner allow, I would put the whole container in the tank and put the anemone with the rock. That's the best way. Whatever you do, don't just pull the anemone out of the tank face down. Make sure you are aware that it can be killed by its own weigh if you pull it out of the water.

 

[garygb]

I agree that's it's preferable to transport the anemone attached to the rock--assuming the anemone can safely be transported without the rock damaging the anemone en route. Perhaps, if fine sand can be poured in around the rock once it is sitting on the bottom of the transport bucket, that will help stabilize the rock the mag is attached to. Also, filling the bucket to near the top with tank water will minimize sloshing.

I agree that in an ideal world, the anemone would not be taken out of the water from the tank. However, I have moved mags before and had to completely remove them from the water without any problems. In the wild, anemones are often in the intertidal zone and hang like limp, wet bags in the sun, still attached to their rock during low tide.

 

[srusso]

I agree that's it's preferable to transport the anemone attached to the rock--assuming the anemone can safely be transported without the rock damaging the anemone en route. Perhaps, if fine sand can be poured in around the rock once it is sitting on the bottom of the transport bucket, that will help stabilize the rock the mag is attached to. Also, filling the bucket to near the top with tank water will minimize sloshing.

I agree that in an ideal world, the anemone would not be taken out of the water from the tank. However, I have moved mags before and had to completely remove them from the water without any problems. In the wild, anemones are often in the intertidal zone and hang like limp, wet bags in the sun, still attached to their rock during low tide.

I agree be careful and secure the rock in the bucket, I disagree with the sand thing thought. I would say it's far easier to wedge a smaller rock to secure the larger one.

As others have said don't flip anemone upside down if you have to remove it from the water. The slower it's moved once it begins to break the water surface the better.

Also understand these suggestions all are the best considerations when trying to carefully move an anemone. I am sure millions of people have done it less carefully and had anemones that turn out to be fine. These are really just different ways to prevent damage.

 

[srusso]

I just thought at a LFS they use bags which I guess I could get, but thought maybe a 5 gallon bucket would be safer, if I needed it for transporting the rock too. BTW, the only time I bought a nem from a LFS, was years ago, and the girl, destroyed it's foot, trying to get it to release from a rock. She then lifted the animal out of the water, and plunked it into the bag. Because I wasn't paying attention, and asked her method of removing after the fact, I decided to pass on the purchase. I assume that was not the protocol she should have followed?

I had about the same thing happen except I bough the damn thing and it cost me $125 and man was it bleached!!! They called it a "flame bubble tip" anemone... Jerks

 

[this is me]

In the wild, anemones are often in the intertidal zone and hang like limp, wet bags in the sun, still attached to their rock during low tide.

I can assure you that large anemones like magnifica don't hang upside down. They have other rocks to hold their weight up.

 

[LesMartin]

I can assure you that large anemones like magnifica don't hang upside down. They have other rocks to hold their weight up.

What a coincidence. I was just browsing this : http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/6027132997/in/photostream/

 

[this is me]

What a coincidence. I was just browsing this : http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/6027132997/in/photostream/

Those are some wild photos! Thanks for the link. I stand corrected although one can argue that part of the anemone is not completely upside down like when some lfs worker pull out an anemone.

Still, I would be careful on pulling an anemone out of the tank.

 

[MagicReefer]

I bought a severley bleached haddoni from a LFS in NJ when I was working there one day. I paid for it and was gonna give the kid instructions on how to ship it. So, since he didnt understand at all what I was talking about...I decided to leave it and come back for it in about a week.

When I came for it the owner was there and he had a kid help me out. The kid didnt even want to try to get it out of the tank so he let me do it. I was very lucky on that one, as I am sure he would have hurt it.

I pulled it out and put it in a bag then in a box and drove 9 hours home with it. I was so beat but once I did he turned out great. I put a ton of work into buying my carpet (physically and finacially) I will never go thru that again but I do not regret it as it is a beautiful specimen and has been happy and is no longer bleached. It is a beautiful blue.

I wouldnt use sand in a 5 gallon bucket, that way the nem cant try to start digging before being in your tank, and use a smaller rock to wedge the bigger one stable. If you just go nice and slow and dont give it to much stress you will be ok. Good Luck!

 

[phender]

A word of warning for you and the seller. If you or the seller have any fish in your tanks that are not clownfish, disrupting the mag too much can cause it to release a slime into the water that will kill most non-clownfish. I don't know if the slime contains nematocysts or some sort of toxin, but it is not an unusual occurrence for those of us who keep mags.

 

[Reefvette]

+ 1 phender,

the goop aka the slick on my water surface.