Fragged My Magenta Magnifica

such a wonderful looking specimen. very rarely have i ever seen such thick tentacles.

what are you feeding, if it hasnt already been mentioned? dosing anything?
 
I'm feeding shrimp from the grocery store that I leave a little bit of shell on.

I keep the salinity a little on the high end, I have a large system for a small display, so there a lot of macro keeping phosphates, ammonia, nitrates and nitrites low. We harvest a huge ammount of macro. I run a CA reactor, but no other dosing. Lately I have been having problems with my SPS for an undiagnosed reason. I probably just need to do some big water changes and replace some trace elements.

Anyway, nothing that I would particularly attribute success to other than the heavy feeding.

I wonder if the thinner tentacles are genetic or problems from captivity. I sometimes see magnificas in stores with wicked thin tentacles, but I haven't seen pictures of them like that in the wild.
 
Ok, cut one of my magnifica clones in two and a week later both halves had closed up and I now have two healthy anemones.
I'm going to give them a bit more time and try to cut one of the clones in half again. Thanks for the posting that provided the incentive.
 
you guys rock! (guys is like dude :) )


i know i have a bta, but...if you can take scissors to mags, i can take scissors to my bta!

he's a cloner--we have 2 clones from overgrowth (massive feeding followed by more massive feeding!) and one from 'seriously? somebody unplugged the whole tank over the weekend?'

i got him as a clone...i'll start the heavy feeding for a few weeks first--anybody want to send me to the right 'cut here' thread?

your tank is great--good job role model :)

tim
 
Cindy,
I've loved your avatar for quite some time...

I have a small brown and gold tipped H. magnifica that I've kept for almost 3 years and I've got an Indo Pacific Regal Angel that I've kept for almost a year now and eats from my fingers.

I had a Red Sea Regal Angel that I'd kept for a year, but my H. magnifica moved and got caught in a pump intake and shredded the tentacles, releasing the nematocysts, killing every fish in the tank except my clowns, (Regal Angel, Tomini Tang I'd had for 4 years, and a Black cap basslet I'd had for 8 months). The anemone recovered nicely after several weeks of looking like crap.
I recall reading in Gary's thread when he fragged his Mertensii that he lost several fish when he placed his anemone's back into the tank.

How did you avoid this? What was your procedure for the two anemones after the fragging?

I really, really, really hope you are able to get this going as a source of captive propagated H.magnifica's. Especially since your's are so beautiful.

Please keep posting any and all updates.

Nick
 
PRE CUT MAGNIFICA

mag.jpg



JUST CUT IN TWO

mag1.jpg



TWO HALVES ALL HEALED UP (sorry but not the best pic)

mag2.jpg



The magnifica to the left of my right knee is over 3 feet in diameter
JoeandhisIpod-1.jpg


(and yes that is a water proof iPod on my arm) :D
 
That's cool!
I am afraid to cut mine in half. I am hoping she will split on her own.

How much does one of your frags go for?
 
It's very cool that there are reefers out there that are willing to take a risk to advance the hobby. The principles you followed are sound and have been clearly demonstrated for other species of anemones. I congratulate you on your success and your willingness to share your experiences with the rest of us who are keeping these magnificent animals.

I am a surgeon by trade and have a lot of experience with injuries. As such, I have one suggestion for the next time that you propagate your anemone. Consider using a razor for the entire cut. Scissors cause a tremendous amount of crush injury to the tissues that they are cutting through. Basically, the zone of injury is much wider with them than with the sharpest blade that you can find. The anemone will have to heal a larger area when you use scissors and this may be a problem for some of them. I can't wait to try this on my H. mag when it becomes a little larger.
-B
 
In theory, I thought a blade would be better too, the problem is the is the size and consistency of the anemone. Smaller BTAs I do with a razor no problem, but this anemone is10x that size. The consistency is like many layers of wet jello sliding over each other and he toughest thing to combat is that they react to the cut pulling the cut in to the center and putting tentacles where you are trying to cut. Only with the scissors could I get the cut done in one chomp before the anemone reacted. I think any crushing damage outweighs the multiple passes and repositioning that a blade job requires on one of these guys.

I see what you are saying about the adjacent crushing damage, but there didn't seem to be a lot of resistance like I imagine going through animal tissue would be. With a blade I have to crush down to the rock anyway and have it more out of the water and being flattened by its own weight. I worry a lot with magnificas that they may sustain unseen injuries from their own weight out of the water. This way I kept it mostly in the water.

Anyway, thanks very much for the input. I did think about that and still think I will use scissors next time (they are growing so next time might not be too far away :) :) )

I would love to cut the next one so I have two halves and a thin pizza slice to see if the thin section would survive, but it would be way beyond my cutting skills the way they move and squish around.

So, how would you anesthetize a magnifica so it doesn't move during the cut...... :)
 
Last edited:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13571055#post13571055 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Cindy,
I've loved your avatar for quite some time...

I have a small brown and gold tipped H. magnifica that I've kept for almost 3 years and I've got an Indo Pacific Regal Angel that I've kept for almost a year now and eats from my fingers.

I had a Red Sea Regal Angel that I'd kept for a year, but my H. magnifica moved and got caught in a pump intake and shredded the tentacles, releasing the nematocysts, killing every fish in the tank except my clowns, (Regal Angel, Tomini Tang I'd had for 4 years, and a Black cap basslet I'd had for 8 months). The anemone recovered nicely after several weeks of looking like crap.
I recall reading in Gary's thread when he fragged his Mertensii that he lost several fish when he placed his anemone's back into the tank.

How did you avoid this? What was your procedure for the two anemones after the fragging?

I really, really, really hope you are able to get this going as a source of captive propagated H.magnifica's. Especially since your's are so beautiful.

Please keep posting any and all updates.

Nick
Click to expand...
I have to sheepishly admit that I did not take steps to protect the fish. I had gotten up the nerve and the anemone had climbed into the perfect position, so I just cut it. I knew if I thought it out to long I would lose my nerve.

When I had cut a magnifica a few years ago I had it in an isolated tank with just a pearly jaw and a rabbitfish and clowns. Those fish weren't effected so I had a little confidence that they would be ok. I have also taken sections of tentacle and foot (for looking at under a microscope and for a propagation experiment respectively) in this tank with no ill effects on the fish.

I don't know how to explain the deaths and lack of deaths in different tanks.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13630487#post13630487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CCall
That's cool!
I am afraid to cut mine in half. I am hoping she will split on her own.

How much does one of your frags go for?
Click to expand...
I'm no where near selling any time soon. I just want to get a few out to other local tanks over the next few years and then way down the line I'll think about trying to make enough to start selling, but there is so much between here and there I'm not making plans yet. That hasn't stopped the PM offers (I think $500 was the highest so far and $300 has been a common offer) But I am not taking reservations for limited edition 2010 anemone frags as tempting as the idea is.

I will keep everyone posted on how the fragging is going.
 
Amazing

Amazing

I had a chance to get one of those limited edition ones that were 500 bucks. When i heard the price i almost choked.


Id def be willing to trade my two year old gigantea for a mag frag lol.

Flighty you need to find a purple base do this as well. I would like to walk into a lfs and see captive raised Mags. It would be a joy and a crushing blow to the aquarium trade.
 
Why would it be a crushing blow to the aquarium trade? With all the commercial marine farming going on, people will certainly use this experience to start fragging mags just as they have been fragging BTA regularly. More products for them to sell without having to go out into the ocean to collect. Better for all.

Dan
 
Oooo do I sense another itchy chopping finger? :) I think only Joe at Atlantis and Shutiny (seeral times) have actually chopped theirs so far. Am I missing anyone?
 
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