H. magnifica from BZA

[ousnakebyte]

I posted this thread here,:

Mag from BZA

but I though I would share it in this forum as well, as I don't know if everyone will visit the sponsor forums.

As I said in the other thread, I found BZA extremely easy to deal with, and Lisa at BZA was so very helpful. Magnifica has been not only my favorite anemone, but probably my favorite animal since I learned of its existence, and I have been keeping anemones for 10 years now. However, I have never had a mag before - this one is my first. So far, so good, I guess. I received it back in mid-late April, and it seems to be settling in nicely - along with anemone crab:

I have been - and am still - acclimating it to my lights (250 watt Ushio 14K), and it eats everything I give it - chopped shrimp, mysis shrimp, chopped smelt (fish).

As it grows, I am prepared to move corals (various sps) to the other side of the tank and give it all the room it needs/wants.

I could not be more pleased with Blue Zoo Aquatics and this H. magnifica specimen.

Cheers
Mike

 

[garygb]

Very nice mag. It looks healthy. Good luck with it.

 

[Conrad25]

Thats a really nice looking mag. I'm guessing its on the small side? Also tank details?:beer:

 

[Jasanden]

I got a H. mag from BZA just over a year ago. Am very happy with my purchase.

 

[1fishkeeper]

I almost pulled the trigger and got one of them when they had them. It was back then when they had the three puprle base ones. I just couldnt do it because I didnt think my tank was ready yet. Now Im on the hunt for one now.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Sure looks great .... Good luck with it as I here they are hard to keep because the some how always climb into the power heads.

 

[dancewithethan]

You have better luck than I do. Almost every things I got, fishs, nem etc, from BZA either DOA or dead the next day.

 

[ousnakebyte]

Thats a really nice looking mag. I'm guessing its on the small side? Also tank details?:beer:

Thanks - yes, it's about 6-7 inches when fully inflated, and I think it has grown just under an inch in the last two months perhaps. But, I target feed it about 3 times per week, maybe four. I wanted a smaller one, as I understand they have a slightly better survival rate than large ones - but I have no personal experience there.

As for other tank details - it is a 120 gallon, with 2 x 250 ushio 14K and two actinics. The return pump (Reeflo Dart) returns though a 1" sea swirl with eductor and also runs a manifold with all my peripherals (skimmer, Ca reactor, PO4 reactor, carbon, and fuge). I did have a closed loop with an OM and Reeflo Snapper, but the loop/OM have developed a few slow leaks, so it is currently offline. The rest of the flow is achieved with two MP40s.

Other Invert inhabitants include a LTA (with two resident GSM clowns - thus no clowns for the mag, as I understand) and a blue S. haddoni with another resident anemone crab. I've had both of these nems for 10 years now. And, then there are various sps and LPS corals and some tridacna clams (4). Still looking for a nice squamosa to complete my collection.

Sure looks great .... Good luck with it as I here they are hard to keep because the some how always climb into the power heads.

Yes, I have read that about mags (and actually had my LTA and my carpet take a ride through the powerheads back when I was a less accomplished aquarist). The LTA and Carpet have been residing in their respective PVC tubes for the past 7 years since I learned about that trick. But, as the mag is not a sand dweller, I placed it on its own flat rock where I assumed it to be high enough. And, it would have to climb down and then up the wall to meet the PH. It has not moved more than 1-2 inches side-to-side since I placed it in the tank.

You have better luck than I do. Almost every things I got, fishs, nem etc, from BZA either DOA or dead the next day.

Did they replace/credit/refund you appropriately?

This mag did go through that phase of daily crashing a few hours after the halides came on every day and would then inflate if I shut the lights off. It scared the crap out of me when I first saw it. As I know this to not be normal behavior for an anemone, I placed egg crate and window screen over the top of the tank - about 4 sheets thick (I gauged the reaction of the anemone re-inflating after lights on and it finally did not deflate). Then, I have been removing one layer every two weeks or so. It seems to finally be acclimating to the light and not crashing. But, I realize I am not totally out of the woods with this anemone still being new.

Cheers
Mike

 

[deangelr]

My Mag from Blue Zoo,

I really like BZA they even sent me a free Hawaii Halloween Hermit.. I asked for it too late but they just threw it in without a charge (Maybe I shoulda kept that secret )

But this anemone has looked the exact same since I got it a few months ago.. Hasn't moved an inch. I also created a little island for it so it would have to go down then across the sand then up to get to anywhere in the tank.

I don't think that where you get the anemone from really matters as far as their shipping success. I am 0-2 at LA but I know they do a great job. Shipping procedures are pretty standard these days. I would say that it isn't the skill at which you package it up, but more luck during the transport/acclimation.. More information is needed on this topic.