Help with my NOW swimming Ritteri

[2dawghouse]

I need some help. I have a 155 ritteri tank with two mags in it. Both mags have been in the tank together for 6+ months and were actually cuddled up together till one of my mags decided to go walking beginning last week. Every morning I would get up and he would be inside my drain. So I would take the drain apart and place it on the center of the tank on the sand. By the time I got home he would be moving around the tank so I would put the drain back together. Well after dealing with this issue for several days I covered the drain and built him a rock ledge to trap him up high and on a rock. For a day he enjoyed it but starting tonight he wont attach to anything except the drain. He will walk along the rocks for about 30mins then dettach and go swimming/floating. His foot is not damaged at all and seems like he gets mad cause he cant get back into his drain and just says "eff it, Ill float somewhere". My other mag is just fine and isnt phased in the least bit. My swimming mag is fully inflated, mouth closed, sticky and eats.

My paramters are:
Amm-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrates- less than 5
Phosphates- 0
Calcium 410
Alk- 9
Temp: night 78, day 80
Lighting 8 bulb T5, 10hr a day

What is causing him to dettach after walking around for 30 mins?

 

[sjwitt]

Hows the circulation (flow)? If it's going to the drain then it sounds like it might be looking for a higher area of circulation.

 

[SomeDude12]

I agree. He's likely looking for a better location. I've personally had very healthy anemone's, decide one day to detach in search for a better spot.

 

[reefs4lifee]

My mag used to do the same thing but as soon as I tuned up my vortechs a bit it stop traveling so far. I understand your frustation, especially if it's going in the overflow, I have a 210 and sometime it would be all the way at the bottom of the narrow overflow and it's such a pain to get it out. You should just give the flow a try and also, how often do you feed it?

 

[BonsaiNut]

Mags are rock anemones, so if you place them on the sand they WILL move. Best bet is to place them on a rock bommie, in the middle of the tank, in good flow with intense lighting. Then they won't move

 

[OrionN]

I agree with BonsailNut. It either lack of light and or lack of flow. Magnifica need both to stay put.

 

[2dawghouse]

I know they are rock nems, I placed the overflow tube on the sand so he could climb out and go back onto the rocks. I couldnt get him out of the overflow, he had to get himself out.

What I dont get is the overflow isnt nearly as much flow as Im putting through my tank. My tank is the never ending hurricane lol. But I will turn up the flow more and see if that helps. And my other mag is actually enjoying a slightly lower flow area than where my moving mag is currently. But I know each mag can be different. I feed both mags once every 3 days.

Finally he attached to a rock and he hasnt moved in 2 days. Im certain he will move again but its nice to see him stationary for once lol.

 

[worm5406]

Got some pics?

I take some flake food and let go of it near my questionable flow areas to see how it is moving. Then I test in another area, the same way.

It might just be a matter of flow and how it is hitting. Mine seem to like sideways flow not head/mouth on. They moved around at the start until I angled one of my PH.

 

[aandfsoccr04]

How do you know if you have enough flow directed at them? Is there a way to look at how fast their tentacles are moving or how can you really determine?

 

[OrionN]

How do you know if you have enough flow directed at them? Is there a way to look at how fast their tentacles are moving or how can you really determine?

You really don't want to direct the flow {b]at them[/b]. I often use the propeller type PH like Koralia rather than the older centripetal type like Maxi-jet. I would either bounce the flow off of the wall or the surface at the anemone. Also they really like flow from two PH meet at a area above them. The random flow result from the two PH will result in type of flow they like to have.
Expensive PH like the Vortech PH also great because it can be program for random, variable flow. I use the Vortech MP10 in a 30 g cube tank and it is perfect for my Gigantea (need even more flow than a Magnifica, IME.

 

[2dawghouse]

So far so good. I open up a spot along the back wall where he can attach his foot along the back wall and my PH point directly at each other and collide right at him. He hasnt moved since.

I need to get some video's posted. Problem is my camera phone really exagerates the blue in the tank to almost where it looks gray. You cant even tell the color differences between the two (one is sky blue base, pink tentacles, yellow tip the other is brown base maroon tentacles and green tip)

 

[2dawghouse]

Ok, here is a quick video. Notice: my clowns are really bright orange lol

 

[OrionN]

If you can, I would decrease the flow a little. Point the PH at each other, meeting just above the anemones would be fine. IME, that is a little too much flow for Magnifica. Better than not enough. If they don't like it, they can always move a little to the side.

 

[2dawghouse]

I can do that but do you think its wise considering the upper one just settled in there and hasnt moved since Sunday morning? I really havent dialed down the flow much if at all. The lower one, he has been settled there since I first put him in, and the upper one he settled there after i moved the rocks.

And the PH are verging together just above both of them, but I can dial it down some.

 

[OrionN]

What kind of PH are you using? Can you change it to variable setting?
I would cut back on the flow a little.

 

[2dawghouse]

they are the dual 3200 gph PH by coralvue. Love them cause their flow is gentle and wide, great undertow, and covers my whole system. But i learned a trick of how to tune them down, just place thin acrylic over the cover and it lowers the undertow and output.

Also, a quick question about my lower mag. He will open is mouth for about a week straight. Usually the first day he expels waste but doesnt close it. He doesnt deflate at all...actually he never has. He is sticky and eats more than I am willing to feed him. And his mouth is really tight just open (about the size of a pencil eraser) for that week. Then he will close it for about a week. I assumed he was doing a water change, but he doesnt deflate, and it shouldnt take him a week to change his own water. really healthy, and it doesnt affect him. Just curious as to what you thought?