Heteractis magnifica splitting?

(Posted this on your tank thread as well)

How long has this been going on so far?

Helping it along may not be a bad idea if you're at a two week time frame. It looks healthy, so you're not in any rush to get this done right-this-very-now.

I would suggest that if you do help it finish the split, that you remove it from the tank, and keep it out of the system, (maybe set a smallish QT/Hospital tank attached to your system, but slowly turning over the water, with lots of activated carbon & skimming the drain water.).

Remeber how I lost my fish after my H.mag wandered into a pump and got shredded? Phender lost all of his fish, (except his clowns...just like me), when he fragged his Mertens carpet and returned both halves to his display.

I think there is a connection between trauma and the release of nematocysts enmasse like that. Because I havent heard of similar issues from people who's anemones split on their own in their system. Whether or not "helping" it split would constitute trauma, I dont know.....

Tufacody,
Mine did that as well the first month I had it. It finally acclimated and settled down. I suspect it might be a response to increased lighting intensity and is method of reducing its surface area capable of receiving light. I've had mine for almost 3 years now, and I rarely feed it. I would not feed it while its acclimating, believe it or not, it will add stress to it.

Nick
 
It's been about a week. I wounder if it could change it's mind and go back to normal.

I have some spare tanks and could set something up to put it in to finish the split, I would have to find a a skimmer but could I guess.

I would rather not and would be happy if it didn't split since I'll have to find a home for one of them.

I'll put another rock beside it but I'm not so sure that's the problem the rock its on is quite a bit bigger than the pictures show. But then again I don't know how much room it needs to split. :)

I guess I'll keep a eye on it for a bit yet and go from there.
 
I doubt that it can change it mind and reheal itself without split. What ever you do, good luck. I put a noose around the mid of the "C" with a rubberband and put tension on it. This help the anemone finish the division I did not remove the anemone from the tank at all and did not have any fish or coral mortality. The tank did not miss a beat.
My Magnifica divided three times to form four clones. Two of the three time (1st and 3rd) was without any problem but the second time, I help it after 1 week. The other two times it finish the process within 48 hrs.

BTW, you can just leave both of them on the same rock and they will be fine.
 
I agree with Minh, if you can leave it in the tank that is the best possible solution. If you decide to sell the clone, I would strongly suggest you wait a few months until its healed up and is healthy. After that I think you should sell it to me! :)

Nick
 
Yeah, I doubt the anemone is going to return to its former self. I would not remove it if I were you. Mine were both on rocks that measure maybe 1 foot across and after the division, each went to opposite sides of the rock.

Tufa, it's been a long time since I got my anemones, but I don't remember them looking good and then bad and then good and so on. My guess, as Maxx suggested,is that the anemone is adjusting to your lighting and tank conditions. Also, you asked how often I feed mine. I usually feed about 3 times a week: silversides, table shrimp, squid, anchovies from a fish market, occasionally krill, etc. I cut the food up so it's not too big, maybe the size of a peanut and feed a few pieces. Unless I overfeed, I never see anything egested. HTH
 
It seems to be continuing the split, the mouth on the larger top half's looks to have finished healing but the other still has some to go yet. Here is another pic not that you can see a lot. :rolleyes:

Rit-split04.jpg
 
Incredible photo, I have had my ritteri three months now. It is not purple, it is brown at the base, wit the same tentacle colors... Good luck with the split!
 
Nothing new on the split today. It seems like it's happy, fully inflated. From what I could see of the lower half's mouth, it looked healed. Hopefully it finishes in the next couple days, I guess it's in no hurry. :)

Here is a pic from a few minutes ago.

DSC_2065.jpg
 
This is an amazing specimen....absolutely gorgeous! Don't you face the problem of lil specks of anemone parts flying about in the tank whilst the anemone is splitting?
 
When the anemone is splitting naturally, there is no loss of tissue in term of bits of innards flying off of the animal.
 
Well nothing new on the split, I think the mouths have healed now but it's hard to get a good look in there. I put a rock in front of the rock it's on now to see if the new half wants to get away from the other.

I'm leaving town tomorrow for a week so hopefully it will have completed by then. My wife looks after the tank when I'm gone so everything should be fine.

Here is a pic I took (with flash) the other day before the MH's came on.

Rit-split06.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14151786#post14151786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OrionN
When the anemone is splitting naturally, there is no loss of tissue in term of bits of innards flying off of the animal.

ok...

By naturally, I think you mean an anemone splitting for reproduction and not due to stress. Right?
 
By naturally split, I mean a split without us cutting. Stress out or not, there will not be any loss of tissue that I can see anyway.
 
Back from a week away working and nothing new to report. The clowns laid their eggs in between the two halves. The lower half moved onto the rock I put in front of it so I moved the rock about a inch away from the other. It doesn't seem to be any further along in the split but it looks like it's doing ok. Here are some shots from today.


Rit-split08.jpg


Rit-split09.jpg


Rit-split10.jpg


Rit-split11.jpg
 
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