Heteractis magnifica the impossible dream!

[Oops1e]

OK so here is the story.. I have had a dream for the last 5 years to keep this anemone however I just havent been able to find room for the ultimate take I want to keep this anemone.

I have kept BTA's and a Crispa for 2 years so I have a good idea about the ups and downs of keeping anemones but I just cant get this idea out of my head.

The problem I have tho is that I just dont have enough room. The most floor space I have is 32 x 14 and I know ideal situation I would want 24 x 24 atleast. Everything else is no problem, just the ammount of space I have. :thumbdown

Is there any way possible to pull this off given that I have seen a few reports of manual division? I am not botherd about it climbing on the walls aslong as it is healthy I can enjoy that.

Any thoughts welcome

 

[OrionN]

It is hard to keep a Magnifica under small space unless you really setup for it and just want to keep it and the clowns. H magnifica is lethal sooner or later to everything around it. A purried Magnifica is lethal to all the verterbrates in the tank other than clownfish (many documented case here on RC). To keep it from moving you should have a rock pedestal with great light and circulation, and great tank water condition to keep it from leaving.
About the size, you can always select a small one and as long as it is healthy, don't feed it much to keep it from growing. About wall climbing, as long as it tentacles do not touch the side wall, it will not attemt to climb.
Basically if you give it good condition and if it want to move, the only direction it can move is down, then it won't move. If the condition is bad, it inflate the foot, release it's hold on the rock and sail way to the PH and to it's death and the death of the tank.

So, to answer your question. It is hard to keep a Magnifica in an area where one side is 14 inches, but not impossible. Your anemone should never be allow to reach full size. This can be done. Because the need to keep it from wander MH, great water condition and good circulation are essentials. Tell me about your tank condition and I can give an opinion if it is possible with great care or you should just set up a minimal size cube of 20X20 for it and just plumb it to your main system.

 

[BonsaiNut]

I don't think so. These are big animals that require a lot of space. If kept in a captive environment they will either grow quite large or die - you can't really regulate their size (in my opinion - since I have seen these anemones grow in captivity with no supplemental feeding whatsoever). I have seen these in the wild, and the smallest I have ever seen was 12" across. Most were much larger. A large creature not only needs a lot of space, but it requires a lot of oxygen, water movement, waste cycling, etc. Think about it this way - your creature / tank ratio would be very very high - like trying to keep a 4' tuna in a 8' tank.

You have to also ask the question of how you would prevent it from getting sucked into / blocking your water pumps - since a large anemone is really like a very large water balloon that wanders your tank and is attracted to water flow...

P.S. I respect Minh's opinion here since he has a lot of experience with these in captivity. Personally I wouldn't try it unless you really, really knew what you were doing. The beauty of a magnifica is its size. It's called "magnificent" for a reason. To try to keep it in a small tank and keep it small by starving and reducing light, does not do the animal justice. Personal opinion.

 

[Oops1e]

I would be setting up a new tank just for the mag and waiting for a year before adding it. I only plan to keep a pair of percs and the mag in the tank.

Ideal size would be 32x14x18 and a sump. I was thinking about making my own stand so I could use a very tall sump to add alot more volume. I have a 150 and a 250 double ended halide spare so I could use either. Ofc a powerfull skimmer also. cost is not really a problem just the welfare of the mag. I am in no rush I want to find the correct solution. Any more ideas would be great.

pretty much will do what it takes to make it work but the only restriction I have is on the size of the tanks footprint.

thanks for the help and sorry for the late reply (been unwell)

 

[OrionN]

The 14 inches is a no-no IMO. I would use at least a 20ishX20ishX18. Marineland have some perfect standard cube tank that would be fine for Magnifica.
I would consider a 30X30X24 lighted by a 250W DE ideal for a Magnifica tank.