Heteractis Magnifica
- Thread starter Cpt Bob
- Start date
Generally it is best to keep H. magnifica in a species tank (not with other anemones or corals). They pack a pretty strong sting and there is also the concern of allelopathy. Before they settle in one spot, they often wander a bit trying to find just the right place (atop the live rock where they get plenty of light). I have never bought one online myself. Things to look out for are a bleached one or one that has a tear on the base. In either case, the animal is comprimised and will require pristine tank conditions to get it back to good health. Once established, I have found H. magnfica to be relatively hardy. They have a reputation as being the most difficult host anemone to keep. I think that is because many of the ones offered in the trade have suffered in collection/transport and have trouble rallying back to good health.
Gary
Gary
hybridgenius
In Memoriam
These things grow big too. Goodluck, but they are up on the list as hardest anemone to care for.
purza, if you are sincerely interested in the anemone, if you buy it just know that it might not recover. The fact is, if you don't buy it, it might not live at all. And, the fact that you have a sincere interest in keeping H. magnifica increases it's odds significantly. I've had one over 5 years now, and I love this species. But, they're not the easiest anemone to keep. What kind of lighting do you have? What are your water parameters? What else do you have in the tank?
I just went and placed an order for one with my LFS that will be here on tuesday. At the moment my reef is almost empty as I have just returned home from a study abroad session in Palermo. My water quality is perfect and the H. Magnifica will have plenty of room to settle without disturbing any of the other tank members. Why is it considered hard to keep? Is it because it requires great water quality?
You mentioned that you will be keeping the anemone under MH. I would suggest you use perhaps a 14,000K rather than the 20,000K listed in your posting. They are shallow water animals and prefer daylight. Also, don't be surprised if it takes it a while to adjust to two 250 watt MH. In transport or warehouse, it might have been under much less light than that. I personally have kept mine under PC's, MH, and now T-5's. Mine seem happier either very near the PC's (literally a few inches from the 6700K bulbs) or under the t-5 HOs. It took a long time to adapt to the MH (10,000K), which I kept them with for over a year. Some say that H. magnifica does best under MH, that hasn't been my personal experience, though I've seen pics of some under MH that were thriving. Just know, it might take yours a while to acclimate to a MH.
I have kept mine now for over 8 years, does have a strong sting! my percs love him & never wander far away, He likes the motion of my sea swirls, and lighting enjoys VHO 160 W super & daylights more than when my halids are on, I think they also do better with there symbiotic relationship with there host clowns, and wow he has grown, he's now about 20" & likes near the bottom of a 300 gal reef, it's my first attemt with an anemone, been good for me and eats like a pig!
"It's funny lol my LFS keeps their magnificas under very weak fluerecents around 3-4 foot above the water lol for around a month. They look like their in bad shape and suckers actually buy them for around $180 AUD! LOL!"
Hardly laughable in my opinion. More like cry out loud that a species that appears not to rebound very quickly from harvesting is treated in a way that is not conducive to long-term care.
Hardly laughable in my opinion. More like cry out loud that a species that appears not to rebound very quickly from harvesting is treated in a way that is not conducive to long-term care.
I feel like most do. If I get it into my tank, it can still be saved since it still has a little green in it's tentacles and looks good to me (although I have no personnal experience with keeping any anemone). I found some good information in a book on anemones and thanks to those on this forum I am getting lots of sound practical information. I have decided to wait a little while longer and buy a rbta which is what I really prefer. I'll check with my reef club then my not so lfs (both 75+ miles away).
Slakker
Premium Member
They keep bringing them in because there are a lot of aquarists who don't know any better, and who think "that pretty white anemone" would be a good addition to their tank, or generally failed to do their research and have no idea what a healthy anemone actually looks like. Thus, the LFS keeps selling anemones that are in poor health to people who don't have the equipment to keep it.
I once witnessed the sale of a horrible BTA specimen to a woman who told the clerk that she had "Some sort of fluorescent tubes or something." He assured her that they barely even needed light for survival and she happily walked out with a doomed animal.
I know, some lfs's have personnel that either don't care or don't know any better. Fortunately, in my area, Petco stores no longer carry invertebrates, though they were for a while. They seem to stick with the hardier marine fish. I don't know what the solution is, not to buy period unless the store gets their condtions up to par, or to admonish the manager as we walk out with a sick anemone in an attempt to save the poor thing.
