I want a magnifica, but being told it's impossible...

[Jeff000]

I have a 330g dt, and a 220g sump. Probably right around 400g of water. Tank has been running for 6 months as is, and was running in just the sump for a year before that and everything in the sump was running in a smaller tank for 2 years. I have probably 400lbs of lr. I have 800w of diy led available, so if I don't have enough light it's impossible to have enough light. It's an sps tank, so lots of great flow too.

I tried a mag earlier in the year, but it only made it a week. My lfs is really great, but said they have only seen like 1 in 50 make it.
I'm not sure if it's just because Canada shipping is worse or what, but I only know of one other mag in an aquarium.

I don't have the capability to qt and medicate a mag. Is that the only way to get them to live?

What can I do to make my chances as good as possible?

Thanks.

 

[OrionN]

...

I don't have the capability to qt and medicate a mag......

Here is the problem. I bet you have the capability. Just you don't want to bother to do it.
Medication when need, early enough will really increase your chance of success.
QT and treatment setup for a anemone is cheap. It cost less than the cost of the anemone itself. You can set it up and throw it away after and it would be cheaper than just spend the money trying to get one that will live.
This is how much it would cost me to setup a QT and treatment tank
20 g tank $20 at Petco
Heater $10 (used at LFS make sue it works first) New one maybe 20
Small PH $10 used
egg crate $5 Home Depo
Small clip on light $10 change screw bulb to one of the highest PC light bulb
Medication $12.00
Counter space in the kitchen for 1 week. That is it.
How to do this already map out for you.

Cost of a really nice Magnifica can be well over 100.00

 

[Jeff000]

I figured they needed months of qt and meds.

So I can just use water from my tank, and put the new water into my tank. And let that run for a week or two? Doesn't need any filtration?

Is there a detailed thread on this?

I'm looking for a big mag, like 14" or bigger. So just get a bigger tank to use eh?

 

[OrionN]

See the sticky thread at the top of this forum

 

[Breadman03]

Minh's got this to a science.

Also, Cipro is readily available in the US via Ebay (and other sites), and I assume that you will have ready access as well.

 

[ca1ore]

My LFS won't even bring them in because 'none of them survive'. Frankly, I actually think this is a good thing, because without treatment, survival rates are deplorable, and most people either don't know to, or cannot be bothered.

I have had four Mags in my time reefing, and three of them have survived long-term. Two of those three I believe would not have without treatment. The one that survived sans treatment was already established in a fellow reefers tank.

Minh has this down to a science - only get a Mag if you are willing to follow his protocol.

 

[Jeff000]

Ordered some meds.

I have a 60g tank I'm going to use for the qt, and some pretty good led lighting.

I'm wondering if I could do two mags at the same time. Half to up my odds of getting one to live. Or would one just drag the other down if it decided to die? In the case both make it I know someone else that wants one.

 

[D-Nak]

Ordered some meds.

I have a 60g tank I'm going to use for the qt, and some pretty good led lighting.

I'm wondering if I could do two mags at the same time. Half to up my odds of getting one to live. Or would one just drag the other down if it decided to die? In the case both make it I know someone else that wants one.

You're betting off taking advantage of Petco's dollar per gallon sale and getting two 20 gallon tanks. Sick mags and gigs can both bring a healthy one down. Just QT each mag in its own tank.

 

[Winwood]

In the olden days, 1 in 50 was probably accurate. Way back about 2 years ago. There has been a lot of advancements with antibiotics. They seem to increase your odds greatly.

 

[Jeff000]

You're betting off taking advantage of Petco's dollar per gallon sale and getting two 20 gallon tanks. Sick mags and gigs can both bring a healthy one down. Just QT each mag in its own tank.

No petco in Canada. 20g tank is like 50 bucks here.

I'll just do one at a time.

 

[ca1ore]

Plus, smaller tank means less cipro

 

[mindi]

Well I am a newbie so no advice offered.... but my tank is 100 gallons (US) about 50lb live rock and 70 litre sump with two ceramic marine pure blocks....it is four months old. I have a snow white Heteractis Magnifica with purple tips about 7" across who has finally stopped moving around my tank (I think) and settled with two Percula Clowns (which were sold to me as Ocellaris). The Anemone cost me $65, and he looks fantastic... for all I know he may be going to die tomorrow but he looks just great after two months. Every day or so he completely withdraws into his majenta coloured body for a few hours than comes out again.
I feed him a small piece of raw peeled prawn (shrimp..?) every third or fourth day. If I feed him too soon he grabs the piece of food then chucks it out a little later when he has decided he doesnt want it. I dont have a QT and wouldnt know how to medicate something. I didnt acclimatise him like a fish but sort of just put him in.
His tankmates are two Percula, a Coral Beauty, lots of Turbo snails, two hermit crabs, and an awesome Cynarina LPS...and a less awesome Bubble LPS and some Cladiella. They live in 78/8.2/9.0/No2=0/No3=2/NH3=0/po4=0 /Ca=420/ Mg=1350....and only 200W of chinese LEDs half blue half white. 15 turnovers hr from powerheads and 5 from recirc.
You have a much more advanced tank than me and I can only think from the effort you are having to put in that the Heteractis is suffering in the travel... mine has probably only come from North Queensland to South Queensland. It is no good flogging a dead horse if it just wont work but they were not named magnicia for nothing...mine just visually dominates my tank at times....so dont tell me if I am doing it all wrong as I will start fiddling with it....LOL

 

[OrionN]

Mindi,
Pure white Magnifica sound bad. I am thinking he is bleached. Is it possible for you to post a picture?
You are right in thinking that travel time is a huge factor in how they fare. Most of the anemones imported to the US succum to infection due to stress of travel and affect of holding tanks where many of them from all over pile into one tank/system. These infection are communicable. I have lost more than one healthy anemone due to infection introduced into the system from a sick anemone

 

[mindi]

LOL...No..certainly not bleached...has strong purple tips and pink shaded interior, bright magenta trunk. Brilliantly coloured. White Magnifica are common in Micronesia and I think Nth Queensland also on GBR. With tight controls on GBR collection I think much livestock available in Australia comes from Micronesia and Indonesia...still close by. Will try and post a photo though.

 

[mindi]

Should have said of course you might be right... but had observed this Anemone and several other ones similar in LFS for several months before buying...will let you know if it shows any sign of colouring.

 

[D-Nak]

No petco in Canada. 20g tank is like 50 bucks here.

I'll just do one at a time.

Ah sorry, I was posting on my phone and didn't look at your location. I'm glad you're willing to QT one at a time. No need to rush anything in this hobby, especially when there is now a proven QT method for mags. Please remember that Cipro is an antibiotic so a full course needs to be given, regardless of how the nem appears. I recommend 7 days of treatment, followed by at least a week without meds just to observe the nem's appearance and behavior. If all is well, then it can be added to the DT.

 

[mindi]

Pic as promised

Pic as promised

Is this bleached..?

 

[jwoyshnar]

I would say yes.

 

[MammothReefer]

I can't find any nice ones anymore for the life of me. I had a clone I received from a buddy of mine years ago. Never been able to get another one like it, I lost it in a total tank crash as did he. One day I'll find one again.

 

[OrionN]

Is this bleached..?

Mindi,
That is bleached and it is not a H. magnifica. It is a E. quadricolor which is the BTA.