Is My H. Magnifica OK?

[dirtyBit]

Was looking great this afternoon when I came home for lunch from work. A few hours later (After work) it looked deflated. Has this happend to anyone who own this anemone before?

Looked like this during lunch

After work it looked like this

I'm a little worried. I fed it a small piece of frozen silverside and it ate it. Anyone know what might be going on?:strange:

 

[lilyost4290]

it could be pooping? maybe?

 

[dirtyBit]

Maybe... It pooped a couple of days ago (what a mess). But it didn't seem to deflate like this. I know it's hard to tell in the pic but it looks half it's size.

 

[josh27]

I've heard stories of people feeding their anemones silversides and the anemone died.

 

[dirtyBit]

At lunch I did notice half a hermit crab near the nem. I guess it had a snack while I was gone. Could it have just had bad crabs? The other half was gone when I got home.

 

[josh27]

Just looked at your profile for some more info. So the tank has only been up for two months? I'm guessing the magnifica is pretty new to tank. It might just be going through stress if it was newly added. It could also be stressed since your tank is still very new. Magnificas require very good water conditions. If you can, could you list all your water parameters.

 

[dirtyBit]

My parms (from memory last checked 2 days ago):
Ammonia: ?
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: < 20ppm

PH: 8.4
Calcium: 420
K.H.: 10


I know a chromis I had died behind some rockwork (a couple of days ago). I've read that my CUC should be able to handle this so I didn't take everything apart. I'm not sure of the ammonia levels but If there is a chance it could be effecting the nem then I'll take everything apart if I have to and find it (apart from doing a water change).

 

[josh27]

Well, its probably too late to try to find it. I would recommend you do a good portion water change. The death probably caused a spike in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphates.

 

[dirtyBit]

Thanks man. Hopefully that will do it.

 

[AD87]

How long have you had this anemone?

 

[srusso]

Wow, not flaming you here but, if what the others are saying is true and your tank is only a couple of months old... That's very bad, people who sold you that anemone should have cared enough to keep you from making that mistake. That must have cost a ton, and from what I remember not the most common anemone to have...

Sorry it's not doing well, hope it pulls through...

 

[psusocr]

Mine has deflated once since i got mine as well, ironically enough two days after feeding it. Im going to wait to feed it again until it seems settled although its looks amazing. Im just making sure all my params are perfect and hoping for the best.

 

[hvacman250]

Mags should also be on a rock, a flat rock at or near the top. High flow and high light.

Pics make it look like its in the sand.

Putting it in an unestablished 2 month old tank is not the best conditions either.

 

[dirtyBit]

Thanks for your posts people. I've had it for over a week. This is a classic case of fish store spotting a newbie from a mile away. The nem was in such a cramped tank (literally a beta fish sized tank). It wasn't bleached and so I thought I might be able to pull it off.
I put it on the sand thinking it would move where it wanted but it hasn't moved more than a couple of inches to the right. It grabbed a piece of rock at the store and it hasn't let go yet. So it's on that rock on the sand. I think that if it still looks like that when I get home today, I'll move it up closer to the light.

 

[dirtyBit]

Well I got home and this is what I found

Looks to be back to normal (for now). I'm about to do a water change because I think another one of those chromies died behind a rock(why can't they ever die in a more convenient place).

My only worry is that the nem has still not moved up closer to the light. Maybe the lfs conditions were so bad that this must seem pretty good.

 

[psusocr]

The only concern i would have is that these nems like to be on rock not in the sand as stated and that may make it unhappy and/or unable to crawl from the sand to a higher point in the tank even if its on a rock in the sand..

 

[dirtyBit]

Would you suggest that I manually move it up myself?

 

[psusocr]

i may leave it alone for now, but if you see it stressing out again then its not happy with something, and this may be the reason. Ive never seen a mag in the sand before, but that doesnt mean that it cant be there. There are many ways to skin a cat so to speak..Hopefully one of the more experienced mag keepers can chime in.

 

[1fishkeeper]

You said that it was attached to a small rock. I would pull it but keep it on the rock and move it to the top of your tank. Also make sure that area that you place it in has good random flow to it.

 

[dirtyBit]

Ok here's an update. My mag seems to be doing quite well since moving it up. It usually inflates pretty wide. I swear I think it grew. Here's a pic:

Here's another one of it closed

Thanks to everyone who responded.