Is My Mag Looking okay (video linkS inc.)

[Mad Marine]

Hi All,

I would really appreciate your thoughts on my Mag. It was sitting in my LFS for 3 weeks before I purchased it. He moved up from the rock closer to the overflow....I had to improvise and attach netting cut out of a fish net as some of its tentacles were getting sucked in. Just wondering if you think it looks okay??? I would also like your thoughts on what food type and how much I should feed the nem? I have mussel meat and I was thinking one piece once a week. The tank has been running for 4 weeks, all parameters are fine.

today
https://vimeo.com/197946150

3 days ago
https://vimeo.com/197600479

Thanks

MM

 

[Gig 'em]

I can't say the anemone looks great. My healthy mags typically remain less stretched out with more dense tentacles, especially around the mouth. That's what caught my eye the most, the bald look around the mouth and the long stringy tentacles. It could be that it's just weak from being in a LFS holding tank for 3 weeks and it'll regain heath over time in a stable tank.

As far as feeding, I would try feeding anything yet. In my experience mags decline quickly in health when fed and their health isn't at its best. Hold off on feeding for a while until it starts looking better. Once it's healthy I would feed krill. I feed my mags krill once or twice a week and they are doing well.

Another thing that bothers me is how sterile the tank looks. Is this a new tank? Mags typically require well established tanks and don't do very well in sterile environments. They can produce a TON of waste and you need a tank that is capable of dealing with those nutrient loads. I wouldn't put a mag in anything younger than 6 months to be safe. Luckily this anemone survived 3 weeks in captivity already so it seems to be a hardy specimen.

Good variable flow, strong light, and a healthy tank should knee this anemone alive and on the road to recovery. Keep an eye on that mouth, it doesn't look tightly closed. If it starts gaping you may want to consider removing out and treating it in a hospital tank with cipro. Good luck!

 

[ca1ore]

Most important things to look for in a sick mag are distended mouth and deflation cycles. Absent these, I'd just let it settle in and get used to your tank. Personally, I do not feed my mags at all. If I do, they grow too fast.

 

[Mad Marine]

Thanks for your comments. The tank is new, only 4 weeks old. I was having difficulty pairing up my wild caught PNG percula's, so decided to purchase the Mag. Hopefully it will regain it's health as you said and all will be okay.

MM

 

[worm5406]

With the tank being 4 weeks old you can have lots of swings in a lot of your parameters. You really need to be careful. We usually do not recommend to place an anemone in a tank until at least 6 months old, to let the rock season.

If you think of an anemone that is touching the rock all the time it can be caustic to the foot. It may cause it to move more as it does not like what it is touching.

How much history do you have with saltwater tanks? I have seen people at a local unreliable LFS try to get everything in one day and wonder why it did not work and crashed not long after they set it up.

 

[Mad Marine]

Hey worm5406,

I have a good amount of experience having worked in a reef store as manager for 3 years in my early 20's and had various set-ups in the past but this is my first tank in 10 years (and I know a lot has changed since then) so have been online re-educating myself over the past year and keeping up to speed with all new developments. I'm 41, have kept fish from the age of 12 and marine's since I was 19 years old.

My previous tank (10 years ago) was 8 1/2ft x 30" (wide) x 3ft high....huge sump, skimmer, refugium, 1600w of metal halide light and a tonne of flow...livestock include 6 convict tangs, pair of wild percula clowns, pair of sebae clowns, scarlet hawk, bubble-tip anemone, carpet anemone, various LPS, some SPS and softies + liverock....perc's were laying eggs within two weeks and all was okay, all stock was added after 3 weeks as far as I can recall. The convicts went in looking a bit ragged from shipping, they all healed themselves within 10 days. Broke up with girlfriend...had to sell the house and get rid of the tank.

Now I have a Red Sea reefer 350 with led's, triton method...lots of liverock etc. I totally agree with you saying adding anemones to a new system is a bad idea, I was having trouble with pairing up my new clown so decided to buy a Mag (that was sitting in my LFS for 3 weeks), so even though not the prettiest I thought it was a good specimen (no infections) and purchased for my clowns. My local fish store is the best in the country (Ireland), my ex-boss has a facility in Co Galway, he breeds clowns, props corals etc for the aquatic market. Links below -

LFS:
http://www.seahorseaquariums.com/

Breeding and prop facility:
http://koralsea.com/

Thanks

MM

 

[worm5406]

Nice... I saw that you had 35 posts and joined in May. Glad to see some history in LFS/Reefing.

I think it looks great. Makes me jealous some. I clicked on the show in vimeo and made it HD. I just sat and watched them both like 2-3 times in a row.

Glad being across the pond did not limit the availability of certain SW items/inhabitants.

See any problems or questionable items?

 

[worm5406]

Hahahahaha

I saw this today:

Current Tank:Two sausage rolls, a plank of wood, 3 lights bulbs and a bottle of ballygowen.

 

[Mad Marine]

I must have been feeling quite "mad" when I wrote that! I will amend accordingly (now that I actually have a system up and running)...

MM

 

[worm5406]

I thought it was funny. It reminded me of Bangers.

 

[Banff]

Why do I suddenly want to add a sausage roll reactor and start dosing with whisky?

 

[worm5406]

I was thinking of using Bushmills maybe.

 

[Banff]

I'm going with some kind of scotch, perhaps Laphroaig. After all, I do have a fish called Hamish McPuff.