bradleym
Premium Member
I am looking for help and insight regarding a new H. Magnifica that is going downhill. For the sake of efficiency, here is some background for this situation. My tank is 210g, has been setup for 14 months, and has kept 2 H. Magnificas healthy already for 4 months prior to this new, troubled anemone. I sold one and bought a new one. The one I kept is still healthy and happy in the tank. My parameters are as follows. SG 1.025, temp 82, alk 10, NO3 <10, PO4 <.03, Amm 0, NO2 0. This thread is in regards to the new one I bought only. What follows is, to the best of my ability, a complete list of my observations and actions as far as care for this anemone are concerned.
10-12-12 16:00 - Received via Fedex. The bag’s alkalinity was 11, mine was 8. Acclimated for 2+ hours then placed it in a floating basket. No signs of distress other than acclimation. Mostly inflated and mouth closed by 22:00.
10-13-13 8:00 – The anemone walked into a powerhead, which was placed badly by me. Several tentacles and a few sections along the edge of the oral disc were damaged. I replaced the powerhead with a small pump that could be positioned outside the basket. The mouth is still closed and it is still inflated, except in the damaged area.
10-13-12 18:00 – The anemone has tucked in the damaged area, and the rest of the anemone is fully inflated and healthy looking. I added a second pump, because the flow was barely worth noting.
10-14-12 17:00 – The anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. It did not take it quickly, but it did eat.
10-15-12 14:30 – Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-16-12 8:00 – Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop.
10-17-12 13:00 – Slight bleaching of color is occurring, possibly the result of stress, likely caused by the powerhead damage. I replaced the 2 pumps with a Koralia 750 for better flow.
10-17-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-19-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-21-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-23-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-24-12 7:00 – The anemone had spit out the scallop overnight. It is partially deflated and mouth gaping.
10-24-12 12:00 – More inflated. Mouth almost closed.
10-24-12 18:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping. Spitting out brown matter.
10-24-12 22:00 – More inflated. Mouth partially closed.
10-26-12 12:00 – I changed the powerhead out to a sweeping type for more random flow.
10-27-12 9:00 – Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-27-12 19:00 – Anemone was removed from basket and placed on rockwork. Mostly inflated, mouth closed.
10-28-12 3:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-28-12 8:30 – Mostly deflated, mouth gaping.
10-28-12 13:00 – Mostly inflated, mouth gaping slightly.
10-28-12 15:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-28-12 22:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Based compressed.
10-29-12 9:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-29-12 15:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Based expanded and anemone lying flat.
10-29-12 18:30 – I placed a plastic bucket lid over the anemone’s section of the tank to block the light, in case it was suddenly becoming sensitive to it. The position I set the anemone is only 6 inches under the water, and another 4 inches from there to some strong LED lighting. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly.
10-29-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
10-30-12 9:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
10-30-12 13:30 – Partially inflated. Mouth gaping.
10-30-12 17:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping.
10-30-12 21:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth almost closed.
10-30-12 23:30 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping.
10-31-12 8:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-31-12 18:00 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
10-31-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
11-1-12 8:00 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
11-1-12 18:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth almost closed.
11-2-12 8:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping slightly.
11-2-12 21:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
11-2-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
11-3-12 10:30 – Partially deflated. Mouth not visible.
11-3-12 16:00 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-5-12 19:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping.
11-6-12 8:00 – Partially inflated. Stomach everted.
11-6-12 15:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping badly.
11-7-12 00:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-7-12 1:00 – Moved anemone to hospital tank filled with tank water. The anemone was barely holding to the rockwork, so removal was unfortunately easy. I placed the anemone on a Tupperware container for a pillar. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base expanded and lying flat.
11-7-12 8:30 – The anemone either didn’t attach, or released from the pillar. I found it positioned by flow between the pillar and eggcrate blocking the powerhead. I placed a sheet of netting behind the eggcrate to slow the flow a bit. Partially inflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
11-7-12 17:30 – The anemone had expanded and moved toward the eggcrate, tentacles reaching through it, most likely seeking the flow. I removed the netting. Mostly deflated. Stomach everted. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-7-12 22:30 – 50% water change to new water. Old water appeared cloudy. Mostly deflated. Stomach everted. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-8-12 00:30 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
11-8-12 8:00 – The anemone appears to be spitting out a mostly white ball the size of a small marble, along with what looks like a some pieces of mesenterial filaments. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
It is my intention to do a 50% water change daily at or around 22:00 every night during treatment, since the hospital tank lacks any type of filtration. The HT is filled with 10g, so a 5g bucket is an easy measure for water changes. It is also my intention, should things continue this way, to begin treating the anemone with an antibacterial, most likely Ciprofloxacin, sometime this weekend. While I don't like the idea of using medication, it is common sense that a slim chance is better than no chance, and there is a distinct trend to this story so far. Any and all advice is welcome, and if there are any questions that I left unanswered, please ask. There is precious little I wouldn’t do if I had a good reason to believe it would help. Thanks in advance.
10-12-12 16:00 - Received via Fedex. The bag’s alkalinity was 11, mine was 8. Acclimated for 2+ hours then placed it in a floating basket. No signs of distress other than acclimation. Mostly inflated and mouth closed by 22:00.
10-13-13 8:00 – The anemone walked into a powerhead, which was placed badly by me. Several tentacles and a few sections along the edge of the oral disc were damaged. I replaced the powerhead with a small pump that could be positioned outside the basket. The mouth is still closed and it is still inflated, except in the damaged area.
10-13-12 18:00 – The anemone has tucked in the damaged area, and the rest of the anemone is fully inflated and healthy looking. I added a second pump, because the flow was barely worth noting.
10-14-12 17:00 – The anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. It did not take it quickly, but it did eat.
10-15-12 14:30 – Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-16-12 8:00 – Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop.
10-17-12 13:00 – Slight bleaching of color is occurring, possibly the result of stress, likely caused by the powerhead damage. I replaced the 2 pumps with a Koralia 750 for better flow.
10-17-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-19-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-21-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-23-12 18:00 - Anemone accepted a small piece of scallop. Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-24-12 7:00 – The anemone had spit out the scallop overnight. It is partially deflated and mouth gaping.
10-24-12 12:00 – More inflated. Mouth almost closed.
10-24-12 18:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping. Spitting out brown matter.
10-24-12 22:00 – More inflated. Mouth partially closed.
10-26-12 12:00 – I changed the powerhead out to a sweeping type for more random flow.
10-27-12 9:00 – Fully inflated, mouth closed.
10-27-12 19:00 – Anemone was removed from basket and placed on rockwork. Mostly inflated, mouth closed.
10-28-12 3:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-28-12 8:30 – Mostly deflated, mouth gaping.
10-28-12 13:00 – Mostly inflated, mouth gaping slightly.
10-28-12 15:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-28-12 22:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Based compressed.
10-29-12 9:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-29-12 15:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Based expanded and anemone lying flat.
10-29-12 18:30 – I placed a plastic bucket lid over the anemone’s section of the tank to block the light, in case it was suddenly becoming sensitive to it. The position I set the anemone is only 6 inches under the water, and another 4 inches from there to some strong LED lighting. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly.
10-29-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
10-30-12 9:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
10-30-12 13:30 – Partially inflated. Mouth gaping.
10-30-12 17:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping.
10-30-12 21:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth almost closed.
10-30-12 23:30 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping.
10-31-12 8:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
10-31-12 18:00 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
10-31-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
11-1-12 8:00 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base compressed.
11-1-12 18:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth almost closed.
11-2-12 8:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping slightly.
11-2-12 21:30 – Mostly inflated. Mouth not visible.
11-2-12 22:00 – 15% water change.
11-3-12 10:30 – Partially deflated. Mouth not visible.
11-3-12 16:00 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-5-12 19:00 – Mostly inflated. Mouth gaping.
11-6-12 8:00 – Partially inflated. Stomach everted.
11-6-12 15:00 – Partially deflated. Mouth gaping badly.
11-7-12 00:30 – Completely deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-7-12 1:00 – Moved anemone to hospital tank filled with tank water. The anemone was barely holding to the rockwork, so removal was unfortunately easy. I placed the anemone on a Tupperware container for a pillar. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping. Base expanded and lying flat.
11-7-12 8:30 – The anemone either didn’t attach, or released from the pillar. I found it positioned by flow between the pillar and eggcrate blocking the powerhead. I placed a sheet of netting behind the eggcrate to slow the flow a bit. Partially inflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
11-7-12 17:30 – The anemone had expanded and moved toward the eggcrate, tentacles reaching through it, most likely seeking the flow. I removed the netting. Mostly deflated. Stomach everted. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-7-12 22:30 – 50% water change to new water. Old water appeared cloudy. Mostly deflated. Stomach everted. Base expanded and anemone lying flat.
11-8-12 00:30 – Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
11-8-12 8:00 – The anemone appears to be spitting out a mostly white ball the size of a small marble, along with what looks like a some pieces of mesenterial filaments. Mostly deflated. Mouth gaping badly. Base compressed.
It is my intention to do a 50% water change daily at or around 22:00 every night during treatment, since the hospital tank lacks any type of filtration. The HT is filled with 10g, so a 5g bucket is an easy measure for water changes. It is also my intention, should things continue this way, to begin treating the anemone with an antibacterial, most likely Ciprofloxacin, sometime this weekend. While I don't like the idea of using medication, it is common sense that a slim chance is better than no chance, and there is a distinct trend to this story so far. Any and all advice is welcome, and if there are any questions that I left unanswered, please ask. There is precious little I wouldn’t do if I had a good reason to believe it would help. Thanks in advance.
