Mag Experts - Suggestions?

[vertwake]

Sorry if you answered this already, but how long have these tanks been running?

8 mos

I'll look at increasing salinity in my 40 to see if that makes a difference.

My last mag I had for about 4-5 weeks. The last week it would inflate/deflate every day and then it finally just melted away.

The mag in the 200 has stayed inflated all day so far with the reduced photo period. (I cut it in 1/2.) The mag in the 40 has already deflated again, so I shut the lights off and will monitor for the rest of the evening.

I haven't fed either one of them yet.

 

[Jasanden]

Have you tried feeding. I'm no expert but I have a mag that I have had just over a year. It went through a cycle of inflating and deflating shortly after I got it. All my parameters were in check. Deflated about the same time everyday so I cut my photo period Dow as was already suggested but it didn't help. It was always inflated more than deflated. So when it was looking good I tried it a piece of table shrimp and it took it right away. Once every week and a half I feed it and it has not deflated again. All this being said I would still look at your phosphates 1st.
Good luck

 

[zeeter]

Mags have a reputation to live a long time, but in reality they do just as well as any other nems but have the ability to devour themselves, prolonging their lives a bit.

Eight months is about borderline for anemones. Especially a mag. they do best in tanks at least a year old.

 

[elegance coral]

Eight months is about borderline for anemones. Especially a mag.

What?????

 

[vertwake]

What?????

Think that post is referring to the age of my tank being too young for a nem.

 

[elegance coral]

Thanks Vertwake. I totally read that wrong. No more posting for me after 9:00 LOL

 

[hypnoj]

i hear dates about tanks needing to be a year old all the time; I just wanted to know what you guys thought about anemone propagators using big bins to grow these things in and doing massive water changes with no live rock or anything as outlined by Anthony Malfo? I've yet to see any studies that show that time has anything to do with anemone's. Or do you guys just say "at least a year" because that is usually how long it takes a new "reefer" to learn enough about how to keep a tank stable? just wanted to know what you guys thought? (maybe should be in it's own thread)

 

[zeeter]

Think that post is referring to the age of my tank being too young for a nem.

Yeah - sorry. Should have clarified.

 

[zeeter]

i hear dates about tanks needing to be a year old all the time; I just wanted to know what you guys thought about anemone propagators using big bins to grow these things in and doing massive water changes with no live rock or anything as outlined by Anthony Malfo? I've yet to see any studies that show that time has anything to do with anemone's. Or do you guys just say "at least a year" because that is usually how long it takes a new "reefer" to learn enough about how to keep a tank stable? just wanted to know what you guys thought? (maybe should be in it's own thread)

I'm not familiar with that study. However I would venture to guess that the issues with anemones are due to a number of cycling factors that can be remedied by frequent water changes. Not sure why someone would want to, though. I don't know too many people who would be into that kind of setup you're talking about who don't have cycled live rock readily available. Much easier than changing the water all the time.

You're right, though, there really is not smoking gun on the time factor and it could be more due to the reefer's experience. I'm inclined to go the mature tank route, but your suggestion is a possibility and I don't have any data to discredit it.

 

[elegance coral]

i hear dates about tanks needing to be a year old all the time; I just wanted to know what you guys thought about anemone propagators using big bins to grow these things in and doing massive water changes with no live rock or anything as outlined by Anthony Malfo? I've yet to see any studies that show that time has anything to do with anemone's. Or do you guys just say "at least a year" because that is usually how long it takes a new "reefer" to learn enough about how to keep a tank stable? just wanted to know what you guys thought? (maybe should be in it's own thread)

Personally, I wouldn't listen to a word Anthony Calfo has to say about anemones.

A new system, started from scratch, usually takes about a year to really become stable. Holding off until then also allows the hobbyist to learn, and get comfortable with a maintenance schedule that works. Some anemones have survived being placed in young aquariums, but far more have died. I think it's a very good idea to hold of on purchasing an anemone, or any of the more delicate creatures we keep in this hobby.

 

[Reefvette]

I plus 1 times 10 to what elegance said especially the first sentance.

Anthony is a knowledgeable guy but he related his expeirence with coral to what he thinks anemones are. Anemone propagation and rehab is what i will be doing when me and my fiance move to our new place at the end of this year. Anemones are not like corals they cant be cut and chopped up and expected to live. The only thing they are propagating is bubbletips, and a splitting bubbletip is not a happy bubbletip.

Anemones need stable water conditions and a system that has been set up for awhile.

Someone in a thread said mags are planktivores and if thats true that would go alot to explain how the maturiaty of the tank comes into play.

My tank rock and water has been set up for over 6 years.

 

[zeeter]

I think that what hypnoj is suggesting is that if you work really hard to keep the water parameters stable it serves the same purpose as waiting a year. Technically I suppose this is true. Yet who has the time to do water tests three times a day? Heck - I haven't tested for ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates in my DT in around six months.

 

[elegance coral]

New tanks need time to mature. They're simply not going to become stable over night. Hard work isn't going to change this fact. It may actually make matters worse. Diatoms are just one example. They are almost unheard of in mature systems, but they're very common in new tanks. Hobbyist level tests can only test a small fraction of whats taking place in our systems. Microbial populations fluctuate long after the tank has "cycled". It takes time for the microbial population to become stable.

 

[shabreeson]

just to add a bit to ec's statement. when you get ur new live rock you're getting a mix of bacteria in your live rock which are vigorously competing for new resources in a new environment. some populations can sky-rocket while others are wiped out. you don't want sensitive anemones anywhere near this battle.

high levels of established bacterial populations can stabilize chemical changes(wastes) that new creatures create with much more certainty than a new tank.

in other words 3 month old live rock with a low population of battling bacteria can't process nearly as much waste as it would a year later.