Magnifica question

tufacody

New member
After saying I wouldn't try a mag again, well, I did. My mag has been doing iffy, but so far I've had it 5 weeks.

The mag is in a 65 gallon cube that is tied into a 300 gallon system. Almost every day that I have had it I have looked at it at one point and said either "wow, he looks great" or "crap, I give it 24 hours". Its obviously trying to equalize but despite meticulous water parameters it can't seem to. Its feeding response is also iffy at best. Still, he's hanging in there.

So here's the questions. The nem is under an Outer Orbit 250 watt halide-T5 system. The light is 13 inches above the water and then nem is another ten inches under the waterline. It has not moved to the very top.

I replaced the stock current bulb yesterday with a 14k Ushio. The light is much whiter and visibly more appealing but it appears darker than the stock bulb. I don't know if it is actually putting out less par, but given what I have heard about the stock bulbs in the Outer Orbit I would kind of doubt it. The stock bulb was of course very yellow, but seemed very bright to me.

The nem doesn't seem happy about the change though, but I'm just not sure I can attribute it to this. As I've said, he's a fighter but is just crashing daily. He has pretty much stayed deflated all day, and I'm not sure what to do. I do notice that he usually appears his best in the morning before the halides even come on. Boggle. Throughout the day he could be great or he could be completely deflated.

I wondering if mag keepers would suggest putting the 10k Current bulb back in, or maybe even lowering the unit closer to the water (although I think the nem would have crawled to the highest point if it wanted more light). The other choice is, of course, to wait it out.

Thanks for the opinions.
 
I tried Ushio 10K bulbs once and my mags didn't seem to like them. I switched to Coralvue and they seem okay with that brand and I also just added a 10K XM and they seem fine with it too. If it was seemingly doing better with the Current bulb, I would go back to that for the time being.
 
Reduce your photo period. Mine did the same thing when I first got it. I've had it for almost 3 years now. It was originally kept under 250 watt 20K bulbs at the LFS. I run XM 10K 250watt SE's.
I suspect your anemone is reacting to the increased lighting intensity.

Nick
 
Also, Ushio put out a lot more UVA compared to either Coralvue or XM based on a little experiment I did. UVA is not sufficiently absorbed by glass, btw (90% of UVA penetrates glass), as is UVB. Anyway, under Ushios, my anemones would cringe in just 30 minutes or so.
 
Great, glad I just bought a new bulb :(

On the brighter side, he looked great today and held throughout the photoperiod. I do have the light pretty high off the tank. I'm glad I didn't lower it. I'll give the Ushio a few more days and see how he does.
 
If it didnt deflate at all during the entire photoperiod, you may be through the worst of it. I still would not feed for a few days just yet. Wait about a week after the last deflation episode.

Nick
 
I think your 14K Ushio is fine, the nem is adjusting for sure. What about your water parameters... PH, Calcium, Alk... trace elements Magnesium, Iodine...? When you feed make sure it is small bits, they are a planktonic feeder... mysis, mini-mysis, brine shimp and the like. Only really large Magnificas should get large krill or chunks of silversides.

The important thing is don't make a lot of changes figuring this out, you'll only stress it more. Stick with your current bulb... plenty of light and when its ready it will go to the top. If you haven't done regular water changes, remember if your iodine level is 0 then a 20% water change still leaves you way short. Iodine and Magnesium are the two trace elements that effect anemeons the most... there are others, but these are very important.
 
Yesterday he detached, fell to the bottom of the center rock pile, and reattached on the bottom base. I took that as a sign that he wasn't digging the USHIO 14k, and I did put the current 10k back in last night. Lights haven't come back on yet, but based on that response I don't think the Ushio was the right bulb for him.

Water params are:
salinily: 35 ppm
calcium 420 mg/l
nitrate 0
alk 8.6
mag 1270

I do dose a very little iodine by hand, but it is very little. I'm not happy with my iodine testing kit so I play it very safe.

This current bulb is so yellow. What bulb would you guys suggest for the mag? Sucks to have to buy a new bulb already but I'd do it for this guy. He is really hanging in there, but its been a helluva battle.
 
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