My 'new' (9 month captive) Magnifica!

[sonofgaladriel]

I'm pretty excited about this find. A local reefer was downgrading due to college and just offered this beauty up for trade/sale. I've been looking for a blue base Magnifica for quite a while and this is the one I've been waiting for. Sometimes its more blue, other times more purple base, flourescent green oral disc, purple with yellow tip tentacles! I got it for a couple of blue chalice frags and a red cap frag!
The prior owner had it for over 9 months, so I'm hoping that this will be a keeper and maybe I'll join 'The Decade plus' anemone keeper club!
I've had, what I considered to be, the perfect placement in my reef saved for it for several months now, and believe it or not, it took right to it! Smack under a 250 watt DE halide in the middle of a vortex of high random flow. Its on its own rock pinnacle and just seems to love the spot! It ate a marble size piece of fresh shrimp today. I'd like to see the tentacles inflate a tad bit more, but the mouth is tight and its very sticky and reactive!
Ok, enough talk....here's the pics! Enjoy:
Close up:

View from far side of tank:

Top down under T5 ATI actinic blues and 250 watt DE 20K.

 

[illcssd]

That anemone is beautiful. I think its absolutely gorgeous, i have a magnifica, but its not near as beautiful, good luck with this one, it looks really good. Your tank is amazing too, totm someday for sure.

 

[delphinus]

Best of luck with it!

 

[Genin]

absolutely stunning. I hope it lives long for you.

 

[sonofgaladriel]

Thanks guys! The most satisfying thing about this nem, other than its great coloration and apparent health, was that it came from a fellow hobbyist, aka kind of recycled, and not taken again from the ocean. I love the fact that its acclimated to captivity as it seems so far.
Do you think that since its made it almost 10 months now, it could last the long haul? Or is there still a chance it could die, even if my parameters are all good for it?
Fingers crossed!

 

[Jadran]

very nice, congratulation on such a great find and best of luck with it.. I think it might be to close to the corals, because it will grow bigger than that.. that red brain might get in the way of its tentacles.. In the beginning my was also between corals but it proved to be wrong cause within one year it tripled in size..

great buy,

 

[delphinus]

.... I guess nothing's a given, but I would tend to agree that at 9 months, it's made the transition into captive life, at this point it's more so things like tank accidents, injuries, bad food, etc. more so than the "mysteriously just didn't make it."

It sounds like you have a good spot for it. As Jadran mentioned, be prepared for a fast growth rate. Your tank is large but be prepared to move things away if need be.

I feed mine mysis, it loves the stuff (and that's probably why it grew so fast, FW mysis is so protein rich and fatty is like supercharged food).

 

[sonofgaladriel]

Thank you guys very much. Glad to hear that it could be past that magic point in time! To clarify, the location of the red brain is deceiving by the pictures. The brain is actually at least 12" to 14" below, and 12" away from, the magnifica's tentacles reach. The other corals are about 8 to 10" away but they can be moved easily as needed since they are all on small rocks that I epoxied in those positions. A simple 'pop' and they are loose and can be repositioned elsewhere. Believe me, I'm very prepared, and would be ectatic, to have to move the corals away from a growing Magnifica!
Heck, this nem could grow to 3 feet in diameter and I'd move all the other livestock out just for it!
I'd fill this tank with about 30 baby clowns and get a bigger tank for the rest of the livestock :thumbsup:

 

[sonofgaladriel]

Oh, just noticed that the third pic shows the true location of the brain coral

 

[GSMguy]

that is sooo coooool i think the placement is perfect ive never seen a nem look so cool the coloration is amazig
TOTM some day for sure

 

[JamesJR]

Son of Galadriel you are the man!

 

[Flighty]

Awesome. I think it will be home free, just be really careful about salinity swings. Let me know when you are ready to lop a section of it off for me

Edit: lots of blue and actinic may make it wander. If you are having that problem, try switching to whiter light and see if it fixes it.

also, a very smooth rock to anchor on seems to make them happier.

 

[raoul]

That looks awesome!!! You deserve to have a good, well established nem after all the ups and downs you've had the past few months!
Good luck!

 

[shutiny]

Wow! That anemone is absolutely gorgeous. I could clean toilet for a week for that thing

 

[theoceandoor]

Awsome, best of luck.

 

[delphinus]

So how big is it overall right now?

 

[doesheya]

~~~Stunning~~~

 

[sonofgaladriel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8643845#post8643845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by delphinus
So how big is it overall right now?

If I measure from end of tentacle to end of tentacle diameter, its close to 12". Central disc area is close to 6", maybe 7".
It stands about 6" tall when reaching up. I love it when if forms its tall column stance! I love that purple base!

 

[bluerug]

Wow, everytime i see pics of your tank i honestly cant believe what i am seeing, it is amazing. Good luck.

 

[Reef4Fun]

Your tank needs to be shown in magizines. I think you would make some money with letting them use pics, my goodness what a beautiful site!