QT procedures for anemone's
- Thread starter robs5134
- Start date
Slickdonkey
New member
Come on, anyone? I'd be interested in QT tips as well.
maww
Premium Member
Here's a previous thread with good info-
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181172&highlight=antibiotics+magnifica
quote:
Used to have bad luck with them and other anemones till we quaranteened them which consisted of the following procedure. Without it, we were 0/8 on new Heteractis magnifica (now the accepted name, until they decide to change it again)
Upon arrival, all bag water is removed so you're left with a bag full of almost only anemone. The anemone is then added directly to a bucket of good quality tank water and aerated. If the water fouls or gets too much mucus, then discard that water. The anemone is then added to a 5 gallon bucket of good quality tank water which has been previously mixed with 10mg/gal of doxycycline. Most capsules available are 50mg, so a 5gal bucket works nicely. Water is gently aerated for 24 hrs mindful of keeping temp acceptable, which is done by floating the bucket in a sump or larger container of heated water, you don't want the heater in with the anemone. After 24 hrs, remove most of the water and refill with another 5 gal of good quality tank water with 10mg/gal of doxycycline. Leave for another 24hr then remove the anemone to a tank that is large enough to keep them for what could be a long time.
With this procedure, we were 6/8 and that was over 2 years ago and they're still here, with the largest now almost 30" in diameter.
As with any medication, especially anti biotics care must be taken not to overuse.
Joe
Hobby Experience: 30 years, Reefs since 1987
Current Tanks: 20,000 gallon 30' x 14' x 6.5' deep
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181172&highlight=antibiotics+magnifica
quote:
Used to have bad luck with them and other anemones till we quaranteened them which consisted of the following procedure. Without it, we were 0/8 on new Heteractis magnifica (now the accepted name, until they decide to change it again)
Upon arrival, all bag water is removed so you're left with a bag full of almost only anemone. The anemone is then added directly to a bucket of good quality tank water and aerated. If the water fouls or gets too much mucus, then discard that water. The anemone is then added to a 5 gallon bucket of good quality tank water which has been previously mixed with 10mg/gal of doxycycline. Most capsules available are 50mg, so a 5gal bucket works nicely. Water is gently aerated for 24 hrs mindful of keeping temp acceptable, which is done by floating the bucket in a sump or larger container of heated water, you don't want the heater in with the anemone. After 24 hrs, remove most of the water and refill with another 5 gal of good quality tank water with 10mg/gal of doxycycline. Leave for another 24hr then remove the anemone to a tank that is large enough to keep them for what could be a long time.
With this procedure, we were 6/8 and that was over 2 years ago and they're still here, with the largest now almost 30" in diameter.
As with any medication, especially anti biotics care must be taken not to overuse.
Joe
Hobby Experience: 30 years, Reefs since 1987
Current Tanks: 20,000 gallon 30' x 14' x 6.5' deep
Slickdonkey
New member
Interesting. Thanks Mark. So no lighting? And where do you put the anemone after the 24hr period, in the main tank or a QT? If QT, what kind of lighting in there, MH?
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
I have a small H.mag that I bought over a year ago this month. Late last year, I bought another H.mag from an online vendor and it came in looking like crap. I was concerned about it so I hurried up and placed it in the tank, where it started looking better. It never really recovered from shipping stress and died. However, as a parting gift, it also infected my healthy H.mag with whatever it had.
I didnt think the sick nem could infect my healthy nem in a healthy system...WRONG.
I waited and hoped for a long while, but the H.mag wasnt getting better at all...finally, at the advice of a LFS that dips all its incoming nems in Dox for 8-12 hours before introducing them to the display tanks, I tried a dip. I used 1 pill (100mgs) in a large specimen container, (nem is smaller), placed that in my main tank for temp control, and added an airstone. (LFS guy uses 1 pill ,100 mgs, in a 5 gallon bucket with a Maxi jet mini behind egg crate to protect the nems from wandering...)
The nem slimed pretty badly at first, the airstone turned the slime into a skimmer. After 6 hours, I did a 100% water change in the container, added a new 100mg pill of dox, and let it sit for another 15 hours in the container.
That was almost two weeks ago. The nem looks better than it has in the last two months, (still not great and still back where it should be), but I have seen it eat a little, its mouth is tightening up, and its tentacles are more inflated and coloring up again.
I debated long and hard before dipping, but looked at it this way...it was definately going to die if I didnt do something, so I really had nothing to lose.
Nick
I didnt think the sick nem could infect my healthy nem in a healthy system...WRONG.
I waited and hoped for a long while, but the H.mag wasnt getting better at all...finally, at the advice of a LFS that dips all its incoming nems in Dox for 8-12 hours before introducing them to the display tanks, I tried a dip. I used 1 pill (100mgs) in a large specimen container, (nem is smaller), placed that in my main tank for temp control, and added an airstone. (LFS guy uses 1 pill ,100 mgs, in a 5 gallon bucket with a Maxi jet mini behind egg crate to protect the nems from wandering...)
The nem slimed pretty badly at first, the airstone turned the slime into a skimmer. After 6 hours, I did a 100% water change in the container, added a new 100mg pill of dox, and let it sit for another 15 hours in the container.
That was almost two weeks ago. The nem looks better than it has in the last two months, (still not great and still back where it should be), but I have seen it eat a little, its mouth is tightening up, and its tentacles are more inflated and coloring up again.
I debated long and hard before dipping, but looked at it this way...it was definately going to die if I didnt do something, so I really had nothing to lose.
Nick
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Since I keep posting links to this thread, I thought I'd post up pics of my anemone.
I never took pics of it when it looked the worst...I honestly felt sick every time I looked at it, and expected it to die at any minute.
It actually had holes opening up around the mouth from this bacterial infection...it was horrible.
I dont have a macro lense so the pics are the best I can do, but not very detailed or magnified....sorry.
These pics was the most recent healthy pics, before it got infected...
April 06
Aug 06
Here are photo's of it while sick....the holes around the mouth are tiny in the pic, but visible.
01-20-07
Close up of mouth showing holes...
Unfortunately, it looked MUCH worse than that as time went on...
Today
03-30-07
Mouth is tight, anemone now feeds...wasnt at all when sick. Tentacles are short, but full, and getting longer. The tentacles located on the upper part of the anemone, (closer to top of tank and light) are yellow, lower tentacles are still white tipped...this anemone has made a monster comback so far....
Still not where it was, but getting better every day...
Thought I'd document this for others to learn from...
Nick
I never took pics of it when it looked the worst...I honestly felt sick every time I looked at it, and expected it to die at any minute.
It actually had holes opening up around the mouth from this bacterial infection...it was horrible.
I dont have a macro lense so the pics are the best I can do, but not very detailed or magnified....sorry.
These pics was the most recent healthy pics, before it got infected...
April 06
Aug 06
Here are photo's of it while sick....the holes around the mouth are tiny in the pic, but visible.
01-20-07
Close up of mouth showing holes...
Unfortunately, it looked MUCH worse than that as time went on...
Today
03-30-07
Mouth is tight, anemone now feeds...wasnt at all when sick. Tentacles are short, but full, and getting longer. The tentacles located on the upper part of the anemone, (closer to top of tank and light) are yellow, lower tentacles are still white tipped...this anemone has made a monster comback so far....
Still not where it was, but getting better every day...
Thought I'd document this for others to learn from...
Nick
Sway_A_Way
New member
thanks for the info and pictures nick. with my new tank build that im doing im thinking of leaning towards a magnifica only tank with a small group of clowns. but i have a while before that time comes.
phender
Active member
In the case of healthy BTAs, H. crispa or S. haddoni, you may be right.
However, in some cases, pre-treatment with doxycycline, as mentioned above, seems to increase the chances of difficult anemones like H. magnifica and S. gigantea.
The "Joe" at the end of the treatment procedures is Joe Yaiullo, one of the top public aquarists in the country and an expert on anemone care.
If he says he QTs his H. magnificas, then it is likely not a bad idea.
