Zooxanthellae Transplant Heteractis Magnifica

[ryannterror]

This is my attempt to try and reintroduce zooxanthellae to an extremely bleached Mag. 07/31/2013 8:30 PM

going my Minh's recommendations in my other post

He is pretty well bleached. If you have a Magnifica that is not bleached, you may want to cut a tentacle or two off of the healthy anemone and stuff it into a piece of food and feed it to the bleached anemone. Zooxanthellae transplant. This have been sucessfully use in the past to treat completly bleached anemone

I clipped part of a tentacle from a healthy green bubble tip. I lifted the live rock the bubble was on and clipped the tentacle near the surface of the water. I quickly removed the tentacle and laid it on a chunk of scallop.

I then decided it might be best to keep the tentacle in a pipet. The clown in the tank is very nosy and can tend to rip the food from the mag.

I shut the pumps off in the tank and laid the scallop on the anemone. Once the anemone started to eat and mouth was open I gently used the pipet to squirt the chunk of tentacle under the food into his mouth. (Hands were busy couldn't take a picture)

Here is a shot with the mouth almost closed after eating.

and one with the nosy clown.

Fingers crossed this mag has come a long way since it was at deaths door step at the LFS. I hope this will help!

Here is a link to my Cipro thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2308936

 

[OrionN]

Good luck with him. Keep us update, at least weekly if you can. Thanks

 

[Tomkun]

Wow I wonder if this would actually work.

 

[xrayjeeper83]

very intested in this, ive got a BTA that is very bleached(not as bad as your nem though) and if the color doesnt come back I may do this

 

[shred5]

I have never had to introduce Zooxanthellea into a bleached anemone, they will get it from the water some how. As long as the anemone is still sticky and eating they have always got there zooxanthellea back for me... I am just bring back a bleached gigantea form a lfs that was as white as snow.. Now he has brown patches and is a light yellow color.

 

[bradleym]

Tagging along. I have a BTA that would benefit from this, if successful.

 

[OrionN]

....they will get it from the water some how. ......

My exact thought, they just got a mouthful of zooxanthellae. The one think here is that the Zooxanthellae given in this case is from a different host species.
I think this transplant does not hurt, but may not help the Magnifica since the tentacles were from a BTA.

 

[ryannterror]

The Mag is looking a little better with each day. I'm not sure if its just from him growing stronger or what but since I fed him the tentacle he's become about 80% more sticky. Seems to be getting some more color. I've been feeding him every other day with either shrimp, scollop, and mysis shrimp. They have all been soaked in vita chem.

This Mag is in a 30 gal tank with nothing in it but a clown and 40lbs of live rock and few snail. So there is no way for him to get any Zooxanthellae other then whats already in him or what I gave him.

 

[GothBoy]

They are experimenting with zooxanthellae transplantation in corals too in an attempt to revive bleaching reefs. Very interesting and I'm watching your experiment intently.

 

[SaltWaterAdam]

Update??

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Following.
I had a bleached BTA. Wish I would have heard about this to try. I tried good light and feeding and even some product that claimed it was liquid zooxanthellae. Nothing worked and the nem succumbed.
Hope this works. Please keep us updated!

 

[ryannterror]

Well its been a few weeks since I have updated this post mags still doing well in the QT. Started to slowly regain its zooxanthellae you can see it almost looks like has spots of dirt all over it. Been feeding it about ever 2-3 days fresh seafood. I only tried the transplant once. I think in 6 months or so it should be colored up. My guess is green with yellow tips. Even with feeding ever 2-3 days still is rather small. My guess would be lack of energy from super low zoo count.
Here are a few pictures few min after I fed him.

 

[OrionN]

I think it is well on it's way to recover. It also looking exceptionally nice too. Great job

 

[xtlosx]

Glaxo have never had to do this but kudos for the effort!! Great job.

 

[bradleym]

Very nice progress, and congrats!

 

[Siapin]

Tagging along

 

[ryannterror]

Here are some pictures from last night 10-12-2013

 

[SaltWaterAdam]

You think the success was due to the transplant or time?

 

[Josh40996]

Its great to see success! I am also interested on your thoughts as to what caused the recovery, time or the transplant? It would be interested to give a bleached green mag. a tentacle of a rose bubble tip.

 

[OrionN]

I think the pattern of the zooxanthalae is unusual in this case. Speckle instead of smooth color