Zooxanthellae Transplant Heteractis Magnifica

[shred5]

I am glad that the Magnifica regain his healthy. Whether the transplant help or not in this case is immaterial. He got better. Unless we can do control trials we cannot accurately determine the effects of transplant. Doing a control trial is just out of the range of my resources at this time. I cannot see attempting transplant would hurt anything other than remove a tentacles or two from the donor anemone, which he can easily tolerate.
Think of transplant in this case like the clam farmer ground up a clam and put this slurry in the baby tank so that the baby clams get the zooxanthellae they needed. This step vastly improve the survival of baby clams.

We (at least I) can assume that the anemone is completely bleached if after several months in optimal condition, it does not gain his color back. We assume that anemone initially obtain their zooxanthellae by ingesting them, so the best way fur us to give zooxanthellae is to let him ingesting it. I suppose we can inject it via a syringe, but I would not recommend this since this will injure the anemone.

I agree that is it great it has been saved. I been working with one for about 6 months now that was completely bleached, I mean as white as snow. The base was blue. It turned brown several months ago, it looked about as ugly as they get. I am now trying to bring the pigments back. I will post pictures soon. I did not take any before pictures because I hate to jinx myself. But anyway he is starting to color up nice.

My only fear really is where the zooxanthellae come from. If coming from a anemone it is not compatible with it could cause some issue unless the zooxanthellae are isolated from any tissue.

 

[OrionN]

...... I been working with one for about 6 months now that was completely bleached, I mean as white as snow. The base was blue. It turned brown several months ago, it looked about as ugly as they get. .........
My only fear really is where the zooxanthellae come from. If coming from a anemone it is not compatible with it could cause some issue unless the zooxanthellae are isolated from any tissue.

Are you just taken care of the anemone or did you do a Zooxanthellae transplant?
How long was he completly bleached?

You don't have to worry about non compatable Zooxanthellae. If it not compatable, it just not grow. There are multiple species of Zooxanthellae in each coral or anemone, not just one.

 

[shred5]

Are you just taken care of the anemone or did you do a Zooxanthellae transplant?
How long was he completly bleached?

You don't have to worry about non compatable Zooxanthellae. If it not compatable, it just not grow. There are multiple species of Zooxanthellae in each coral or anemone, not just one.

No transplant. I do not know how long he was bleached, it was at my lfs. He was white no zooxanthellae at all.. They had two so I grabbed one to try and save it.. I am kicking myself for not getting both. After a several months he became very brown (real ugly).. It started out as little blotches of brown and they slowly grew together and darkened.

I had him in a container with rocks in so he would not spend to much energy trying to move. I put it on the bottom and fed him every other day like I do with all bleached anemones. Gave him good flow.. He has grown pretty good too. He is now getting green pigment.

I am a little worried though last night I came home and my tank didn't look right.. He was smaller than normal.. My wrasse was acting strange and some of my corals did not look right. My main pump went out a few days ago and I have not got a new one in yet.. I rigged up a much smaller pump till I can get to it.... Just a little worried about the whole tank.. i am not sure how long the main pump was out for...

 

[worm5406]

Hummmm yeah you need to do something about that.