Am I ready for a Magnifica?

Ardeus · Mar 4, 2018

This tank has been running for a couple of years. It's a 100 gallon cube, 35x35x20, has a maxspect razor 180watts (I run it at 100%), a hangon skimmer (deltec mce600) and a hangon refuge (both don't seem to do much).

I dose kalk with vinegar in the rodi water and I do 10% water changes every 10 days or so. The values of Alk and Ca seem stable with just that at 9 DKh and 420.

Phosphates and nitrates are normally a bit high. I run a little GFO in the refuge, but not much.

The main pests are bubble algae and aiptasias. I try to keep them in check and I am ok with them at the levels they are.

There's a stable clown trio, 3 threadfin cardinals (soon to be 5), 2 yellow assessors, 1 Tomini tang, 1 mated filefish and 1 diamond goby.

I would like to try and introduce a mag and place it on its own rock in the middle of the tank.

Do mags have problems with a high nutrient tank? I have one single acropora frag that just seems to survive, it doesn't grow.

EmdeReef · Mar 4, 2018

Ardeus said:
This tank has been running for a couple of years. It's a 100 gallon cube, 35x35x20, has a maxspect razor 180watts (I run it at 100%), a hangon skimmer (deltec mce600) and a hangon refuge (both don't seem to do much).

I dose kalk with vinegar in the rodi water and I do 10% water changes every 10 days or so. The values of Alk and Ca seem stable with just that at 9 DKh and 420.

Phosphates and nitrates are normally a bit high. I run a little GFO in the refuge, but not much.

The main pests are bubble algae and aiptasias. I try to keep them in check and I am ok with them at the levels they are.

There's a stable clown trio, 3 threadfin cardinals (soon to be 5), 2 yellow assessors, 1 Tomini tang, 1 mated filefish and 1 diamond goby.

I would like to try and introduce a mag and place it on its own rock in the middle of the tank.

Do mags have problems with a high nutrient tank? I have one single acropora frag that just seems to survive, it doesn't grow.

Very nice tank!
I can’t think of any problems with your parameters to keep a magnifica. It won’t mind high nutrients, actually will prefer. The only thing is that it may not stay where you put it as I’m sure you’re aware And they can grow to be quite large. Provide lots of light and flow, if it keeps moving higher you may have to supplement lights or add another rock, although depending on your tank size a 180w razor should do.

Keep in mind that finding a healthy specimen has been a challenge, most appear to have problems from shipping stress in which case you may have to treat with antibiotics. Good luck and keep us posted!

davocean · Mar 4, 2018

Be aware it will go to the highest point in your tank, so it needs to be on own rock, away from glass, if it touches it may climb up glass.

Ardeus · Mar 4, 2018

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys.

I love that nem island in the middle of the tank but I am ready to rearrange the layout so that the mag can have a high rock for her alone during the first weeks at least. Sooner or later the bta's will find that rock.

I will have cipro at hand. One doubt: if the mag arrives sick, will it affect the bta's before I can remove it to an hospital tank?

I read that it can infect carpets but those bta's are tough as nails.

davocean · Mar 4, 2018

Best is too QT on arrival and observe it at least a few days/week.
Most of the time they do need treatment, but don't treat unless you see the obvious signs of deflation.
If it has bacterial infection, it can pass that to other nems.

Jason mack · Mar 4, 2018

Bare in mind that magnifica can grow upto 1m , they like a lot of flow and yes he would be happy in the middle of your tank , if he wants to sit there ,

Ardeus · Mar 5, 2018

The problem I have to quarantine the nem is that I don't have an appropriate lighting for the tank, only a 12 watts spot let. Doing a quarentine without proper conditions may do more harm than good.

I could place it right next to a big window facing south where it can get some direct sunlight in the morning.

I will not pick a big one and if it grows too big... it's a great reason to get a bigger tank.

Ardeus · Mar 6, 2018

I found this one for sale online. Is it photoshopped/bleached?

D-Nak · Mar 6, 2018

Bleached, probably held in low light conditions. However, it looks healthy (tentacles fully extended, mouth closed). It's definitely Photoshopped because they removed the background, which is a bit odd. I would question whether or not it's actually WYSIWYG--I don't understand why they'd bother Photoshopping it like that for only one nem.

IME mags recover quickly from their ailment if Cipro is added as soon as it arrives. They can look DOA but actually recover.

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

Thanks. They do that to all the WYSIWYG items. I asked for a photo of the foot.

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

davocean · Mar 7, 2018

Ardeus said:
The problem I have to quarantine the nem is that I don't have an appropriate lighting for the tank, only a 12 watts spot let. Doing a quarentine without proper conditions may do more harm than good.

I could place it right next to a big window facing south where it can get some direct sunlight in the morning.

I will not pick a big one and if it grows too big... it's a great reason to get a bigger tank.

Even if your light is weak I'd still QT at least a week, it's best really, if it needs treatment it's best contained in a small tank and away from other livestock.
Low lighting is not a big deal for a short length of time.

Yes, they can get big, but it takes a while, and while they can get to the size mentioned, usually that is in the wild.

Yes that one is bleached, but they can recover, spot feed mysis a couple times a week.

I would want to see the foot on that to confirm mag, hard to tell much from tentacles, especially that bleached

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

Since this is my first attempt at keeping a mag, I think I shouldn't start with a bleached one. I will probably keep looking for a less risky one. It's also too big to start with and it would be shipped from another country.

Thanks for the advice, I will quarentene the nem when I get it.

NanoCrazed · Mar 7, 2018

Highly recommend the QT route... had a tank crash early in my nem days from not doing so and it was not pretty

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

Will do. It's been difficult to find one in good health that I like.

I found these, but I want a mag with a foot with a strong color (red/purple/blue).

davocean · Mar 7, 2018

That last one looks good to me, but the pic was taken in very stark daylight, probably will look much better under tank lights, especially as it improves and adjusts.

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

The foot looks somewhat pale to me. In my tank, a mag will always be a centrepiece... if that's the case, it better deserve to be. It must outshine the RBTA's and the only way it can do that is with its foot.

I will keep looking.

Ardeus · Mar 7, 2018

My dream magnifica:

davocean · Mar 7, 2018

I think it's just lighting and light reflecting on water, bet it's much more purple under typical tank lighting.

I have seen some better colored mags, but I've seen a lot more less