H Magnifica // Observing Behavior

[divecj5]

Although I've been in the hobby going on 13+ years, I've only been keeping anemones (BTAs up to this point) over the past 2 years. After setting up a tank dedicated to anemones, I started hunting around for captive-held Magnificas over the past several after soaking up every bit of information I could from this forum. Can't tell you how helpful it has been.

After some false starts trying to get my hands on one a few weeks back, I had the opportunity buy one from someone that has had this specific Mag for 5 months and the parent nem has been in captivity for 4 years.

Here is a short video of it after 4 hours in the tank on Tuesday. Mute the music as I didn't realize that was added in iMovie

Overall, it seems to be steadily getting used to it's new "home" and I'm in love with this species already! Although the tentacles seem a bit longer and stringier than the first video, the mouth has been nice and tight with the only time it being open at all was this morning when the lights first came on. Back to normal now. I'm uploading a video now that I can post later. Figured it's easier to track it's health via video.

Since I've only kept BTAs in the past, I'm looking for info on what I should be looking for as far as negative (or positive) behavior. BTAs will often hide under rocks when they're getting too much light or look for a lower spot in the tank. Will Mags do the same? Will they "reach" if they're looking for more light or get squatty if they're getting too much? Right now, it's under an ATI 4-bulb T5 fixture (x2 ATI Actinic, x1 ATI B+, x1 ATI C+) and I have a Maxspect Gyre for flow. I'm considering getting a spotlight for it similar to another reefer on here but don't want to blast it with too much light. Other than moving to the left a little on the flat rock I placed it on, it hasn't moved in the 2 days I've had it.

Thanks for any insight! I feel like I did when we brought both of our boys home from the hospital as newborn. My wife asked me how many times I need to walk upstairs to check on the tank

-Adam

 

[gig 'em]

I would just look for the typical inflate/deflate cycle or if it's mouth remains open and gaping for an extended period of time. I haven't tested this theory, but I feel like mags get stringy tentacles when they're fed a lot and more stocky tentacles when they aren't. Completely a theory though, just possible correlation I've observed with my own over the years.

It'll move around if it's not happy with light and flow. watching your video though, it seems pretty happy to me. Congratulations on the acquisition! Best of luck with it [emoji16]

 

[chizerbunoi]

Looks great. If you isolate it to its own island, it won't be able to move away. It will go up and down the column, but come back to the same spot again.

I find they will walk as soon as I change the flow direction. This happens everytime I clean the powerheads.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Very nice H. Magnifica!

 

[D-Nak]

Looks good. The flat work is perfect. Unlike BTAs that like to hide their foot, magnifica keep theirs fully exposed. Don't let any of the tentacles touch the tank wall, or it'll continuously wander (looking to move up as high as possible).

 

[davocean]

Nice looking mag!
Also nice score on an established one.

The hardest part of keeping a mag IMO is getting a healthy one, but once past that it's not difficult at all, and like mentioned already, give it a nice high up perch not able to touch glass or taller rocks, and they will stay put, as they like to reach for light.

They are also a natural host match for occs and percs, many that ignore BTA's will dive straight into a mag.

Keep posting pics as it goes.

 

[divecj5]

I would just look for the typical inflate/deflate cycle or if it's mouth remains open and gaping for an extended period of time. I haven't tested this theory, but I feel like mags get stringy tentacles when they're fed a lot and more stocky tentacles when they aren't. Completely a theory though, just possible correlation I've observed with my own over the years.

It'll move around if it's not happy with light and flow. watching your video though, it seems pretty happy to me. Congratulations on the acquisition! Best of luck with it [emoji16]

Thanks for the great information! I'll have to keep an eye on it's behavior to see if your theory holds true. I don't plan on feeding it very often (should get plenty when I broadcast feed LRS) and since it's tentacles are more on the stringy side for now, I'll be curious to see if they plump up.

Looks great. If you isolate it to its own island, it won't be able to move away. It will go up and down the column, but come back to the same spot again.

I find they will walk as soon as I change the flow direction. This happens everytime I clean the powerheads.

Thanks! The flat rock it's on now is at the pinnacle of a rock island that I created specifically for it. As you said, hopefully it will only move up and down according to lighting/flow. The rock is pretty far from any walls of the tank so I'm not too concerned about it walking too far.

Very nice H. Magnifica!

Thanks. It's such a gorgeous species! This is the first one that I'e seen in person and similar to what @kinetic said to me weeks ago, I'd be hard pressed to have a tank without one in the future.

Looks good. The flat work is perfect. Unlike BTAs that like to hide their foot, magnifica keep theirs fully exposed. Don't let any of the tentacles touch the tank wall, or it'll continuously wander (looking to move up as high as possible).

Following what a few others have done on here, I purposefully found a nice wide rock (in this case dry Two Little Fishies STAX) and epoxied the surface to make it as uniform as possible. So far it seems to really like it. That's really great advice about not letting the tentacles touch the tank wall. I didn't know that that would cause them to want to wander but it makes total sense.

Nice looking mag!
Also nice score on an established one.

The hardest part of keeping a mag IMO is getting a healthy one, but once past that it's not difficult at all, and like mentioned already, give it a nice high up perch not able to touch glass or taller rocks, and they will stay put, as they like to reach for light.

They are also a natural host match for occs and percs, many that ignore BTA's will dive straight into a mag.

Keep posting pics as it goes.

I'm really happy that I was able to get an established one as well. Fingers crossed that it stays nice and healthy for me.

Yes, my Donis Snowcasso dove head first right into it almost as soon as I added it to the tank. She LOVES swimming in, under, and around it. I've heard their behavior around Mags described as being high and I totally agree. Now if she would only let the Onyx Picasso join her I'd be super happy.

Will definitely keep posting videos!

-Adam

 

[dbraun15]

Congrats on a nice specimen! Like said before, the challenge is finding a healthy one. Good luck!

 

[davocean]

Congrats on a nice specimen! Like said before, the challenge is finding a healthy one. Good luck!

Agree, but fortunately now that we are having pretty good success w/ cipro treatment the game has certainly changed, and now we are recognizing the difference between our clowns just accepting the nem given, and what happens when you give a natural host match, and loving their host anemone.

My picasso's have begun feeding their magnifica at feeding time, anytime they see a big chunk of food they chase after it and push it into their mag.
It's really nice to see this type of symbiotic relationship, it's what got me into keeping clowns and anemone's long ago.

I'm sure once your female has really taken it in and established, she will let the male in to join her soon.

 

[kinetic]

Oh just found your thread! You got the mag! Congrats. Looks really beautiful.

 

[Amoo]

H.Mag's IMO are one of the easiest to read of all Nems.

First and foremost note that it will almost always try to climb to the highest point of it's current structure.

Secondly, watch the base of the foot. If it is spread out flat, the nem is happy and not looking to move. If it is bubbled in any way and not completely flat that is usually going to be one of your first signs of a problem.

Typically with Mags if you get into an inflate/deflate cycle, that is very very very bad, and there are typically TONS of signs before that happens once you know you started with a healthy specimen. Keep an eye on tentacle length and thickness. They can be another early warning sign of a problem.

As you've probably learned by now your nem will close up at about the same time every night and open about the same time every day. If for some reason this ever changes and you're not doing something odd like fiddling with lights or major cleaning, try to figure out what has changed.

It's been my experience that chemistry is important but not near as important as light. If/when you hit a sweet spot for lighting you realistically should have no problems.

 

[Misso]

H.Mag's IMO are one of the easiest to read of all Nems.

First and foremost note that it will almost always try to climb to the highest point of it's current structure.

Secondly, watch the base of the foot. If it is spread out flat, the nem is happy and not looking to move. If it is bubbled in any way and not completely flat that is usually going to be one of your first signs of a problem.

Typically with Mags if you get into an inflate/deflate cycle, that is very very very bad, and there are typically TONS of signs before that happens once you know you started with a healthy specimen. Keep an eye on tentacle length and thickness. They can be another early warning sign of a problem.

As you've probably learned by now your nem will close up at about the same time every night and open about the same time every day. If for some reason this ever changes and you're not doing something odd like fiddling with lights or major cleaning, try to figure out what has changed.

It's been my experience that chemistry is important but not near as important as light. If/when you hit a sweet spot for lighting you realistically should have no problems.

Such an awesome response. I would like to know what the inflate and deflate cycle is? Is it the body of the animal between the mouth and foot? Or the tentacles deflation?

I've just added a really nice mag to my tank after attempting to quarantining it but I couldn't keep it happy in such a small water volume. I decided the best thing for it was to remove it and place until DT. Upon removal, I observed a large section of foot was peeling from the tub it was in. I dipped in am iodine solution, and cleaned the injury. I rinsed the mag in clean DT water and then placed into the DT where it took a strong grip to the flat rock.

I do notice where it's injury is, there's a bubble, the foot doesn't spread out there, but the remainder of the foot is firmly placed. The plate of the animal is being lifted and folded by the flow gently. Feeding response is very strong. The outer plate also grabs to the rock and the animal will attempt to spread out so it's mouth, which is tight, and all tentacles are receiving light. Could this mean I can bump up light intensity.

I haven't observed the body deflate. However the tentacles will shrink thinner and lifeless looking for almost a minute then re inflate long and slender. Some tentacles are twisted like a pigs tail. Some also appear to invert into the body of the plate. Then they protrude again after a few minutes.

I am concerned over the foot injury. I just got with it's size and condition it will bounce back. I've done everything I can except try and find ciprofloxacin or similar. I'll need to get that as a prescription as I'm in Australia and that's required here.

 

[OrionN]

@Misso
I am sorry that the foot was injured with moving. I think remove an anemone from attachment got to be the most stressful thing you can do to an anemone., especially when it is attach to a non glass surface (just use razor blade on glass).
There is not much you can do. I would recommend antibiotic treatment, but if you cannot get antibiotic (even fishflox with is ciprofloxacin for fish) then just keep from stressing him and hope for the best.
Good luck

 

[Misso]

@Misso
I am sorry that the foot was injured with moving. I think remove an anemone from attachment got to be the most stressful thing you can do to an anemone., especially when it is attach to a non glass surface (just use razor blade on glass).
There is not much you can do. I would recommend antibiotic treatment, but if you cannot get antibiotic (even fishflox with is ciprofloxacin for fish) then just keep from stressing him and hope for the best.
Good luck

Thank you very much for your reply. Not only was removing anemone stressful for it, but also stressful for me. I don't wish to cause it pain but I fear I have. I will be upset if I cause its death. I will look into what antibacterial treatment I can find. At the moment, it seems very happy in my main display(to untrained eye) except for its foot being curled up where it's foot is injured.

 

[chizerbunoi]

We can’t get antibiotics without a prescription either in Canada, similar to Australia. You can try seeing a veterinarian and asking for a prescription for your aquatic life.

 

[Misso]

We can’t get antibiotics without a prescription either in Canada, similar to Australia. You can try seeing a veterinarian and asking for a prescription for your aquatic life.

Good idea. I'll try that.