Magnifica concern

[ncjeepguy75]

I have had my tank for almost 4 years and my Magnifica anemone for 3 of those years…Over the last couple of days I have notice what seems to be holes or stretched tissue around the mouth on the oral disc…The largest of them has what looks like “mouth tissue “ for lack of a better term…I know these can split but is rare…When fully extended is about the size of the opening of a 5 gallon bucket…it also seems like it can control the opening of the larger hole/tear too…

I have read and researched a bunch and it sounds like it is splitting but just wanted other feedback or ideas just to make sure I am not missing anything.

Tank Parameters…
125 gallon
ph 8.0-8.1
Temp 77.8
Salinity 1.026 spec grav
Alkalinity 10.5
Nitrate 9.3-10
Phosphate .04
Calcium 439
Magnesium 1300ish has been a few weeks since tested
Ammonia 0

I am also including a couple of pics below.

Thanks for your insight!

 

[D-Nak]

It looks more like an injury. Do you have any tangs in your tank? One may have gotten too close and inadvertently punctured the anemone with its spine (located at the base of the tail) to escape. Just keep an eye on it, and it should heal on its own.

My other hypothesis--as you mentioned--is that it is splitting. It is rare, but not unheard of. Some are more prone to splitting than others.

 

[OrionN]

If the anemone, tentacles always looked like that, consider checking your water or else do large water changes. There may be some imbalance of the water because the tentacles do not look normal.

 

[ncjeepguy75]

It looks more like an injury. Do you have any tangs in your tank? One may have gotten too close and inadvertently punctured the anemone with its spine (located at the base of the tail) to escape. Just keep an eye on it, and it should heal on its own.

My other hypothesis--as you mentioned--is that it is splitting. It is rare, but not unheard of. Some are more prone to splitting than others.

@D-Nak thanks for the input…
As far as tank inhabitants…
1 percula clown
2 springer damsels
1 lawnmower blenny
1 royal gramma
Tuxedo urchin
Hermit crabs
Sand sifting star

 

[ncjeepguy75]

If the anemone, tentacles always looked like that, consider checking your water or else do large water changes. There may be some imbalance of the water because the tentacles do not look normal.

@OrionN thanks for the input…
Over the last year or so they have looked like that short stubby near the oral disc almost as if it is growing new ones there… Tomorrow is water change day for me so I will see what that does…

Water quality has been very stable to what I posted and dose trace elements too…

 

[ncjeepguy75]

@OrionN so far no real updates other than it has moved off of the very top of its rock pedestal to a more front facing spot. The area around the mouth really has not changed. Any ideas? Pics show detail.

 

[ncjeepguy75]

@OrionN so far no real updates other than it has moved off of the very top of its rock pedestal to a more front facing spot. The area around the mouth really has not changed. Any ideas? Pics show detai

@D-Nak @ca1ore any insight?

 

[Jekyl]

@Rtaylor @Lost in the Sauce @F i s h y @Eagle_Steve

 

[Rtaylor]

I had a mag arrive once with 2 mouths. It stayed like that for months with no change and then started to split. Unfortunately, it did not survive splitting. I don’t think it is typical for it to develop a second mouth before it splits, but having seen it first hand it does occur. Perhaps it is splitting or developing a second mouth in anticipation of a split.

If it does start to split, watch it carefully, you may need to intervene if it takes too long.

 

[ncjeepguy75]

I had a mag arrive once with 2 mouths. It stayed like that for months with no change and then started to split. Unfortunately, it did not survive splitting. I don’t think it is typical for it to develop a second mouth before it splits, but having seen it first hand it does occur. Perhaps it is splitting or developing a second mouth in anticipation of a split.

If it does start to split, watch it carefully, you may need to intervene if it takes too long.

@Rtaylor thanks for the input....It has been like this a month now with no real changes (which I guess is a good thing)...Only one mouth that I can truly distinguish as those other spots just appear to be roughed up tissue or stretched tissue...It feeds normally both on the regular fish food that gets trapped/clown drops off and silversides that I feed it about once a week...

Flow has not changed and up until the other day was up on top of its rock tower loving life...It really doesn't deflate sometimes only a few tentacles when the current changes from the wave makers but that is nothing out of the ordinary for it...It still balls up at night right after the lights go off and then relaxes a little bit the later into the lights off period...

Changes in light (increased intensity, decreased intensity, added more white light) have no affect on it whatsoever...During the photo period, it still opens pretty full, plump tentacles and waves in the current as normal...

To me it doesn't have any of the signs of distress (that folks have seen and mentioned in other Magnifica posts here) but rather that it is just growing and spreading out and needing more space...Since it has moved down from the very top of the rock tower, it is just draping itself over the the rock tower and other surrounding rocks as to get maximum exposure to light/food...

I am good with a growing anemone! My concern is those couple of spots where the tissue is not normal/smooth like the rest of the oral disc...I just don't want to miss something that might be causing issues with it...