Magnifica won’t settle down

[BoaConservationist]

I’ll try anything at this point, but I’ve mostly read about magnificas liking fairly flat surfaces, and when it was on it rock island there were lots of gaps between rocks where it could, and sometimes did, have its foot in the gap.

honestly, make yourself a well aerated gap it hasnt failed me yet , and i keep delicate stuff with anemones

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Here are some pics showing the rock island as it moved around, and some of the location choices it had:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

honestly, make yourself a well aerated gap it hasnt failed me yet , and i keep delicate stuff with anemones

Magnificas?

 

[BoaConservationist]

Magnificas?

yep ill have to get you a photo of this tomorrow / later today, its my work / clinic tank lol , a mixed reef with the unloved frags , montis, acros, mushrooms, all sorts of stuff in there , also I find sometimes when they are out in the open like this they need some more food, something I was going to be testing was food by weight on some carpets and magnifica , assuming about 10% of body mass is optimal about every other day , havent had time to get to this yet , heres a better vis -- keep in mind this does promote splitting as they will definitely anchor in , magnifica wont be so bad, my clinic tank has split like 3x in a year, also easily managed babies (also bear in mind my biggest one always likes high par, it sits up high above the monti and even with the acro/chalices)

 

[Segalplayer]

I’m looking for opinions on factors besides light and flow that might make a
Magnifica not settle down. It keeps moving around the rock island surrounded by sand, and twice in the past few weeks it has completely detached and landed upside down on the sand.

I’ve tried many different combinations of light and flow, and that does not seem to satisfy it. Here’s a video of it from a couple
of days ago, and it released again today.

Par is in the 300+ range near the top, and
Less when it moves down the side.

Heyo there’re Randy! That’s a nice looking big mag!

I will say I have mine almost directly in front of a return pump and a mp10 to its right, flow should not be an issue and if anything they like a lot of it since they are found in tidal shores.


I run my radions @25% and my mag has not moved from where I placed it as well as its foot is not on a flat surface.

I didn’t see it in any of the comments (or may have missed it) but what lights are you running? I saw you have 300 par but don’t recall the light brand


Via the pics you can see I have two diff flows hitting it almost directly

 

[Seancj]

Boaconservationist is incorrect in terms of Magnifica perching preferences. His suggestion works for BTA's and sebae, but not Mags. I think he is confusing BTA's with Mags. They can look very similar when small. I've never heard of a Mag splitting 3 times in one year. Also, there is NO need to feed a Magnifica 10% of its body mass every other day! That's way overfeeding.
As you've been advised, Mags prefer large flat surfaces. I have 15 Mags and all of them are perched on top of large rocks, none are in between rocks.
Have you checked the foot for tears? At this point, it's either a water parameter issue that it doesn't like, it has a tear, or its not 100% healthy. All of these issue will cause an outwardly healthy looking Mag to wander.
Its original perch was ideal. Flow could have been more random and a bit higher, but all things considered, it should have stayed where it was, up high in the water column, under good light.

 

[garygb]

Boaconservationist is incorrect in terms of Magnifica perching preferences. His suggestion works for BTA's and sebae, but not Mags. I think he is confusing BTA's with Mags. They can look very similar when small. I've never heard of a Mag splitting 3 times in one year. Also, there is NO need to feed a Magnifica 10% of its body mass every other day! That's way overfeeding.
As you've been advised, Mags prefer large flat surfaces. I have 15 Mags and all of them are perched on top of large rocks, none are in between rocks.
Have you checked the foot for tears? At this point, it's either a water parameter issue that it doesn't like, it has a tear, or its not 100% healthy. All of these issue will cause an outwardly healthy looking Mag to wander.
Its original perch was ideal. Flow could have been more random and a bit higher, but all things considered, it should have stayed where it was, up high in the water column, under good light.

100% agree. Magnificas like flat surfaces, not holes in rocks or crevices. That describes BTAs and H. crispa, but definitely not H. magnifica. As far as the mag locating in a lower light area, it may like it fine in the 200 par location. H. magnifca can be found down at depths of more than 150 feet. I would be thinking water parameters myself. I know your nitrate isn't anywhere near as high as mine was years ago when mine would begin to shift around. But when I would get the nitrates down, they would tighten down and stay in place.

 

[Jimbo327]

Have you tried the plate yet?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Boaconservationist is incorrect in terms of Magnifica perching preferences. His suggestion works for BTA's and sebae, but not Mags. I think he is confusing BTA's with Mags. They can look very similar when small. I've never heard of a Mag splitting 3 times in one year. Also, there is NO need to feed a Magnifica 10% of its body mass every other day! That's way overfeeding.
As you've been advised, Mags prefer large flat surfaces. I have 15 Mags and all of them are perched on top of large rocks, none are in between rocks.
Have you checked the foot for tears? At this point, it's either a water parameter issue that it doesn't like, it has a tear, or its not 100% healthy. All of these issue will cause an outwardly healthy looking Mag to wander.
Its original perch was ideal. Flow could have been more random and a bit higher, but all things considered, it should have stayed where it was, up high in the water column, under good light.

I too am leaning to some sort of foot issue. If it comes loose again, I’ll look more carefully.

There’s no detectable water issue by Oceamo inorganic and organic testing, but that cannot rule out organic toxins that were not evaluated.

I’m running a lighting test now:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randys-tank-and-learn-thread.1103636/page-130#post-14066605
From it:

Experiment Time!

Despite nearly losing its footing, the magnifica has been in the same spot for about 2 weeks now. It’s the lowest light area at the top of the tank, and also lowest flow. It looks good now, but I cannot help myself from experimenting. lol

It’s at the back top between the overflows and under the glass cross brace. I do not have any lights directly above it since some of that light would be wasted lighting the top of the overflows.

Stage 1. I pushed my light bars backwards so now a freshwater bar is directly over it and the coral pop is close by. This raises light on it (did not yet measure the change, but it was about 200 par before the shift) and lowers light elsewhere a bit.

Stage 2. Assuming nothing bad (or dramatically good lol) happens, I will return the bars to normal in a few days and place a grow light led on the glass brace facing down. That will give it more light without changing the rest of the tank. I’ll have to wait for them to come from Amazon, but the first one I’ll use is a 10 w dimmable bulb. The bulb is 4,000 k color, 92 cri. That will allow me to slowly raise the light.

This bulb:

https://a.co/d/as9bHQG

Stage 3. If stage 2 seems useful/desirable, I’ll replace the bulb with a 32 w nondimmable bulb like I use in my refugia, maybe slowly adapted with some sort of filtering cloth. This bulb also is 4,000k, 92 cri. This bulb:

https://a.co/d/9XIRp0f


Stage 4. If all goes well by this point (a big if, but I’m an optimist), I may replace that bulb with a better bulb with a different spectrum if I don’t particularly care for the color.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you tried the plate yet?

I’ve not tried to put it on a plate, but it released from two different flat topped rocks and nearly came off the back glass.

 

[MegabiteOG]

I too am leaning to some sort of foot issue. If it comes loose again, I’ll look more carefully.

There’s no detectable water issue by Oceamo inorganic and organic testing, but that cannot rule out organic toxins that were not evaluated.

I’m running a lighting test now:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randys-tank-and-learn-thread.1103636/page-130#post-14066605
From it:

Experiment Time!

Despite nearly losing its footing, the magnifica has been in the same spot for about 2 weeks now. It’s the lowest light area at the top of the tank, and also lowest flow. It looks good now, but I cannot help myself from experimenting. lol

It’s at the back top between the overflows and under the glass cross brace. I do not have any lights directly above it since some of that light would be wasted lighting the top of the overflows.

Stage 1. I pushed my light bars backwards so now a freshwater bar is directly over it and the coral pop is close by. This raises light on it (did not yet measure the change, but it was about 200 par before the shift) and lowers light elsewhere a bit.

Stage 2. Assuming nothing bad (or dramatically good lol) happens, I will return the bars to normal in a few days and place a grow light led on the glass brace facing down. That will give it more light without changing the rest of the tank. I’ll have to wait for them to come from Amazon, but the first one I’ll use is a 10 w dimmable bulb. The bulb is 4,000 k color, 92 cri. That will allow me to slowly raise the light.

This bulb:

https://a.co/d/as9bHQG

Stage 3. If stage 2 seems useful/desirable, I’ll replace the bulb with a 32 w nondimmable bulb like I use in my refugia, maybe slowly adapted with some sort of filtering cloth. This bulb also is 4,000k, 92 cri. This bulb:

https://a.co/d/9XIRp0f


Stage 4. If all goes well by this point (a big if, but I’m an optimist), I may replace that bulb with a better bulb with a different spectrum if I don’t particularly care for the color.

Front and center. Looks beautiful there in your pic. Hopefully it founds it's home.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

100% agree. Magnificas like flat surfaces, not holes in rocks or crevices. That describes BTAs and H. crispa, but definitely not H. magnifica. As far as the mag locating in a lower light area, it may like it fine in the 200 par location. H. magnifca can be found down at depths of more than 150 feet. I would be thinking water parameters myself. I know your nitrate isn't anywhere near as high as mine was years ago when mine would begin to shift around. But when I would get the nitrates down, they would tighten down and stay in place.

Last test by Oceamo said 3.3 ppm and my last test said 9 ppm nitrate. Not too high by most standards.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Heyo there’re Randy! That’s a nice looking big mag!

I will say I have mine almost directly in front of a return pump and a mp10 to its right, flow should not be an issue and if anything they like a lot of it since they are found in tidal shores.


I run my radions @25% and my mag has not moved from where I placed it as well as its foot is not on a flat surface.

I didn’t see it in any of the comments (or may have missed it) but what lights are you running? I saw you have 300 par but don’t recall the light brand


Via the pics you can see I have two diff flows hitting it almost directly

I’m using a shallow water spectrum driven by three ai freshwater blades and one ai coral pop to provide some deep blue and uv.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Hi @Randy Holmes-Farley I’m no mag expert but for several years mine has stayed put on this shelf rock. IMO if they can feel it with their foot they’ll move in that direction in order to get to the ideal spot for food, light, or flow. The larger the shelf rock the better, and it’s easier to move them if needed for cleaning or to accommodate a new rockscape.

 

[Seancj]

Last test by Oceamo said 3.3 ppm and my last test said 9 ppm nitrate. Not too high by most standards.

My nitrates are 40 and all my nems are happy.
Mags like whiter light. Put a 6500K/10000K bulb over it for 6 to 8 hours a day and watch it thrive.

Hi @Randy Holmes-Farley I’m no mag expert but for several years mine has stayed put on this shelf rock. IMO if they can feel it with their foot they’ll move in that direction in order to get to the ideal spot for food, light, or flow. The larger the shelf rock the better, and it’s easier to move them if needed for cleaning or to accommodate a new rockscape.

Beautiful reef!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Mags like whiter light. Put a 6500K/10000K bulb over it for 6 to 8 hours a day and watch it thrive.

Thanks.

That's about what my whole tank gets from the combination of the coral pop and the freshwater blades. That's why I picked them, for that exact color mix from a no fan LED system. :)

 

[Maxx]

How’s the Magnifica doing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How’s the Magnifica doing?

It and the clown trio living in it all seem to be doing fine, but it still moves around and I suspect it's got some sort of foot issue.

A few weeks ago it escaped the rock island by releasing from the rock. That is noted earlier in this thread. I have anemone-proofed the powerheads with eggcrate and have been letting it go wherever it wants. It hasn't actually moved much from the back wall at the top, but I think it released once, landed on the rocks below, then reattached, reclimbed the wall, and has been on that back wall ever since.

I have recently been experimenting with a spot light on it. Current spot light is a 5,000k, 5w led with 98 CRI. The bulb is right above it. I do not know if that is helping, but it has not moved out of that localized light.


This picture shows it when it was down on the rocks:

and this one with it higher up:

 

[Maxx]

Mine would periodically wander on its rock as well. Hopefully, yours settles down and finds the right spot for itself.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnifica Update

Recall that I had been having significant issues getting my magnifica to settle down and not keep moving, and a few times it released entirely and ended upside down on the sand.

On Feb 7 (about 3 weeks ago), I added a spotlight on it in case it wanted more light. I added a
32 w led grow spot light (4,000 k, cri 95) that I use on my refugium and put it directly over the anemone island. It was a big lighting boost, and I measured the par today. It was in the 300 range before the spot light, and just over 1,000 with the spot light. Big increase.

Since that time, the anemone has largely stopped moving around, and is perched at the island top, often stretching further toward the light. It has also become much more yellow (even when lit by my normal lights), perhaps due to more zoox or other light pigments it uses. Not as attractive, but health is the goal.

It's too soon to declare total success (I'll wait another month for that), but assuming this trend holds, it might be due to:

1. It wanted very high light
2. It healed a foot issue or internal issue of some sort.
3. Something changed in the tank water that it now likes (no idea what that could be, however).
4. Its purely coincidence and bad things are to come.

Obviously, I'm hoping its not possibility #4. lol

Eventually, I may back off the light and possibly change to a higher kelvin spot light, if I can find one that fits. I'd prefer something in the 6,000 to 8,000 k range. I actually don't mind the yellow look, however. It looks like a sunny day to me.

This picture shows a side view with it stretching toward the spot light:

Tank shot showing how the spot light highlights it:

Two pictures of the color without the spot light. Note the mottling/speckling in the tentacles in the second picture. Not sure what that is, but I have read that it may be nonuniform zoox populations.