My Magnificent Sea Anemone Journey....

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The column expands when you feed them because there is food inside. This then makes the anemone itself look puff up and much fuller. Is that what you are referring to? If your not comfortable stopping feedings then go to once every week or two.

The actual shape will also vary depending on the water flow. Give yours time and it will expand the tenacles as it gets healthier and acclimates to your tank conditions. How about giving the mag more daylight in the 6500K range?

I can't get a good shot of mine as it's on the side wall. But yours has similar colors to mine. I don't have a filter for my phone so it shows more blue.

IMG_3014.JPG
Thanks, but im referring to the actual size of the animal. I feel like its shrinking if i dont feed it.

This was April1:
1592857606360.png


This is June 15

1592857688721.png
 

chizerbunoi

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Yeah I agree. It is not as happy as it was before. Show a before feeding and after feeding pic.

Have you played around with water flow levels?
 
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Yeah I agree. It is not as happy as it was before. Show a before feeding and after feeding pic.

Have you played around with water flow levels?
I just started on a feeding regiment...so i will post after another few weeks. Its actually looking better than it did before.
 

chizerbunoi

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Yes for sure... the Mag has plenty of varied flow, supplied by 4 MP40's and 2 Gyre 330's

I meant adjust the water flow levels to find the optimum to keep the anemone happy. Normally the anemone moves to find the proper place for flow. Perhaps the gyre right above it? but you could risk it moving.

Since you just started the feeding regiment it's bouncing back nicely. Your tank is pretty amazing BTA. I really like your layout. Is it a custom in the wall display around your living room/kitchen?
 
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I meant adjust the water flow levels to find the optimum to keep the anemone happy. Normally the anemone moves to find the proper place for flow. Perhaps the gyre right above it? but you could risk it moving.

Since you just started the feeding regiment it's bouncing back nicely. Your tank is pretty amazing BTA. I really like your layout. Is it a custom in the wall display around your living room/kitchen?
I think the anemone is happy with its placement. It hasnt moved more than half an inch since i got it.
 
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Hey family, hope everyone is doing well and is safe. My Mag journey continues....its much of the same for good or bad. Since my last post, ive been feeding the Mag every couple of days...here are my observations: after feeding it...it looks great, it noticeably bigger and inflated...the following day or so its tentacles shrink and it looks bad if im honest....the following day or so..its back to normal.

I know you may ask why feed if it starts this cycle? Im not sure if the "cycle" is good or bad, but i have noticed that without feeding it shrinks. I ran across an article regarding shrinking anemones, the sum of it is...if your anemone is shrinking its starving. I think the feedings have prevented the animal from shrinking more than it has...but its clear its not as large as it was when i first acquired it.
 

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Hey family, hope everyone is doing well and is safe. My Mag journey continues....its much of the same for good or bad. Since my last post, ive been feeding the Mag every couple of days...here are my observations: after feeding it...it looks great, it noticeably bigger and inflated...the following day or so its tentacles shrink and it looks bad if im honest....the following day or so..its back to normal.

I know you may ask why feed if it starts this cycle? Im not sure if the "cycle" is good or bad, but i have noticed that without feeding it shrinks. I ran across an article regarding shrinking anemones, the sum of it is...if your anemone is shrinking its starving. I think the feedings have prevented the animal from shrinking more than it has...but its clear its not as large as it was when i first acquired it.
Hmm I am not sure about your second paragraph. My haddoni always looks like crap after he eats and looks like he's dying when he poops. Then all is good. This is usually within a day or two after eating
 
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Hmm I am not sure about your second paragraph. My haddoni always looks like crap after he eats and looks like he's dying when he poops. Then all is good. This is usually within a day or two after eating
Thanks! so you believe this is normal?
 

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Well since mine is haddoni (12 months)I can't say for sure for magnifica. I have 3 magnificas but the oldest one I got was from may 31. I can say all 3 behaves different, but I've stopped checking on the one I got may 31

One cycles a gaping mouth and tight mouth every 24 hours. One has tight mouth and never gapes. The other cycles its tentacle from short to long over a week timespan (this one I'm now treating to be safe.

The one I got last week
20200709_085710.jpg


The one from may 31 today

20200709_104415.jpg


The one I'm treating

20200703_180001.jpg


All the pictures you've posted so far haven't looked concerning to me.
 
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I meant adjust the water flow levels to find the optimum to keep the anemone happy. Normally the anemone moves to find the proper place for flow. Perhaps the gyre right above it? but you could risk it moving.

Since you just started the feeding regiment it's bouncing back nicely. Your tank is pretty amazing BTA. I really like your layout. Is it a custom in the wall display around your living room/kitchen?
Hey sorry totally overlooked your last statement... sorry. Its in my dining area. Below is a pic when it was initially setup.

1595882239489.png



1595882302508.png



1595882335499.png
 
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Hey family another update on the Mag. Lets start with the positives.... its alive! I have had this animal in my possession since 03/07/2020... we are getting close to the 6 month mark.

Now my observations:

Its hard to know if its doing well in my opinion. I have heard many say you don't need to feed, while others say to feed.This was the focus of my last post. I decided to feed..i do so just about every other day give or take and feed large pieces.

They anemone appears to be gaining size and color (or changing color...getting a cream yellowish tint with purplish blue tips) and the tentacles are getting thicker. It still isn't as large as it was after treatment, but appears to getting slightly bigger. At this point, Im going to continue this regiment until i see confirmed positive result negative ones. Any advice for those have kept Mag's long term is always welcome.

Feeding:
This was a scallop
1595884953702.png



1595885169536.png
 

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WAAAAAAAAYYYYY TOO BIG A CHUNK OF SCALLOP.......

The anemone wont be able to digest that much and will spit it up and out. This means the tank water fouls, and the anemone has expended metabolic energy to engulf and try to digest something that is too big for it and then must spend more metabolic energy to expel it.
Is that a net metabolic loss for the anemone? I dont know for certain, but I'd lean towards yes.

Scallop is a good meal for the anemone, since it is a whole food. But tear off small strips, (scallop does that pretty easily) and feed those instead of the whole scallop. When I say small strip, I'm talking something about the thickness of one of the anemone's tentacles. When the anemone shows that it can take those without expelling undigested food, then you can up the size.

I think feeding the anemone is a good thing, but you do need to be aware they can get big. I've seen captive H.magnifica's that were the size of a manhole cover.
Not kidding.
The owner fed it a whole large cocktail shrimp every week. There were two deliriously happy Ocellaris clowns that were visible once every 20 minutes or so.

Mine is doing better. It started wandering for abit, but since increasing the light it receives that's stopped.
I need to get/rent a PAR meter.

full
 
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WAAAAAAAAYYYYY TOO BIG A CHUNK OF SCALLOP.......

The anemone wont be able to digest that much and will spit it up and out. This means the tank water fouls, and the anemone has expended metabolic energy to engulf and try to digest something that is too big for it and then must spend more metabolic energy to expel it.
Is that a net metabolic loss for the anemone? I dont know for certain, but I'd lean towards yes.

Scallop is a good meal for the anemone, since it is a whole food. But tear off small strips, (scallop does that pretty easily) and feed those instead of the whole scallop. When I say small strip, I'm talking something about the thickness of one of the anemone's tentacles. When the anemone shows that it can take those without expelling undigested food, then you can up the size.

I think feeding the anemone is a good thing, but you do need to be aware they can get big. I've seen captive H.magnifica's that were the size of a manhole cover.
Not kidding.
The owner fed it a whole large cocktail shrimp every week. There were two deliriously happy Ocellaris clowns that were visible once every 20 minutes or so.

Mine is doing better. It started wandering for abit, but since increasing the light it receives that's stopped.
I need to get/rent a PAR meter.

full
Thanks for the advice..... i did revise the size based on what you mentioned. Im hoping you are right on the growth...i have not experience this..but the opposite. I think once it starts to get size i will reduce the feeding.
 
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WAAAAAAAAYYYYY TOO BIG A CHUNK OF SCALLOP.......

The anemone wont be able to digest that much and will spit it up and out. This means the tank water fouls, and the anemone has expended metabolic energy to engulf and try to digest something that is too big for it and then must spend more metabolic energy to expel it.
Is that a net metabolic loss for the anemone? I dont know for certain, but I'd lean towards yes.

Scallop is a good meal for the anemone, since it is a whole food. But tear off small strips, (scallop does that pretty easily) and feed those instead of the whole scallop. When I say small strip, I'm talking something about the thickness of one of the anemone's tentacles. When the anemone shows that it can take those without expelling undigested food, then you can up the size.

I think feeding the anemone is a good thing, but you do need to be aware they can get big. I've seen captive H.magnifica's that were the size of a manhole cover.
Not kidding.
The owner fed it a whole large cocktail shrimp every week. There were two deliriously happy Ocellaris clowns that were visible once every 20 minutes or so.

Mine is doing better. It started wandering for abit, but since increasing the light it receives that's stopped.
I need to get/rent a PAR meter.

full
Interestingly enough mine have yet to move... but i know its not happy.
 
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