I was really fortunate to come across a deal of a lifetime on a barely used 360 gallon acrylic tank/system, everything included! The tank is 96"x36"x24" tall. I spent the last week slowly moving over the livestock from my previous set of smaller tanks. The 360 came with 300 plus pounds of live rock along with my 200 plus pounds of live rock and established refugium helped me jump start the transfer. So far, everything has tolerated the transfer very well. No casualties! All 18 Mags, all 7 LTA's, 3 sebaes, and the rainbow BTA colony looks good. All 3 sets of breeding clowns, the orange skunk pair, pink skunk pair, and the white ocellaris pair have found their territory and are cohabitating well. I've still got a little work to do with placement of the SPS frags that litter the sand bed. Fingers crossed it continues to go well.
The 'new' Magnifica Reef! Upgraded the system.
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Mr_Knightley
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Woohoo! How cool! So happy to see the red LTA is still doing well!
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Seancj
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Thanks everyone! I'm very grateful for what I have! It was alot work to get it. I rented a box truck, drove 2 hours, broke the still running system down by myself, loaded and transported it all back home. You guys know the drill.
I hope to add a few more Mags in color morphs I don't already have AND still holding out hope for a healthy blue gigantea! I'm selling all my haddoni as I don't want to risk any fish to them in this tank. I've added a baby Aussie tusk and a baby regal angel (that is my new favorite) and I fear they would wind up haddoni food.
I hope to add a few more Mags in color morphs I don't already have AND still holding out hope for a healthy blue gigantea! I'm selling all my haddoni as I don't want to risk any fish to them in this tank. I've added a baby Aussie tusk and a baby regal angel (that is my new favorite) and I fear they would wind up haddoni food.
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The new fish on the block
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I saw the update on YT yesterday! Tank looks amazing, congrats!!!
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Seancj
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Thank you! I'm really liking these Red Sea Reefled 160S's, but getting the video settings on the Galaxy Ultra are a challenge. It's so much better looking in real life. I'll figure it out one of these days.
The new fish on the block
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Video looks great to me!Thank you! I'm really liking these Red Sea Reefled 160S's, but getting the video settings on the Galaxy Ultra are a challenge. It's so much better looking in real life. I'll figure it out one of these days.
I am really close to ordering my first Mag, and It looks like you have the process down pat!
Would you be willing to share what your process of receiving, acclimation, and treatment (if any) are like?
Also, are there any tips/ tricks you could share?
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Seancj
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I'm happy to offer how I approach my Magnifica acquisitions. None of this will be new or groundbreaking. There is already a lot of great info from many experienced and knowledgeable hobbyists here on R2R on this topic.
First, ask your LFS's to order you one, or two, so you can have better odds of getting a good one. It's always best if you can observe the specimen before committing to the purchase. I have lost probably 50% of the Mags that I have purchased online, and it will now take a particularly rare or truly special specimen for me to purchase online again. I have a much better success rate with my locally purchased Mags. I'm blessed with a LFS owner that contacts the supplier directly each time he orders and asks for only the most healthy and ultra colored specimens available. This supplier ships them in big bags of water and most arrive looking very good.
Buy only an outwardly healthy looking specimen, preferably one you can observe for a few days at your LFS.
For me, the most important things to watch for:
1. Does it quickly attach itself to the tank wall, basket, or rock. A healthy Mag will quickly set its foot.
2. Is it gaping? Alot of newly shipped Mags will gape somewhat, but watch for excessive gaping or mesentery filaments exposed through the mouth. Watch it for a few days to see if it subsides. If it doesn't, pass on it.
3. Thoroughly inspect the foot/column for any tears or holes. If there are, its chances of long term success are significantly decreased. Mags can recover from small tears/holes, but it's hit or miss and a lot depends on the water/husbandry conditions. A tear in the foot is a direct line for infection. If there are several holes or large tears, avoid it. If I buy a Mag with small holes/tears, I will place it in a large plastic, well perforated, basket and attach that to the top edge of the tank in an area of good flow and high light. I find that if given time in a secure protected location, like the smooth inside of a plastic basket, the Mag's tears will heal quicker. The basket keeps it from floating around the tank, scraping along rocks and sand, which most Mags with torn feet will do initially.
4. Are the tentacles sticky? Again, a lot of newly imported Mags will not be sticky immediately upon arrival. It may take a few days for this to come back. A sticky Mag is a good sign. I believe that this means the Mag will feed quicker, thus regaining necessary nutrients faster. We know that they are often without proper lighting and are not fed during their long migration from the sea to us. A nem that can feed quicker will acclimate faster and likely last long term.
5. Inflation. Again, not uncommon for a new import to be deflated upon arrival, but it should quickly inflate over the next few hours if the receiving water parameters, flow, and lighting are appropriate. If it doesn't inflate over the next few days, avoid it. If it inflates/deflates, avoid it.
6. Coloration/bleaching. A lot of them come in bleached. A bleached Mag is a stressed Mag and not a great candidate for long term success. This is not a deal breaker though. Under good lighting and regular feeding, a bleached Mag can regain its zooxanthellae and recover, IF it otherwise is showing positive signs like full inflation, planting its foot, tight mouth, etc.. Try to get one that has good color saturation off the bat.
Don't try to 'rescue' an unhealthy looking Mag. Even though they can be hard to come by, best to wait for another one rather than go through a lot of work with quarantine, treatment, stress, and most likely eventual flushing.
Be warned that a dieing Mag can quickly destroy your entire tank, killing off most fish and really ticking off your other corals if left for too long in the tank.
Acclimation: I probably have a much quicker acclimation procedure than most, but it has worked well for me. As long as your water parameters are close to NSW levels and not too extreme, I believe that anemones are pretty good at self acclimation, engulfing/inflating with the tank water at a rate they can adjust to.
I float the bag in my tank for 20 to 30 minutes to temperature adjust. I empty about half of the bag's water, syphoning out any junk/waste, and then add a cup of tank water. I continue to add a cup of tank water every 5 minutes or so for about 20 to 30 minutes. If the Mag is showing all the signs of a healthy specimen, I turn off my powerheads and place the Mag in a suitable spot, up high, and in an area of strong random flow. I watch to see if it plants its foot. It if falls off the rock more than 2 times, I place it in a plastic basket as described above. To me, nothing is worse for a Mag than to be blown around the tank, scraping along rocks and sand at the bottom dark areas of the tank, or worse, into a powerhead. If the Mag attaches strongly, I turn the flow back on at 50% and observe for another 30 to 60 minutes to ensure it stays put. If, after an hour of staying put and inflating, I turn the power heads back up to their usual setting and observe a bit longer.
Treatment:
I do not treat all new Mags. If they have all the positive health signs as noted above, I see no reason to treat. To be honest, I have not had good luck with Cipro treatment of injured/sick Mags. I know the process works, I just haven't been able to bring many back once they have started their decline. Since I buy mine locally, I can see their condition before purchase. If the Mag looks like it's going to need treatment, I leave it and observe it over the next several days at the LFS. I do have a clean 10 gallon quarantine/treatment tank and Cipro all ready to go if needed though. I follow the standard protocol well documented here on R2R. Of the 18 Mags in my tank now, none of them required treatment. Knock on wood!
I hope this info helps some with your Mag purchase and experience!
First, ask your LFS's to order you one, or two, so you can have better odds of getting a good one. It's always best if you can observe the specimen before committing to the purchase. I have lost probably 50% of the Mags that I have purchased online, and it will now take a particularly rare or truly special specimen for me to purchase online again. I have a much better success rate with my locally purchased Mags. I'm blessed with a LFS owner that contacts the supplier directly each time he orders and asks for only the most healthy and ultra colored specimens available. This supplier ships them in big bags of water and most arrive looking very good.
Buy only an outwardly healthy looking specimen, preferably one you can observe for a few days at your LFS.
For me, the most important things to watch for:
1. Does it quickly attach itself to the tank wall, basket, or rock. A healthy Mag will quickly set its foot.
2. Is it gaping? Alot of newly shipped Mags will gape somewhat, but watch for excessive gaping or mesentery filaments exposed through the mouth. Watch it for a few days to see if it subsides. If it doesn't, pass on it.
3. Thoroughly inspect the foot/column for any tears or holes. If there are, its chances of long term success are significantly decreased. Mags can recover from small tears/holes, but it's hit or miss and a lot depends on the water/husbandry conditions. A tear in the foot is a direct line for infection. If there are several holes or large tears, avoid it. If I buy a Mag with small holes/tears, I will place it in a large plastic, well perforated, basket and attach that to the top edge of the tank in an area of good flow and high light. I find that if given time in a secure protected location, like the smooth inside of a plastic basket, the Mag's tears will heal quicker. The basket keeps it from floating around the tank, scraping along rocks and sand, which most Mags with torn feet will do initially.
4. Are the tentacles sticky? Again, a lot of newly imported Mags will not be sticky immediately upon arrival. It may take a few days for this to come back. A sticky Mag is a good sign. I believe that this means the Mag will feed quicker, thus regaining necessary nutrients faster. We know that they are often without proper lighting and are not fed during their long migration from the sea to us. A nem that can feed quicker will acclimate faster and likely last long term.
5. Inflation. Again, not uncommon for a new import to be deflated upon arrival, but it should quickly inflate over the next few hours if the receiving water parameters, flow, and lighting are appropriate. If it doesn't inflate over the next few days, avoid it. If it inflates/deflates, avoid it.
6. Coloration/bleaching. A lot of them come in bleached. A bleached Mag is a stressed Mag and not a great candidate for long term success. This is not a deal breaker though. Under good lighting and regular feeding, a bleached Mag can regain its zooxanthellae and recover, IF it otherwise is showing positive signs like full inflation, planting its foot, tight mouth, etc.. Try to get one that has good color saturation off the bat.
Don't try to 'rescue' an unhealthy looking Mag. Even though they can be hard to come by, best to wait for another one rather than go through a lot of work with quarantine, treatment, stress, and most likely eventual flushing.
Be warned that a dieing Mag can quickly destroy your entire tank, killing off most fish and really ticking off your other corals if left for too long in the tank.
Acclimation: I probably have a much quicker acclimation procedure than most, but it has worked well for me. As long as your water parameters are close to NSW levels and not too extreme, I believe that anemones are pretty good at self acclimation, engulfing/inflating with the tank water at a rate they can adjust to.
I float the bag in my tank for 20 to 30 minutes to temperature adjust. I empty about half of the bag's water, syphoning out any junk/waste, and then add a cup of tank water. I continue to add a cup of tank water every 5 minutes or so for about 20 to 30 minutes. If the Mag is showing all the signs of a healthy specimen, I turn off my powerheads and place the Mag in a suitable spot, up high, and in an area of strong random flow. I watch to see if it plants its foot. It if falls off the rock more than 2 times, I place it in a plastic basket as described above. To me, nothing is worse for a Mag than to be blown around the tank, scraping along rocks and sand at the bottom dark areas of the tank, or worse, into a powerhead. If the Mag attaches strongly, I turn the flow back on at 50% and observe for another 30 to 60 minutes to ensure it stays put. If, after an hour of staying put and inflating, I turn the power heads back up to their usual setting and observe a bit longer.
Treatment:
I do not treat all new Mags. If they have all the positive health signs as noted above, I see no reason to treat. To be honest, I have not had good luck with Cipro treatment of injured/sick Mags. I know the process works, I just haven't been able to bring many back once they have started their decline. Since I buy mine locally, I can see their condition before purchase. If the Mag looks like it's going to need treatment, I leave it and observe it over the next several days at the LFS. I do have a clean 10 gallon quarantine/treatment tank and Cipro all ready to go if needed though. I follow the standard protocol well documented here on R2R. Of the 18 Mags in my tank now, none of them required treatment. Knock on wood!
I hope this info helps some with your Mag purchase and experience!
The new fish on the block
Well-Known Member
Thank you for sharing! It is greatly appreciated!
I have a LFS that will special order one for me, however it must be picked up the day it comes in which isn’t ideal, so I may see if another one will allow me to observe before I buy.
I have a LFS that will special order one for me, however it must be picked up the day it comes in which isn’t ideal, so I may see if another one will allow me to observe before I buy.
Paris by Night
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What is your experience with mags moving?
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Seancj
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I have some that jockey for higher positioning every now and then. I have some that are perfectly happy to stay put where I initially placed them. I design my tanks with the Mags in mind so just about anywhere in the tank will provide them with high random flow and high light. I actually like it when they move around. It gives the tank that extra dynamic.
They MOVE...even when they stay put ... mine is on a high perch and it shifts from side to side on that perch a few times a week based on flow/light it gets...only 2-3 inches move ..but be prepared -
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