Water Changes

[jah hoeva]

To the folks with Nems high in the tank (mag on a pier of rock for example) how do you go about doing bigger water changes? My Magnifica is on my back glass and seems to love it there. I hate doing anything more than 10 gallons because the mag is literally hanging off the glass. (foot and column exposed) Now if this is fine I will not worry, but is it bad to expose him to air for a few minutes? I have done this in the past and it has not seemed to bother it, but wanted to ask people with more experience.

Thanks.

[Swayze27]

Mine is on the highest rock in my tank with only about 3-4 inches of water above it. My plan is to only sift the sand and drain minimal water out of the display. Then I plan on pumping the rest out of the sump. If you have a sump this may be an option for you too.

[Ron Popeil]

i always drain my display, and often my anemones will be completely exposed to air during the time it takes to drain and refill. they will appear completely liquefied.

this has never negatively affected my anemones, as in the wild its not unusual for them to live in areas where low tide will regularly affect them.

[Swayze27]

I've seen pictures of them laying in bare rock/sand during low tides, crazy looking. I just don't want to do that, especially to one new to the tank. I'm sure they prefer the water, lol.

[taylor t]

I've done water changes and left them exposed to air a few minutes. They don't care. It happens in nature.

[D-Nak]

I've done water changes and left them exposed to air a few minutes. They don't care. It happens in nature.

Me too. They're totally fine exposed to air. Just make sure they're not on a sharp rock that could puncture or cut the foot.

For mags specifically, since they like planting themselves on the top of a rock, they have a strong foot which allows them to stay in place, so they can hang without damage. That said, a water change would be a good time to remove your mag and move it onto a rock pillar. Although it may seem "happy" it'll be happpier perched on the top of a rock.

[jah hoeva]

Interesting D-Nak. I was always told if a mag seems happy, leave it alone! lol

Now removing a mag from glass similar to a BTA? Ive had good luck with placing an ice cube in a bag and rubbing it on the foot to get them to release. Ive also seen people use a credit card to get them off the glass without issue, I just rather not risk injury to a perfectly healthy magnifica.

[D-Nak]

It's definitely best practice to leave a happy nem alone. However, when it comes to mags on walls, I've seen some that were partially bleached because they weren't getting enough light to either the top or bottom of the oral disk (depending on how the light hits it). When they're on a rock and upright, the likelihood of this happening is less. I've also seen some that walked up the the surface and their tentacles were mishaped. This is not to say that the nem isn't happy, but I think that there are more optimal positions for nem, and of course it's more aesthetically pleasing to have a nem in a more natural position.

I usually use a plastic card -- not a credit card -- but a thinner gift card to remove part of the foot. Once I get a finger underneath, I slowly use my finger to dislodge the nem. Obviously, the key is not to injure the nem, so if it's hard to remove then it's best to leave it where it is.

[jah hoeva]

Thank you D-Nak. I will give it a shot this weekend.