Do Mags deflate 1 day after eating?

Ardeus · 03/27/2018, 03:24 PM

I got mine recently, it deflated twice after arrival, it then went through a week of cipro successfully.

Today (a week after returning to the main tank), it half deflated. Yesterday I fed it half a shrimp.

Do they deflate to expel the waste about 24 hours after eating like BTA's do?

davocean · 03/27/2018, 06:51 PM

Sounds like you may have not treated long enough, they do not deflate from being fed.

Pinkskunk · 03/27/2018, 08:01 PM

Half a shrimp is way too big for a mag unless it is an enormous mag. Perhaps the undigested shrimp decay inside the nem and cause infection. How about some picture? Never try to feed too much, feed little tiny pieces like the pencil eraser.

D-Nak · 03/27/2018, 08:28 PM

Where did you get the shrimp? Was it frozen? Did you check to see if it contains a preservative called STPP?

I used to feed my mags shrimp but experienced partial deflates a day or so afterwards. I slowly learned not to feed shrimp and have switched to tuna, salmon, and most recently LRS frozen food.

I don't think mags need to deflate in order to expel food, unless, as Pinkskunk mentioned, the piece was too big. I have seen my mags ball up on occasion, and some believe this also aids in expelling waste.

Ardeus · 03/28/2018, 01:51 AM

Davocean: it deflated twice on the 1st couple of days of treatment, from then on until the end of the 7 days, so I thought the treatment was effective. Yesterday it wasn't a full deflation.

Pinkskunk: it may have been the case, because it's a small mag. I think that from now on I will stop feeding it directly. I normally broadcast feed 2 cubes of mysis at the evening.

D-Nak: it was frozen, I didn't see any mention of STPP.

Where I live you can't find fresh tuna and european Samon is highly contaminated. I will stop feeding it and rely only on light and mysis.

Lets hope there's no more deflation.

Thanks for thr help!

Ardeus · 03/29/2018, 01:14 PM

Today it deflated again (48 hours after the 1st deflation).

The mouth stayed closed most of the time, except for a few minutes and I saw a couple of small pieces of waste coming out.

Pinkskunk · 03/29/2018, 04:42 PM

If it were mine, I treat it tonite.

Ardeus · 03/29/2018, 10:32 PM

I can't, I am going away on saturday for a few days, I will only return next thursday.

With some luck the nem won't deflate until I leave on Saturday. If it does, I will have to take it out of the tank and put it in a small tank by itself and dose cipro until I leave.

I have a friend coming over to check on the tank on Tuesday and I can ask him to make a waterchange and dose cipro.

D-Nak · 03/29/2018, 11:15 PM

I think you should remove it now, start treating it, and leave it in the QT tank while you're away. That way if it dies, it won't foul your DT. Plus, i think it would benefit from some time away from your clowns. I've seen many clowns "over love" an anemone to the point where they kill it.

Ardeus · 03/30/2018, 04:21 AM

If it deflates again today, I will begin treatment imediately.

If not, I will wait a bit more before leaving tomorrow to make sure it doesn't deflate around sunset.

If it does deflate tomorrow I will begin treatment.

If it doesn't deflate, I will leave it in the tank.

I spoke to my friend and he will come and stay at my place on Monday until I get back and treat it if needed.

There are 3 clowns but they are still working on their relationship, it's very rare for the 3 of them to be together. Normally only the 2 smaller ones stay there.

Thanks for the advice.

Kinetic · 03/30/2018, 11:31 AM

I think the fact that it already deflated a few times is enough to start treatment now. Especially since you have some time before leaving.

Ardeus · 03/30/2018, 12:17 PM

This is a difficult decision to make but I already have the hospital tank ready.

My trio of clowns broke when I introduced the mag. Tthe male rebelled, kicked the female out and chased out of all visible anemones. Today, after a lot of schemes and tricks on my part, they finally got back together.

If I remove the mag for at least a week, hell will break loose again when I return the mag to the tank.

At this time (7 pm here) the mag still looks great (knock on wood). I am staying on watch for another 24 hours and the UV is back on (I turned it off the day before the 1st deflation). It's a 36 watt unit and I run it with a very slow flow.

I am hoping that a couple of stupid things I did were the cause for the 2 deflations 48 hours appart.I fed the mag half shrimps and I put a piece of coral to the tank without realising that part of it was rotten.

As soon as I see another deflation, the mag goes into treatment. It hasn't even moved since I placed it in the tank after returning from the 1st treatment.

ChizerBunoi · 03/31/2018, 12:59 PM

That is a long time away from home risking it killing all those beautiful BTA though.

Ardeus · 03/31/2018, 01:46 PM

I left an old phone working as a webcam but it stopped working shortly after I left, so I will only know how the mag is on Monday.

I should have read your post sooner, I forgot to change the carbon :/

When I left, the mag was looking good, it's been 2 days since the deflation. I left the hospital tank running so that my friend can begin the cipro treatment if needed on Monday.

I think it's unlikely that it dies in 48 hours, but
I am very worried just the same.

03/27/2018, 03:24 PM	#1
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	Do Mags deflate 1 day after eating? I got mine recently, it deflated twice after arrival, it then went through a week of cipro successfully. Today (a week after returning to the main tank), it half deflated. Yesterday I fed it half a shrimp. Do they deflate to expel the waste about 24 hours after eating like BTA's do?

03/27/2018, 06:51 PM	#2
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	Sounds like you may have not treated long enough, they do not deflate from being fed. __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/27/2018, 08:28 PM	#4
D-Nak Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 5,797	Where did you get the shrimp? Was it frozen? Did you check to see if it contains a preservative called STPP? I used to feed my mags shrimp but experienced partial deflates a day or so afterwards. I slowly learned not to feed shrimp and have switched to tuna, salmon, and most recently LRS frozen food. I don't think mags need to deflate in order to expel food, unless, as Pinkskunk mentioned, the piece was too big. I have seen my mags ball up on occasion, and some believe this also aids in expelling waste. __________________ Tank info: 120 gallon 48x30x20 high DT. Clownfish breeding rack in full swing: C-Quest Onyx, Bali Aquarich P1 Picasso + Rod's Onyx, wild percula + Rod's Onyx.

03/29/2018, 11:15 PM	#9
D-Nak Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 5,797	I think you should remove it now, start treating it, and leave it in the QT tank while you're away. That way if it dies, it won't foul your DT. Plus, i think it would benefit from some time away from your clowns. I've seen many clowns "over love" an anemone to the point where they kill it. __________________ Tank info: 120 gallon 48x30x20 high DT. Clownfish breeding rack in full swing: C-Quest Onyx, Bali Aquarich P1 Picasso + Rod's Onyx, wild percula + Rod's Onyx.

03/27/2018, 08:01 PM	#3
Pinkskunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	Half a shrimp is way too big for a mag unless it is an enormous mag. Perhaps the undigested shrimp decay inside the nem and cause infection. How about some picture? Never try to feed too much, feed little tiny pieces like the pencil eraser.

03/28/2018, 01:51 AM	#5
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	Davocean: it deflated twice on the 1st couple of days of treatment, from then on until the end of the 7 days, so I thought the treatment was effective. Yesterday it wasn't a full deflation. Pinkskunk: it may have been the case, because it's a small mag. I think that from now on I will stop feeding it directly. I normally broadcast feed 2 cubes of mysis at the evening. D-Nak: it was frozen, I didn't see any mention of STPP. Where I live you can't find fresh tuna and european Samon is highly contaminated. I will stop feeding it and rely only on light and mysis. Lets hope there's no more deflation. Thanks for thr help!

03/29/2018, 01:14 PM	#6
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	Today it deflated again (48 hours after the 1st deflation). The mouth stayed closed most of the time, except for a few minutes and I saw a couple of small pieces of waste coming out.

03/29/2018, 04:42 PM	#7
Pinkskunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	If it were mine, I treat it tonite.

03/29/2018, 10:32 PM	#8
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	I can't, I am going away on saturday for a few days, I will only return next thursday. With some luck the nem won't deflate until I leave on Saturday. If it does, I will have to take it out of the tank and put it in a small tank by itself and dose cipro until I leave. I have a friend coming over to check on the tank on Tuesday and I can ask him to make a waterchange and dose cipro.

03/30/2018, 04:21 AM	#10
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	If it deflates again today, I will begin treatment imediately. If not, I will wait a bit more before leaving tomorrow to make sure it doesn't deflate around sunset. If it does deflate tomorrow I will begin treatment. If it doesn't deflate, I will leave it in the tank. I spoke to my friend and he will come and stay at my place on Monday until I get back and treat it if needed. There are 3 clowns but they are still working on their relationship, it's very rare for the 3 of them to be together. Normally only the 2 smaller ones stay there. Thanks for the advice.

03/30/2018, 11:31 AM	#11
Kinetic Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 7,230	I think the fact that it already deflated a few times is enough to start treatment now. Especially since you have some time before leaving.

03/30/2018, 12:17 PM	#12
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	This is a difficult decision to make but I already have the hospital tank ready. My trio of clowns broke when I introduced the mag. Tthe male rebelled, kicked the female out and chased out of all visible anemones. Today, after a lot of schemes and tricks on my part, they finally got back together. If I remove the mag for at least a week, hell will break loose again when I return the mag to the tank. At this time (7 pm here) the mag still looks great (knock on wood). I am staying on watch for another 24 hours and the UV is back on (I turned it off the day before the 1st deflation). It's a 36 watt unit and I run it with a very slow flow. I am hoping that a couple of stupid things I did were the cause for the 2 deflations 48 hours appart.I fed the mag half shrimps and I put a piece of coral to the tank without realising that part of it was rotten. As soon as I see another deflation, the mag goes into treatment. It hasn't even moved since I placed it in the tank after returning from the 1st treatment.

03/31/2018, 12:59 PM	#13
ChizerBunoi Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Alberta Posts: 55	That is a long time away from home risking it killing all those beautiful BTA though.

03/31/2018, 01:46 PM	#14
Ardeus Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 258	I left an old phone working as a webcam but it stopped working shortly after I left, so I will only know how the mag is on Monday. I should have read your post sooner, I forgot to change the carbon :/ When I left, the mag was looking good, it's been 2 days since the deflation. I left the hospital tank running so that my friend can begin the cipro treatment if needed on Monday. I think it's unlikely that it dies in 48 hours, but I am very worried just the same.