OMG..I think my Ritteri is splitting...

[jeffsdesigns]

omg..I have been watching him for a few hours and for a few days. I thought my Ritteri was injured. He didn't look right.
I asked Ritteri and Bubbles..and Minh Nguyen.
Right now..after watching him for a few hours...I think he is splitting.

Bad thing is...I can't find my friggin digital camera.
grrr...I hate this.

I WANT this on Camera.
Damn it..Damn it.

 

[CraigLampe]

Riterri?! what is a Riterri??

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Ok..I dunno if he is..looks that way to me.
I never seen one split before.
Here's pics I'll try to post..lol
If I can figure it out.

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Ok..I was in a rush to post.

My Ritteri Anemone.

That better?

I hope thats what he is doing, splitting.

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Plus..I heard someplace...that they normally split during a full moon.
I just thought of that..can't remember where I heard that at before.

 

[Darkangel]

hey jeffs,
i was just wondering on what conditons u have been successfully keeping your ritterri at?i.e any special requirements? i would like to keep one someday(after my tank is algea free)for my percula clown fish. any info would be appreciated
thanks,

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Jeff,
My Ritteri anemone never deflated even as he split. He splited the first week I have him in my tank. I think he was injured when the LFS remove him from the rock. As he split, the two half move apart . Your seem to be deflated. Ho long have you have him?
Good luck. He seem to have very nice color. I hope he will be fine.
Minh

 

[jamesw]

Hi Jeff,

Yes, please post some more details about your tank.

What kind of lighting do you have?

How long has the tank been set up?

How long have you had the anemone?

Cheers
James Wiseman

 

[GSchiemer]

I've never seen cloning documented in Heteractis magnificaanemones. What makes you believe it's "splitting?" It appears unhealthy and in distress to me. A healthy Heteractis magnifica anemone would have its base attached to the rockwork. This one appears to be sitting on the substrate. I'd suspect that it's dying rather than reproducing.

Greg Schiemer

 

[Anonymous]

I've never seen cloning documented in Heteractis magnificaanemones. What makes you believe it's "splitting?" It appears unhealthy and in distress to me. A healthy Heteractis magnifica anemone would have its base attached to the rockwork. This one appears to be sitting on the substrate. I'd suspect that it's dying rather than reproducing.

Greg Schiemer

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was thinking this. The way the oral opening is gaping in the first picture and the way the tentacles are deflated and shrunken look like most ritteris that I've seen as they're giving their 'last gasp' so to speak. Good luck and hope it really is splitting. Keep us posted, eh?

 

[Anonymous]

Thought of something else...

Could you tell us more about your tank? ie. size, water parameters, filtration, etc. I'm curious because everything in my past experience says that ritteri anemones need absolutely pristine water conditions and precisely the right amount of current. I've always loved them, but have been terrified to try one because of their high mortality rate.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I've never seen cloning documented in Heteractis magnificaanemones. ....
Greg Schiemer

Greg,
What you wrote just indicated that you really never look into this topic
Let me assure you that this happened in my tank. I have two identical clones in my tank right now. There are several photo documented H. magnifica fissions here at Reefcentral.com and Reefs.org. If you don't believe me you can do a search for it.
Also, per Dr. Daphne G. Fautin and Dr. Gerald R. Allen, both are well know authorities on Anemone have this to say on H. magnifica:
"...
In western Indonesia, several small individuals of identical colouration may cluster together, resembling one large animal. Elsewhere (e.g. Maldives, Malaysia, French Polynesia), tens or hundreds of identically coloured individuals form extensive beds; presumably they constitute a clone. "
You can visit their writing on Anemones at:
http://biodiversity.uno.edu/ebooks/ch1.html#magnifica

In my tank, I assumed that my H. Magnifica fission was triggered by injury or shock from being place into my tank. From other reefers who had this happen, this is usually is the case because this happened most often when the anemone just place in the tank like mine.

Minh Nguyen
BTW, I agree with you that Jeff's H. magnifica doen't look like he is splitting, but appear unhealthy and dying to me also.

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Well..last night..I saw 2 mouths..thats way I suspected he was splitting.
He has his @ss in front of the tank. For what I have read..they do that.

Any, here are my tank specs.
75G tank with a Remora Pro skimmer, 440W VHOs. The tank has been set up for about 8 months. BUT..I had also a 38G tank with a 4 inch base of sand that was set up for 2 years. What I did was..when i got my tank out of storage. I put in 50 pounds of live sand from a LFS and then addded my 38G tank sand to it, along with the LV...I then added about 100 pounds more of LR to it.

I have no amm, Nitires or Nitrates. I have a awesome hang on 18 fuge with tons of capelra growing in it.

My saltainty level is at 1.026, Ank is 4.0 and my Ca @450.

As I spoke to Minh on time in Pm. He did come in contact with a Horn Coral once..since then..he hasn't looked good.
When I got him, he headed for the left hand corner of the tank and stuck to the glass. I then used some ice cubes in a plastic bag to get him to let go of the glass and gentley pealed him away. I then figured he'll evenually head to the top of the tank as most do with the lighting. I have an RIO 1400 powerhead close to that area also so i figured he'd enjoy the waterflow also. he didn't...he was there for about 2 days and moved down to the front of the tank and stuck on a small rock till a few days ago..He when he was battling with the Horn Coral that fell. After a day or so..he moved to the middle of my tank and positioned himself on the glass.
Since then..his tenicles have been deflated..I didn't know why..my water parameters were fine. Last night..watching him. i noticed 2 mouths. but instead of splitting verically like you see in pics..he looked as if he was splitting horizonally...Thats why I didn't know what to thing.
Since he is in the position he is now. Its hard to see the other mouth, so therefore, I don't know what to think.
Maybe he is dying or maybe he's splitting. I don't know.
I do know the last few days he won't eat anything and for what I have read. Their tenicles tend to deflate and don't eat much before splitting. I also heard that they normally seemed to wanna split during a full moon. So I don't know what to think at this point.

I dunno..maybe I got a sick animal to begin with and was doomed before I got started.
I am going to ask my LFS if he does..to order me one of the color I want and put a deposit on him to watch him for a week or 2 to make sure he is ok.

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Darkangel, the only reason my tank is algae free andsand looking great is becuase I was agressive and bought about 3 dozen spagetti worms and a few dozen baby bristles to give my tank a major kick. My fuge is also loaded with Capelra and all kinda of bugs and worms.

I did this to shave off about a year or so on my sandbed.
not to mention..I also transfered about 60 pounds of live sand from my 38G tank that been up for like 2 years.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Well..last night..I saw 2 mouths..thats way I suspected he was splitting.
He has his @ss in front of the tank. For what I have read..they do that.

Any, here are my tank specs.
75G tank with a Remora Pro skimmer, 440W VHOs. The tank has been set up for about 8 months. BUT..I had also a 38G tank with a 4 inch base of sand that was set up for 2 years. What I did was..when i got my tank out of storage. I put in 50 pounds of live sand from a LFS and then addded my 38G tank sand to it, along with the LV...I then added about 100 pounds more of LR to it.

......
I am going to ask my LFS if he does..to order me one of the color I want and put a deposit on him to watch him for a week or 2 to make sure he is ok.

Jeff,
You really do not have enough light for this anemone. My H. magnifica is about 2-4 inches under the water right under my 400 W MH. It have about 2000 G/HR flow directed toward it from my return pump and a PH from 3 feet away.
In your tank, you will have a wander H. magnifica that will end-up killed by the power head , or block your overflow, kill your corals, and show it's butt rith the middle of the front glass.
I really don't recommend this anemone for your tank, because they really need high ligh and high flow to be happy.

Minh

 

[GSchiemer]

What you wrote just indicated that you really never look into this topic
Let me assure you that this happened in my tank.

In my tank, I assumed that my H. Magnifica fission was triggered by injury or shock from being place into my tank. From other reefers who had this happen, this is usually is the case because this happened most often when the anemone just place in the tank like mine.

Minh,

I stand by my statement that reproduction by fission hasn't been formally documented in this species. The quote on the web site you referenced (In western Indonesia, several small individuals of identical colouration may cluster together, resembling one large animal. Elsewhere (e.g. Maldives, Malaysia, French Polynesia), tens or hundreds of identically coloured individuals form extensive beds; presumably they constitute a clone. ) does not constitute documentation, IMO. Physical damage that results in fission is something different all together. I would also question whether the anemones reported on various internet forums were actually Heteractis magnifica. That's a pretty tough anemone to maintain in captivity. Some public aquariums have had success, but the average hobbyist would have a hard time duplicating this. Related to this, I personaly know of specimens in captivity for 10 or more years that never reproduced by cloning. Again, I'm not saying it can't happen, but I've not seen it formally documented even in hobbyist literature.

Greg Schiemer

 

[GSchiemer]

Let me assure you that this happened in my tank. I have two identical clones in my tank right now.

Minh,

I'd be interested in seeing pictures of your clones, if possible.

Greg

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Ok..one thing I do not understand over these years is.
Whats the difference in 400W MH and 44W of VHO?
I have 2 10,000 bulbs and 2 atintic.

Plus..the books I have on Anemones don't really talk about about in laymans terms on all the FAQ.

I have joyce Wilkersons Book, Another pamplet by Dr. Ron Shirnk?, and one call Clownsih and their Anemone( another thin book)
But not many talk about what to do in case of an injury or a sick animal.
They are very basic and seemed to my opinion..focus on mainly BTA.

I'm honestly surprised no one really hasn't went in depth with Ritteris.
Veru little info about them on the web too.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Greg,

Here is the picture of my anemones, one in front and one in the back. Sorry I don't have them side-by-side, and did not document the fission process.
Regarding the ability of H. magnifica to reproduce asexually, the statement by Drs Faulin and Allen is enough for me because I have seen the fission process first hand in my tank. I am not saying that this happen regularly or it is the main method of reproduction of these Anemones. I just say that at times H. magnifica reproduce asexually.

Minh

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Ok..one thing I do not understand over these years is.
Whats the difference in 400W MH and 44W of VHO?
I have 2 10,000 bulbs and 2 atintic.

400 W MH is a point source. The intensity is very bright close to it and drops off quickly. 400W VHO spread the light over a large surface area. It is much brighter at 6 inches from a 400W MH then at 6 inches from a VHO bulb.

Plus..the books I have on Anemones don't really talk about about in laymans terms on all the FAQ.

I have joyce Wilkersons Book, Another pamplet by Dr. Ron Shirnk?, and one call Clownsih and their Anemone( another thin book)
But not many talk about what to do in case of an injury or a sick animal.
They are very basic and seemed to my opinion..focus on mainly BTA.

I'm honestly surprised no one really hasn't went in depth with Ritteris.
Very little info about them on the web too.

This is because not many people can keep Ritteri. Plus there is not a whole lot we can do if the anemone got sick. They just die. You can put him in an antibiotic and anti fungal bath to treat possible infection. It probably will not work.
BTA was written about the most because it is the easiest of the host anemone to keep and easiest to prorogates in captivity

Minh