Maxi Mini "Accident"

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by CODEE111, Jun 18, 2011.

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  1. CODEE111

    CODEE111 Peppermint Shrimp

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    I don't really have a question....

    I had what we will call an accident with my Maxi Mini and I am attempting to nurse him back to health. I am using this forum to document my accomplishment or failure.... really think I'm gonna win tho.... and to see if anyone else out there wants to come along for the ride.

    ::)Feel free to throw in your input. Tell me what I'm doing wrong, things I could do better....:cheesy:,...whatevers on your mind.

    Here is what I have so far....


    On June 8, 2011,

    I purchased a Maxi Mini Anemone from a friend and placed him into my 95 gallon saltwater/tank in a clear plastic container to keep him safe until I decided what to do with him.

    I started a thread on the 9th asking 3Reefers if they would propagate him or throw him in the tank the way he was. The "cut 'em uppers" won by a landslide :skull: but it was decided I would wait a couple weeks to a month, maybe more, to do the procedure in order to give the Nem time to relax from his journey to my house.

    June 11, 2011

    My half black Angel :devil1:was able to not only tip the container over, but succeeded in knocking the Maxi to the back of the tank where I was unable to retrieve him without tearing the tank apart.

    Oh No...a $30 Nem and I can't get to it.....You gotta be kiddin' me:uzi:


    June 12, 2011

    A water change washed up the Nem, 3 runaway mushrooms, and a teeny tiny toadstool that came from nowhere.....:eek:....and I informed my fellow 3Reefers that the Maxi not only didn't look good but it appeared:devil1: "mommas little angel":devil2: had eaten the coloring off the Nem and that it looked really bad, both top and bottom were pink. I did observe very small traces of white on it with a high intensity loupe but could not see it with my eye. There was little doubt in my mind that the Nem probably wouldn't make it.


    :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:



    June 13, 2011

    The Nem looked worst than terrible but had attached itself to a rock. Good sign in my book but at this point, there was little or no hope for him. Best to just leave him alone for awhile and be prepared to do water changes if things don't work out the way I want it to. :-X



    June 16, 2011

    It's been 3 days since the Nem attached to the rock. His body was getting more white on it and I observed small traces of black on his outer edge but it was very small and barely visable. For the first time I was starting to realize he was rejuvinating himself and might actually survive the trauma of being half eaten.:wave:

    June 18, 2011

    I came home from work today and the Maxi looks the best he has been since the accident....ok....we know it wasn't an accident:devil1:...and....his body had a lot more white, there was obvious signs of both black and green, and faint traces of grey. Not sure why those colors are showing up....he was originally light blue with black lines on him....time will tell if the colors go back to the original or if he is starting to display new colors.

    He still has too much pink but at the rate he is regrowing I would think there would be a big difference in the next week or two. After all, it has only been 6 days since the accident....:devil1:... and he has already come a long way

    .....oh, I almost forgot....

    Today is the day that feeding started.

    I squirted some live baby brine shrimp at him (fresh.....hatched it myself) and was surprise I got a reaction. One corner curled up and went to his mouth....obvious signs of eating.

    :cheesy: Today was a good day for the Maxi and I. :cheesy:


    :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:


    ::)The pictures are of the Nem.::)

    Picture #1........June 16....The Nem is on the Right side attached to a rock.
    Picture #2........June 18
    picture #3........June 18 close up.
    Picture #4........June 19 close up.
    Picture #5........June 24 close....noticable improvement.

    I will continue to post pictures to show the progress the Maxi is making.

    Hopefully, this thread will show others that a Maxi is a little more durable than it looks like it should be....can't image the coloring being eaten off and still surviving it.

    I'm gonna nurse this baby back to health.

    Wish me luck

    :hammer::hammer:
     

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    Last edited: Jun 24, 2011
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  3. bvb-etf-luva

    bvb-etf-luva Banned

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    you do not need to cut these nems they will split like crazy once established in a tank
     
  4. Newreef15

    Newreef15 Horrid Stonefish

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  5. CODEE111

    CODEE111 Peppermint Shrimp

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    I didn't know they would split themselves.

    Don't think I wanted to wait for that even if I did.

    They say it is super easy to cut them and I kinda enjoy the propagation....also I have a theory. If I can propagate my own (doesn't bother me at all), it may save one or more in the ocean....because I know I definitely want more....so why buy more when I have one I can cut up and be just as happy..... I don't have to have a lot of different colors but I do want more than 1.

    They have been tearing up the reefs farming these little critters, the demand is pretty high, probably because of the short time they have been made available to us.


    I'm just trying to do my part to save a little for the next generations.

    And....there is nothing more satisfying than knowing I did it myself.
     
  6. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    +1, as with any other nem- that's how they multiply. Quite frankly, I've never heard of the practice of dividing nems and wouldn't do it, myself.

    As far as the color being "eaten off", I've never heard of that, either. IIRC, nems get their color from zooxanthellae algae, just like corals, that make them semi-photosynthetic. It may have bleached from a dramatic difference in light, stress from the "attack", or both, but luckily it is recovering. Just don't be surprised if it's a totally different color once it's completely healed.
     
  7. bvb-etf-luva

    bvb-etf-luva Banned

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    i think propagation is more if you are running a business, but i have prety much run a business off of them splitting naturally, i had 3 and within a month i had 15
     
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  9. reefer420

    reefer420 Banned

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    +1!! cant stress this enough
     
  10. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !

    Actually Mr.Bill I was horrified the first time I heard of cutting BTA's about 3 years back. Totally against it.

    I watched a lot of others go before me with great success. Next the mini maxi hit the market. Once a few did it, others jumped right on and frequently propagated by cutting, there is a big market for them.

    It's really very simple, very sharp knife, good clean cuts and a healthy environment to heal in. If my peppermint shrimp had not eaten mine I would still be cutting them today. It's kind of cool, and anemones while an animal are basically just a gut and nerve endings.

    It is sure a lot better than cultivating from the wild. The success rate for this propagation is really high once you get the hang of it.

    Sorry for the hi-jack CODEE111.
     
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  11. reefer420

    reefer420 Banned

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    i agree with this as well, either way is good im guessing you could get more with propagation tho dividing each into fourths
     
  12. bvb-etf-luva

    bvb-etf-luva Banned

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    yes most propagators divide into fourths so this would ve much quicker than letting them divide, just i always like the natural way if its not for monero