2 blue gigs.
- Thread starter taylor t
- Start date
taylor t
New member
Thanks. I've found them over the last year and a half maybe. I don't find them often, I don't look often. I originally noticed one whizzing past my eyeballs when I was intensely gazing into my tank one day, not really thinking about it. It was about the size of a grain of rice, purple disk, fully inflated balloon style. I originally pointed it out to my wife and asked what she saw, it was the same to her too, "a mini version of those". She could have cared less. This was the first time I saw one, last year.Just out of curiosity how often are you finding these babies? Is there a mass spawn that happens every time you find them or do they just pop up sporadically. Very fascinating, thank you for sharing!
One thing that I wonder about, it was said that malu release their eggs after a few days. Not sure that's true, a theory, a guess, something from a book, or eye witness gospel. Even if it was an eye witness, it may happen one way with some, and another way with others, environment or other factors at play, who knows. A fast large release at once is not what I see with these gigs. Doesn't mean it can't happen this way either. We're going on months since I noticed the white dots that move in the tentacles. It's definitely not a "mass release event". I still see moving dots today. I also noticed today, there's quite a few in the disk itself. Because of how small they are, and the makeup of the anemone's, position, I can't tell which other ones may have them too. I can't get really good close detail look with magnifying glass on most of them to inspect up close.
OrionN
Moved on
taylor_t,
Just dawn on my that my two largest Gigantea must be females. They are huge. One is almost 2 feet and the other is around 18 inches. Both certainly look healthy. I was thinking that they are going to spawn any day now. I need to shift feeding to my other anemones. I really don't want these two to get any bigger. How big were your males when they spawn?
Just dawn on my that my two largest Gigantea must be females. They are huge. One is almost 2 feet and the other is around 18 inches. Both certainly look healthy. I was thinking that they are going to spawn any day now. I need to shift feeding to my other anemones. I really don't want these two to get any bigger. How big were your males when they spawn?
taylor t
New member
My biggest ones are my greens, 8-10" folded, guessing 14" layed out flat like a plate, but that's a guess. I don't know who the male is, haven't seen a release from the mouth with my own eyes yet. All are the same size the past year with minimal feeding. What makes you think your large ones are female? I noticed a few days ago, both purple gigs in my 75 have moving larva inside I see, both have that one ridiculously large tentacle, only one each. Could be coincidence though. They don't release like I thought they would, even tonight, I still see the little white dots moving up and down the tents, like a little shrimp, move up to the tip, sit a minute, then run back down to the disk. That would be great if you were successful, but I still think even if you got them to spawn, you need to catch them in a slow flow overflow. There's quite a few of us with multiple gigs, only explanation I can come up with is they need more than just a little space in the same tank. I wish you or Dnak would hurry up already. I have both cleaner and peppermint shrimp in both tanks, could be working against my success too. I don't know.
MarinaP
Active member
Very cool, Taylor.
My btas used to reproduce sexually. They were in a 75g breeding tank with no powerheads. This tank was part of a larger breeding system. I could clearly see fertilized eggs moving inside the tentacles, and I found tiny btas quite often. I imagine feeding baby nems should not be a problem. Mine clearly survived on light and cyclopeeze.
My btas used to reproduce sexually. They were in a 75g breeding tank with no powerheads. This tank was part of a larger breeding system. I could clearly see fertilized eggs moving inside the tentacles, and I found tiny btas quite often. I imagine feeding baby nems should not be a problem. Mine clearly survived on light and cyclopeeze.
taylor t
New member
Thanks Marina. That would be really cool to see.
I have a lot of flow, so babies settling, I'm guessing, is a problem. For flow I have:
(2) mp40 (older drivers, newer quiet drive wet sides) = guessing 3000gph each?
These run at reefcrest on 100%
(2) Tunze 6045 = 1175 gph each
(1) mj900 = couple hundred gph?
(1) Hydor 2450 = 2450gph
return eheim 1262
There's a TON of flow on this 75 gallon tank, and a (pure guess) of several thousands of gallons of turn over, over 10,000?. Dirt (or babies) doesn't really have a chance to settle out in the open where it would get light and good flow. The odds of a baby settling in a good area to grow that has good lighting, is slim at best. Maybe you're right, if they took hold in a good flow and light location. The tank gets buckets of crud pulled out as water changes, and often time is of importance, and is possible little ones get pulled out and dumped. I'm ok with eventually finding one that sticks in the corner that I stumble on someday, which may be my best chance.
I still see these things climbing up and down inside the tents. Here's some more pics.
Your a master with blue carpets. Thx for steering me in the right direction. This is my healthy one.
Do you still think feeding is not necessary?
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taylor t
New member
Not a master, but I understand what gigs want/need. It's different requirements between gigs and haddoni. Feeding often causes more problems than it solves, but there also comes a time when they need food. In the beginning, it's always safer to not feed. Food, or lack of, will limit their size, but will also limit their health. It's really a hard subject to advise on, but overall I'd advise not feeding. Anemones can go much longer with no food than most think, flip side is feeding a weak anemone can create problems it won't recover from (internal rotting if nem temporarily lost it's ability to completely purge it's meal).
Short answer, yes I feed, but sparingly to keep them a manageable size.
There comes a point where they won't "look" their best, but will remain healthy. Feeding will make them "look" healthier. I have a green that didn't get fed a few months, then started to deflate. I knew it needed food (a long time with no food) I could see it. I fed it, next day looked fantastic, best in months. See where this is going??? It's not a one blanket answer. All dependent on the individual, the owner, and room in tank. I have 11 gigs for a couple years now. I've gotten to see differences in them.
What you observed with your malu, is not what I'm observing with my gigs. Your malu has a large group, multiples in one tentacle. The few gigs I have that have these little ones moving, is spread out, one per tentacle, a dozen or more per nem some days, others only a few. I still see them moving in tentacles. I also suspect, and can't prove yet but suspect, they are released from tips. I could be wrong, but what I've seen, this is what I think. I will try to catch a picture of one in progress. Some of them look like hour glasses inside the tents.
taylor t
New member
Not certain, but I think so. I did 5 gallon water change this morning. I found one attached to the tip, like I'm seeing, attached with a snot string flopping in the current. I sucked it up and put inside a shot glass. If I leave it there, tomorrow morning it will be gone.
This pic you can see the white spot in the middle, has a tent sticking up. I can't get any closer than this with a mag glass.
I've dont it many times. Glass under light, low flow. Gone in the morning.
The flow in the tank is too high for little ones.
taylor t
New member
Yes, I have special grade aragonite and it crushes them. Sand is too big.
I've had this one for 3 days now, most time I've had to spend with fishes in a long time.
2 days ago:
Yesterday:
Today:
I can tell it's growing, but slow. I've been feeding it frozen food "dusting" it with a pipette-my first time attempting to feed them so small. Camera doesn't pick up the color in the tips at all. I've been covering it with a brine shrimp net at night, but come tomorrow morning I leave early - before lights come on, and if I remove the net I'm afraid shrimps will take care of it before lights come on. I'm not set up for this. Flow inside the shot glass is perfect, and it's in a nice spot directly under the lights so it gets great flow and light, I'm just afraid of leaving it uncovered in darkness.
taylor t
New member
Look close at the tips of your gigs. I haven't caught them actually making the escape, but I'm seeing them always heading to the tips. Then I also see once in a while a white tip develop then disappear. The one I found was attached with a snot string from the tip flopping around outside(or inside depending on how you look at it) with all the tentacles. I just sucked it right up and put it in a shot glass. Super sticky it took foot right away.
Investigate the tips on your gigs. I need a magnifying glass in conjunction with reading glasses for me to see. My pics are an iphone with a magnifying glass, hard to get it in focus that small. Now that I suspect tip release, I'll try to catch them in the act in the coming months and get some pics of it - if it's true. Or, someone else can prove it.
