Does this gigantea look healthy?

Minh, back in the late 1990's and early '00's I used to see a lone S. gigantea (usually purple), come into my LFS (The Hidden Reef original location), every other month or so, mostly around and during the summer months. They always came in with transhipped orders as assorted carpets, were never specifically ordered. THR used to sell them for ~ $75 Some looked quite healthy and did ok during the time I observed them, which was at least once, sometimes twice a week. I wasn't running metal halide HID lighting and wouldn't consider purchasing one. At the time, I was using a bank of mostly 5K daylight spectrum NO (standard wattage), T12 fluorescent lamps and doing quite well with keeping S. haddoni, followed by H. crispa.

They sure didn't know what they had in then. Ahhh the east coast gig hunt is the best. Calls the fish bowl in Dover Delaware, do you have carpet anemones in stock? Yes, do you know what species it is? "I've been doing this 20 years and I don't know how to tell them apart". Calls the hidden reef, carpets? Yes, species? stichodactyla. Ugh what color is it,. Is it shaggy or bulb tentacles?

Calls that pet place, carpets? Yes, species? stichodactyla, ugh. Color? Brown, stubby tentacles or long? It kinda looks like rug...

Best one tho I called for a gigantea carpet anemone and was told yes we have a purple one. Drive two hours to find gigantic haddoni not a gigantea. Rage mode.
 
They sure didn't know what they had in then. Ahhh the east coast gig hunt is the best. Calls the fish bowl in Dover Delaware, do you have carpet anemones in stock? Yes, do you know what species it is? "I've been doing this 20 years and I don't know how to tell them apart". Calls the hidden reef, carpets? Yes, species? stichodactyla. Ugh what color is it,. Is it shaggy or bulb tentacles?

Calls that pet place, carpets? Yes, species? stichodactyla, ugh. Color? Brown, stubby tentacles or long? It kinda looks like rug...

Best one tho I called for a gigantea carpet anemone and was told yes we have a purple one. Drive two hours to find gigantic haddoni not a gigantea. Rage mode.
Try Natural Pets Plus (formerly Nemos), in East Norriton PA, ask to speak with John Nixon, he works Friday thru Sunday. Also, I suggest you get on their mailing list so you know when the Carpet anemone's arrive.
 
I think due to problem with shipping, these guys can do well in east or west coast near the wholesaler. Once they get reshipped to Texas, the chance of them survive is minimal. I saw multiple Gigantea in the early 2000 but not in good enough shape for me to chance it. I mail ordered 2 from the West coast and got two from Houston all did not survived.

Finally I got one healthy here in Corpus then a power outage did him in. The cleaning staff in my office tripped the power and leave power off all day Saturday. He never recovered. It was not until 2012 when I got my first Gigantea to live. I still have him today, my purple one.
 
Wrt delicate anemones, the two LFS I mentioned do trans-shipping direct from I wanna say the diver, skipping the wholesalers. I stopped going to THR after they relocated and have no idea what's what with them now.
 
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- was not until 2012 when I got my first Gigantea to live. I still have him today, my purple one.
That's encouraging, and your well-documented work with them has certainly helped us all progress.

I don't claim to be an expert, far from it, but I have spent allot of time observing and am now approaching a year with my purple S. gigantea come June 21st. Fortunately, I was able to pick a healthy one and skip QT antibiotic treatments. It was going to be the only anemone in the system so I wasn't concerned about harming an established anemone. I had my neighbor get the next very healthy one that came in and it continues to do well too.

Close to ten years ago a guy from the local reef club purchased a blue gigantea on eBay! It was bleaching out when he got it but colored up and did well under his DIY LED light fixture. He had it for at least a year probably two prior to moving away and wanted me to buy it. Was practically giving me it to what they cost at retail. Unfortunately, my aquarium was in limbo at the time and I had to pass, the way it goes sometimes. I did regret not being able to house it but felt I did the responsible thing. I don't know what happened with it, the club is still around but pretty much fell apart due to lack of interest. Don't know if it went to another member, hadn't heard, most were either not into anemones or only kept BTA's.
 
beuchat,
reefscape7 is the reefer, LFS owner who successfully imported a lot of Gigantea to England, London or Yorkshire area. Hopefully he can give you some pointer or help you get one.
 
Purely my opinion.

2 totally different gig postures. Both gigs aren't even close to the same health. Worlds apart.

While I would not encourage anyone without gig experience to buy that gig in the video, (if one has to ask, one isn't ready) I would have tried it. I don't think it looks so bad either. Marc Price, IMO, is the same as me, I'd try it too. Body posture/folds has a lot to say, even though it's doomed in that environment.
 
Hi, this is a new nem witch one of the LFSs here in Madrid has for sale. Gigantea that looks healthy , I think (closed mouth, upright position).





They sell it like violete color but for me is more brown. You can see that where the tentacles touch each other the color looks more to violete. ¿Do you think that maybe it is a bit bleachet and later him can recover more violet color. Thanks


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I think this one is an example of a true violet gigantea. I think the the one for sale is a different species



¿What do you think?

I does not look like the nem for sale will turn into this color after some time
 
Hi, this is a new nem witch one of the LFSs here in Madrid has for sale. Gigantea that looks healthy , I think (closed mouth, upright position).





They sell it like violete color but for me is more brown. You can see that where the tentacles touch each other the color looks more to violete. ¿Do you think that maybe it is a bit bleachet and later him can recover more violet color. Thanks


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I would consider that a Purple Gigantea. He is healthy and not bleached. He will be lighter brown and more purple under intense light.
Gigantea can take, and like a lot of light. See this thread regarding how much like they can take. The more light you give him, the brighter the color and the lighter the brown.

Here's the 75 right now. Spots not on right now.
I think each of the spot light is a 150W equivalent LED 5000K light
 
Here is my Green

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Purple Gigantea new
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later under better light
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I think this one is an example of a true violet gigantea. I think the the one for sale is a different species



¿What do you think?

I does not look like the nem for sale will turn into this color after some time
They are both Gigantea, neither at optimal condition, but look like stressed but otherwise healthy Gigantea. With care, they will be much healthier with much longer tentacles.
 
Thanks a lot Minh, I can see the effect of the light increasing the violet color in the tentacles tips



I prefer green color or blue but, since it is so difficult to find a gigantea in my country , maybe I will get him and wait for add another blue or green gigantea to add to the DT in the future.



But I am concerned about adding more than one gigantea to DT (125 gal + 25 gal sump). I have read a lot of information here on RC about allelopathy and pathogen transfers between nems"¦


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You need to worry about pathogen transfer. If you add a sick Gigantea to a DT with a healthy Gigantea in it, you will end up with two sick anemones. I have lost more than one anemone due to this problem first hand. I have lost Gigantea, Magnifica, Haddoni to pathogen transfer. I would have though that it take less anemones death for me to learn this important lesson.
About allopathy, I think it is hogwash. I keep multiple anemones, same species and different species, in the same system, no carbon, without problem for years. Magnificca, Gigantea, Haddoni, Malu all can touch each other without problem. I also keep Doreensis in the same system but not touching without problem. The LTA is new, have not touch any other anemones. This does not mean that he cannot touch any other anemones, just that he have not touch them.
Anemones are difficult to keep. When an anemone not doing well, many reefer thinks it is not his fault but tent to blame it to "chemical war" or "allopathy" instead of admitting that he just does not do enough or know enough to keep the anemone healthy.
My DT system have 5 species of host anemones species. Except M. doreensis, each species with multiple anemones specimen
 
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You need to worry about pathogen transfer. If you add a sick Gigantea to a DT with a healthy Gigantea in it, you will end up with two sick anemones. I have lost more than one anemone due to this problem first hand. I have lost Gigantea, Magnifica, Haddoni to pathogen transfer. I would have though that it take less anemones death for me to learn this important lesson.
About allopathy, I think it is hogwash. I keep multiple anemones, same species and different species, in the same system, no carbon, without problem for years. Magnificca, Gigantea, Haddoni, Malu all can touch each other without problem. I also keep Doreensis in the same system but not touching without problem. The LTA is new, have not touch any other anemones. This does not mean that he cannot touch any other anemones, just that he have not touch them.
Anemone are difficult to keep. When anemone not doing well, many reefer thinks it is not his fault but tent to blame it to "chemical war" or "allopathy" instead of admitting that he just does not do enough or know enough to keep the anemone healthy.
My DT system have 5 species of host anemones species in it.

OK

Thanks for this valuable information, I appreciate it very much

Eventually if a pick him today I will treat him with cypro before placing in the DT. Then, in the future, the next gigantea I will want to add I have to be pretty sure that goes also into antibiotic protocol
 
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