Elongated Column on Gigantea Anemone

[this is me]

I'm not sure if I should be worried or not. My gigantea column is always stretched out during the lights on cycle. I'm not sure if this is due to the flow or not but it doesn't do this at all when the lights are off.
Seems like it's not getting enough light like polyps corals like mushrooms stretching for light. I have it directly under a 250W DE with 4 24W Blue T5s.
The tentacles are long and color is good.
Thoughts?

 

[kduen]

It's probably just trying to maximize it's lighting in it's spot. If it wasn't getting all that it wanted i'm sure it would wander up higher to get more light. I have never had a gig but thats my best guess.

 

[elegance coral]

IMHO, gigantea is the most light hungry critter out there. Mine is right under a 250W MH and two T5's that are about 5 inches above the water. I have the gig so high in the tank, it can touch the surface when it expands. They also need a comfy spot for their foot. Yours probably like where its foot is, but isn't quite getting enough light, so it stretches out. I've had condy's, LTA's, and bubbles do this when lighting was low.

 

[Pinkskunk]

Hi Nick,

did you get that from John down in RI?

 

[Conrad25]

Seems like it just likes that spot. If his mouth is looking good during this all, it doesnt appear to be an issue. Mine seems to expand out a little when the lights are on compared to nice where he lays himself down on the rocks during the night when they are off

 

[this is me]

Hi Nick,

did you get that from John down in RI?

This one is from Jay's. It was probably the best looking gigantea at a lfs I've seen though a little bleached like most gigantea arriving from shipping. But I was still really skeptical about it. When I got it home in the bag, it was over inflated. Meaning the oral disk was so inflated that the tentacles are almost disappear.
I put it in the tank and turn up the Vortech to full blast and it was considerably better the next day. It's in the tank for over a month now. The colors is a lot better and the tentacles are nice'n long.
I pray every night before going to bed for it to live.

 

[this is me]

IMHO, gigantea is the most light hungry critter out there. Mine is right under a 250W MH and two T5's that are about 5 inches above the water. I have the gig so high in the tank, it can touch the surface when it expands. They also need a comfy spot for their foot. Yours probably like where its foot is, but isn't quite getting enough light, so it stretches out. I've had condy's, LTA's, and bubbles do this when lighting was low.

Thanks EC. It definitely like where its foot is. Hasn't moved since day 5 in the tank. The foot is tightly attached to a depression(not a hole) of the rock which is of course, on the bottom of the rock pile. I guess I can try to find a nice flat rock and put it under the rock it is attached to now to raise it up closer to the light.

Seems like it just likes that spot. If his mouth is looking good during this all, it doesnt appear to be an issue. Mine seems to expand out a little when the lights are on compared to nice where he lays himself down on the rocks during the night when they are off

Conrad,
This is the gig I was telling you about after seeing your video of your gig. It's quite smaller and honestly not as good looking as yours.
Here's a recent vid of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN-sFiqKvrw

 

[Pinkskunk]

...........I pray every night before going to bed for it to live.

hahaha i did that myself too so i know what you meant.

 

[Conrad25]

Only thing I could see that potentially could be causing it is where is are your power heads located? Is one of them blowing underneath him? Could be him stretching out somewhat to move out towards the light and getting blown around than due to that? Mine are positioned to his front side and than towards the top of him so he moves himself into the flow whenever he wants. But it does look like a keeper and is very healthy:spin1:

Conrad

 

[this is me]

Only thing I could see that potentially could be causing it is where is are your power heads located? Is one of them blowing underneath him? Could be him stretching out somewhat to move out towards the light and getting blown around than due to that? Mine are positioned to his front side and than towards the top of him so he moves himself into the flow whenever he wants. But it does look like a keeper and is very healthy:spin1:

Conrad

It could be the flow. Because the PH is on the right side of the tank. The anemone is more toward the left side. So the flow might be reflected from the left side of the glass causing the anemone to stretch. I dunno....

 

[this is me]

I raised up the rock last night using the surrounding rocks as a foundation. I think I got about 2.5"-3" of extra height. I was lucky enough that the process was pretty painless. The rocks locked in place nicely.
The anemone must really like where its foot is because it did not move at all! By raising it, the anemone is also more "direct line of fire" to the PH. I've turned down the MP40 power to about 70%.

Here's a picture of my rock pillar. You can see the white area of rock that the anemone is attached to. This used to be under the sand.

Anemone and its residents. As I mentioned, the gig was a little bleached when I got it but it's been recovering.

 

[jonnybravo22]

looks great. you take great pictures as always.

that location looks so nice too! that anemone has it's own little perch

 

[elegance coral]

The clowns.......the anemone.......the photography........the tank......unbelievable!

 

[this is me]

looks great. you take great pictures as always.

that location looks so nice too! that anemone has it's own little perch

Thanks Jonny,
How are your clowns and the gigantea doing?

The clowns.......the anemone.......the photography........the tank......unbelievable!

Thanks EC,
Although my photography might be great, I've been struggling with my tank for the past several years. If you look closely, there's a batch of bubble algae that I can't shake and it spread here and there on other rocks as well. My sps look like crap.

I saw your spawning haddoni pic on the other thread and was wondering if these are eggs or sperm inside my gigantea. How long or how big does the anemone has to be in order to spawn.
Can you tell if these are eggs or sperm?

 

[elegance coral]

I saw your spawning haddoni pic on the other thread and was wondering if these are eggs or sperm inside my gigantea. How long or how big does the anemone has to be in order to spawn.
Can you tell if these are eggs or sperm?

Most of my research into reproduction has been centered around coral, but I assume they share many similarities with anemones. In coral, they often use the mesenteries in reproduction. When they do, it often looks very similar to the white markings in your pic. After viewing your pic, I went and looked at the underside of my gigantea, and it too has those white markings. It's hard to say if these are simply part of the internal structure of the anemone, or if they are eggs, sperm, or brooded planula. I guess we'll just have to feed our anemones like crazy, keep them as healthy as possible, and hope something happens. :thumbsup:

 

[this is me]

Thanks EC.
I'll keep this in mind.