Established giganteas deflating -- permanent pathogen in DT??

[Jamie1210]

I've had my blue gigantea since 2012, and my purple one since spring. Everyone was doing well. Other nems include a magnifica and 2 other BTAs. All thrived. Then about 3 months ago, I added another mag that was QTed and treated with cipro. That mag is still healthy to this day.

Maybe about a month later, my gigs started deflating, which was strange, bc they've NEVER deflated in the years/months I've had them. I treated with cipro and noticed both started spitting out the black rat poop looking stuff. In short, they ended up being ok after about 7 days of treatment. Just in case, I took out that latest magnifica addition and put it in my other tank, leaving just 1 mag in the DT.

Put gigs back in tank. Doing great! Never deflated.

Then, within 2 weeks, started deflating again! First the purple then the blue. I treated again, both responded very well, and after 7 days, I put back in the DT. They did great again for 2 weeks!

Then, the purple one started to deflate again yesterday! And I KNOW my blue one will follow soon. What in the world is happening? Is my DT permanently infected by some strange bacteria that my mag is a carrier of??? All other nems, including my mag, are quite happy.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? Should I remove all anemones in that tank and let the tank run "fallow" of nems for 8 weeks? (much like ich treatment? Lol)

Any advice is appreciated!!!

 

[ThRoewer]

I had a similar situation and lost my blue and my oldest purple gigantea. Though in my case I think it's rather algae toxins that caused it than some mysterious pathogen because both anemones went from being well to looking distressed in a rather untypical way a did not at all respond to Cipro treatment. And I know that the Cipro is still good because it worked just fine with new anemones I treated before and after.

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[Jamie1210]

I had a similar situation and lost my blue and my oldest purple gigantea. Though in my case I think it's rather algae toxins that caused it than some mysterious pathogen because both anemones went from being well to looking distressed in a rather untypical way a did not at all respond to Cipro treatment. And I know that the Cipro is still good because it worked just fine with new anemones I treated before and after.

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So yours did not make it in the end, huh? Very disheartening to hear. I wish I could set up another system, but I don't have extra LR just laying around. In the end, I might just have to go this route though.

Hmm... mine still responds wonderfully to cipro each time I treat them. But obviously I can't keep treating, returning to DT, then deflating, then treat again, etc. etc.!

You say you think it's some sort of toxic algae in your case--do you think it could've been transported into your system via corals? (assuming you have a mixed reef)

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I had the same problem. Gig established for 6+ months. Added a mag and the gig went downhill. Hopefully you will find a solution.

 

[Jamie1210]

Just wanted to update you all on the deflated giganteas. Because this time around, the gigs were not gaping, I decided to wait it out. Lo and behold, everyone was fine within a week! What exactly happened, I have no clue. But they are healthy and back to their old selves

 

[hottuna]

I have the opposite situation..gig is doing great.even growing ..added a healthy qt'd mag ...and it has been shrinking in size-not deflating every since about the 2nd month with the gig...not fully expanded and very tightly stiffening itself each day..doesn't eat much either. Mouth goes from tight to slightly open...

 

[ThRoewer]

I'm still having issues like this and lost another 2 gigantea to this ailment. By now I think the pathogen came in and resides in the BTAs which are constantly deflating. The mags and gigs are not actually deflating but generally look horrible. The only ones who seem unaffected are 2 green haddoni (one that's with the milii and one that just is inhabited by a pair of crabs).
Water quality can't really be the issue because when I had them in rather filthy quarantine tanks they were doing just fine.
I'm thinking of pulling all anemones from that system, treat them with Cipro, and then store them in a QT for a while.