Is it worth it? The quest for Gigantae

[reefkeeper2]

I've had my gigantea for over 5 years. My biggest problem is that it's getting so large I have to move other corals out of the way to accomadate it's growth. This past weekend a friend gave me 6 small skunks to add to the breeding pair that have been with it almost since day one. You can't see them all in this pic but it's great to see them all swimming happily. The dominant female has put them all in their place and they all appear to be doing well.

 

[Reefvette]

Your gigantea

Your gigantea

looks just like mine.

Is it brown or green or carmel?

Is the base tan or greenish with purple spots?

There is someone else maybe dephinus who has one like it too.


3 of the same colors = 3 succesful stories.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Like a lot of men, I have color vision issues. I asked my friend (female) what colors she saw in it just this weekend. She said she saw peach, green and pink, with some tan. I can't see the pink, and just a hint of green.
Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me that diffirent color morphs would have different levels of hardiness.

 

[Reefvette]

Most of the blues I have seen come in, including my own didnt make it.

My gf said the same thing about mine in regards to the colors. I dont see any of it but green maybe tan.

 

[MM WI]

Some of these long term survior photos do not show very deep folds, my experience is different, I wonder if this is collection site or tank specific??

 

[kris4647]

MM thats a really good observation. Two common survivor traits. Elongated tentacles and many showing less deep body folds.

Lets keep this on subject please. We've all killed one, we need to focus on what works.

To bring this discussion to a higher level we need to find out where the current influx is being collected. It would be great to know where the survivors came from as well although I doubt we'll find out.

I'm still looking for those ID/info links.

 

[taylor t]

I was told mine was from Bali.

 

[Lowredranger]

Sorry don't know the location of my blue one.

Now i replaced it with a hardier Rose Bubble tip and my clowns won't go near it, but they loved the Gigantae.

 

[E.J. Coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12867564#post12867564 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MM WI
Some of these long term survior photos do not show very deep folds, my experience is different, I wonder if this is collection site or tank specific??

IMO it is tank specific. With the kind of flow that I have, fold would be impossible. When I bought the anemone, it had really deep folds andit never used it verucae to hold on. Now it lays completely flat and uses its veruccae to hold on for dear life ... lol.

Mine was collected in Bali, and cam in with a shipment or blues and greens .... all perfect health.

Ron's gigantea (16 years in captivity) has deep folds IIRC.

 

[E.J. Coral]

Great anemone. I have a pair of skunks that have also been with mine since day one. I am wanting to add more juvies...hope I am as lucky as you and everyone gets along!!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12865352#post12865352 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefkeeper2
I've had my gigantea for over 5 years. My biggest problem is that it's getting so large I have to move other corals out of the way to accomadate it's growth. This past weekend a friend gave me 6 small skunks to add to the breeding pair that have been with it almost since day one. You can't see them all in this pic but it's great to see them all swimming happily. The dominant female has put them all in their place and they all appear to be doing well.

 

[Flighty]

Here is a link to more pictures of Reefkeeper2's anemone. I can attest that it is larger and healthier than any giganteas that I have seen pictures of except for ocean shots. Don't let the scale of the photos fool you, this is a very big anemone. There are videos in the linked gallery.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/FlightyMail/PaulSTank/photo#5218206208524373074"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/FlightyMail/SGrK5j_VTFI/AAAAAAAADno/fNa6Ky3WiyY/s400/DSC01060.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/FlightyMail/PaulSTank">paul's tank</a></td></tr></table>

 

[elegance coral]

WOW! Those photos remind me of the carpet I had in my van, back in the day:lol:

 

[delphinus]

I too would love to know where this influx is coming from. I have never seen this kind of quantity available all at once like this (and frankly it's just been unheard of, to date, to see this many in Canada - no offense but it's always been that the really nice stuff goes down to the States, and we just get the dregs/leftovers that don't get sold to U.S. retailers first). Something's changed. I'm guessing that a very large field has been opened to collection and now they are collecting the heck out of it. Indonesia? Maybe? But I wonder if it might be from other places too. Surely south-east Asian coastline has these anemones too. Vietnam? Thailand? Phillipines? .. I once was told that gigantea's were usually more commonly imported from Sri Lanka as well.

I'll try asking my LFS where I bought my purple from where he did the import from. Usually, IME, LFS's are pretty secretive about their suppliers but it doesn't hurt to ask. I'm betting it is Indo though.

 

[elegance coral]

Maybe Papua New Guinea?
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=122302

 

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Secret sources tell me Indochina....but that's not very specific [though most often referring to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand].

 

[phender]

I seem to remember that this influx of gigantea happens about this time every year. And we always seem to react the same way.

 

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Maybe that's how you roll down in Cali LOL.

 

[delphinus]

Hmmmmm, I still maintain this time it's different... they never made it up to Canada in this quantity. Since everything destined for U.S. makes it through the L.A. wholesalers, what you perceive as "commonly available" isn't necessarily reflective of everywhere. Maybe it's just more lucrative for the exporters to sell a little more to Canucks now - why not, we got hosed on pricing on everything else why not this as well?

 

[kris4647]

I've never seen this many.

I followed up over on the other forum. There;s a good representation of Industry folks over there. We shalll see

 

[Apercula]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12880232#post12880232 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elegance coral
Maybe Papua New Guinea?
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=122302

Actually, in one of Cortez Marine's posts in that thread he states that they are not going to be taking ritteris and carpets from PNG. Banning collection to protect the wild clown fisheries there.

edit-Changed it from gigantea to carpet to reflect what he actually said.