Pedal laceration in Gigantea

[jeffreylesser]

Well I am at it again. I should have probably let well enough alone. I picked up a green gigantea yesterday. It was well inflated, great looking foot with a closed mouth. The tank it was in had several other giganteas in it, and a couple were not fairing well. so... I decided to try a prophylactic dip with enrofloxacin. I did a 12 hour bath(without waking at 5 on Saturday it ended up being 15 hours). The mouth has stayed closed the whole time. In the LFS, in the bag, in drip acclimation, during treatment and now in the tank. So this is promising.

Here is the anemone right out of the bag:
http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0145.jpg

Here is the anemone in treatment, no lights as UV will break down enrofloxacin:
http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0146.jpg

Here is the anemone first thing this morning in the DT:
http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0148.jpg

Here is the anemone now:
http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0149.jpg

The trumpeting behavior seems a bit odd, it did this in the LFS too. Mouth looks great. It is so tight, I honestly can't see the mouth in the tank right now, as the tentacles seem to run right up to it. I have tried different flows, as IME and from my reading, that usually the trumpeting behavior is a sign of a lack of oxygen, or a desire for more flow. Nothing seems to make much difference, and high flows seems to beat it around more since it is protruded out. I have seen pictures of Haddoni (I think Todd's maybe?) doing this when sexually reproducing but I don't think that is the case here, no smoke.

I have incredible control over the flow. I have a closed loop with a movable y jet on the floor of the tank, maybe a foot from the anemone. I have an Oceans Motions four way to alternate flow, and I have a valve to adjust just how much flow I want out of the jet. Any suggestions?

 

[5Starreef]

It Looks very good !!!

Good luck this time!!

 

[this is me]

Jeff, that's a great looking gigantea. My purple gig also elongate the column 2 to 3 inches sometime during the lights on cycle. I have a ton of flow(mp40 at full blast in a 30"x20" tank).
I know mushrooms do this when the light is not enough. I'm not sure if this is the case but I have 250w DE 6" from the water and the gig is probably 14" from the water surface.

 

[jeffreylesser]

I have a ton of light. It is on the bottom, so maybe 21" from the surface. I am running two radium 20K 250 Watt SE, and 4 39 watt t5s over a 4x2x2 tank. They are maybe 7" from the surface. It is possible it wants more light, they are light hungry. It is a good idea for sure. Duh, I just realized while typing this that I have a few pieces of screen on top of eggcrate on the top of the tank. Those are now moved. I will try pumping up the volume on the flow again.

 

[beuchat]

Hi Jeffrey, good to hear that! . The anemone looks very healthy

Good luck and keep us updated with your progress

 

[jeffreylesser]

The anemone is deflated this morning. Although you can see in the pictures the mouth is closed, if you look close you can see the barley like strucutre(s) I believe to be the siphonoplyphs(?). Not a great sign, but I will wait and see how it progresses today. The last one to get antibiotics from me smoked out green a few days after treatment I believe. Maybe this happened in the middle of the night as well, a sort of antibiotic water change?

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0151.jpg

My fingers are crossed...

I may need an intervention and placed in a facility like The Stichodactyla Ford Clinic, or Giganteas Anonymous.

 

[beuchat]

Yes I think they are the siphonoglyphs, I can see they also in my gig. This a picture from one hour ago:

He has not increased the inflation or deflation since I reintroduced him in DT from QT with antibiotics.

I think the name "The Stichodactyla Ford Clinic" is a great marketing strategy, maybe we could add:

"Come and learn more about our health insurance program for your anemone, because deflation happens".

 

[jeffreylesser]

Update: The anemone has inflated since the lights came on. The mouth is nice and tight now. I tried to get a good shot in low flow, to show the level of inflation, and it seems to be doing well.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/aad24b9d.jpg

I removed the eggcrate completely from the top of my tank, and cut a custom piece to let me continue light acclimation in another part of the tank while giving full light to the anemone. I also cleaned my braces up top too. There is not much else in terms of light I can do except lower my fixture, or move the anemone up. I moved the anemones rock a couple of inches towards being directly under one of my MH. I think I will let it stay where it is for now.

On a side note, my clowns are going bezerk. They have eaten some tentacles from the anemone and they are on it 24/7. They have even gone so far as to nip at my tangs if they are close by. My powder blue does not find this amusing and has gotten dangerously close to being stung by the anemone.

 

[beuchat]

Sounds good. I hope he continues in the right direction

My gig was today with the mouth a bit open... let´s see what happens. Probably he will deflate again.

 

[jeffreylesser]

The gigantea was deflated this morning, but the mouth was still closed. As soon as the lights came on it has inflated again. The mouth is closed and the foot is well attached. I am hoping this is just a sign of it acclimating to the tank. The column is still stretching but not quite as trumpet shaped as before. I think I am ready to give the anemone a little more flow. My only hesitation is how much flow since it is on the smaller side. I have seen very small gigs(2-3 inches) actually move out of high flow situations, so I think flow may be a little Dependant on size(a guess for sure). I have seen videos of large giganteas in tremendous flow. What are your thoughts out there in RC land? Any help would be great.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0158.jpg

 

[elegance coral]

The gigantea was deflated this morning, but the mouth was still closed. As soon as the lights came on it has inflated again. The mouth is closed and the foot is well attached. I am hoping this is just a sign of it acclimating to the tank. The column is still stretching but not quite as trumpet shaped as before. I think I am ready to give the anemone a little more flow. My only hesitation is how much flow since it is on the smaller side. I have seen very small gigs(2-3 inches) actually move out of high flow situations, so I think flow may be a little Dependant on size(a guess for sure). I have seen videos of large giganteas in tremendous flow. What are your thoughts out there in RC land? Any help would be great.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/Tank%20Build/IMG_0158.jpg

I would be more concerned with light than flow. If you have enough flow to keep the tentacles moving you should be good. Are you able to move the anemone closer to the light without taking it off the rock?

 

[jeffreylesser]

I moved the anemone up in the rock work, but alas I fear the downward spiral is starting. It has deflated multiple times today, and is no longer sticky. I tried feeding chopped clams today, but there was absolutely no response. It is still attached to the rock, but that is about the only good news. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

 

[beuchat]

Good luck, mine has attached and move a bit over one rock. He is still throwing away some brown stuff. Not completly inflated (50%)

 

[R33f3r]

I moved the anemone up in the rock work, but alas I fear the downward spiral is starting. It has deflated multiple times today, and is no longer sticky. I tried feeding chopped clams today, but there was absolutely no response. It is still attached to the rock, but that is about the only good news. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Usually when this happens, it's pretty much a goner with this species. Attaching is still a good sign like you said. Hopefully it makes it

 

[jeffreylesser]

Here are some shots from this morning. It is still not sticky, and I can see a slow trickle of zooxanthalea. The foot is starting to detach. On the bright side the mouth is still closed and I see no signs of infection. So there may be some promise with the 12 hour enroflaxacin bath. At this point I think I am seeing a failure to thrive. It has been at some level of inflation all morning. I hope the initial low placement in the tank is not the culprit.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/IMG_0159.jpg

Here is the foot:
http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq67/jeffreylesser/IMG_0160.jpg

Flow is low at this point, I think if I bumped it up it may detach.

 

[beuchat]

If you place him in QT with the antibiotic I think it is good for him to throw away the ingested food slowly....

 

[beuchat]

Well,

It is time to understand that my gig. is not able to handle the bacteria content in the aquarium water. When completly deflated I remove him to QT with antibiotic and he recovers, but when reintroduced in DT he deflates completly in some days...

I changed from cloramfenicol to enrofloxacing, the gig. recovered the sticky properties in QT, but after, in DT he deflates again....

I thought it was possible to recover the nem with the antibiotic, but as far as I have experienced, it is only temporary.

Good luck to all the anemone fans out there!

 

[reefscape7]

Hi there, Just got a gig last wk- almost just like yours ( but blue ) with a split foot, starting to divide.
I have had to treat him also.. once done thou I have added him to a bucket with a water feed throught a uv and then overflows back to the tank. Bucket is placed over the main tank with the rim just off the water surface ) Slow flow theough a small UV into bucket.
This way he is in the tank water ( but with less pathogens ) and hopfully will recover enough before adding him proper to the tank.

I will post some pics..

 

[reefscape7]

When I got him.. started looking ill over a few days and so took him to the vet to get anti biobiotics..

after treating in his uv fed bucket

Showing the same foot, starting to split.

 

[jeffreylesser]

Well,

It is time to understand that my gig. is not able to handle the bacteria content in the aquarium water. When completely deflated I remove him to QT with antibiotic and he recovers, but when reintroduced in DT he deflates completely in some days...

I changed from cloramfenicol to enrofloxacing, the gig. recovered the sticky properties in QT, but after, in DT he deflates again....

I thought it was possible to recover the nem with the antibiotic, but as far as I have experienced, it is only temporary.

Good luck to all the anemone fans out there!

Mine did not make it. As typical the inflation deflation cycles started to increase until the anemone no longer inflated. I never did see any signs of infection though. Even at deaths doorstep the foot looked good. I would say the 12 hour bath seemed to show promise for infection, but there also appears to be a lot of other variables involved in getting one of these anemones to properly acclimate. From my experience with enrofloxacin, it is pretty hard on the animal, the 12 hour bath seemed to be a safe treatment option. Possibly a bath every day. The animal I had in the 5 day bath suffered tremendously under treatment.

On a side note I did use enrofloxacin to successfully treat fin rot in a wrasse using 5 hour daily baths(5 mg/l). It definitely works on fish! A five hour daily bath keeps the biological filtration completely intact in a QT tank, as for five hours the fish is fine in a bucket with a heater and powerhead. It worked well for me and I will do it again(hopefully I won't need too) if the situattion arises.