Ritteri or Gigantea

[fullmonti]

which one is more difficult to keep & why?
I'm going to set up a nem tank & like both of these, know both are demanding.
Planing on a 20x24x18" tank with 150w MH & 4T5s right on top of tank. This tank will be part of a 250gal existing reef system. Should this be sufficient for either nem?

 

[clowns101]

So its like a 40 gallon?If so I would do 250 halides with mabey 2 t5s!Thats what I would do depending on which one ya get!IMO I would go with the Gig but I will warn you this anemone is very demanding not as hard as the Ritteri but has alot of the same requriements!And it may not saying it will but will probobly out grow your tank!Elegance Coral has a red based Ritteri in a 40 gallon you might want to ask him/her how he has his tank set up to support a chanlenging anemone!

 

[JamesJR]

They are the same species. Ritteri is the old scientific name, radianthus ritteri, and is no longer used in academia. The anemone was renamed Heteractis magnifica. These are very difficul anemones to keep. I think your lighting should be fine.

 

[BonsaiNut]

They are the same species. Ritteri is the old scientific name, radianthus ritteri, and is no longer used in academia. The anemone was renamed Heteractis magnifica. These are very difficul anemones to keep. I think your lighting should be fine.

I think you are getting the names transposed.

Ritteri and H. magnifica are the same species. H. magnifica and S. gigantea are not

Personally, I think both are on the high end of the "challenging" scale for anemones. Both need the brightest possible lighting, and strong flow. Both can get huge in the aquarium if conditions are right - I have seen magnificas in the wild that were in excess of 3' across, and have grown giganteas from 6" to 18" in a couple of years. Neither is a good candidate for a small aquarium because of lighting and flow requirements.

I would say gigantea is the more finicky, while magnifica is problematic because of its size - even in the smallest individuals.

 

[fullmonti]

I know both Gigantea & magnifica both like bright light & strong alternating flow. I'm plumbing my tank for a ocean motion 4way with 1500 or 2500 gph pump (not sure if 2500gph is needed). So assuming I get the lighting & flow right, & it's in a sps system, with water quality that the corals are doing good in. Is there any other issues I need to take into consideration?

 

[fullmonti]

I just saw BonsaiNuts post

I was thinking the Gigantea might be better for my size tank because from what I understand they don't climb the rock work like magnifica do. I was concerned when a magnifica got large enough to reach the glass he would end up on the side of the tank.
I've seen pix of Giganteas touching the glass on one or more sides, but as long as light & flow good they seem to be happy to stay there on the bottom.

 

[elegance coral]

In a 20x24 tank, there should be plenty of room to build a rock island in the center for a magnifica to live on top of. I wouldn't worry about it climbing the glass in such a tank. Both of these anemones are difficult. I would choose based on what you like best. I don't see the odds of success being different enough to justify choosing one over the other.

 

[JamesJR]

I think you are getting the names transposed.

Ritteri and H. magnifica are the same species. H. magnifica and S. gigantea are not

Personally, I think both are on the high end of the "challenging" scale for anemones. Both need the brightest possible lighting, and strong flow. Both can get huge in the aquarium if conditions are right - I have seen magnificas in the wild that were in excess of 3' across, and have grown giganteas from 6" to 18" in a couple of years. Neither is a good candidate for a small aquarium because of lighting and flow requirements.

I would say gigantea is the more finicky, while magnifica is problematic because of its size - even in the smallest individuals.

Ahhhh how could I confuse the names H. magnifica and S. gigantea? sorry.

 

[tufacody]

My gigantea will stay put for a month or so, and then start roaming. Don't buy one thinking it will stay put. Based on my personal experiences, giganteas are easier than mags.

 

[fullmonti]

Every one agrees they are difficult, but I'm still wondering if there is some thing other than a lot of light & flow & good water quality (as if that isn't enough) that makes them difficult?

& thanks for all the responses so far

 

[Magga Pie]

Finding a healthy one is the most difficult part i think once you find a healthy one they are easy imo( talking about ritteri).Mine doesnt like a lot of flow like most people say it actually gets ****ed off when it gets a lot of flow.

 

[elegance coral]

The difficult part is getting a healthy one. If they all started out healthy we probably wouldn't consider them to be so difficult. They do seem to be more sensitive to changes in the system than many other critters though.

 

[OrionN]

It is difficult to get either species healthy. That is a big problem, then both require very bright light and high water movement. I think Gigantea needs more water movement than Magnifica. Both would do OK in a 24X20 area with either 250 or 400 MH

 

[fullmonti]

Have read that (find a healthy one) a lot. Unfortunately only after I bought a Magnifica from liveaquaria, I'm sure it was healthy when they sent it. Long story short, he didn't make it. It was very sad experience, I don't think I'll be ordering another nem. Atlanta is 2 hrs away when the time comes I'll be checking out the LFS there for a "healthy one". That said, Reef Hot Spot has a beautiful 4-7" purple Gigantea right now!

 

[reefstew]

I purchased a breeding pair of gs maroons with a large ritteri from a 180 tank. I put it in a 15 tank plumbed to a main system with a 250 watt mh light with low waterflow. The gsm is on it's 3rd spawn in 3 months & the nem is doing great. It all comes down to the health of the animal when purchased.