Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
two fishes in my aquarium keep it's tentacles short: Klein's Butterflyfish and Emperor nip at them.
S. gigantea on the move
- Thread starter Gary Majchrzak
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
update
update
this anemone loves light and it's doing great.
Coral damage is slow but steady... but who cares about coral?
update
this anemone loves light and it's doing great.
Coral damage is slow but steady... but who cares about coral?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
yes I have some sand but VERY LITTLE. Half the aquarium is bare bottom. Sand has mostly blown under rockwork.
There's lots of coral skeletons that broke off and fell to the bottom, too.
There's lots of coral skeletons that broke off and fell to the bottom, too.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
two and a half months later
two and a half months later
looks like the cap wants to start reclaiming some of it's lost territory
two and a half months later
looks like the cap wants to start reclaiming some of it's lost territory
TSJSREEF
New member
My gigantea did the same thing three weeks ago. He decided to move and walked the perimeter of my 120 plowing sand and anything else in his way. He had been in the same place for over a year! He finally stopped in the back left corner but it sure was a mess for a week or so. Like you I really like him so it was worth the headache of doing some re-arranging for him. Good Luck!
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
why
why
do you think YOURS went for a walk?
why
do you think YOURS went for a walk?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
update
update
gig hopped right on top of the orange cap yesterday and stung the crap out of it. This morning she slid back down the coral's side but I'm sure the anemone will be back up there again to kill the entire coral off in order to use it's skeleton as an elevated "perch"
update
gig hopped right on top of the orange cap yesterday and stung the crap out of it. This morning she slid back down the coral's side but I'm sure the anemone will be back up there again to kill the entire coral off in order to use it's skeleton as an elevated "perch"
kcrush4989
New member
That was a nice looking cap. Atleast they grow quick! Nice looking pics.
kcrush4989
New member
That was a nice looking cap. Atleast they grow quick! Nice looking pics.
1:20 between double posts! I hope RC isn't going schizo again!
Gary, that tank is beautiful! I aspire to something in the 200-300 gallon range, with my current 75 plumbed into it and stocked around either a magnifica or gigantea.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
BuffaloReef
New member
It's incredible that fish can nibble that gigantea and survive. I've never owned one but my understanding is that when they get hold of something it's nearly impossible to get them to let go. I remember reading an article about a gigantea or magnifica eating a 5" yellow tang.
Have you had any fish eaten by your gigantea?
I've read gigantea split readily in nature. If yours gets a better spot under the MH do you expect it to split? As wonderful as aquacultured giganteas would be that sounds like a nightmare to deal with.
Have you had any fish eaten by your gigantea?
I've read gigantea split readily in nature. If yours gets a better spot under the MH do you expect it to split? As wonderful as aquacultured giganteas would be that sounds like a nightmare to deal with.
magdelan
Fish?
Don't worry, if it ever splits, I have the perfect spot for it in my 5g. No yellow tangs in there, but the Sohal and Vlamingi should be fine.
Gary, odd question for you, how quick/slow do these nems moves? In terms of inches per minute. What is the time period for a nem like yours to be in dirrect contact with a coral to back hand it like that?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
healthy gigantea are extremely sticky! Like a gargantuan tapetum!
Haddon's carpet anemone is THE fish eater although almost any anemone species will eat a sick or dead fish.
Stichodactyla gigantea doesn't split. This species reproduces sexually. I have a female
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
put away the radar gun!
I've seen one Entacmaea move 48" in one day.
Seriously... you need time lapse photography to see anemones on the prowl.
This thread is a good time frame indicator to record how long it takes to kill a medium sized SPS coral. During daylight hours gigantea expands and zaps the coral while at night it tends to hunker down so it's not in constant contact or we'd be moving along faster at showing a bare Monti skeleton.
BuffaloReef
New member
Haddon's carpet anemone is THE fish eater although almost any anemone species will eat a sick or dead fish.
Stichodactyla gigantea doesn't split. This species reproduces sexually. I have a female
I guess I had bad info. In Joyce Wilkerson's book, "Clownfishes" she writes, S. gigantea "has been reported to consume fish tankmates." They may be sick as you said or just dumb. I've heard of plenty of freshwater feeders diving for cover in anemones and corals only to be eaten.
She also writes, "Sprung and Delbeek have photographic documentation of longitudinal fission and budding in this species." I expect that's from "The Reef Aquarium" series which I do not have. Wilkerson also says they're known to live singly which would imply they do not asexually reproduce.
It's frustrating how quickly "facts" get rewritten in this hobby. I may need to bring my library up to date!
blanden.adam
Team RC
I have seen reports of gigantias being artificially split with a sharp blade (not that I am recommending it) like an Entacmaea and surviving. I don't know how reliable those sources are though, or if that implies the potential to do so in nature, or if it maintains the genes to allow it to recover from splitting but not for starting to split, or really what it means. Just throwin it out there.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Wilkerson's book DOES contain some misinformation but the quote you posted agrees with what I posted.I guess I had bad info. In Joyce Wilkerson's book, "Clownfishes" she writes, S. gigantea "has been reported to consume fish tankmates." They may be sick as you said or just dumb. I've heard of plenty of freshwater feeders diving for cover in anemones and corals only to be eaten.
She also writes, "Sprung and Delbeek have photographic documentation of longitudinal fission and budding in this species." I expect that's from "The Reef Aquarium" series which I do not have. Wilkerson also says they're known to live singly which would imply they do not asexually reproduce.
It's frustrating how quickly "facts" get rewritten in this hobby. I may need to bring my library up to date!
I went a little further in explaining that Haddon's anemone is THE fish eater... meaning it will actively seek (healthy) sushi.
Most anemone species are opportunistic and will take a fish whenever possible, however IME Stichodactyla haddoni is in a class by itself.
Budding and longitudinal splitting are two different things (for those unaware).
I've seen budding in gigantea and haddoni. I had a haddoni (!) that had a bud.
So we know budding in both species is possible. No debates there.
Longitudinal fission = "splitting" (the common popular term often used in BTA's). I've not seen this in gigantea or haddoni yet. (Always looking for proof, though.) I believe Sprung/Delbeek #2 has a pic of a gigantea bud.
You're right about the library when dealing with sea anemones: most everything in print is terribly out of date. The most up to date information I'm currently aware of is contained in RC's Anemone FAQ.
I'm often tempted to publish something myself
