S. gigantea same species compatibility

[skyrne_isk]

I added two gigantea carpets last week and I wondered if anyone out there could confirm they have kept multiple specimens of this species in the same tank. I had not intended to keep mulitple carpets, but more than one of my "leads" came through at two different places. The blue carpet I added from a LFS and is obviously bleached out. I am feeding it more aggressively than the other carpet.....but it is maybe 2/3 size of when first added. IME, these carpets really fill up with water and then settle down in size when acclimated....is this what the rest of you would concur? There's no doubt the green is very healthy....both are eating well and very sticky. But here's some shots.


Here's when they were first added, within minutes.

The next day:

Here's now:

So basically the green crawled up over the blue and the blue has not folded as deeply or expansively as at first...and it has settled down to be much smaller than the green. I am wondering if I am seeing aggression.

 

[traveller7]

There are a couple of reefers on RC with more then 1 healthy captive gigantea together without serious issues.

Not sure we have great data though, most new arrival gigantea are dead within the first few weeks.

Best of luck.

 

[dalston]

I would say it's more to do with the bleached/unhealthy state of the blue rather than aggression from the green. As far as I know, same species will live together touching with no issues.

 

[skyrne_isk]

dalston - that's my understanding as well, but I wondered if anyone out there had some experience on it, as I do have another tank I could move it to. I kept a multicolor for 2 years+ that just gave up one week. I am sure something was amiss, but no way I could figure it out - I tested everything. I know I will be in the clear when the tentacles start to get really long. Right now, they are about half the length of settled in gigantea tentacles. All the others I have tried between now and then had deflated within the first 2-3 days at least partially (and this being different than shrinking down at night or to expel waste). Once they start that deflating cycle even once (like H. magnifica), they are done IME. I am thinking about putting together a primer on these and what I have done to have success with them - not that I am the know all, end all on them.....but I have tried half a dozen or so of them (which I am very aware would get me on some's "bad" list). But the first one I bought lived 2+ years.... the 3-4 since then had varying levels of success. One thing I have noted is that you can get a carpet to feed even if it won't grasp food. Rubbing proper food on the mouth (especially soaked in mysis juice - thawing them out together will work) will get the mouth to inflate and take food in - since often the mouth is very sticky even though the nematocysts won't fire.


If I recall, there are a couple of people on here (I think named Minh, and Rob B) who could chime in on this. I am almost positive they have kept multiple giganteas in the same setup (and I know Rob kept them with other anemone species) but I don't know if they let them touch. I know some of the things I tried did more harm than good, but now that I have done it a couple of times the steep learning curve that accompanies keeping these nems is starting to flatten out.

 

[Doni]

Following along... as I am in the same situation.
I recently removed a huge (24+" haddoni) and replaced it with three small S. giganteas. This is in my 120 gallon reef.
I hope to report good news in the future!

 

[adtravels]

Here is what the tentacles will look like when its healthy

 

[tufacody]

ad - is that your current gig? I've had my green gig for 9 weeks now and his tentacles are about half that length. Lately I've been wondering if I should raise the 250 watt halide a little more.

 

[skyrne_isk]

Ad, yup I see yours and raise you this:

and

That was my boy for all those years. Your gig is an outstanding color - just beautiful. Here's a shot of mine right after picking him up from the LFS.....bleached, and stubbed tentacles:

 

[adtravels]

Tanks all, I have had the Gig for 9 months now and it was small but in pretty good condition when I got it,I have a 400 watt metal halide and fed it every other day with enriched mysis etc.
This is when I got it

sorry for those who have seen it before

 

[skyrne_isk]

I don't think you ought to apologize for showing off a carpet that nice!!! (Maybe it's just me).

I'll give an update: I am feeding the light purple carpet every day until its zoo can recover and provide more of its own nutrition. The good news is that it is no longer getting any smaller, and I contacted where I bought it and the size it was in their system is pretty much the size I have it now.

If I look at adtravel's shot of when his carpet was first added - that is eerily similar in shape to the bleached purple carpet I just added. Perhaps as long as I am feeding it the color and folds will come back. I really intend to feed it every day for the next week or so until I see some general expansion due to growth (and not just osmoregulation). I don't know if krill or thawed tilapia are more nutritious, but it accepts both.

IIRC, the LFS that sold me the bleached yellow carpet back when said it ate krill every day---being that it was under a single daylight VHO, this is probably all that kept it alive.

Hmmmmm.....some thoughts for me to ponder.

Feel free to chime in.

In those pics with the DEEP wavy folds, if I think back it seems that only newly added carpets that are acclimating swell up THAT big to be so exceptionally wavy. Even the carpet I had for years never showed folds that deep (maybe during water changes, but it was a rarity). Look at my second photo and compare the purple carpet to my multicolors and adtravels - I think that would be considered "normal" for a settled gig.

 

[hansonfam]

I have 2 in a 35 gallon cube at the moment.Under a 250 watt halide and they are touching each other and have been for the last 2 weeks i guess. I don't see any issues at all. There was a purple and a multi color in there for a few months together and then i added a yellow one who was sick and he died and took the multi color with it. So i then took my green one from another tank and put him in with the purple and all is good. I think as they are the same species all is good. I know of someone else here in town who has had 2 together for years and touched and there was no issue.

I will try and get a pic up later of them.

 

[skyrne_isk]

Just by way of an update, I decided to move the blue carpet to the other side of the aquarium as there was not enough room for both on one rock without one or two of them covering up my clams (ouch!). So both are still eating and uber sticky. Tomorrow is the two week mark ans both are still eating super well. Not seeing a good bounce back in colors yet on the blue carpet, but we'll give it some time.

Friday, I added another 1500G of flow and had the next day the green carpet moved about 2 inches to shelter itself from the flow by tucking itself more tightly up against a rock. The next day out, it pulled rock over on to itself - bummer. I don't think any harm was done (since I saw it happen - it was right after feeding). So I sat the rock back up and re-situated the carpet and all is good. I also turned the new powerhead off and the carpet moved back to its original position and hasn't moved since. Obviously, roaming back and forth, were it not with an obvious explanation, would worry me - but I am all but positive it was the addition, and then subtraction of the new Tunze. I'll get some new pics up and keep things up to date on this one. Reefhotspot sold the light blue carpet to me...and I noted they still had some in - it has been good so far.

 

[skyrne_isk]

After moving the blue carpet, I have to say it is doing fantastic. One day it refused to eat, and I thought it the beginning of the downward spiral - but nope, it has eaten every day for the last three days. Here's the blue:

and the green:

.

We are at the two week mark and neither has deflated or everted its mouth. Both are staying put - and as they continue feeding very well - I am starting to think I am turning the corner *knock on wood*.

Both are also starting to extend their tentacles, especially those around the mouth. I think that's one of the biggest indicators your gig is settled in: once those tentacles get longer and stop looking anything like stubby haddoni carpet tantacles, they are happy in their home.

Want to know the worst news?

I believe I have diagnosed the mysterious death of my old multicolor carpet: I took apart the MAG24 for cleaning that had been the return pump on the old system and found that the impeller magnet had SPLIT - likely due to being throttled back too much, and overheating cracked it, but it still ran. It was completed crudded up and had TONS of rust in the crack and the impeller well. And I'll post the pic of what it looked like the day things turned......99% sure it was metals poisoning. Just incredible.