S. gigantea test

[phender]

I was going to write a big explanation, but I'll just post the pics instead.

Blue gigantea 11/30/05 under 4x65 watt PCs. About 4" across. Slightly bleached. Feeding 5 times per week.

Same gigantea 12/22/05, regaining zooxanthelle, tentacles longer (Hey, I can keep this under PCs!)

gigantea 4/18/06. Blue is gone from tentacles, skrunk to about 3.5", tentacles small, still eating 5 times per week. If I hadn't seen it before, I would say it was a very healthy anemone. This happened very gradually. (Maybe I can't keep them at this light level)

gigantea 5/3/06. Two weeks after I put 150 watt DE Metal Halides over the anemone. Blue is coming back. Tentacles are getting longer. Size has increased to about 5" across. Still feeding 5 times per week. Who says feeding can make up for low light levels?

 

[joecos]

Beautiful Anem ! I have one too, cept its on the pinkish / light brown in color. I've had mine for over 2 years now, and it has grown double in size. I think its prolly 10 - 12 inch in diameter. Very healthy and happy.

Funny how much you feed yours, I only feed mine once a week - Formula 1 with Selcon. Whatever works for you, that'll keep it happy and healthy, i say stick with it.

My mated pair percs love this anem. They are my favorite trio photo subject.

I'll see if I can post some pics of mine later when I get home.

Again - good looking healthy anem you got there. All the Best to your S.Gigantea.

Joe

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7298526#post7298526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joecos
.....Funny how much you feed yours, I only feed mine once a week - Formula 1 with Selcon. Whatever works for you, that'll keep it happy and healthy, i say stick with it.
........
Joe

I was trying to see if feeding it a lot could make up for it being in a lower light situation. Obviously, it didn't work. Now that it is in a better situation, I will reduce the feeding gradually.

BTW, the BTAs, H. crispas and S. haddoni in that tank with PCs have been around between 2-4 years without any problems with feeding 1-2 times per week.

 

[showjet98]

Im so jealous Phil! those are my favorite and I dont wanna try and kill anymore good job on this one, lets hope it lives for years! oh, and get some clowns in it

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Interesting thread, Phil. Thanks for sharing.

 

[delphinus]

Wow, what a spectacular colour now. And very interesting info. I sort of remember you mentioning something about trying PC's a few months ago, glad to see that we've learned something.

I had been thinking of moving my green gigantea out of my 90 and into a 30g temporarily with PC's (as I'm trying to take down the 90g for a couple of reasons). Now I know I shouldn't -- I'll maybe move it to one of my halide lit tanks instead.

 

[Dan]

That's the best piece of anemone information I have seen in years. Closest thing to a controlled experiment. Good job, Phil. As far as only feeding under low light, there is precedent for that, but I believe only with haddoni. I think Ron Shimek has demonstrated it.

I just purchased a blue gigantea and this helps a lot. It was very healthy at the LFS and is very healthy now. It has only been a month, but I am looking forward to years of enjoyment under MH bulbs.

Again, well done, Phil, well done.

Dan

 

[TOURKID]

wait.. so you went from 250 watts of pc to 150watt mh?

and this is more light?

Im concerned and courous because im going to be going from 120 watts pc (and my anemone is very unhappy, but not bleached at all)

to 250 w. mh hamilton 14k bulb. Im going to acclimate like crazy, but i dont want to cause more harm...

 

[jjackson]

its not apples to apples.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7305914#post7305914 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TOURKID
wait.. so you went from 250 watts of pc to 150watt mh?

and this is more light?.......

Not exactly, the anemone was only under half of the pc bulbs, so about 130 watts. It is now directly under a 150 watt DE Metal Halide plus 2- 28 watt pcs plus another 150 watt MH halide on the other side of the tank.
And like it was said above, its not apples to apples.

I started the MH about 18" above the water. The anemone is about 5" under the waterline. I lowered the light gradually to about 9" above the water over the course of about 10 days.

FWIW: light follows the inverse square law. Light twice as far away is only 1/4th as bright.

I am not claiming that this experiment "proves" anything. It was far from scientific. But for me, based on my experience with other anemones and also other gigantea, it means a lot to me.

 

[Rod Buehler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7306726#post7306726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender

I am not claiming that this experiment "proves" anything. It was far from scientific. But for me, based on my experience with other anemones and also other gigantea, it means a lot to me.

It means a lot to me also. I didnt play with supplimental feedings as much, but over the years I have played with different lighting schemes. My 12+ year gigantae resides under a 400, and my 1 year purple gigantae is under a 250. Both are in only 16" of water depth.

Great post Phil. Thanks

 

[phender]

Thought I would give a little update. I'm only feeding 3 times per week now.
Almost 2 weeks after the last picture, he is much more blue(although the pic doesn't show it well) and is now 6" across.

close-up

 

[BreadmanMike]

That's one beautiful anemone!

 

[phender]

I just thought I would update this thread. I am no longer feeding the anemone very much. Once a week or so I give a little Formula 1 that after I feed the fish in the tank. I changed lights from the Phoenix 14K to XM 10Ks to try to increase the PAR values a little for some of the other tank residents. The pics now have a little truer color. It has also grown about an inch. I think I am going to start target feeding it again every other day.

 

[SVXH6]

nice!! but friggin sweet clowns too!! i want to get a gigantea but have not seen one ever in my area and too scared to order one online.. how do you like the xm10K'S?? how did the anemone react to them?? i am thinkning of using this over my H. Magnifica tank..

 

[phender]

Too early to tell if the new bulbs will make a difference. The anemone didn't react at all to the change. The some of the zoas and ricordia colors don't "pop" as much with the 10K bulbs, but I think it looks a little more natural. The 14Ks were just too blue for my eye and I was worried that since I only have 150 watt bulbs that I needed a little more PAR to make things happier.