Which one? Gig or Mag?

[Fish Everywhere]

Hello guys, first thread I'm making over here.

My next build is going to be a 120 gallon SPS dominant tank. I always admired anemones though, but clearly most of them don't do well in a high flow environment. Since I don't mind having a hospital tank medicated with antibiotics, I'm going to jump into the deep end first with a gig or a mag when the time comes.

If it matter, I am not concerned about rarity or color. Being my first gig or mag, I doubt I would want to spend a lot in case it happens to die despite treatment efforts.

A few questions to help make my decision:

1. If they are attached to a rock, do gigs mind if they are touching / are against the back glass?

2. If I grow out the anemone by feeding it 2-3 times a week, after it has reached a size I want it to reach (ideally 15-18 inches), will ceasing feeding drastically slow growth?

3. I have noticed while looking at both videos and tanks in person that clowns generally act one of two ways when an anemone is present: either always staying within the tentacles and darting around inside the anemone, or not going into the anemone much at all, but rather just hovering close to it or under it. Any idea which clown species or anemone species increases the chance of them actually playing around in the tentacles?

 

[ThRoewer]

If you want a clownfish that doesn't leave the anemone much I would recommend percula or ocellaris. I have 4 wild percula pairs and they rarely leave their anemones. I would go with ocellaris if you choose a magnifica. Percula with a lot of black associate in the wild with giganteas.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Winwood]

As a general rule of thumb clowns with rounded tails such as percs, ocys, sebae, polymnus, premnas, almost all the skunk types, spend the majority of their time in close contact with their anemone host. Those with more elongated, forked tails like clark's and similar body planned species, are less reliant on their anemone host, because they tend to be stronger swimmers. The tomato complexes usually land somewhere in the middle.

 

[davocean]

My percs/picasso's never leave their mag, and every clarki I've ever had was strongly dedicated to any nem given, and all the clarkis I've had fed their nems, often before eating for themselves.

Not feeding your nem will keep growth on the slow side but they will most likely still reach full size on light alone, just maybe not as fast.

I have a mag in my 120g, seems perfect, though I did scape/build a pillar specifically for it and placed that pillar where it seems to fit my tank best, good strong light and moderate to strong flow and they usually are happy and stay put.

 

[Fish Everywhere]

I figured as much, being a natural host is important too, and since they are both natural hosts, they should be in the anemone for most of the time.

Dav, full size is fine. But without feeding, they won't grow to the (relatively few) stories I've heard of mags reaching 24+ inches right? Around 18 inches give or take seems to be a common max size for these guys.

ThRoewer, since you seem to know a bit about gigs, could you tell me what their general max size is (commonly, without insane feeding regiments)? Also, would it mind touching the back glass like a mag, or would it be fine if it does?

On a side note, what about Skunk clownfish and magnifica? It seems they are very interactive with them as well, if not more. Isn't the magnifica a natural host for them too?

 

[Winwood]

All skunk types are natural symbiots with mags except sandaracinos, and yes skunks love their mags.

 

[D-Nak]

As an owner of both mags and gigs, I like them both and for different reasons. It really comes down to how you want your tank to look, and how you want your anemone to look:

Mags typically like to be in a high flow environment, and perch themselves on the top of a flat rock. Their foot will spread out like a fried egg and many times you can see it. If you're going with a full blown SPS tank, my recommendation would be to look for a mag and put it on its own bommie away from the the SPS. If a mag can touch the walls of the tank, it'll make every effort to climb up it, so it's best to keep it isolated.

Gigs also like a high flow environment but may be at the bottom of the tank at the edge where the sand and rock meet, or up higher in the rock work with their foot buried in a crevice. Since the gig may be near your SPS, it may sting and kill them. This is the reason why I recommend a mag over a gig, but if you're willing to isolate either from your SPS, then both make excellent choices.

 

[Fish Everywhere]

As an owner of both mags and gigs, I like them both and for different reasons. It really comes down to how you want your tank to look, and how you want your anemone to look:

Mags typically like to be in a high flow environment, and perch themselves on the top of a flat rock. Their foot will spread out like a fried egg and many times you can see it. If you're going with a full blown SPS tank, my recommendation would be to look for a mag and put it on its own bommie away from the the SPS. If a mag can touch the walls of the tank, it'll make every effort to climb up it, so it's best to keep it isolated.

Gigs also like a high flow environment but may be at the bottom of the tank at the edge where the sand and rock meet, or up higher in the rock work with their foot buried in a crevice. Since the gig may be near your SPS, it may sting and kill them. This is the reason why I recommend a mag over a gig, but if you're willing to isolate either from your SPS, then both make excellent choices.

No problem modifying rock work plans for either; I plan to isolate whichever I pick, which is why I'm asking before I setup the tank in a couple months. Do gigs try to move if they are touching glass? If not, a gig would waste a lot less space than a mag, since you could position the gig closer to the back of the tank.

What about growth rate of gigs? I know mags get to 18-24 inches, but can't find anything about gigs.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have this gig with my percula pair 1 high up on the rocks in a SPS system. Since I have LEDs it needs to be up there - the LEDs just do not have enough punch to deliver the intensity a gig would need to the bottom of a 24" tall tank. For that you would need metal halide lamps, ideally one right above the anemone.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DVE3XzftXJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This video shows how high up it is:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FzdRRk6zEu0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Where ever it touches corals it stings them. Some died off where they were touched by the gig while others only receded into their skeleton and came back when I moved them out of reach of the anemone.

As for feeding and growth, I feed mine almost daily with some Mysis while feeding the fish and so far I didn't notice any significant growth. Maybe my nutrient levels are a bit high - I'm working on that.
I know others have them growing with regular feedings.

When it comes to flow I found giganteas to get along just fine with a low steady flow. This is my 3. purple gig while in a 10 gallon QT/holding tank. Light was a MarsAqua LED and flow was generated by a Hydor Korallia Nano 425.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kKlCfmsKTv4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Same anemone in my 40B, straight below a Kessil A360NE. Flow pump is a Jebao Wave Maker 25 controlled by my Apex in an alternating wave mode with high and low flow pattern alternating in a 30 minute pattern.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XhOWok5OJAU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Generally the colored gigs are found in shallow waters, often just below the tidal zone, so they are adapted to intense light. They may also encounter alternating flow due to tides, from being blasted to total standstill.