Taking care of a Stichodactyla gigantea

[Finsky]

Originally Posted by OrionN

Now that I have a few gigantea-year (number of Gigantea X number of years they are under one care) experience, my opinion is that caring for Gigantea is no big deal. They are, IMO, medium in term of difficult of care. I think Magnifica is harder to keep happy.

Try to care for a sick one is another mater. Getting a healthy one right out of the bag is rare. I think that was why they did not survive well without help.

The magnifica likes its light high and its current high and its location high on the rocks.

That being said, this thread is about the True Carpet Anemone and I would be glad to read about a new thread taking care of the magnifica!

[Finsky]

Originally Posted by Finsky

Stichodactyla gigantea still doing well at 18 months.

More pictures are coming soon.

[OrionN]

That is a very overstock FOWLR (plus 4 very hardy anemones)

[Finsky]

Yes, it is a grow out tank.

[taylor t]

Originally Posted by Finsky

Yes, it is a grow out tank.

If that's your grow out tank, I'd LOVE to see your display!

[Finsky]

Yes, it is a smaller tank in preparation for a larger tank.

Otherwise, I will sell off the larger stock as they grown and reap the benefits of expensive fish purchased small and sold large!

Hardy, harr, harr!

[Finsky]

Originally Posted by taylor t

If that's your grow out tank, I'd LOVE to see your display!

[worm5406]

Very nice. Can't wait to see more pictures.

[Finsky]

After a medicating incident, I am working with FreshMarine.com to acquire a pair of Maroons for the Carpet Anemone.

[Finsky]

Starting the third year in the Northwest Ocean.

[Reefahholic]

What a beautiful hairy lil gig!!

Very cool to see under white light

[worm5406]

Nice updated pictures. Thanks!

Do you have any video/youtube?

[Finsky]

I have an "old fashion" 6.1 megapixel Cannon Rebel which does not do video.

For what I paid for it six years ago I could get a Profession EOS model with video option.

Finsky

[JasonD]

Do the triggers are angle fish attack the anemones? What are your parameters?

[Finsky]

Howdy:

I have had the True Carpet for just over two years, a five inch green Haddon's Carpet about six months, and a Red Rose Bubble Tip about six years old who has a twin in a 29 gallon tank with a pair of Red Sea Two Banded clownfish.

I have never seen anyone take even a nibble or sniff of the anemones in my 120H. Of course the Red Rose BTA is protected by a very large 10 year old female Tomato clownfish and her mate. The puffer at 10 inches gets pushed around when he encroaches on their territory too much. LOL.












"Stichodactyla gigantea, commonly known as the giant carpet anemone[2] is a species of sea anemone that lives in the Indo-Pacific area, with a diameter usually no larger than 50 centimetres (1.6 ft) and a maximum of 80 centimetres (2.6 ft).[3] It can be kept in an aquarium but is a very challenging species to keep alive and healthy for more than 3–5 years." From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JasonD]

I'm impressed do you know what your water parameters are?

[Finsky]

pH - 8.2-3
Ammonia - 0.00 ppm
Nitrites - 0.00 ppm
Nitrates - 20-40 ppm
Specific Gravity - 1.0237

[worm5406]

SG 1.023 ? My meter does not go that detailed. Or is it 1.027?

Temp?

[Finsky]

Howdy:

I invested in a Pinpoint Salinity Monitor and a Pinpoint pH Monitor a few years back and they are the two of the best investments I have made in saltwater aquarium keeping. I keep the pH probe in the tank and the monitor always running with a 9 volt battery. The salinity probe is always in the tank although I keep the monitor turned off as it drains a 9 volt in a few days.

Anyways, I am able to bring the specific gravity of the 120H tank to 1.0237 (1.024) and then I use "two" Coralife Deep Six hydrometers to see where the needles settle. This allows me to become very accurate with the hydrometers when I am testing the replacement water in my 30 gallon rubbermade brute with the two hydrometers. Also, this method lets me know whether either of my hydrometers has a problem by judging the distance between the two readings.

For specific gravity of 1.024, one hyrdrometer needle has the top edge just on the bottom edge of 1.023 and the second hydrometer needle is always just below around 1.0225.

This has worked for years and I recently had a professor of marine biology friend over and he mentioned that the Pinpoint Monitor did not give a consistent reading for him and when did I last calibrate it. It had not been calibrated for a couple of years and when I did calibrate a couple of months ago it came in at 52.9 mS and I adjusted the screw to bring it back to 53.0. This was an extremely small miscalibration.

I have found that the Pinpoint Monitors can be affected by metal halides when used with a "plug in the wall" adaptor so I switched to using 9 volt batteries which solved that problem.

Temperature can run 80 F to 82 F in the winter and 82 F to 85 F just a few minutes ago. I have had a red rose bubble tip anemone split in this tank and it has gone up to a maximum of 86 F in past summers although this summer I have kept it at 85 F maximum near the end of the day and even installed a glass cover with a brand new 60" Marineland Pro Lighting System with two 150double ended metal halides at 14,000 K and two 54 watt T5-HO actinic bulbs and two 54 watt T5-HO 10,000K daylight bulbs

[worm5406]

Ohh...

Can you do me a favor and re-test using a refractometer, if you have one.

I have seen hydrometers on friends tanks run amuck, then to be tested with a refractometer and see how far off it was. One friend was lucky, a different one was not so happy.

I do like the salnity probe over the hydrometer.

I was just wondering.

[Finsky]

Originally Posted by worm5406

Ohh...

Can you do me a favor and re-test using a refractometer, if you have one.

I have seen hydrometers on friends tanks run amuck, then to be tested with a refractometer and see how far off it was. One friend was lucky, a different one was not so happy.

I do like the salnity probe over the hydrometer.

I was just wondering.

Hello:

I do not own a refractor although they are accurate to within ±0.0010 specific gravity when calibrated with Pinpoint 53.00 mS calibration fluid.

The Pinpoint Salinity Monitor is accurate to within +-.0003 specific gravity when calibrated with 53.00 mS so your accuracy using the electronic monitor is 30% of the error deviation that you would get using the refractor.

My specific gravity of my aquarium falls within the range of 1.0237 plus or minus .0003 which would be 1.0234 to 1.0240.

With a refractor, the range would fall within 1.0237 plus or minus .001 or 1.0227 to 1.0247.

As you can see, the refractor could be measuring almost 1.025 and I prefer to keep my tanks within 1.022 to 1.024 as I have six tanks with very valuable clownfish brood stock.

Of course, evaporation can cause more of a deviation than both of the above deviation error fluctuations using either piece of equipment.

[CoralsAddiction]

Originally Posted by Finsky

Hello:

I do not own a refractor although they are accurate to within ±0.0010 specific gravity when calibrated with Pinpoint 53.00 mS calibration fluid.

The Pinpoint Salinity Monitor is accurate to within +-.0003 specific gravity when calibrated with 53.00 mS so your accuracy using the electronic monitor is 30% of the error deviation that you would get using the refractor.

My specific gravity of my aquarium falls within the range of 1.0237 plus or minus .0003 which would be 1.0234 to 1.0240.

With a refractor, the range would fall within 1.0237 plus or minus .001 or 1.0227 to 1.0247.

As you can see, the refractor could be measuring almost 1.025 and I prefer to keep my tanks within 1.022 to 1.024 as I have six tanks with very valuable clownfish brood stock.

Of course, evaporation can cause more of a deviation than both of the above deviation error fluctuations using either piece of equipment.

Hi, any updates on your gigantea(s)?

[geckoejon]

beautiful gig! i will tag along for updates....

[Finsky]

For the past month, the gigantean has been basking in the LED lights of two 36" Marineland Reef Capable fixtures and seems to be liking it.

[CoralsAddiction]

Originally Posted by Finsky

For the past month, the gigantean has been basking in the LED lights of two 36" Marineland Reef Capable fixtures and seems to be liking it.

I have to admit...it's one of the hardiest gigs I've seen on this forum. Props to you for taking good care of this animal.