Gigantea treatment

Smite · Dec 5, 2025

I know there are threads out there on Gig treatment, but I'm failing to find them. Please share a link here if you know of a good one.

I've treated 4 in the past with success using cipro and following Orions protocol from that thread but I never used light before during treatment (i dont recall if he said to use that). I recently got in a green and blue gigantea. They were fresh, so I started cipro right off the bat. This is my first time treating 2 gigs at once and think that could potentially be part of my problem, regardless it's not looking great so far and I think I've made a few mistakes and need help on how best to proceed forward.
One thing to note is they received some form of cirpo treatment before I got them. I believe it was a bath or short treatment. I think this may be part of why my cipro treatment has been a failure? Maybe the bacteria has built a tolerance to the cipro?

I placed them in my display tank before going out of town for thanksgiving. I know that's a no-no, but it was day 7 (still not looking good) but most importantly the display would be more stable while I was gone and no one would have been able to continue treatment for me regardless.

I wanted to get experienced opinions on my best path forward. I'm more than willing to set up a QT however needed. I have some Enrofloxacin I never ended up using in a pinch before, but it doesn't seem like there is any thread here about that, other than my original question about it a few years back.

Ultimately, is there a up to date treatment thread I can refer to?

Here they are at their happiest, usually soon after lights on. they are in a container I fabricated to keep them from wandering into powerheads while out of town. The rock is fresh (been in the tank for a week) but I'm tempted to pull the whole container and add it to QT as is. Allowing me to up flow without contact with powerheads.
Symtoms:
Lighter than before (could be from cipro treamtent)
deflating multiple times a day and most the night
mouth gapes during deflation
expelling waste during deflation - currently stringy excrement - but in QT was very much pellet like
Very sticky, I actually got white marks all over my hand when I made contact with the green one
- My clowns have access to them. I feel this helped in the past, the swoosh waste away but maybe stressing them as well.
When open 6-7" diameter.

Flow - High
Lighting - High - 2 x Kessil 500 and 4 quanta pro bars -2 reefcrest and 2 blue pop
Total water volume is about 210 in the display. Running carbon and Skimming more wet. Big three are near natural seawater 7/400/1350
Been in display after cipro for 1 week. Some improvement (mostly deflated/major gape towards end of treatment)
So I believe they do need another form of treatment/ QT.

Thank you for any help,
Matt

backbayreef · Dec 5, 2025

Smite said:
I know there are threads out there on Gig treatment, but I'm failing to find them. Please share a link here if you know of a good one.

I've treated 4 in the past with success using cipro and following Orions protocol from that thread but I never used light before during treatment (i dont recall if he said to use that). I recently got in a green and blue gigantea. They were fresh, so I started cipro right off the bat. This is my first time treating 2 gigs at once and think that could potentially be part of my problem, regardless it's not looking great so far and I think I've made a few mistakes and need help on how best to proceed forward.
One thing to note is they received some form of cirpo treatment before I got them. I believe it was a bath or short treatment. I think this may be part of why my cipro treatment has been a failure? Maybe the bacteria has built a tolerance to the cipro?

I placed them in my display tank before going out of town for thanksgiving. I know that's a no-no, but it was day 7 (still not looking good) but most importantly the display would be more stable while I was gone and no one would have been able to continue treatment for me regardless.

I wanted to get experienced opinions on my best path forward. I'm more than willing to set up a QT however needed. I have some Enrofloxacin I never ended up using in a pinch before, but it doesn't seem like there is any thread here about that, other than my original question about it a few years back.

Ultimately, is there a up to date treatment thread I can refer to?

Here they are at their happiest, usually soon after lights on. they are in a container I fabricated to keep them from wandering into powerheads while out of town. The rock is fresh (been in the tank for a week) but I'm tempted to pull the whole container and add it to QT as is. Allowing me to up flow without contact with powerheads.
Symtoms:
Lighter than before (could be from cipro treamtent)
deflating multiple times a day and most the night
mouth gapes during deflation
expelling waste during deflation - currently stringy excrement - but in QT was very much pellet like
Very sticky, I actually got white marks all over my hand when I made contact with the green one
- My clowns have access to them. I feel this helped in the past, the swoosh waste away but maybe stressing them as well.
When open 6-7" diameter.

Flow - High
Lighting - High - 2 x Kessil 500 and 4 quanta pro bars -2 reefcrest and 2 blue pop
Total water volume is about 210 in the display. Running carbon and Skimming more wet. Big three are near natural seawater 7/400/1350
Been in display after cipro for 1 week. Some improvement (mostly deflated/major gape towards end of treatment)
So I believe they do need another form of treatment/ QT.

Thank you for any help,
Matt

Nice gigs - we should compare notes. Oh btw: we’re neighbors! I got a blue gig from @Bck2hobby this week and so far so good without Cipro.

During acclimation period, it should not blasted with lights - 200-250 PAR is good and you should not move them. Gigs also like turbulent indirect flow.

Good luck and please keep an eye out for a green one for me? ;)

backbayreef · Dec 5, 2025

@billysprout @OrionN if you guys can opine, that will be appreciated

krak256 · Dec 5, 2025

From my experience, here are a few thoughts:

I would have separate QTs for each gig; treating 2 in one tank increases the risk of cross infection

Don't use rocks as it can impede flow and make it difficult to remove the gigs. Use a plate or upside down mug. I've noticed decent flow helps remove a lot of the gunk that gets released during treatment but not too strong. Usually sick gigs are weakened and too much flow puts stress and diverts energy that could be used for fighting infection

If you're noticing the gigs are not responding to cipro, I would increase the cipro dosage. Utilize water changes and dose cipro after the lights are out to minimize degradation

In terms of par, 200 PAR sounds about right.

Smite · Dec 5, 2025

krak256 said:
From my experience, here are a few thoughts:

I would have separate QTs for each gig; treating 2 in one tank increases the risk of cross infection

Don't use rocks as it can impede flow and make it difficult to remove the gigs. Use a plate or upside down mug. I've noticed decent flow helps remove a lot of the gunk that gets released during treatment but not too strong. Usually sick gigs are weakened and too much flow puts stress and diverts energy that could be used for fighting infection

If you're noticing the gigs are not responding to cipro, I would increase the cipro dosage. Utilize water changes and dose cipro after the lights are out to minimize degradation

In terms of par, 200 PAR sounds about right.

Thank you. I think you're definitely right about the cross contamination. That's one of the major differences this go around and I do suspect that's part of my problem.

Smite · Dec 6, 2025

I’ve started treatment on 2 gigs. They were both in the same shipment as mine, so they were exposed to some type of cipro treatment.

To treat them individually I set up a bucket system. I’ll be treating 4, so I did this to hopefully make the water changes easier. The foot print will also fit under 1 MH pendant.
This contraption consists of 2 food grade buckets
Top bucket has 1/2 the bottom cut out and the hole replaced with egg crate. I did this so I can pre mix my water, fill a clean new bottom bucket and mix my Enro before transfer. Transfer will be turkey basting debris from nem. Lifting top bucket and placing in new antibiotic water bucket. I’m maxed out on pumps and heaters so I’ll need transfer those but won’t be bad.
Pipe holds top bucket higher creating a shallow depth for light and easy viewing.

Equipment in bottom bucket
1.0 sicce syncra pointed up
50w heater
Airstone

I point the pump up for max surface agitation, air stone to help with oxygen in water since I know a lot of treatments can dampen that. Pointing water up also flows back down softly and drags over the gig for nice strong indirect flow. One thing I didn’t account for, but worked out nice, is rotating the top bucket controls/dampens flow. As they settled I was able to rotate the top bucket and add more flow, placing the eggcrate section more directly over the pump.

This blue showed up in poor shape. While it has color it was not righting itself, face down. Mouth gape to the point of almost looking inside out. Due to that I’ve decided to start treating immediately. I started a little strong on this one @ 240 mg per 5 gallons. I plan to redo the water and antibiotics later this evening on this one.

Reaction to being flipped right side up and dose of enrofloxacin added

It’s now going between photo 2 and 3 open/closed every 30 minutes or so.

Purple gig appears better but took well over an hour to grab hold. Also not very sticky. I've started this one at 120 mg / 5g. Half the dose of the blue above. If the blue survives and shows signs of recovery I plan to up the dosage on this one to 240mg/5g.

I'm going to transfer my original two over soon as well. I feel like I'm seeing a steady decline in my display. I'm not sure if I'll start those on double dose Cipro or if I'll be doing enro on them as well. Leaning towards cipro but feel like it just didnt do any good for them first go around.

Succeed or failure I'll post results as I go here. Mostly to see if Enrofloxacin is a viable option for treatment going forward.

D-Nak · Dec 6, 2025

You can also try adding Chemiclean, which many believe to be erythromycin. I've combined it with Cipro without any negative affects.

If the gigs can withstand being in the buckets with any structure (cut tube, bowl, etc.) it'll ease the removal of any dead zooxanthellae or other waste that they excrete. You'll ideally want to remove it as soon as you see it. It'll also prevent you from having areas where waste can collect.

Regarding stickiness, in my experience, it doesn't correlate to the health of the gig. I've had dead ones that were still able to fire their nematocysts (which is what creates that "stickiness").

What's most important is that they are inflated and quickly re-inflate after any deflation, which means they're able to ingest the antibiotics and flush out any waste. Once they deflate and remain deflated, it usually means the beginning of the end.

Ocellaris123 · Dec 6, 2025

did you pick these up from an lfs that got a large shipment of these in so cal area?

Smite · Dec 6, 2025

D-Nak said:
You can also try adding Chemiclean, which many believe to be erythromycin. I've combined it with Cipro without any negative affects.

If the gigs can withstand being in the buckets with any structure (cut tube, bowl, etc.) it'll ease the removal of any dead zooxanthellae or other waste that they excrete. You'll ideally want to remove it as soon as you see it. It'll also prevent you from having areas where waste can collect.

Regarding stickiness, in my experience, it doesn't correlate to the health of the gig. I've had dead ones that were still able to fire their nematocysts (which is what creates that "stickiness").

What's most important is that they are inflated and quickly re-inflate after any deflation, which means they're able to ingest the antibiotics and flush out any waste. Once they deflate and remain deflated, it usually means the beginning of the end.

I had read that and picked up some chemiclean but I am a bit hesitant to try it out. Specially since I can’t find much on Enrofloxacin dosages. My LFS said he has used it at the same dose as cipro so that’s what I’m going with. Maybe I’ll add chemiclean if I feel it’s needed and no change in the next few days.

I’m checking on them whenever possible and have sucking waste out with a turkey baster when I see it in the mouth. Purple water looked more cloudy than the blue so I just did a bucket swap to be safe. Redosed 120mg/5g

Thanks for the insight in the stick of them.

Lights out and both are deflated. Same goes for the 2 in my display. So for sure not healthy at this point.

Smite · Dec 6, 2025

Ocellaris123 said:
did you pick these up from an lfs that got a large shipment of these in so cal area?

No I’ve had requests in at all my go too LFS’s for a long time. A buddy told me he heard someone got gigs so I bought a group to better my odds.

Smite · Dec 6, 2025

D-Nak said:
You can also try adding Chemiclean, which many believe to be erythromycin. I've combined it with Cipro without any negative affects.

If the gigs can withstand being in the buckets with any structure (cut tube, bowl, etc.) it'll ease the removal of any dead zooxanthellae or other waste that they excrete. You'll ideally want to remove it as soon as you see it. It'll also prevent you from having areas where waste can collect.

Regarding stickiness, in my experience, it doesn't correlate to the health of the gig. I've had dead ones that were still able to fire their nematocysts (which is what creates that "stickiness").

What's most important is that they are inflated and quickly re-inflate after any deflation, which means they're able to ingest the antibiotics and flush out any waste. Once they deflate and remain deflated, it usually means the beginning of the end.

What dose is the erythromycin?

D-Nak · Dec 6, 2025

Smite said:
What dose is the erythromycin?

I used the recommended dosage to treat red slime, which is one scoop per 10 gallons (I use 10 gallon tanks for quarantine).

Smite · Dec 7, 2025

Well not working out amazing so far. The purple crawled onto the egg crate and I believe since the water has gravity pushing back down, was able to push him through and he got lodged in the pump shield. I cut it apart and its back but I may run out and grab a couple 5-10 gal tanks now.

I see some tentacle tips in the green gig bucket. I'm thinking maybe the enrofloxacin may not be compatible or my dose is off. I'm focusing my attention on the blue that looks okay still, although looks to be bleaching, I'm going back to cipro on that one and running out to get some erythromycin E.M. by API to run along side it.

not giving up yet on the 3 really rough ones but they aren't looking great at this point.

D-Nak · Dec 8, 2025

I've had a lot of problems with just using eggcrate. In the future, you can zip tie plastic mesh used for crafts onto the eggcrate. It looks like this:

I'm sure that you know, but tentacle tips floating around is not a good sign since it could mean that the nem has necrotic tissue and is probably either dying or dead.

Your experience with enrofloxacin is similar to mine with Septra (sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim). It felt like the dose was off; I thought it was too strong. Even after the gig died, it didn't smell like a dead anemone, it was almost as if the antibiotic "pickled" the anemone.

Good luck! I know it's a lot of hard work, but keep it up. We're rooting for you!

Smite · Dec 9, 2025

Thanks D-Nak.

The only one I have much hope for at all is my Blue. Going on 24 hours with out the serious deflate/gape. It shrank during the first bit of lights out but was tight and firm looking. Seemed like more of a normal behavior to me.

Yesterday morning I did a water change. Went back to cipro at 250mg per 10g but the added in API E.M. Per directions 1 packet per 10 gallons. I felt like I saw an improvement soon after. It stayed inflated the whole day, at some points the mouth was even closed. So after lights out, I did a 100% water change and redosed the tank with cipro/EM. I came out in the middle of the night and it was inflated to my surprise.

This is one that had lost a couple tentacles so I’m not letting myself get too excited. But if I could start all over I feel like that Cipro / EM combo could have been the ticket if used from the get go.

Before lights on and what it looked like most of the night

Now, a few minutes after lights on

The other blue I suspect is dead unfortunately. Water does not stink yet but I don’t see movement of tentacles with flow off. Very gaped

Green was faced down but super fluffy. Unfortunately on the egg crate. I righted it but it’s not looking great for that one. I’m going to run out and grab another 10g and transfer it over on my lunch break.

backbayreef · Dec 9, 2025

Good luck man -- we're rooting for you!

Smite · Dec 9, 2025

Thanks man!

Smite · Dec 9, 2025

Not sure what to make of this. Deflated and purged something. So I did a water change, dosed the tank and it’s stayed puckered up like this so far.

D-Nak · Dec 9, 2025

Looks like dead zoox on the of the tank (the brown pellet).

Hopefully--fingers crossed--that this may be a last big push to expel anything remaining within the anemone that's causing the infection. I've seen this happen before where it's almost as if the gig is constipated and it needs one more full deflation before it can re-inflate and then recover fully. The mouth being closed and puckered is a good sign.