How to keep anemone from splitting?

[danmhippo]

One of my green BTA kept splitting. It has gone from a large size down to almost 1/4 of it's original size. I don't want this anemone to split anymore. What has any of you done to keep anemone from splitting? I want them to grow larger before they split any more.

It seems If I feed, it splits. What if I don't feed it anymore? Anyone has inputs on this?

TIA

 

[Carpentersreef]

Jimmy,
When my bta went from 1 to 9 in three years, I simply stopped feeding the darn things.... 8O . They grew and expanded just fine with light only. Every now and then the clownfish would sneak a piece of meat back to one of them, but the splitting stopped.


Mitch :?

 

[O P Ing]

hi.
I heard that Krazy glue works well. :wink:

Seriously, BTA's splitting event usually triggered by some specific stimulus. Oversizing, and stress are two of the reasons. For oversizing, you need to put it on a "diet," like CR suggested. It is difficult to proof that BTA split because of stress.

 

[platapus]

I have always heard that it is impossible to keep most anenomies alive for more than a year, and that they dont reproduce incaptivity - Perhaps this is not true?

Are BTA easier to keep that other anenomies?

...What do they look like? Anyone have a picture of one they can post?

Thanks

 

[dvb]

I have had mine for almost a year now and it is doing great. It has more than tripled in size and looks very healthy.

I am sure that there are people who have kept many different kinds of anemones for many years.

I find that my anemones do better than some of my corals do.

 

[platapus]

Is it a Bubble Tip Anenomie (BTA)?

 

[wombat1]

I don't know what species dvb has, but most people consider BTAs the easiest host anemone to keep. I have pictures of a rose BTA on my link, but it's not very indicative of BTAs as a group. Do a search on the web and you'll find tons of pics. I know of one reefer who has kept a carpet anemone, S. haddoni, for 5 years

 

[danmhippo]

Most of time when we refer to BTA, we meant Entacmaea quadricolor.

Do a google search should yield hundreds of threads and pics.

 

[platapus]

What does BTA stand for then?
IT doesnt stand for Bubble Tip Anenomie?

 

[danmhippo]

Yes, Bubble Tip Anemone. Some directly refer them as "E. Quad".

 

[danmhippo]

But, not all anemone with seemingly bubble tips are E. Quad. Such as sebae, and Condylactis, they may resemble somewhat to E. Quad, but they are not E. Quad.

The volume 2 of The Reef Aquarium by Delbeek and J. Sprung is a good references to identification and care for various types of anemones.

 

[Reef Guy11]

Hello everyone, I have a BTA that i had for like 7 months. It has grown a little bit, but i don't hardly feed it anything. I just put DT's PhytoPlankton like 3 times a week, but since i have changed my 90 gal to a 135 gal tank, I have been feeding it. But when i feed it, my seabea clownfish takes food from it. I mean he places there but he eats it before the BTA eats the food.

OH yeah and so does everyone else in my tank try's to steal it from the clown i feed my fish 2 times a week.

 

[Anonymous]

Feeding less may stop the splits. However, it could trigger more splits if the lack of feeding stresses the animal. Reducing stress seems to be the best way.

 

[Anonymous]

I know of one reefer who has kept a carpet anemone, S. haddoni, for 5 years

I've had a gigantea anemone for 3+ yrs.

 

[suckair]

Bob, my seabae anemone is about 5 years old now and is the size of a basket ball!

He started out as a bleached white petco anemone and was about as big around as a cup.

 

[Reef Guy11]

Hello SUck air how did you keep your seabea alive so long i had one and he died like month later i feed him and he was under 2 250 watt HQI MH light i don't understand what i did wrong
Thanks