GORGEOUS RBTA - how to split?

[GinaD]

I recently bought this incredibly gorgeous RBTA..it's the kind I've always wanted, and I finally got one.

If I was to consider splitting it in half, what are the risks and would I be doing it real harm? Or should I just leave it alone and hope it splits on it's own?

Of course, I'd also need advice on the best way to split it too...

 

[marco67]

You can just make sure it's healthy and well fed, then take a razor or filet knife to it, right down the middle and include the mouth

You can also "encourage" it to do it on it's own by swinging your parameters,
You may or may not want to do this depending on what else is in the tank

Marc

 

[ReeferMedic]

If it's a wild anemone, I would let it settle in for a bit before I'd take a razor to it. Then, do as already stated above. I've induced mine into splitting just by feeding it more than usual. This can be a bad idea with a smaller system though.

 

[~Flighty~]

Be sure to let it settle in and be as healthy as it can be. Anemones are harder than they look and can have unexpected problems that take a while to show up or fix. I would recomend at least 2 or three months to have the best odds. Don't feed it for a week, then just cut it in half and put it back in the tank to heal up for a week or two. Keep it away from bubbly water and direct flow if you can, but it should have some inderect flow. After you see a mouth form, try feeding it again and you should be good.


Be sure to COVER YOUR POWERHEAD INTAKES. Most BTAs are lost by being chopped up.

 

[deadhermitwalkin]

How about this?

Just a thought....

 

[stevertr]

You don't need to do any of those things....

Just feed it some small pieces of shrimp from the grocery store every 2 or 3 days, and give it lots of light. It'll split by itself in a couple weeks.

Steve

 

[Kevin McG]

I was trying to get my rose to split also and I reading increased feedings may work. I really wanna know why none of my bubble tips never bubble

 

[meemoo]

I've had my RBTA split on it's own and I split it just after Calfo's demonstration. If it's new to your tank you might want to make sure it's healthy and eating well before you cut it open.

As for the bubble tip no one really know's why in some tanks the tip stay bubbles and in other's they don't. I think some say Alk has something to do with it. My bubble tips come and go and I have not seen a reason why they are there sometimes and not other's.

 

[~Flighty~]

I was trying to get my rose to split also and I reading increased feedings may work. I really wanna know why none of my bubble tips never bubble

In the wild we saw bubbled ones and non bubbled ones right next to each other in a patchs that looked like they were probably all clones. No obvious lighting or flow differences.

 

[GinaD]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Zackb911]

Gina how is the rbta and clown doing for you? Anys pics of them in their new home?

Zack

 

[ReeferDude]

I thoght you couldnt split anmeones with a knife or else you would kill them. Thats what i read on a website one time.

 

[smcnally]

You don't need to do any of those things....

Just feed it some small pieces of shrimp from the grocery store every 2 or 3 days, and give it lots of light. It'll split by itself in a couple weeks.

Steve

Steve, this isn't always true. I tried feeding my RBTA huge amounts of food for over a month and it just got bigger and bigger. I ended up having to cut it.

 

[JayM]

Steve, this isn't always true. I tried feeding my RBTA huge amounts of food for over a month and it just got bigger and bigger. I ended up having to cut it.

when I was a REAL newbie, mine split on it's own, and I wasn't even target feeding the poor thing!

silversides 2x a week now......growing, but no splitting.

 

[RichConley]

They split under environmental stress, generally.

 

[JayM]

I'll take that as light criticism...... It wasn't intentional stress, it was the damn tomato clown beating the crap out of it.

Anemone, still here

Clown, LFS turn in.

 

[Matt L.]

I stopped feeding my purple BTA in hopes it would split less frequently. It still splits regularly, about every 3 months, always after growing quite large.

Having to fish out the daughter anemones became a nuisance, even though they were highly prized for their colouration.

So in short, I have no idea what effects the rate of splitting. My only guess is that if you want it to split, it won't, and if you don't want it to split, it will.

Matt