Anemone split - 10 days later...

About 10 days ago my bubble-tip anemone split into a few pieces.
I have told you about it in the thread titled "Activated carbon":
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...36ff4535fefb2f
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...78cd3743e9cb13

I made some more pictures of its current state today. I was lucky
enough to catch maroon clowns in progress of laying new batch of
their eggs. They behave like nothing happened to their anemone :-)

Really cute fish, you can tell they feel safe in their "home":
http://i24.tinypic.com/2jfk500.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/y2blx.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2mds953.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/o6xpgj.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/2ihnodd.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/14e8b5d.jpg
http://i23.tinypic.com/14t0ebl.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2079u1w.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/bgxv7q.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/k31xza.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/2m3nxpt.jpg

Just in case the separated piece (child anemone) starts walking over
the rockwork and stinging my other corals - what is the best way
to peal the anemone off the rock? :-) I have never had the need
to do it before, because my big one stayed put in one place for
years, but it seems I have to be prepared for worst...

"Pszemol" wrote on Sat, 20 Oct 2007:
I was lucky enough to catch maroon clowns in progress of laying new batch
of their eggs.

Well, all right. We can name ONE of them Nemo. But I want most to be
Marlin Jr.

Just in case the separated piece (child anemone) starts walking over the
rockwork and stinging my other corals - what is the best way to peal the
anemone off the rock? :-)

You generally want to avoid tearing their foot. (Any more than already, I
guess in your case :-).) Unfortunately, they can generally hang on to the
rock even stronger than their own body can hold up. If you just pull, they'll
tear before they let go.

So you need to convince them to let go on their own. I've seen two reliable
ways. If you've got time, you can aim a powerhead at their foot, where it
attaches to the rock. Direct strong current will be uncomfortable enough that
they'll want to move. Within about an hour, they ought to let go completely
and just drift on the current, waiting to land in a new home. You can catch
them when they're in the water column.

If you're in more of a hurry (or less patient), you can do it manually. By
which I mean, with your fingers. Try not to use fingernails; those are
sharp. But just apply slow mild pressure using your fingers, to the edge of
where the foot touches the rock. Sort of like you're popping bubble wrap,
although maybe not quite so hard. The pressure will cause the anemone to
release where you're squishing it. And then you can move on to the next
section. Probably will take about 10-15 minutes, if you're careful. By the
time about half the foot detaches, the rest ought to just let go without too
much trouble.

Of course, you have to get them in a new home then, and they can always move
again later. Finding a home stable for years can be a trick...

-- Don
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Don Geddis http://reef.geddis.org/
Conformity: When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate
each other. -- Despair.com

On Oct 20, 10:25 pm, "Pszemol" wrote:

Just in case the separated piece (child anemone) starts walking over
the rockwork and stinging my other corals - what is the best way
to peal the anemone off the rock? :-) I have never had the need
to do it before, because my big one stayed put in one place for
years, but it seems I have to be prepared for worst...

I have a BTA that has split three times now and have had a few
occasions where I needed to move one of the children (though, for
mine, it was usually difficult to distinguish between "parent" and
"child" as they usually split into more or less equally sized
organisms). I've found that prying them off with a credit card works
pretty well. Just sort of wedge the edge of a credit card between the
foot of the critter and the rock that it's on. Do it slowly and the
anemone will release its hold on the rock as the credit card invades.
Since the edge of the credit card is thicker than a fingernail, you're
less likely to cut the animal's foot in the process, and you can also
keep your hand a safer distance from the stinging tentacles.

Blake.

Do 99% of the removal at the edge of the foot, and
the rest will come with it. Gently nudging it. Often
one side will be easier to start with than the
other. They tend to not be as strongly attached when
they are on the move, compared to when they settle
down in a spot. Do about 50% coaching it to let go
and 50% prying it.

Wayne Sallee



Pszemol wrote on 10/20/2007 10:25 PM:
About 10 days ago my bubble-tip anemone split into a few pieces.
I have told you about it in the thread titled "Activated carbon":
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...36ff4535fefb2f

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...78cd3743e9cb13


I made some more pictures of its current state today. I was lucky
enough to catch maroon clowns in progress of laying new batch of
their eggs. They behave like nothing happened to their anemone :-)

Really cute fish, you can tell they feel safe in their "home":
http://i24.tinypic.com/2jfk500.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/y2blx.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2mds953.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/o6xpgj.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/2ihnodd.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/14e8b5d.jpg
http://i23.tinypic.com/14t0ebl.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2079u1w.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/bgxv7q.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/k31xza.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/2m3nxpt.jpg

Just in case the separated piece (child anemone) starts walking over
the rockwork and stinging my other corals - what is the best way
to peal the anemone off the rock? :-) I have never had the need
to do it before, because my big one stayed put in one place for
years, but it seems I have to be prepared for worst...

Another method that you can use, if it is on a rock
that can be removed out of the water, is to position
the rock above the tank so that the tentacles of the
anemone are in the water, and it's body is out of
the water. From time to time, splash a little water
on it to keep it from drying out.

Wayne Sallee



Wayne Sallee wrote on 10/21/2007 9:19 PM:
Do 99% of the removal at the edge of the foot, and the rest will come
with it. Gently nudging it. Often one side will be easier to start with
than the other. They tend to not be as strongly attached when they are
on the move, compared to when they settle down in a spot. Do about 50%
coaching it to let go and 50% prying it.

Wayne Sallee



Pszemol wrote on 10/20/2007 10:25 PM:
About 10 days ago my bubble-tip anemone split into a few pieces.
I have told you about it in the thread titled "Activated carbon":
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...36ff4535fefb2f

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...78cd3743e9cb13


I made some more pictures of its current state today. I was lucky
enough to catch maroon clowns in progress of laying new batch of
their eggs. They behave like nothing happened to their anemone :-)

Really cute fish, you can tell they feel safe in their "home":
http://i24.tinypic.com/2jfk500.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/y2blx.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2mds953.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/o6xpgj.jpg
http://i20.tinypic.com/2ihnodd.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/14e8b5d.jpg
http://i23.tinypic.com/14t0ebl.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2079u1w.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/bgxv7q.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/k31xza.jpg
http://i22.tinypic.com/2m3nxpt.jpg

Just in case the separated piece (child anemone) starts walking over
the rockwork and stinging my other corals - what is the best way
to peal the anemone off the rock? :-) I have never had the need
to do it before, because my big one stayed put in one place for
years, but it seems I have to be prepared for worst...