Best way to remove a RBTA anemone

[reef-freaky]

So I bought an RBTA from a fellow reefer about a year ago and it has been doing great. About 6 months ago the anemone split into two. Both mother and daughter have been doing great....maybe too good. About 3 months ago the smaller of the two decided it was time to leave their cosy corner of the tank and explore. After moving around for about a month is now has settled in the middle of one of my main display rocks. It has basically wiped out a wall of zoonthids that were occupying the rock.... it looks like a war zone underneath the tentacles. This little one is now no longer little and is starting to reach some of my nicer stony corals.

I don't really want two anemones, so what is the best way to remove this from the rock without having to tear down a good portion of my tank?


Steve

 

[WantaBeReefer]

It is my understanding that if you can get you fingers near the foot, you should message the foot slowly and it will eventually detach. I have reqad that this can take up to 30 minuted, but I did ot once and it only took 3-4 minutes. When I put my RBTA in it moved to an undersired area, so I manually moved it to a place that I wanted it an luckily, it has been there ever since. If it is in an area that you cant get to the foot, you may be able to get it to move by directing flow at it. If I can find the link to what I read, I'll post it.

 

[chip721]

Hi Steve. I've had similar problems. My original BTA has split twice giving me 3 BTA's (too many) in a 54g. I tried ice on the foot, directed a power head directly at it; touching it at all only made it recede deeper into its rock crevice. I soon realized I had a few simple choices to make: (a) continue pestering the BTA and risk damaging it, (b) sacrafice corals in its path, or (c) remove the rock it was attached to. I went with option c. It really wasn't that bad once I got started. With rock and BTA removed, I simply suspended him upside down in a tupperware container of tank water. I let his tenticles dangle in the water and kept his body and the rock slightly above the water. He slid into the tupperware bowl in less than 30 seconds and I never touched him. Not saying you can't get him out of your rock work. But just hope you're gentle to the touch and long on patience. Good luck.

 

[reef-freaky]

Thanks for the help. I might have to do this tonight. Actually since I wrote the original post, the RBTA has split again.

The only problem I have is that this rock is about 14" inches long and 10" inches wide... a large rock