Calling all LTA keepers.

[Pinkskunk]

Hi all,

I want to know your succcess rate with Shipping and keeping the LTAs.

1) Does it ship fairly? or poorly? or 50/50

2) Does it have a high survival rate once made through shipping and rebounding after the shipping?

The reason i asked: Want to get a purple one from online.

thanks and Have a Happy Thansgiving all.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

If the lta is healthy and shipped properly they are pretty hardy.

 

[JamesJR]

My experience is that they are one of the best shippers as far as anemones go. I have observed that they don't seem to suffer from bleaching issues to the same extant that others do. They do have specific needs in order for them to live long term though. Can you give us more info on your tank?

 

[Pinkskunk]

thanks folks, keep them coming, more opinion/ex[erience, is the better.

tank specs:

120AGA
2- 250W MH 1400k
2- T5 forgot watts but fits the 4' tank
tank just been downgraded from a 7 years old 180gal reef

 

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Mine did very well with the shipping but it was a very small LTA. I'm not sure if the larger LTAs do as well with shipping. If the one you are ordering is small and its shipped priority overnight it should be fine.

 

[davocean]

IME LTA's are one of the most sensitive, and I've seen many here that were bleached, though they can recover in good conditions.
Lately I've seen alot that seem to not want to attach, and I wonder if some places are being rough on collection or something.
But if that is what you want, I would still go for it, but my personal pref is buying from LFS so I can check them out really good.

 

[Pinkskunk]

Hi Davocean,

i would wish to buy it locally, but here in Boston, coming across a purple one is like finding diamond at Boston harbor, if or when i find one, it would cost ............ well, like diamond

 

[Pinkskunk]

so far 1 count for diifficult, and 3 counts for decent/good. keep them coming guys, i need as much as i can count.

BTW, i keep Rose BTA by the tankfull (as they just keep on splitting) and carpets, so my experience with anemones are not first timer. i just want to learn about a new specie, the LTAs

 

[davocean]

Gotcha, I'm not sure what peeps have the best rep for shipping/collecting, that may help you to get a good specimen.
I've had one shipped that had a tear on foot and never attached.
My Doreensis that I had 5.5 years was always sensitive, a snail falling on it, touching it, or siphon hose even coming close to it would make it quickly shrink, sometimes even disappear into sandbed.
It also was sensitive to too much/too little light, and didn't like strong flow.
I learned to make it a semi cavey area so it could pull in/out as needed, and in doing this I got to the point that I could swap/transfer w/out it wandering pretty easy.
It was very different from my Crispa, which could handle pretty much as strong of light and flow as I could give it, and I could totally manhandle it siphoning deitrus and just pushing it aside as needed.
I compared my Crispa to those cats that allow you to lift fur and vacuum w/out flinching, and my LTA was like the most skittish cat there could be!lol
Still one of my favs, just needs a lil TLC in handling IMO.

 

[Pinkskunk]

Davocean,

so you ae sayiing Malu is more hardy than the LTA? i'v had a malu before........... does it ship well? between a purple and a malu, i dont care which comes first as they both stays in the sand and not rock climbers. i am open to either one, whichever i find first

 

[Toddrtrex]

I would have to say that I am about 50/50 with shipped LTAs, and the ones that didn't make it all had a hole in the bottom of its foot. They all held on for about a week and a half, but never attached. They were larger sized ones.

 

[davocean]

Davocean,

so you ae sayiing Malu is more hardy than the LTA? i'v had a malu before........... does it ship well? between a purple and a malu, i dont care which comes first as they both stays in the sand and not rock climbers. i am open to either one, whichever i find first

I've never had a Malu, no exp w/ them at all.
Cripsa is a Sebae, that IME and other friends w/ them seem to be pretty darn hardy, but they get huge.
I agree w/ Todd, the hole in the foot is a death sentence, so I would inspect on arrival.

 

[clowns101]

I love my long tentecal anemone!Very hardy and dont move at all!When shipping they do very well!
Here are some pics of mine she is now about 18" across!
Underside

Over all image

Female hiding in the anemone

Anemone in this pic I think is about 14" showns how big the clown is!

 

[vaporize]

LTA = M.doreensis?

If it is, my experience is that they almost ship 90-95% survival from collection places; long term survivability is another thing since acclimation & stress might not exhibit itself for another month. Depends on temperature mainly.