Holy Splitting RBTA

[daveml]

I picked up a RBTA about a month and a half ago from the place on Sheridan Drive. There were 3 or 4 small clones in the tank - probably about 3 inches or so. I got it home and all looked good. The second day I had it the RBTA took off and hid in the rocks for a day or two. When it finally came out there were 2. Both were doing fine until a couple of days ago when the bigger one dissappeared. I woke up this morning to find 2 RBTA on my front glass and one on the rocks.

I used a butter knife to gently pry the 2 RBTA off of the glass and put them down in my rock stack where there is less flow. It was kind of neat being able to see the foot of the original clone as I could see where it split.

Anyone ever have a RBTA splitting at this pace? Looks like I'll have to be getting rid of one or two shortly - don't think my 90 gallon mixed reef can handle 3 RBTA.

 

[superkat]

yup...i've got one that just split last week...looking like it's about to again.

 

[toddmh]

haha thats kinda cool ,my wife goes to that place for dog food..They have some sweet parrots..But they are pretty expensive on everything

 

[Newreeflady]

In case you were wondering what the whole process might've looked like...

In case you were wondering what the whole process might've looked like...

Here are shots of mine splitting many moons ago...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1002905&highlight=splitting

 

[talon4x4]

Looks like I'll have to be getting rid of one or two shortly - don't think my 90 gallon mixed reef can handle 3 RBTA.

Unless you have a lot of coral your afraid they might touch, your system can handle it. I've got 12 BTAs (10 green, 2 rose) in my 90gal. My GBTA was splitting weekly for months after I got it (had it a little over a year). I picked up 1 rose at the last swap (by far the nicest rose I have ever seen, can't remember who I got it from) and the other rose I got about 1 year ago.



Where are the pics?!?

 

[daveml]

Toddmh - once in awhile you can find something decent there

The only worries I have are with my other corals in the tank. Things are starting to fill in nice. I'll get some pics when they come out from hiding

 

[RyanEG]

There is a strain of RBTA's in the area that stay relatively small and split often.

 

[shroutk3]

BTA's also split when stressed, which is why they tend to split when new to tanks. Increased light, changes in flow or water quality, or neighboring creatures can induce a stress split. In my opinion they shouldn't split when small if they're unstressed- after being established mine haven't split until they reach the size of a softball minimum. Your params could be fine and they could still be stressed.

Anyways, this shouldn't kill them, and it benefits you to be able to sell, just thought I'd pose another theory. i.e. It's probably not a "fast splitting strain", more likely a slightly stressed individual.

HTH
Tim