How long does it take for rock flower anemones to redproduce?

[Mattmcf]

There is a local place here in MI that has a large breeding collection of rock anemones collected down in the FL Keys years ago. The mother colonies are housed in large vats in a greenhouse. The employees showed me how they were harvesting young anemones. The babies seemed to be spawning underneath the mother anemones. They showed me quite a few specimens where they would simply lift up the 'flaps" of the anemone and there would be 5-6 much smaller ones(about the size of a fingernail) tucked underneath. They would then pull these out once large/stable enough and put them in their own containers to grow out. Pretty interesting stuff!

 

[alex gonzales]

Hey nemaddict, where do you get yours from?

 

[NemAddict88]

Fragjunky online, Pacific East Aquaculture, and my local saltwater fish store (Top Shelf Aquatics) but if you want the real nice ones they normally are 100-140 a piece but you can bounce around online and get some good prices.

 

[RA]

Correct. Don't cut flower anemones, they only reproduce sexually. I have been keeping them about 5 years and in that time they have spawned many times. I started off with 5 and now have have close to 30, some quite small. The females are internal brooders, so you will only see when the males have spawned, the females do not release eggs into the water as some species of anemone do. So be patient and provide healthy tank conditions and I am sure your flower anemones will reproduce for you.

Very nice collection you have there. It's interesting to see how the various colors interbreed. You can almost deduce who were the parents, some will be red with a green cast, etc.

How do you prevent the eggs and baby anemone's from just being chopped up buy your pumps?

 

[NemAddict88]

I'm assuming you can't really prevent the eggs from getting sucked into a powerhead, unless your watching it happen and you could cut the power to the tank at that point. As far as the babies getting sucked into the power head, I haven't been warned so I can't imagine it happens a lot. I have a baby I bought from the store I'll post a picture but I think it might be just big enough not to get sucked into your powerhead. I know it can't get in my two that are in my tank I don't know how large yours is though.

 

[NemAddict88]

Baby Nem

 

[garygb]

As I mentioned,they are internal brooders. The female keeps the eggs inside and the sperm released into the water fertilizes them inside the female. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae are released. From my experience, they settle very close to the parents, as the rocks nearest the adults have more babies compared to rocks farther away.

 

[trinidiver]

Interesting read guys

 

[reefman069]

very cool. i have started my collection of rock anemones. i have 8 of them in my 360 gallon mixed reef. i plan on getting lots of them. the ones i have been buying are top notch. i have been spending lots of money on them. i have four being shipped to me in the morning. i think that is why i can't sleep. lol. like a kid waiting for christmas morning. lol

 

[beolson25]

I know the post is old but I found that mine would spawn along with the equinox. For me it was in September.