How to coax a GBTA to split?

[Duddly01]

I have a Green Bubble tip that is literally taking over half of my 50 gal tank. I bought him at maybe 8-10" base diameter and now he is at least 12"diameter. And I am talking just the base, when he decides not to bubble but extend his tentacles he can reach almost from top to bottom of my 20" deep tank. Has anyone been successful in coaxing a bubble tip to decide to split?

BTW, my Clarkii's start coming out of quarantine this weekend, they on the other hand will probably love their huge new home.

 

[Slakker]

An X-acto knife?

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9053492#post9053492 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
An X-acto knife?

*shudders*

Please, if you want to split your GBTA yourself, use a better instrument than that. Slakker I know you were probably joking, but someone reading this might not realize that.

A brand new straight razor is what I use, and will eventually start using scalpels when I can find an affordable source for them. I know that Anthony Calfo uses a very sharp sterilized filleting knife for larger 'nems and yours sounds pretty large.

-Sonja

 

[Duddly01]

I really don't want to perform any kind of "surgery" on the anemone. As BTA are prone to split /clone I was hoping to find out the conditions most people have found that seemed to prompt them to do so for them. If it isn't after reaching a certain size (which I would have thought mine had) it must be something that makes them want to become two (or 10) as has happened for some people here.

 

[ChunksInClemson]

An increase in feeding might help.

 

[apayne]

I have heard that a large water change ,40% or more, might do the trick.
Aaron

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9054935#post9054935 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Duddly01
I really don't want to perform any kind of "surgery" on the anemone. As BTA are prone to split /clone I was hoping to find out the conditions most people have found that seemed to prompt them to do so for them. If it isn't after reaching a certain size (which I would have thought mine had) it must be something that makes them want to become two (or 10) as has happened for some people here.

I don't know that it'd be a good idea to cut one that large anyway, all the recommendations I've found say to cut them around 5 or 6" so you keep them in the "infant growth" phase post-cutting. I've read that some BTA's will split themselves and others won't. As others have said, you can increase your feeding and after a few weeks of that, do a large water change.

-Sonja

 

[Slakker]

It's also worthy of note that increasing the feedings might make the anemone even bigger if it doesn't decide it feels like splitting.

 

[catdoc]

Mine split with just about any change that annoys them: move rockwork, a powerhead moved, change in lighting. I had one of them decide to crawl into my skimmer outflow when I had the pump off for cleaning. When the skimmer was turned back on, the water flowing over it made it split again. I've never tried it, but read that feeding them well for a week or two and then abruptly stopping the meals will trigger a split. (Or you may just end up with an even bigger anemone!)

 

[Angel*Fish]

Mine just keeps growing and growing - I'm going to have a talk with him tonight -- after I find his ears.

Seriously, anybody know if males or females are more or less inclined to split??

 

[Duddly01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9061693#post9061693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Angel*Fish
Mine just keeps growing and growing - I'm going to have a talk with him tonight -- after I find his ears.

Seriously, anybody know if males or females are more or less inclined to split??

How can you tell if they are male or female?

 

[Angel*Fish]

As far as I know you have to wait until it releases gametes and examine them under a microscope to see if it is sperm or eggs. And so as not to mislead, btw, I refer to mine as a "he" but I actually have no idea

 

[bwest]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9061693#post9061693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Angel*Fish
I'm going to have a talk with him tonight -- after I find his ears.

I actually laughed out loud while reading this. Maybe it's lack of sleep.

 

[montanabay]

we used to "clone" frog eggs in the lab by tieing fishing line around them, then slowly tightening for a couple days....then they split on their own.

WARNING: I've never tried this with corals, but it seems like it should work with mushrooms and anemones?

Maybe some one with more stock then me can give it a try! A new prop technique in the works

Cheers,

Josh

 

[RedEyeElf]

From everything I have read (trying to get friends GBTA to split too) Extra feeding to get them alittle hardy, then stress them by 40-50% water changes, or moving rocks around

But seriously, people here have had good luck just getting a brand new razor and bisecting the nem
Try to get a good 50/50 split of the mouth and foot on both sides, and you should then have 2 huge GBTA's in your hands
I don't know much about after care though, so I'm looking into that

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9088684#post9088684 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by montanabay
we used to "clone" frog eggs in the lab by tieing fishing line around them, then slowly tightening for a couple days....then they split on their own.

WARNING: I've never tried this with corals, but it seems like it should work with mushrooms and anemones?

Maybe some one with more stock then me can give it a try! A new prop technique in the works

Cheers,

Josh

We have Kenya tree and Sinularia that get that treatment from strands of Chaetomorpha. The Chaeto will wrap around a stalk and grow and tighten up and in a few weeks the piece of coral drops off and attaches and grows from there. I've heard of people using fishing line to frag Xenia this way as well. Never thought of doing that with anemones, though. I think the fast cut is probably better in this case but the OP already said they didn't want to do that. Can't blame them really, I've done that and while it gets easier with practice, it's still nervewracking to me even after several times doing it.

-Sonja

 

[hwyman]

our rose just split on its own. I think it got stressed out because a frag from a sea whip that I frag had started to decay, so I think there was a small ammonia spike which may have triggered it to split after almost 2 years in our tank. Also it has effected our xenia, it use to grow like weeds but ever since it has just withered. we did detect a small rise in the ammonia, nothing serious but it must have been enough to trigger the rose to split. also on another note our hairy mushrooms also split......

 

[Angel*Fish]

Well good for you
Mine has survived 90 degree heat, high nitrates, dirty looks & more - still no splitting.

Bwest, thanks for the lol - that made my day

 

[vypr2002]

mine split right after I changed out my old mh bulbs to new ones.

almost 3 weeks later I have 2 gbta now

anyone want to buy a gtba?