My RBTA is splitting...at least I hope so!

[seafansar]

Tonight my RBTA shriveled up and expelled some waste like usual. I looked at it with a flashlight and noticed a tear on the bottom of its foot. So either something like a crab pinched its foot (it's attached to 2 rocks) or it's splitting. Hopefully there will be two anemones tomorrow and not one dead one! I tried to take pictures, but it's too deep in the rocks to get a good shot.

I got it 7 weeks ago and it's about 6" across.

I'll update in the morning!

 

[seafansar]

How long does it take to finish splitting?

 

[garygb]

The anemone would stretch itself out and basically pull itself apart, splitting through the mouth first and then the split goes down toward the base. Your pic and description doesn't sound like splitting.

 

[SPARTAN VI]

I wish I had watched mine as it was splitting, but I didn't know until it did. It went behind the rocks for a couple days until a new small RBTA popped out. The big one is still behind the rocks, recovering, I guess.

 

[seafansar]

Oh no, the pic is not of it splitting. That's from a few days ago. It's all shriveled up under its rock right now. It's stretching a little, but it's really hard to get a good look at it. But it definitely has a hole in its foot and it's mouth is puffed up from what I could see.

So I guess I shouldn't worry too much. It could take a few days. Someone else said theirs stayed really stretched out for months before it finally split!

 

[walmart]

Thats not normal I would be worried. What are your parameters?

 

[seafansar]

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
pH: 8.5 just a tad high
Alk: 5.5
Temp: 79
Salinity: 1.0255
Phos: 0
And I'm using SeaChem tests.

It's in a 125gallon. There have not been any fish in it for 6 weeks due to an ich outbreak. I feed it silversides about once a week and mysid shrimp a couple times a week. But I've been feeding it less lately since it's grown about 2 more inches. It's always sticky and ready to be fed! And it's under MH's.

There is a Hawaiian strawberry crab in the tank near the anemone, but I thought they were reef safe. He'd be my only suspect for hurting the nem.

 

[walmart]

What is your alk Measured in?

 

[seafansar]

meq/L

 

[seafansar]

Well the anemone opened up again. Its tentacles aren't as inflated as they usually are, its body turned blueish, and its mouth is opened a little bit. I dunno, maybe a crab pinched its foot or something. Oh and to clarify, I'm talking about the very bottom of its foot/pedal disk. It was pealed up off the rock when I saw it. It's reattached now, so I can't see it anymore. I guess time will tell what's going on.