RBTA Farm Build

[cisco006]

Hello All,

I have just recently setup an anemone propagation tank. I have purchased 11 rose bulb anemones during the last 2 weeks. Of the 11 anemones, I can confidently say that 9 of them are confirmed aquacultured speciments, 1 is from the wild, and 1 im not really sure. Of the 9 aquacultured speciments, 5 of them are obviously cut, they are healed at the mouth, but there is noticeble gaps on the discs. Did someone prematurely sell these anemones without letting them fully repair themselves, or is this nomal for cut anemones? I have read alot of threads and articles, mainly by Anthony Calfo,that it is possible to cut them every 2 weeks. Will the anemones heal completely, and be perfectly round in that time frame? I have also read that starting with healthy stock is of the utmost importance. I have read that 4 months is a good amount of time to wait before cutting the anemones. Are there any visual cues for knowing when they are ready? Is it possible for them to be ready sooner than 4 months? What if the anemones have been aquacultured, will this shorten the time frame?

My propagation tank is a 50 gallon rubbermaid stock tank with a 175 metal halide 14k, and a 1500 gallon per hour wave surge system. The propagation tank is connected to my 300 gallon mixed reef tank. The tank has been up and running for 6 months, and I would say that things are going pretty well in the main tank. Water chemistry is good, with all parameters inline, including 0 nitrate. I have read that 0 nitrate is not ideal for anemones, and that they actually enjoy a little nitrate to filter feed on organic nitrogen. Can I make up for the 0 nitrates by heavily stocking and heavily feeding the 300 gallon display tank? Do anemones produce organic nitrogen from there waste, or only fish? Will cutting back on skimming help maintain organic nitrogen in the water column?

I am including photos of the propagtion tank and some of the anemones. Please feel free to make any comments on the system setup and anemone health.

Thanks,
Cisco

 

[mrsmithers]

If you read some of Anthony’s post about BTA propagation, you will see that he strongly advises not to have this connected to your main display tank. The freshly cut BTA release lots of toxins and that can destroy your livestock. Other than that, I like!

 

[reefer31]

I would also watch out for aggression with the anemones. If you also read per Anthony he recommends to start with known clones or separate them into different tanks. With your anemones, being from different tanks/wild I would watch carefully when you go to cut them and when they are healing.

I recently bought a RBTA and it has been 4 weeks this Wednesday and it looks pretty close to splitting naturally already. I have been trying to feed it daily with mysis and he/she seems to be taking it nicely. Good luck with the farm!

Also, if you are going to keep the anemones in one tank I would recommend running carbon.

 

[cisco006]

Thanks for your comments,

As for Anthony's recommendations to not run an anemone prop tank with your reef system, I would love too, but right now its not an option for me. It is my understanding that you can leave the freshly cut anemones in a bucket with tank water for an hour or two, and that should take care of the toxins they release. Is this accurate?

Lets keep this thread going, most of the threads I have read are from a few years back, and I think it would be great to get some fresh information and personal experiences.
Thanks,
Cisco

 

[ls7corvete]

I have not tried setting up a farm yet but I have read a lot of Anthony's info as well. It seems that you have as well and all of your questions are asking if you should follow his advice.

I would say yes, please follow Anthony's recommendations.

 

[cisco006]

Thanks ls7corvette,

And I do plan on following his guidelines, his work has paved the way for all of us. I always like to get several opinions and then make my own decisions. I didnt mean to sound like I was questioning his advice, I was looking for more in depth information from other aquarists personal experiences, and maybe even from anthony himself.
thanks,
cisco

 

[nemmy]

I've just given a cut nem a quick rinse in a bowl and put them back in the tank with no problems. But then again I only cut one, its not like i went on a mass cutting spree.

I have a BTA only tank under T5's, im just letting them split to their hearts content naturally though.

Just be sure to cut the flow back after the cuttings or have a breeder net for awhile until they circle their body back around. Some split nems or cut nems dont get a "perfect" foot or have trouble holding on in higher flow. Cutting back the flow or putting them in a breeder net for awhile will keep them from flying to their death.

As for BTAs fighting I have never had a problem with multiple random nems of the same species getting into a fight. Not saying it couldnt happen though. If they dont get along you will see them retracting from each other, sticking on each other or running away.

 

[TiTAN]

nem-cut#conf t

nem-cut(config)#cut again only when healed 100%
nem-cut(config)#feed 1 day before cutting
nem-cut(config)#soak food in selcon/amino/vitamins
nem-cut(config)#run carbon when returning cut anemone to tank
nem-cut(config)#return to low flow area
nem-cut(config)#end
nem-cut#wr mem
nem-cut#exit

Nice setup and nice RBTA's.

 

[ls7corvete]

Thanks ls7corvette,

And I do plan on following his guidelines, his work has paved the way for all of us. I always like to get several opinions and then make my own decisions. I didnt mean to sound like I was questioning his advice, I was looking for more in depth information from other aquarists personal experiences, and maybe even from anthony himself.
thanks,
cisco

Try and find some successful farmers, there arent that many. Most advice is coming from people who have just had nems in their tank.

I hope to see Anthony's advice on this too. Hopefully some new threads in marine depot forums

 

[cisco006]

[violation]...

 

[juniorjose]

this looks interesting. tagging along.

 

[Marchingbandjs]

you can always try the rubberband method, which should cut down on toxins..

 

[corey c]

I have a huge RBTA 12+inches in my reef and i have been thinking of starting up a small farm. I also have a 7in GBTA and a small Rainbow BTA.

i have 5 tanks setup 4 are totally separate systems just have to get rid of some livestock to get started

Im tagging along on this i want to know how your cutting and healing goes.

 

[duastina]

Tagging along!

 

[MBasile]

I recently tried this, with a 40 gallon acrylic "frag" tank and a 175 watt halide, but the 175 just didnt seem to cut it. My rbta was previously housed in a 75 gallon reef with 250 reeflux halides and actinic t5ho's, where it had fantastic colors. Under the 175 bulbs the colors were just fading away. After cutting my anemone, the two halves didnt grow at all for nearly 2 months despite feeding quite well. I am not sure what the problem was. My first assumption is that the 175 was just not bright enough and they couldnt photosynthesize adequately enough. Secondly, Im wondering about the water quality. With the heavier feedings, I would imagine that the water quality was lower than that of my reef. This might be related to the lack of color in my propagules. However, Anthony Calfo recommends keeping nutrient levels up in an anemone farm to boost growth, so there might be somewhat of a trade-off in this regard. about two weeks ago, I lost my 2 propagules due to a heater failure that heated the tank to nearly 96 degrees :-(. It has been relatively disappointing thus far but I am am looking for another anemone to try this with and hope for better results. I will post back on my progress and look forward to watching yours as well.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[cisco006]

MBasile,

That is an unfortunate incident. I dont think its the 175 watt lamp. How long was your rbta in your tank, and how long did you wait to cut your anemone after you made the switch to your prop tank. I think that any change that you make to your anemones environment could delay a succesful cutting. Another possibility is that some anemones respond better to cutting than others. Maybe someone with more experience can shed more light on this.
cisco

 

[acura27]

did not know you could cut them were do you do it at any link to info

 

[corey c]

I cut my first GBTA last night and its doing great 1 half has pulled together and the other is close. This was my guinea pig. lol I'm gonna give one to a friend when they heal and then move on to the first cut of the 12+ inch RBTA. I was very nervous at first but now i feel somewhat confident.

 

[Fragmented 99]

I have been propagating for over a year now. I can tell you there is now way you can cut every 2 weeks. Closer timeframe would be every 2 months.

 

[corey c]

BTW i seen a big rainbow BTA go through a main pump on a 2000+ gallon system at a LFS and it came out in 20 or so baby's. I got one of them. Its now bout the size of a 50 cent piece when fully open.