RBTA getting quite large.

[stingythingy45]

Is there a maximum size these will grow to?
Before this it split 4 times and never got this large before.
At least the clowns are living in a mansion now.

 

[garygb]

Yeah, I find mine get about 10 inches across and then split. Some theorize there are two "subspecies" of E. quadricolor, clonal ones that split when they get fairly large and solitary ones that don't split and get larger. Since yours have split before, it would fall in the former category.

 

[stingythingy45]

I'm thinking any kind of stress will cause a split.I'd like to try lights out for 3 days,but,I'll have to wait to try that.
Just introduced a couple new nems into the tank.

 

[38bill]

They can get big. I dont even target feed mine yet I just had to pull it out of my 215G because it got too big. Its about 24" across in this photo. You can see a smaller green and rainbow nem almost overtaken by this monster. That's my big, fat, breeding female B&W clown in the nem.

Its split several times before but usually it was smaller when it split. I pulled it a couple of weeks ago and its sitting in my sump under a couple of T5's looking perfectly happy. I was really hoping the move would cause a split. I may just leave it there and get another pair of clowns.

[/IMG]

 

[garygb]

38bill, that's a great looking RBTA. It used to split and now it's stopped. It makes me wonder if the clonal and the large solitary BTAs are all the same, just at different stages in their life cycles. So much we don't understand about these animals.

 

[WDLV]

I've seen one next to a diver that had to be over 3' in diameter. Probably closer to 4'.

 

[taylor t]

38bill, now, THAT is an AWESOME BTA!!! NICE!

 

[WDLV]

38bill, that's a great looking RBTA. It used to split and now it's stopped. It makes me wonder if the clonal and the large solitary BTAs are all the same, just at different stages in their life cycles. So much we don't understand about these animals.

I agree. Do a massive water change and it will likely split. I've seen it before.