RBTA split, am I dong something wrong?

[rayn]

I started out with two slightly bleached RBTA, about the size of a quarter each. One split and I then had three, one now the size of a 50 cent piece and two about the size of a quarter. Long story short, mandatory tank move and they ended in my larger 120 tank. The two that split looked like they went back together or moved really close together and stayed put for almost a month now, but never really darkened up. About a week ago they decided to play splitzie again and seperate again. The third darkened up nicely, a deep rose color that I was after. Now tonight I look and it is splitting too! It was probably 2" around before this. Why?!

Tank, 120 with ~150 lbs live rock, 55 sump with fuge and dsb, GFO in reactor, WM K2 skimmer, dual 250w MH..9" above tank, clowns, chromis, rabbitfish, swallow angel, CBS, cleaner shrimp, snails, cucumber.
Ammonia 0, trite 0, trate ~10, calc 420, alk 8, mag ?, phos 0.
I've ordered a mag test that should be here soon, and am doing weekly 20 gal water changes to keep or bring down the trates.

Any thoughts as to why they keep splitting? I would love to see mine grow into the large ones I see on here.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

Wish mine would split more.

Damn things get to over a foot across.

If you can figure out the secret to why yours split, many of us will be greatly indebted to you!

 

[scrambler1880]

Mine recently split right after a water change... it was rather large (over 12" diameter)to begin with and I had been feeding quite a bit so my initial hope was that it was just healthy and "reproducing" but the fact that it happened right after a water change leads me to believe otherwise...

I test weekly and my readings are fairly stable
pH 8.2-8.28
Alk 9-11
Nitrate 0
phos 0
Mg 1280
Ca 460
Salinity 1.023-4

On a hunch I checked my RO TDS meter and found that it was over 120 so my currrent theory is a split from stress due to 'bad' RO water.

Both Anems are healthy and looking great (split was over a month ago) but one does seem a bit restless so not sure if it is completely happy yet.

 

[steelhead77]

Anecdotally speaking, it is believed that feed, feed, feed, water change will make an anemone split. Don't know if there is any truth to that, but I would not worry about it and count your blessings. These are rudimentary creatures that live on instinct only. Some will tell you that stress causes them to split. This may be true, but this is also how they reproduce. Wait until they heal up and trade them in to your LFS for store credit or sell them to other local reefers. I've had a Rose for over two years and it has split twice (both times during March madness) so that I have had a total of seven from the one original. I still have two and I look forward to them splitting again. My GBTA just split 2 weeks ago, so now I have two of those as well. I believe it's just nature, taking it's course.

 

[rayn]

I feed, but cut back from what I had been feeding. Water change was last Sunday, not two days ago but nine days ago. Maybe still enough but who knows. As long as all are healthy I'm happy.

 

[rssjsb]

Unfortunately, I think a bleached specimen at this size is not splitting because it's healthy.

I bought a bleached (i.e., hot pink) RBTA when I was very new to this and it split several times before it finally died. You've got good lighting, so all you can really do is watch and wait, keep your water quality high, and try to feed them small meals now and then.

 

[rayn]

Now I agree more with that statement. What I don't get is why one colored up dark and the other hasn't. Then why both would suddenly split what seems like a week apart.

 

[gweston]

I swapped my T5HO lights with Halide and my RBTA split. Just last weekend. Now one of the suckers stung the stuff out of my toadstool leather. @#$#

But.. now I have two RBTA's... so I guess I am ok with that.

 

[rayn]

Just a update as I got my mag test tonight. Mag is at 1200. I know it is low now, so how or what should I dose to bring it up? I'm guessing this is why I have to dose as well for alk as I have a hard time keeping it right too.