RBTA Split Concern for Sappling

[jjonesrjc]

My RBTA split Sunday March 18th. It was growing like a weed and eating a silverside twice a week. No parameter, flow or lighting changes so I believe it was just do to reproduction. The large RBTA has made a full recovery already and is eating like normal. The new smaller one has not come out yet and is still hiding in the cracks of the live rock I have. I can barely see it when the main lights are on but can identify it under the moon lights when the tentacles reflect the blue leds. It has yet to come out of the rock work and I'm getting nervous it could die in there and poision my tank. Is it possible for it to still be recovering? The red circle is the location of the small one you can barely see its foot it is curled in.

 

[Ron Reefman]

As a reefer with a nem tank with over 10 anemones in it, I think feeding your RBTA twice a week is a bit excessive unless they very small feedings. I feed mine once or twice a month (plus what they collect on their own when I feed the fish). Yours may have split due to the fact that it's healthy and has abundant food. I'd use a turkey baster and offer up some fine meaty foods into the water just outside of where the small anemone is. Just remember, it doesn't need much and may be getting enough on it's own out of the water. Don't panic yet. I had a RBTA go thru a drain into the sump/skimmer chamber and survive down there with no direct feeding and no light for a over a month before I found it while vacuming out the sump!

 

[jjonesrjc]

UPDATE: So it finally came out of hiding but I dont think its going to make ite. Its color is ok and its not torn but its mouth looks awful. Its inside were out first thing in the morning but have since retracted a bit but it mouth has not closed. I am trying to get better pictures. Should I remove it or take the chance of it darting back into the cracks of the rock and dying.

 

[Tmoriarty]

Whether it will foul your tank is totally dependant on your tank size. I had a decent size green BTA die in my 203g and caused 0 problems. It was buried under rocks when it died and because of that reason I couldn't get it out without tearing down my rocks. I let it die and dissolve in the tank and didn't suffer for it. I did keep an eye on my parameters which did go up a bit but not enough to harm anything.

I have six BTA's in my 203g and they do some goofy things. Ive seen them shrink up and look inside out, then 5 hours later look fully inflated and fine. Im not saying thats a good thing but BTA's can survive an unreal amount of abuse compared to their nem counterparts. Just leave it in the tank and let it recover on its own.

 

[jjonesrjc]

Update: The anemone is now opening fully during lights on its quite pale but obviously that's from the amount of time it was hiding while healing. The mouth is slowly closing and it's insides are almost not visible anymore. It's not taking food yet but my maroon clown is now working both anemones as they are close together.

 

[Tmoriarty]

glad to hear it. It should make a full recovery, like I said, BTA's are tough.