Red Long Tipped Anemone (LTA) Splits!

cabrego

New member
Hi,

There seems to be much discrepancy on weather LTAs split and they reasons why any anemone splits. Thus, I decided to post my experience to further document hobbyist experience with anemones.

I have been keeping two what I believe are LTA (one is green and the other is red) for nearly the last year. I suppose it is possible they are not LTA but I have never seen the any evidence of real bubbling of the tentacles since I have had them.

Over the last 2 months or so my red anemone has split on two different occasions. The first time it split it was large (at least 6-8 inches) and the second time it split was probably a month or so later. Thus I now have 3 red LTA neighboring each other. The anemones seem very happy, and nothing drastic has changed over the last couple of months. The only real change has been a very slow increase in alkalinity-I was on travel quite a bit and the alk dropped to about 6 dkh, I have rasied it two about 9 very slowly.

It also appears that my GLTA is begining to show signs of splitting.


I should also note that, at least two months prior to the RLTA split I noticed signs similar to what I see now in my GLTA. The signs are basically very roboust looking anemone with signs of very subtle stretching apart (down the middle) nothing drastic though just enough to tellt hat it is not perfectly circular.

Overall, I am not really worried about the behavior because they are looking very happy. My tank is well established, 0 nitrates and my true perculas spawn regularly (every two weeks) under either the green anemone (currently housing a large clutch) or the red ones.


All 3 red nems, original location was where the one furthest to the right is (sorry for the bad pic).
pic448b.jpg

One of the nems after some time post split (not necessarily soon after split)
pic379.jpg

Daddy clown jumping from green to red!!
pic457b.jpg
 
Those are bubble tip anemones not LTAs. It is fairly common for them to have long stringy tentacles like that.
 
Those are bubble tip anemones not LTAs. It is fairly common for them to have long stringy tentacles like that.

Thanks for the info, how can you tell the difference, and how do I get them to bubble? I really like the way the rose anemone's look with their bulbs, but mine never do anything like that.
 
First indication for me is their location in the tank, LTAs are sand dwelling nems where as BTAs are rock dwelling. As far as getting them to bubble that is the million dollar question.
 
LTA anemones are a sand dwelling anemone. Yours look to be bubble tip anemones which do split naturally. LTA usually have a bright orange foot with dots ( Verucae) on the underside.
 
My green bubble tip does the same thing and looks the same--- long, whispy tentacles.

Pardon the white balance here, the actual color is somewhere in between.
DSCN3376.jpg



DSCN2797.jpg
 
Back
Top