Removing Bubble Tips from rock?

[cleverbs]

Alright I have 2 Bubble Tips Anenomes in my tank, One is a very large green and the other is a small rainbow.

I dont want anything to happen to them because I am just going to put them in another tank for now till I can figure out a way to put them in my tank without them getting to move any place they want.

So as of now I can remove the rocks they are on. What do I do to get them off the rock?

 

[toothybugs]

Blow on the foot with a powerhead.

 

[jaybfresh]

I've used a turkey baster aimed at the foot and repeatedly squeezed away. The foot peels off bit by bit... after 5 minutes and a sore hand you get a free-floating anemone

 

[GilliganReef]

I dont want anything to happen to them because I am just going to put them in another tank for now till I can figure out a way to put them in my tank without them getting to move any place they want.

Good luck on keeping a BTA to stay in one place.

 

[cleverbs]

Good luck on keeping a BTA to stay in one place.

Iv had luck with this by putting them on a single rock in the aquascape, they tend not to want to move off hte rock.

 

[NYCBOB]

ice cube at the foot works for me. be very careful not to rip or damage the foot.

 

[fracgorilla]

I've had luck using an air pump at the base of the foot.

 

[pyithar]

pointing at it with a powerhead works for me too.

 

[urbanrat84]

Iv had luck with this by putting them on a single rock in the aquascape, they tend not to want to move off hte rock.

Agree. If you have fine sand, you can isolate bubble tip anemones on their own rock and unless they expand their foot and float around the tank, which I've seen mine do before occasionally, they will stay put.

 

[Zukari]

I have a lot of luck with splitting anemones. I sell them all the time, honestly I just use my fingers and kind of just peel them off gently. I have even "scratched" them several times. I have never lost one doing this. I've probably done this 30+ times. They are hard to kill if they are healthy from my experience.

Ice also works, so does a power head. If he is in a cave us a drill bit to make the area around him riddled with holes and simply break the rock around his hole. This of course would not be advised if you want to keep the rock looking nice . Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep the little bastards from taking over a tank.

 

[tmanning]

Just go slow and don't force.

 

[cleverbs]

It kinda sucks because hes in a really nice place right now that would be perfect however I know when he started to get shaded by SPS corals he will move and he will move right through them or wadge war. I know that they wont always hurt corals if they dont feel their space is limited. My lfs has a massive bubbletip thats like 18" wide in a display tank that rubs right up against a birdsnest that is fine and shows no signs of stress or anything. However I dont want to risk it.

 

[Zukari]

Yea from what I can tell the anemones don't really care what they rub up against. However if the coral they are touching reacts badly and starts waging war the anemones quickly finish it.

 

[MoneyGone]

I have a lot of luck with splitting anemones. I sell them all the time, honestly I just use my fingers and kind of just peel them off gently. I have even "scratched" them several times. I have never lost one doing this. I've probably done this 30+ times. They are hard to kill if they are healthy from my experience.

Ice also works, so does a power head. If he is in a cave us a drill bit to make the area around him riddled with holes and simply break the rock around his hole. This of course would not be advised if you want to keep the rock looking nice . Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep the little bastards from taking over a tank.

I have had around 50-60 splits. I use a plastic butter knife and just gently peel all the way around the foot until they let go. Mine has become a real nuisance sometimes from them splitting. I have never killed any that I have removed and sold.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2070067

 

[Original DMx]

You might want to move the rock to a shaded area and/or an area with little water movement (things they don't like which will make them want to move).

 

[cleverbs]

Well I dont care if it moves I dont want it in the tank haha.

 

[Original DMx]

Yeah, you would have to be there when it decides to move in order to catch it while it's free from the rock. I've had some where I couldn't get to the base because of the way it was wedged into the rock and a powerhead just made it shrivel up. Once I moved the rock, and it decided to move, I was able to get under it's foot to gently pry it up.

 

[cleverbs]

I see what you are saying.