RTBA "FREE"-hitchiker on LR

[D-Rod]

I purchased this nice live rock from my LFS because of the cool holes, after some time in my tank I noticed something deep in a hole that I thought was algae turns out it’s a quarter size RBTA. I called the LFS and told them about the cool hitchhiker and of course they weren’t happy and asked me to return it, of course I said no!
They should know what’s in their tank and inspect the LR they sell.
It's moved to the front of the hole and already has eaten a small chunk of krill.

This the best pic i can take.

 

[Purple Penguins]

nice hitchiker

 

[D-Rod]

Here's another.

 

[Slakker]

Lucky!

All I got in my LR was some aiptasia.

 

[Purple Penguins]

ewww Aiptasia, I was pretty lucky thus far i think, I got about 40 feather dusters, lots of worms and pods, although I did have a bout of hydroid jellyfish and a crab I know is in there and is still hiding and I cant find him

 

[RedSonja]

That's got my vote for best hitchhiker EVAR!

My best one so far was a Linkia multiflora that was on a zoa rock, it's so well camouflaged I never see it in the tank until I pick up whatever rock it's cleaning at the moment. I didn't tell the LFS though.:lol2:

-Sonja

 

[D-Rod]

My little guy or girl has moved out out it's hole and placed itself on the best possible place in the tank for viewing...hope it stays there.

 

[cschweitzer]

Could you get one or two less fuzzy pictures...looks like a BTA, but at that size, it could easily be a mojano, in which case you should call back the LFS and say you want your money back. A clearer picture would remove any doubt in my mind one way or the other.

 

[D-Rod]

Sorry, I'm cameraless right now I only have my cell phone camera.
My neighbor who's been reefing for 20 plus years confirmed that it's a RBTA... so since he has one the size of a medium to large pizza I think he knows what he's talking about.

I didn't pay for it...I was buying a cool looking LR and it was in one of the deep in a holes...it came out when I put it in my tank.
The rock was $6.99 and the RBTA was FREE.
:rollface:

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9682185#post9682185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D-Rod
Sorry, I'm cameraless right now I only have my cell phone camera.
My neighbor who's been reefing for 20 plus years confirmed that it's a RBTA... so since he has one the size of a medium to large pizza I think he knows what he's talking about.

I didn't pay for it...I was buying a cool looking LR and it was in one of the deep in a holes...it came out when I put it in my tank.
The rock was $6.99 and the RBTA was FREE.
:rollface:

I got a fish sort of the same way recently, bought some LR from a local reefer who had to break down his tank. One rock had a pink-tipped GBTA on it which was "free with purchase of his rock" so of course I bought that one. There were a pair of blue devil damsels in the tank, and after I got the rock home the guy called and asked if one of the damsels managed to hitchhike in the rock. I had the rock drip-acclimating in a bucket because of the bta, and no sign of bright blue fish. Shook the rock around some before taking the bta off to live in a basket and putting the rock in the tank. But as soon as the rock hit the water in the tank, a neon blue streak went across the tank. Grrrr! The guy told me he'd never had problems with them harassing other fish, and the fish was mine if I wanted it. So far it hasn't bothered the full-grown yellow tang, the 3" plus GSM clownfish, or copperband butterfly that were already in the tank. Which is good because trapping that little sucker in a 100g stock tank with about 200lbs of LR would be an exercise in redhead frustration!

And I'd love to see pix of the neighbor's pizza-sized RBTA. My largest rose is maybe 10" after splitting last month, pizza-sized would be a sight to see!

-Sonja

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9681953#post9681953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D-Rod
My little guy or girl has moved out out it's hole and placed itself on the best possible place in the tank for viewing...hope it stays there.

So you are feeding it as well, right?

-Sonja

 

[RedSonja]

Oh nm sorry, just re-read where you said it already ate a piece of krill.


-Sonja

 

[D-Rod]

Sonja,
I'll see what I can do on my neighbors picture!

On another fourm you mentioned feeding several times a day for propagation? :idea:
Can you give more details on this? and how big must they be to do this? Do they split on their own? or do you assist them?


Thanks.

 

[cschweitzer]

Could you get one or two less fuzzy pictures...looks like a BTA, but at that size, it could easily be a mojano, in which case you should call back the LFS and say you want your money back. A clearer picture would remove any doubt in my mind one way or the other.

 

[D-Rod]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9682957#post9682957 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cschweitzer
A clearer picture would remove any doubt in my mind one way or the other.

I'm not looking to prove it to you or anyone, I know what I have.
I'm just showing people what I got for FREE an RBTA.:frog: :dance: :wave: :love1: :lolspin:

 

[cschweitzer]

Just trying to help you out since you obviously did not know and had to ask someone else...I have never seen an RBTA that size, especially with color...if it were bleached to heck, I may understand quarter sized BTA...I have mojano that look exactly like a BTA, and not less than two other times people have come here with "mini-BTA's" that just happened to be the pest anemone, mojano.

Believe what you will, but just because one guy ID'ed it that happens to have a BTA, does not necissarily make it a BTA...I'm here to try and help, because if it is mojano(many times a hitchhiker and most of the time when buying live rock), have fun with the 1000 that are produced and stinging your corals...I sure hope for your sake that you are ABSOLUTELY 100% sure that it is a BTA and not mojano...you'd be kicking yourself later for not posting a better picture. If you had to ask a friend, I don't understand how you are sure it is a BTA, but to each their own...

By the way, sorry I posted that twice...my computer crapped out and when I refreshed, I didn't see that it actually posted again...my bad.

Have a nice day!!


Just hope and pray they are not these, 'cause that's what it looks like to me from those pics:

 

[RedSonja]

Not trying to fuel the fire or anything, but I have 3 RBTA clones that are about quarter-sized and about the same color. They are from propagating without enough light on my second or third session, and I missed the mouth on the cuts. Set me back at least a month if not more on my schedule. Live and learn.

They've survived and grown new mouths and are growing again but very very slowly. I don't even count them in my broodstock yet because they have a ways to go to be cutting size again. It is possible it's a bta. But as you say, without a better picture, we can't tell for sure.

D-Rod did the LFS say they'd had BTA's in the same tank as the LR you bought, by chance?

-Sonja

 

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9682753#post9682753 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D-Rod
Sonja,
I'll see what I can do on my neighbors picture!

On another fourm you mentioned feeding several times a day for propagation? :idea:
Can you give more details on this? and how big must they be to do this? Do they split on their own? or do you assist them?


Thanks.

PM'ing you on that as I'm not sure which other forum and don't wanna break any rules.

-Sonja

 

[CaptRon]

Am I the only one that only gets bubble algae and aiptasia as hitchhikers?? Some people have all the luck and I have none. good find.

I can't believe they asked you to bring it back. finders keepers!

 

[cschweitzer]

Yes, sonja, but you are cutting your anems to physically make them that size...most people are not. Most BTA's that you get from the wild are not 1/2" long. Again, I am definitely not discounting that it could be a BTA, but it is more likely to be mojano, just by the pure and simple fact that BTA hitchhikers are so much less common and mojanos are everywhere...this is just most of the time that this is true...again, not saying this specific time it is true...

Sonja, you obviously know your anems pretty darn well to be propagating them. I'm sure after cutting an anem, it will retract and recess, but after it is fully developed, the chance of a small anem like that are the chances that that rock happened upon an RBTA spawn. In the wild, most BTA's are not going to be quarter sized unless brand spanking new.

I wonder where their rock came from...do you know where it was collected? That could be a very big indicator on whether it was a BTA or not.

Again, I really don't mean to be rude, I just don't want you to go through the same things that I and GSMGuy are going through with the mojano takeover...nothing that you would want to put into a reef will kill them...Butterflies or joe's juice...those are your options...not great one's either.

That is the only reason I hope you absolutely, positively know that it is a BTA. Trust me, if I was only here for myself or if I didn't care about other reefers, I wouldn't have said anything. I'm not trying to be a jerk or rain on your parade...if it is a BTA, then that is an awesome find and one of the coolest hitchhikers I've ever seen. I just honestly want to help people remove mistakes before they become problems...