When one RBTA is not enough

MFR

New member
Last count was over 40 RBTAS. Started with one. Too bad for the "corals"

RBTA011.jpg


RBTA006.jpg


All in a 46 bow. Yes, it's been years.


Cheers,

MFR
 
Wow, that is like my dream tank! Any secrets you want to share? Do you have the live rock piled up real tight and high or are the RBTA's pretty much just on top of each other?

Here I thought I was doing well with 6...
 
I could be wrong. but I may have read somewhere that the anemones can crash tank with some sort of spawn? is this true or possible?
 
Not too much rock

Not too much rock

Last labor day weekend the tank was 100 degrees. I lost the frogspawn, xenia, mystery Lobouti (sp?) wrasses. Rbtas bleached & clowns survived. All RBTAS survived. Those pix are from tonight. Secrets? I have a zen aproach with these guys. I also have an SPS tank which I am hyper anal about. This one- no thought. I hav ehad them for over 8 years, never lost any to a spawn. I have a remora hang on & feed silversides soaked in selcon every two weeks now. When they are full they have bubbles. When hungry they extend. Right now they are hungry.

Couple of more pix:

Spring08083.jpg


Spring08196.jpg



When they were bleached:
Halloween07033.jpg
 
Geez, they didn't even look half bad when they were bleached.

Curious what lighting you're using?

Funny how different anemones will split at different rates. I have one garden variety green/brown BTA that in 10 years has easily split about 40ish times, which seems (more or less) similar in terms of # splits as your RBTA. Yet my RBTA has split only once in 4 years. Just doesn't seem to want to.

Great photos, thanks for sharing them :)
 
That's almost

That's almost

two months after the bleach, close to Halloween. They were lighter. I stepped up the feedings thus, the bubbles. A pair of 150 HQI Phoenix bulbs. Thanks all.


M
 
Wow a 46gal with them many thats sweet! do you use RO water? do you add any trace elements to the water? do you water test still show up perfect with that many in the tank?
 
Thank you all for the comments..

Thank you all for the comments..

I do not test the water except for salinity now & then. It is actually a little high at 1.027. I do regular water changes, at least 5 gal./wk. or more if I feed heavily. Luckily, we are blessed with Scripps water here in SD so, I get it there for free & no need to mix. I do top off with RO/DI.

I gauge water quality with the tons of xenias on the sand bed , if they look unhappy the tank gets a water change. I am sure they add to the nutrient export as well.

Feeding is key for splits. I feed the fish heavily at least 3 xs a day. There a re a pair of clowns, two leopard wrasses, a lyre tale anthias & an orchid dotty. I target feed silversides soaked in Selcon every two week or so. I used to feed them more but it is a PIA to keep up with water quality- even though I don't test ;) I have sold at least 20 or so over the years so, I would have more.

They are as bullet proof as an animal can get. I have some the size of a dime in there up to dish size. I have had some sucked into pumps & almost destroyed just to come back from the ashes.


M
 
Awesome! i would like my GBTA i got a month ago thats a clone to split but i like his sign though. if he split he would be smaller. just curious what do you sell the smaller clones for?
 
Very beautiful tank you have. The Zen approach you mentioned appears to be just what the doctor ordered. You mentioned that you've had spawns before, are yours male or female--since they are clones of one original, they are one or the other? If you ever have a mass spawning, be ready to do a major water change, it's a mess.
 
Yeah the zen approach is all I have left after my SPS drain all my patience & brain power. I test the heck out of that tank, I can't do it with this one. It seems to work...

If there was ever a spawn in my tank (not sure) none were harmed. 100 degree weather with multiple coral deaths (HUGE frogspawn) & fish deaths coupled with bleaching didn't kill 'em. I was away in Big Bear & got home to the nice mess. They all pulled through.

I have not sold any in years.... When I got the first one they were $$$, then there was a flood in the market (especially Chinese specimens) & now I hear that "indos" are rare again again so who knows??? Anyway, not going to start selling yet as these will likely go into my 85 when I upgrade my SPS tank which is FULL. I would like to trade one for a proven green/purple base/bulls eye tip BTA if anyone has one - pm.


More pix later...MFR
 
Back
Top