Another Captive Cloned BTA

[canadawest]

I wanted to give Ron a chance to close the sale of his Bubble Tip Anemone before I posted mine.

There's just not enough room in them there parts for two of em, so one of my BTA's has to go. Both have been hosting my pair of A. ocellaris clowns and are in excellent health.

Buyer must have VHO or higher intensity lighting, and tank established 6 months or longer. Feeding of meaty foods not necessary, but encouraged to help maintain health of BTA. I have had the parent BTA (front in photo) for a year now and it has split twice since acquiring it.

Host clownfish not necessary (but preferred). BTAs are a natural host to many different species of clownfish (oddly enough although not a natural pairing my pair of A. ocellaris are hosting in both BTAs)

I am selling the smaller of the two (back of photo) which is 4"-5" across when expanded. Sale conditional on me gently getting it to leave the very large rock it is attached to.

$20

http://www3.telus.net/my_universe/images/BTAClown0602.jpg

[Samw]

That's cool. I've been meaning to put mine up for sale too but I don't know how to get it off the rock. How do you do it?

[canadawest]

I've heard of several different tricks. One is to take the big rock out, put it in a bucket of tank water and aim a powerhead directly at the foot. Tried it, didn't budge.

Next, do a slow kalk drip in the bucket of tank water to raise the pH slowly, making the Anemone uncomfortable and wanting to move somewhere else. Haven't tried it, scared of traumatizing the Anemone at this point.

Last trick which I will venture to try is take the rock out and place in a bucket of tank water. I'm told if I hold an ice cube against the foot the Anemone will release and move to a new location. This seems the lease harmful way of "coercing" the Anemone off the big rock.

Unfortuntately with any of these methods you wanna do it the same day or preferrably the same time someone is coming to pick it up, as you want it off and settled into it's new home as quickly and quietly as possible. It wouldn't make sense to get it detached, then wait for a buyer. What are you gonna do with it in the meantime?

[Samw]

After my last experience with Kalk, I think I'll pass on that option. I don't really want to take the rock out either. My 2 clones are on the bottom rock which is a base for lots of other rocks and corals. I think I'm going to be stuck with both bubbletips for now.

If I ever did get one off the rock, I was planning to put it in a breeding trap. You've done it twice before. What method worked the last 2 times for you, the ice cube trick?

[ 24 June 2002, 23:06: Message edited by: Sam W ]

[ron101]

Another method that I have read about, but not tried yet, is to lean an object against it to encourage it to move onto a smaller/shipping rock. Something like a plastic ruler...

I just can't see removing a BTA from a rock altogether as anything but a risky endeavor.

[canadawest]

^Bump^