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Anybody know how to get anemones off the live rock?

I have a whole bunch of RBTA's that's been splitting in my tank. i need to find out how to get them off the live rock.
 
Try pointing a powerhead at them.
Try getting your finger under their foot.
Remove the anemone along with the rock they're attached to.
 

malulu

NJRC Member
all advises from calaxa are good advise.
just need to add one more to the list: do not rush, some time it will take hours to get one off.
;)

have fun.
 
Oops....I thought that went without saying. Yes, do not force them off. You need extreme patience if you want to get them off a rock and they don't want to budge. That's why item 3 is common method (take rock along with anemone).
 
i've been selling them but unfortunately since i started i've been adding the live rock they're attached with for free. i'm losing some rockwork now in my tank.
 
thanks for the help. i'll try the ice rubbing this time. Selling an anemone with a live rock is like exchanging it for a new live rock with nothing in it. It's like a losing situation for me.
 
another thing is that the problem taking the rockwork is that sometimes there are more than 1 anemone attached to it.
 
definitely would love to factor in the price of the rock or have the rock replace...i know i would return back the rock if i bought the anemone and it attaches it self to another rock but you really don't know the people that buy it from you. unless they're like pnoyreefer who you can trust. Maybe i will try telling these guys that if it's attached to the rock i'll just add a couple more bucks for every pound of rock that i'm including with the anemone. but i will also try the ice thing. hopefully it works since there are guys who wanted me to save some anemones for them. Thanks again.
 
DO NOT TRY ICE CUBE. I did it with my BTA and the cold from ice cube actually damage the animal than irritate them. my BTA split after i try to remove them with ice cube method. the cold water damage the outter tissue of the bta.
 
Olivier said:
DO NOT TRY ICE CUBE. I did it with my BTA and the cold from ice cube actually damage the animal than irritate them. my BTA split after i try to remove them with ice cube method. the cold water damage the outter tissue of the bta.

I said that I saw this somewhere, I had no idea if it really worked. Did you press down hard on it Oliver, or did you just gently rub the ice on it?

Bogliman, did it work?
 
Be glad their BTAS your trying to remove.

Carpet anemones that live in rock work have the strongest hold i have ever felt. Stichodacytla Gigante are often times found exposed to air at low tide and use all of the might and muscle to stay attached.

My gigantea will actually pull back at the tongs when i feed food to it. Its quite strong ive almost lots grip of tongs sometimes.

On to my answer. The best thing to do if your have trouble is if you dont really need the rock or dont care to, chip off the area when the anemone is. Otherwise i only use credit cards. Its is soo much stress for the animal to go through. Another good suggestion is do move the rock by your glass and the anemone will move on its on since its not gonna like the spot.
 
NCReefer said:
Olivier said:
DO NOT TRY ICE CUBE. I did it with my BTA and the cold from ice cube actually damage the animal than irritate them. my BTA split after i try to remove them with ice cube method. the cold water damage the outter tissue of the bta.

I said that I saw this somewhere, I had no idea if it really worked. Did you press down hard on it Oliver, or did you just gently rub the ice on it?

Bogliman, did it work?

I don't press it down at all, I just gently let the ice cube touch its foot's rim. the bTa I has didn't let go or move an micro inches. I try it awhile and I give up. Next day, he split and since then I try to save them both. Lucky that they are both saved however, it will not be as nice as it was before. the big one (green bta) also get damage when I try Ice cube and after 4 months, it still din't recover from its original state. the tenticles still shrink and wrinkle.
 
I had luck directing one onto another rock by using a turkey baster and pumping/squirting water on him
He didn't like it so moved away quite quickly...
but watch out they may move the wrong way and go somewhere worse
Good Luck
 
N

njstillwell

Guest
Remove the anemone along with the rock they're attached to. AND SIT DOWN AN WAIT FOR IT TO LET GO THE SAFEST WAY
 

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
Take some tank water and ice, mix tom get cool/cold water. Take a turkey baster filled with this mix and blast it at the foot. It will eventually let but take time.
 
when you remove the rbtas you have to be very gentel ,please do not use ICE CUBES , what i do i start from the footing very slow and i take it out of the water and in again a little of flow sometimes and some of them they come off very easy but is a lot of patience that you need .
 

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Good luck with getting them off the live rock, if you do i would be willing to buy one. Also, would be willing to replace any live rock that the rbt was on
 
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