My RBTA split this morning

[cbrownfish]

Funny, I recently made a long winded post on my local reef forum about my RBTA and how I nursed it back to health. See that post. I walked by the tank this morning and noticed that my RBTA was deflated and had move slightly from the spot it was in under my cap colony. I grabbed a flashlight to look and discovered that it was splitting (almost done actually). I ran to get the camera but by the time I got back, the piece of flesh still linking the 2 had torn away. Crap! I had hoped to get a picture during the splitting process.

In any case, here are a couple of pics taken with the lights off, so excuse the coloration and quality. I will take a couple later once the pair inflate with the lights on.

Before the split and fully inflated (6-7" diameter) --

2 minutes post split --

 

[CATALYST]

That's always odd to see. Fun!

 

[ReefSki]

Congrats on the Anemone split.

Keep an eye on them, mine did not split for several years and then the one became 5 in a months time.

I was surprised to say the least. It worked out though as I was able to sell a few of them off. It's always good to have some extra tank money in this hobby

 

[cbrownfish]

Yeah, cash for the hobby is nice. For now, I am going to let them hang loose and recover. If one of them begins to roam or they get too big, I will sell one off.

 

[lcstorc]

I moved my second one to my other tank. Now my maroon clown has a friend.

 

[cbrownfish]

I have a GSM in my refugium that lived in the anemone as it was nursed back to health. I am sure she would like her friend back (or 1/2 of it ). Right now, the smaller of the 2 is still hiding out under the rock. It came out one day but has stayed in hiding since then. For now, I am target feeding it to be sure it gets nourishment.

 

[cbrownfish]

As a follow up, I wanted to post some helpful information for everyone who has an anemone that is hiding. It is a big concern, since anemones are very dependent on lighting. My RBTA split on 9/7/08 and the smaller of the 2 has been hiding ever since. I walked by the tank a few minutes ago and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw "splitter" poking it's head out. A little bleached but looks good otherwise.

I have had anemones hide for 5-7 days but never for over 2 weeks. I was a bit nervous the last few days but I have simply continued to shoot it some chunks of food every day or two. So the moral of the story is that you should target feed if they decide to hide for an extended period of time. This will get them some nourishment and perhaps, provide the strength to face the world. lol! Ok, that last part was a little sappy but you catch my drift.

 

[Reefmack]

Great pictures of a great event. Good to hear the "little one" may be coming out into the open now.

 

[cbrownfish]

Yep, it is out in the mainstream hanging out now. It has that bleached pinkish color but it looks remarkable for 2+ weeks with no light. It is eating well, so I suspect that it will color up quick enough under the halides!

 

[yungreefer2410]

lets get a pic of them

 

[cbrownfish]

Ok, here are a couple of quick shots. Sorry the resolution was not high enough to provide a bigger pic --

 

[yungreefer2410]

very nice very nive

 

[cheeks69]

Beautiful Anemone, congrats on the split !

 

[cbrownfish]

Splitter is really bleached, so I am feeding it daily. The selected nook is a bit shaded by my purple rimmed cap, so the lighting is not ideal there. I suppose it will expand more and find the light as it becomes accustomed to it.

 

[Shermy]

I love how quickly the clown fish moved in on it.

 

[cbrownfish]

They were up under the rock messing with it while it was hiding. Splitter never had a second of peace!