Can I move a bubble tip anemone?

[Tim Rudisill]

My tank (stock Biocube 32g) is either 9 or 21 months old (I think 9, my wife says 21). I recently added a bubble tip anemone to it. I was worried because I heard it would go everywhere and sting my corals. It... moved a little, came very close to our favorite coral (which I then moved), and then found itself a cosy spot to stay. Unfortunately, that cosy spot is at the back of my tank, behind the liverock. It's a very sizable BTA considering the size of the tank and yet I can only see about 10 of the bubble tips if I look /really/ hard.

If it stays there for 48 hours, is it safe to assume that's where it decided to make its home? I was okay with anywhere it went... except that spot. Grr. Even worse, my clownfish pretty much immediately decided to make the BTA it's home, so now I don't get to see the clownfish as much, either! (We only have 3 fish, so the prettiest one hiding isn't something we like to have).

Please advise! What's my best course of action? Can I move the BTA? It's in a very hard spot for me to get my hands and I don't know how easy it would be in the best oThanks in advance!

 

[Old Fritz]

you can move the anemone but be very careful if you tear the foot its dead. You can slide a card underneath its foot or I just use my nail if its small enough and slowly work it off.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

If you csn remove the rock... hold it upside down in the air with a bucket of watee underneeth... it may take awhile but the anemine will eventually fall out unto the water

 

[dieselkeeper]

If you csn remove the rock... hold it upside down in the air with a bucket of watee underneeth... it may take awhile but the anemine will eventually fall out unto the water

I've done this, it worked for me. Duplicate the same conditions it has now in the back of the tank to where you want it. You may increase the chance it won't move. At least at a minimum.

 

[Edp251]

when my BTA was settling in, kit went towards the back several times. I simply directed a power head back there and made it uncomfortable. I eventually guided it to where i wanted it and it has stayed there ever since.

 

[reef lover]

Yup aim a ph at it...or turn the rock.

 

[John08007]

I would blow a powerhead at it, make it uncomfortable and it will move

 

[Tim Rudisill]

I appreciate the tips. Moving the liverock isn't really feasible. My wife arranged it and if I move one, they'll all likely come crashing down. haha. But I'll definitely be trying that powerhead idea.

Thanks a bunch guys/gals!

 

[Tim Rudisill]

Update:

I haven't tried the powerhead idea yet. But... my BTA has decided that it'll come out when the lights are bright and go back behind the liverock when the night lights are on / the lights are off.

Is this normal? Does anyone else have a BTA that will move itself around depending on the time of day?

 

[robbyg]

When I use to collect them when Diving my Brother came up with a pretty novel solution for removing them from the rocks. He would use a large gauge syringe filled with a bit of air and get it under one side of the anemone and slide the needle under it while push the needle downward towards the rock and across. Once he got about 40% of the way across he would pump the air in slowly and then wait a few minutes and soon it would be trying to detach itself, he could then just slide a thin plastic shim under it and it would pop right off. I think he said using Ro water in the syringe had the same effect. I know that it was not fool proof and had some casualties but he said he did have a high rate of success with that method.

In my own tank I have gotten them to move out of craters in the rocks by shading the area over with a suitable sized piece of black plexi glass rigged up to block the light form reaching it.

 

[exnisstech]

This one of mine will move from the back side to the very top then back again. I wish it would stay on the top or move to the front but where it us is better than where it was.

 

[Tim Rudisill]

This one of mine will move from the back side to the very top then back again. I wish it would stay on the top or move to the front but where it us is better than where it was.

When does it move? Is it based on lighting or something else?

 

[Bluballz]

Yup aim a ph at it...or turn the rock.

You can also use a turkey baster to work the foot free.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

Mine has picked the aquarium cleaning magnet to hang onto. Every once in a while, he goes for a small ride.

 

[asome_one]

Not to revive a dead thread but I did the power head method because my bta was sitting on my zoa's and overnight instead of just moving around the rock it split into 3. The risks of making it unhappy I suppose.

 

[srobertb]

Not to revive a dead thread but I did the power head method because my bta was sitting on my zoa's and overnight instead of just moving around the rock it split into 3. The risks of making it unhappy I suppose.

Hooray? I had a tank leak and moved my anemones into a holding tank with all my stuff and I went from 4-5 to 20…and they went from being on their own island to spreading across all the live rock. Should start calling them reef Mogwi.