Moving BTA anemones

[KingAlee]

What’s the best way to move anemones? I’m trying to get to a point to sell them and they’re also annoying my large hammer colony now!

They’re just basic BTAs, started with 2 now have like 20…

I want to do this without having to move the rocks as the scapes are together!

 

[bluemon]

I’m assuming by move, you mean getting them off the rock.

I would blast their foot with a powerhead for 1-5 minutes, and the. Slowly pry the edge off the rock with your finger until they are detached enough to peel off.

You can also try the “anemone canon” where you take a pvc pipe to the whole BTA and force it to climb out but that’s hard to execute in many scapes imo

 

[redfishbluefish]

Check out his link:

Safe and Easy DIY way to remove Nems​

 

[KingAlee]

Thank you guys!!

 

[JoJosReef]

If the above fail, I've found the quickest way to safely remove them is to take a small testing spoon, like the ones for Red Sea test kits, use the slim, flat, blunt handle end to get an edge of the foot loose so you can start sliding the end of the spoon underneath the foot, and "massaging" the bottom of the foot to slowly get it to release more and more of the foot from the rock without tearing the foot (or really bothering the nem, like a cannon or direct blast does). The massage method, once proficient, should be able to remove a nem without harm in 5-10 min, depending on foot placement (longer for feet wedged in cracks/holes).

 

[bluemon]

If the above fail, I've found the quickest way to safely remove them is to take a small testing spoon, like the ones for Red Sea test kits, use the slim, flat, blunt handle end to get an edge of the foot loose so you can start sliding the end of the spoon underneath the foot, and "massaging" the bottom of the foot to slowly get it to release more and more of the foot from the rock without tearing the foot (or really bothering the nem, like a cannon or direct blast does). The massage method, once proficient, should be able to remove a nem without harm in 5-10 min, depending on foot placement (longer for feet wedged in cracks/holes).

I do this with my finger to get a “feel” of the nem but that sounds like I’m violating the anemone now that I write it out.

Not sure why I never thought about using a small spoon.

I do feel that using a finger does help me tell if I am accidentally tearing it or peeling it off whole.

 

[Tangdora]

If the base is visible the ice cub trick has always worked for me.

 

[JoJosReef]

I do this with my finger to get a “feel” of the nem but that sounds like I’m violating the anemone now that I write it out.

Not sure why I never thought about using a small spoon.

I do feel that using a finger does help me tell if I am accidentally tearing it or peeling it off whole.

I give a visual inspection to find the part of the foot that looks easiest to get started, usually with a bit of groove under the edge of the foot that you can slip the spoon edge under. Not always possible, but that can shave a couple of minutes off. Hardest is doing it blind when they are on the back side of a rock or planted in a hole in the rock. Then use your finger trick to find the starting point and eventually get the spoon in. Once it's underneath the foot, the massaging with light pressure away from the rock usually gets them to release pretty quickly. They are ticklish!