Rock Flower Anemone Spawning Help

[Ron Reefman]

My anemones spawned again tonight. A little later than normal 10 pm. This is their 2nd spawn this year. The females exhibited a response. They adjusted their tentacles into a V shape to direct flow over their mouths. They didn't open their mouths but stretched them along the crease of the V rolling the edges to almost form lips after collecting some of the sperms 5-10 min their mouths returned to normal.

Very interesting report. Thanks a lot for sharing!

 

[darrick001]

First baby from this spawning has arived.

 

[Ron Reefman]

First baby from this spawning has arived.

Congratulations!

 

[OrionN]

Actually there are a numbers of anemone species that we lump into RFA. They likely not interbreed and may have different stimulus for spawn.
I think unless your tank is exposed to sun and moon light or unless your light is sync to moon and sun cycle, the time of the year, other than temp instability likely not having anything to do with spawning. This is just my opinion. No experiment to back it up.

I do think there are species that use the moon cycle for spawning. These are difficult for un to achieve unless we really synchronized out light with actual natural light cycle.

 

[sfin52]

Very interesting report. Thanks a lot for sharing!

Over the last 4yrs have you gained any insight

 

[Mhamilton0911]

Over the last 4yrs have you gained any insight

+1 to that question!

I have 19 rfas in one tank. No skimmer, no UV, minimal foam (large pore blue type foam) for bubble traps. Mine spawn regularly, but no babies yet. I've been collecting them for 4 years now. You'd think with all the chances and minimal filtration is get some babies but nothing yet.

I might try turning off flow and collecting and dispersing during the next event to try to increase the chances.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Over the last 4yrs have you gained any insight

Some. I think there is little connection between sun or moon cycles to RFA spawning events in our aquariums. It may be very different in the wild. Although it is curious that when one RFA spawns in an aquarium, most of the other males do as well. Why that is, I have no idea.

From spawn to birth (the gestation period) seems to be about 4 weeks (+ or - about 5 days).

I've had spawning events with lots of babies and I've had spawning events with no babies (that I found). I've had several spawning events in a single year and I've had tanks where I never saw any spawning at all.

I've tried twice to assist with fertilization using a turkey baster to suck up spawn and blow it gently at RFAs that were not spawning (assuming they were females). Neither of those attempts lead to any babies.

 

[sfin52]

Some. I think there is little connection between sun or moon cycles to RFA spawning events in our aquariums. It may be very different in the wild. Although it is curious that when one RFA spawns in an aquarium, most of the other males do as well. Why that is, I have no idea.

From spawn to birth (the gestation period) seems to be about 4 weeks (+ or - about 5 days).

I've had spawning events with lots of babies and I've had spawning events with no babies (that I found). I've had several spawning events in a single year and I've had tanks where I never saw any spawning at all.

I've tried twice to assist with fertilization using a turkey baster to suck up spawn and blow it gently at RFAs that were not spawning (assuming they were females). Neither of those attempts lead to any babies.

Thanks for the info. After putting them into an aqaurium did you see them spawn?

 

[Silly clownfish]

Prior to a major crash, I had 3 RFA, which I moved between my 2 tanks. I vaguely recall witnessing a couple of spawning, but it was months later that I would notice the fleck of color on a rock that was offspring. Of the 3 offspring I found, 2 were relatively close to the presumed mother, and lower than it (both in my 75g). The third was randomly on the opposite side of the tank (that was in my 30g).

Funny, I find RBTA splitting to reproduce annoying and am happy to take them to an LFS to trade or just get rid of - “pretty aptasia” as one LFS owner called them. But a new RFA is fascinating! I enjoy seeing what new color combo they will develop to. It takes months for all of the colors to evolve.

 

[exnisstech]

Mine spawned last night. It was shortly after my skimmer overflowed and the water was full small particles. Kind of makes me wonder just how nasty the stuff is that the skimmer is pulling out. Many corals sure seemed to appreciate the debris in the water and started feeding.

At first I thought it was a feeding responce as the one stretched out

Then this started



It continued after lights out so I had to get a flashlight.



I've had them spawn before in another tank but I'm not positive these two are the same ones that spawned before. The smaller orange one in the still image is a baby that I found in a stock tank where I was storing live rock after breaking down the tank where I kept my rock flowers previously.

 

[sfin52]

Mine spawned last night. It was shortly after my skimmer overflowed and the water was full small particles. Kind of makes me wonder just how nasty the stuff is that the skimmer is pulling out. Many corals sure seemed to appreciate the debris in the water and started feeding.

At first I thought it was a feeding responce as the one stretched out

Then this started



It continued after lights out so I had to get a flashlight.



I've had them spawn before in another tank but I'm not positive these two are the same ones that spawned before. The smaller orange one in the still image is a baby that I found in a stock tank where I was storing live rock after breaking down the tank where I kept my rock flowers previously.

Very cool. Thanks for the video