Ron Reefman's Rock Flower experience

[rcmike]

How're they doing now? I've learned that with RFAs they're much like everything else in reefing -- you need a lot of patience to wait and see what happens. I only got one of them to start, to make sure I could keep him alive and happy, before getting more. I'm glad I did, I panicked enough with just him. He's a real traveler, and has explored most of the tank.

If I had a nickel for every time I've checked in to find him completely ballooned up into just his foot and looking completely distraught to my untrained eye, only to check in an hour later and find him completely splayed out happily in another part of the tank, I'd have a whole bunch of nickels.

I wish he could find a happy spot to settle down in, but he's seemed perfectly healthy for the past month and a half. I feed him 2-3 times/week -- mostly mysis, but now I've been dropping in reef roids on occasion as well.

The pictures were from today. The smallest one has been that way for a long time but the larger one for just a few days and I think it is actually looking better. I figured the smaller one would recover or die but here has been no change for months.

I know all about patience with this hobby. I’ve been keeping reef tanks since the mid 90s. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go because they didn’t have the patience to do it right.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Sorry for the slow responce guys, but I spent yesterday in bed fending off the start of a cold or the flu.

Hi Ron and everyone. I get a pack of 5 rock flower anemones from Foxy Saltwater Tropicals about a year ago after seeing the ones in Ron’s tank when we were down there last winter. They were healthy and did well but mostly disappeared behind the rocks when they walked off in my bare bottom tank. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was having a hydroids infestation and treated with fenbendizole and decided to take out the rocks and swish all the detritus out of them and add sand back to the tank. While cleaning the rocks I found 3 of the anemones they were doing well.

Last weekend I decided to order another 5 pack from Foxy along with some hermit crabs. They were shipped overnight on Monday and were supposed to arrive Tuesday morning. As most of you know Nashville was hit with a tornado early Tuesday morning and there was a lot of damage. The package was delayed and didn’t arrive until Wednesday around 3:00. I was expecting the worst but all 6 (he sent an extra) anemones were alive. I did lose a few hermits but most were alive. I put the anemones on a rock island in he sand and hope they stay there. They attached quickly and I turned the flow back on. The next day I noticed two of them had came loose from the rock and wouldn’t attach again so I put them on a small rock covered with bridal veil. Hopefully they will attach again. Here is a picture of the ones I just got in addition to a larger red one I got from a LFS.

I have two of the original anemones that have sort of turned inside out for some reason. The first small one has been this way for months and the second one just started doing this a couple of days ago. Any idea what is going on with them?

@rcmike , good to hear from you! I hope all is well?

RFAs seem to like the edge of rocks better than holes (maybe about an 80/20 ratio). That's why I stared doing them in pvc end caps and pressed into the sand. They eventually will reach up out of the end cap so it's hidden and they tend to stay in place.

As for the turning inside out. I'm not sure why they do it, but it's not uncommon and sometimes they will stay like that for days. I think it may be a way of clearing stuff out of their system? Maybe stuff they can't digest?

So, I picked up 4 new RFAs yesterday. Three of them seem happy, but one of them -- I swear he's upside down. The thing is, he won't let me flip him back upside right! Can these guys not flip themselves over?

It's like some part of him (that doesn't appear to be his foot), is stuck to the rock, and I don't want to pull him and hurt him, and at the same time if it's stuck to the rock, why isn't he righting himself?

Thoughts?



[EDIT] I got him upright, and he's still attached to that rock. I feel a lot better now, but will be keeping an eye on him. He's pretty young. And no, I have no idea if it's male or female :]

I have taken RFAs and set them in a pvc end cap and put that into a glass or small bowl full of tank water. That way there is no flow and they do tend to settle into the cup. I've kept them that way for as long as 3 or 4 days. I gently do 2 or 3 water changes in the glass or bowl just to keep things fresh and aerated.

 

[crusso1993]

Hope the rest did the trick yesterday and you're feeling well today!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Just got back from a 2 mile walk with my wife and I'm still a little weak feeling, but my throat seems much better. Thanks for your kind thoughts.

I took some photos of the RFA breeding tank as it's getting started.

I'm already adding a bit of sand into the end caps to encourage the anemones to 'reach up' and grow out the top of the cap like the big ones have already. You can see when they pushed up and out, they also pushed out some white sand! I thought I had them trained better than that! Already making a mess of their new home! ;Hilarious;Hilarious

 

[rcmike]

Sorry for the slow responce guys, but I spent yesterday in bed fending off the start of a cold or the flu.



@rcmike , good to hear from you! I hope all is well?

RFAs seem to like the edge of rocks better than holes (maybe about an 80/20 ratio). That's why I stared doing them in pvc end caps and pressed into the sand. They eventually will reach up out of the end cap so it's hidden and they tend to stay in place.

As for the turning inside out. I'm not sure why they do it, but it's not uncommon and sometimes they will stay like that for days. I think it may be a way of clearing stuff out of their system? Maybe stuff they can't digest?



I have taken RFAs and set them in a pvc end cap and put that into a glass or small bowl full of tank water. That way there is no flow and they do tend to settle into the cup. I've kept them that way for as long as 3 or 4 days. I gently do 2 or 3 water changes in the glass or bowl just to keep things fresh and aerated.

I’m glad your feeling better. I’ve had some sort of sinus infection for the last week that I’m just now getting over. I’ve been pretty worthless for the last week but feeling better now. We we’re down in Bokellia for a week around New Years again and took our restored 1974 Mako 20 and did some fishing. I meant to ask you if there were any nice places around there we could take the boat and go snorkeling. It seems we run out of vacation way to soon to do everything we want.

The anemones that stayed on the rocks are doing well but the two that I held down with the bridal veil are looking pretty rough. I didn’t pin them down but left it loose so they wouldn’t float away. Actually I think it could be a delayed response for them being in shipping for so long. I took the veil off this morning and they are attached. If they come loose I’ll try the pvc cap trick. One problem I might have with that is I have a lot of water flow in the tank and the sand moves around a lot so they might get covered.

I added 5 sexy shrimp last Friday to the tank. They were pretty small even for sexy shrimp. I turned off the water and hand placed them on the anemone rock. One of them drifted over to an adjoining rock and when I tried to get it it darted into a hole. The other 4 are still with the RFAs and are doing well. I still haven’t located the 5th. Hopefully it’s hanging out somewhere else.

I have a 40 gallon frag tank that is plumbed into my reef that I’m considering turning into a RFA tank. It hasn’t had any frags in it for a while and I only keep it running because I have a pair of clownfish in there I don’t have room for anywhere else. It is not a standard 40 but a short tank that would be great for viewing from above.

 

[rcmike]

Actually I think I just found the 5th shrimp while taking this video.

 

[raketemensch]

Actually I think I just found the 5th shrimp while taking this video.

Nice! So far I only have one sexy shrimp, they’ve been really hard to find here. Stores order them, but they don’t arrive.

it’s fun to watch them pick around he RFAs, if a little stressful — I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them became a meal at some point.

My hope is that the sexy shrimp will clean up food that the nems miss, and that they won’t eat nem eggs or babies.

 

[rcmike]

Nice! So far I only have one sexy shrimp, they’ve been really hard to find here. Stores order them, but they don’t arrive.

it’s fun to watch them pick around he RFAs, if a little stressful — I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them became a meal at some point.

Yeah, they seem to get along just fine. Mine took to the anemones immediately. They are pretty common around here. I went to the LFS looking for them and they had 5 so I got all of them.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Hi Mike, glad to read that you are feeling better as well. I understand your running out of vacation too soon. I have to admit, retirement is really agreeing with Elaine and I! I don't know of any really good snorkeling spots along the Gulf Coast, let alone around Sanibel or Pine Island.

If you do the RFA in an end cap, they actually seem to like getting covered in sand after they have acclimated for some time in the end cap. They stretch up out of the sand and can even clear themselves of sand because then they are seriously threatened they will pull down under the sand to hide!

I never considered sexy shrimp before. Thanks for bringing them up here. Not having anything but RFAs in the breeding tank was not what I originally planned. But I was unsure what else I might put in there, especially since I don't have any live rock and the sponge in the HOB filter gets a good cleaning about once a week. Sexy shrimp might be just the ticket!

 

[raketemensch]

What's your lighting schedule like, Ron? Do you run a moonlight at night?

 

[Ron Reefman]

What's your lighting schedule like, Ron? Do you run a moonlight at night?

This isn't the exact schedule I use, but it's very close. I backed off the peak midday percentages by 15% because the RFA tank is only 14" deep and has 2" of black sand. I do not run moonlights at all. And when I come out in the morning ant the lights are still off, the RFAs are all open and happy looking.

With the limited knowledge and experience I have with RFAs now, I don't think their spawing in captivity is related to any seasonal or lunar cycle as many corals are.

 

[rcmike]

Hi Mike, glad to read that you are feeling better as well. I understand your running out of vacation too soon. I have to admit, retirement is really agreeing with Elaine and I! I don't know of any really good snorkeling spots along the Gulf Coast, let alone around Sanibel or Pine Island.

If you do the RFA in an end cap, they actually seem to like getting covered in sand after they have acclimated for some time in the end cap. They stretch up out of the sand and can even clear themselves of sand because then they are seriously threatened they will pull down under the sand to hide!

I never considered sexy shrimp before. Thanks for bringing them up here. Not having anything but RFAs in the breeding tank was not what I originally planned. But I was unsure what else I might put in there, especially since I don't have any live rock and the sponge in the HOB filter gets a good cleaning about once a week. Sexy shrimp might be just the ticket!

Our goal is to retire and to move down to south Florida and have a house on a canal where we can keep our boat. We can dream anyway. Lol

When I put the tiny sexy shrimp in the 110 reef I really didn’t know if they would survive let alone stay in the anemones. They seem to be holding their own and seem to be able to find the anemones. I actually moved the rock from the middle of the tank to the right side after the one shrimp went into the rocks near the original spot. I’m thinking of trying to raise some of the sexy shrimp if they ever have eggs. I’ve seen a few do it and it doesn’t look too much more difficult than clownfish.

 

[getmealemon]

Hi all, really enjoying the thread. I kept a dedicated rock flower anemone tank for a few years around 2016. Sadly out of the 40 or so i had i lost all but two for reasons still unknown to me. Interesting reading about the brighter colour ones being collected from so deep and makes me wonder now whether too much light could have been an issue. Other issues i had with the tank was the black gravel i was using collecting gunk that was hard to clean out and a flatworm problem. One by one my nems melted away over a very long period.

I'm out of the hobby now for a few years as i have another project taking my time (3 children under 3!) but when i get back i will be setting up another RFA tank.

Just wanted to share some of the pictures of the beautiful nems i collected and some of the babies that resulted...

 

[Ron Reefman]

I just received my shipment of 10 sexy shrimp and 5 porcelain crabs which I intend to be a big part of the CUC in the RFA breeding tank. I have 35 RFAs in the tank and most are in PVC end caps. I was impressed with how Blue Zoo packed them. Every tiny shrimp and small crab in it's own double bag. Heck, even the Reef Nutrition was sealed in a double bag! I'm currently acclimating them and everybody is alive and moving around.

Later this week a shipment of CUC for my 90g DT will arrive from Reef Cleaners and some of the ceriths will go in the RFA tank to help keep things clean.

 

[rcmike]

Nice! I have ordered from blue zoo in the past and everything was packed very well.

 

[raketemensch]

I've got some chaeto, a scarlett reef crab and some ceriths arriving from ReefCleaners on Saturday as well for my main tank, and I think that I'll be stealing a couple of those ceriths for the RFA cube too.

My favorite thing lately, though:

I've got one "non-ultra" nem that I picked up in my LFS a few months back, he's the one in the earlier pictures in this thread. My kids have named him Gerry, and he has scared the crap out of me dozens of times as I have slowly started to understand their behavior. The thing is, he *still* won't pick a spot. He moves around almost as much as the tuxedo urchin -- most days start off with a "Hunt for Gerry."

I've got 4 ultra nems now, beautiful creatures, also in the tank. All 4 of them seem perfectly happy and are devouring shrimp pellets every 2-3 days, but... They've never moved. Not once, they've all stayed exactly where they landed when I put them in the tank.

Gerry? He's stlll up on the rock, down under the rock, poking out of a hole in the rock, hanging upside down in the cave... Maybe it's the species? I dunno.

But the other day we found him cuddled up with the nem we call Amy, it was the cutest freaking thing. At first he was just on the rock next to her, touching fronds, and then the next morning he was under her like an umbrella.

Now, of course, he's sticking straight out off the rock 6 inches above them. I feel like if he had a tongue he'd be sticking it out.

(of course, I have no real idea of the sex or gender of any of these creatures yet, all names are fake to protect the innocent)

Ron, will you quarantine the shrimp?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Ron, will you quarantine the shrimp?

Naw. I hardly even quarantine anything for more than the time it takes to acclimate them and get a good look at them. At least anything I buy online. Besides, I don't think 10 tiny sexy shrimp and 5 beautiful porcelain crabs will carry anything that would be a cause for concern with 35 RFAs. And that's basically all that's in the tank.

And I have to admit, I've had zero issues with any of the wild collected animals (and plants) I've brought home from local beaches or the Florida Keys. In 20 years I've never had ick, velvet, zoa eatting nudis or red bugs. I had one fish get pop eye and that went away. I've had aiptasia issues, some macro algae that became invasive and I've had flat worms once. But that's it.

 

[raketemensch]

I just received my shipment of 10 sexy shrimp and 5 porcelain crabs which I intend to be a big part of the CUC in the RFA breeding tank. I have 35 RFAs in the tank and most are in PVC end caps. I was impressed with how Blue Zoo packed them. Every tiny shrimp and small crab in it's own double bag. Heck, even the Reef Nutrition was sealed in a double bag! I'm currently acclimating them and everybody is alive and moving around.

Whoa, Blue Zoo says their RFAs can grow to 8 inches?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Whoa, Blue Zoo says their RFAs can grow to 8 inches?

I've never seen one that big in captivity. Maybe about 4" or a bit bigger for the ultras I've seen. Out in the wild, I know of an island off the Florida Keys where there are hundreds of 'ordinary' RFAs and they range from an inch up to 5 or 6" at most.

I'm not saying Blue Zoo is wrong, just that I've seen hundreds and I've never seen one 8" in diameter.

BTW, tomorrow I'll have some photos and videos that RFA fans may want to see, along with some data.

 

[Ron Reefman]

BTW, tomorrow I'll have some photos and videos that RFA fans may want to see, along with some data.

OK, I'll start with the news. I have 35 RFAs in the new breeding tank and last night my wife noticed this.

One of our bigger RFAs was 'standing up. I have heard that they do this when they spawn, and sure enough it did.

Then I noticed a smaller one that was in the corner of the tank was also starting to spawn. BTW, please forgive the algae. This is a new set up and I have some algae issues growing on the edges of the PVC end caps. And for some reason this one wasn't stretching up like the other one. Maybe because it's smaller? Maybe because it's irritated by the algae? Anyway, being in the corner of the tank it wasn't in much flow of water so the spawn collected more on the face of the nem and then blew off.