Ron Reefman's Rock Flower experience

[rsach]

I'd recommend drilling some slightly bigger holes for the RFA's to set their foot in, like 3/4" or 1" in diameter. If you don't, I think many of your anemones will migrate to the edge of the rock at the surface of the sand. At least that's what mine did back when I did my first RFA garden.

I leave the end caps empty. But over time, if you keep them pushed down into the sand, they do fill up with sand and I don't think the anemones mind that.

Good luck.

Thanks for the tips, still debating on which direction to go, with end cap I was worried that the sand covering them over time might irritate them, but based on your experience that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[sfin52]

Thanks for the tips, still debating on which direction to go, with end cap I was worried that the sand covering them over time might irritate them, but based on your experience that doesn't seem to be the case.

I have a couple of rockflowers that just buried thier foot in the sand attached to the bottom of the tank.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Thanks for the tips, still debating on which direction to go, with end cap I was worried that the sand covering them over time might irritate them, but based on your experience that doesn't seem to be the case.

Sand isn't an issue. In the Florida Keys we see a lot of RFAs with a foot in a hole in some rock that is 1" to 3" below the sand surface. When you bother one, it retracts under the sand and comes back out after some time period.

I have a couple of rockflowers that just buried thier foot in the sand attached to the bottom of the tank.

Yes, this can happen. But I like them in end caps so that I can easily move them without having to pry at their foot to release them!

 

[rsach]

Sand isn't an issue. In the Florida Keys we see a lot of RFAs with a foot in a hole in some rock that is 1" to 3" below the sand surface. When you bother one, it retracts under the sand and comes back out after some time period.


Yes, this can happen. But I like them in end caps so that I can easily move them without having to pry at their foot to release them!

Ease of rearranging the RFA placement would definitely be a big advantage of using end caps. How big of an end cap is recommended?

 

[sfin52]

Yes, this can happen. But I like them in end caps so that I can easily move them without having to pry at their foot to release them!

I do agree. That would be easier

 

[Ron Reefman]

Ease of rearranging the RFA placement would definitely be a big advantage of using end caps. How big of an end cap is recommended?

I use end caps from 1/2" to 1.5". It all depends on how big the foot is. And they are fairly easy to get out of the end cap if/when they out grow the one they are in.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

I made a post in our state reef Facebook group and asked if anyone else at the swap bought RFAs and if they died. 14/15 RFAs between 5 different buyers all melted within a week. There were close to ten RFA vendors. I personally bought all 4 of mine from different vendors to maximize chance of survival. It proved useless.

FWIW the guy at hellfire frags swears his RFAs are the Florida ones.

https://hellfirefrags.com/collections/anemones-clams
I’m gonna order when he gets a restock in and will report back

 

[Reefing Qs]

As I was sitting at my desk tonight I looked over to see both one of my RFAs and my clowns spawning at the same time! My first time for the RFAs - as far I could tell though, only one of them was actively spawning. @Ron Reefman I have 9-12 of them in my tank, I am finding it hard to think the rest are female?

However many of them are smaller/young and some arrived a few months ago completely bleached, but have slowly recovered. Is there a certain age of sexual maturity? Or perhaps the other males didn't spawn for one of the aforementioned reasons? Either that or I have one lucky male RFA :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

I turned my UV off as soon as I saw (and he went on for a good while after) - any other suggestions?

Tank lights are off, but my room lights were on still so pardon the weird lighting. Water is cloudy from the fella:

 

[Trueruby]

As I was sitting at my desk tonight I looked over to see both one of my RFAs and my clowns spawning at the same time! My first time for the RFAs - as far I could tell though, only one of them was actively spawning. @Ron Reefman I have 9-12 of them in my tank, I am finding it hard to think the rest are female?

However many of them are smaller/young and some arrived a few months ago completely bleached, but have slowly recovered. Is there a certain age of sexual maturity? Or perhaps the other males didn't spawn for one of the aforementioned reasons? Either that or I have one lucky male RFA :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

I turned my UV off as soon as I saw (and he went on for a good while after) - any other suggestions?

Tank lights are off, but my room lights were on still so pardon the weird lighting. Water is cloudy from the fella:

I have over 30+ RFA, during 2 years period I still know that only single female. It is difficult to have female IMO. Perhaps if everyone shares pic of their female, we can make an assumption.

 

[Ron Reefman]

As far as I know, it is impossible to tell male from female RFAs based on looks. Now, maybe it's 'kind of' possible based on how they act during spawning events or then they deliver the babies.

I think that during spawning events, most males will spawn at the same time. But that is by no means a 100% truth. There are many reasons for one to spawn when others don't.

As for delivery of babies, very, VERY few people have ever seen this when it happens.

Reefing Qs, it appears that you still has water movement then your RFA was releasing it's spawn. A little water movement is OK, maybe even good. But too much water movement is probably removing too much of the spawn to the various filtration systems or the skimmer.

 

[Waldek M.]

I use end caps from 1/2" to 1.5". It all depends on how big the foot is. And they are fairly easy to get out of the end cap if/when they out grow the one they are in.

Can the anemones come out of the caps themselves when they become too tight?

 

[OrionN]

Can the anemones come out of the caps themselves when they become too tight?

yes

 

[Ron Reefman]

Can the anemones come out of the caps themselves when they become too tight?

Yes. But that only happens rarely as they can have a small foot even for a big anemone.

 

[Waldek M.]

I asked because I bought the small ones when they were about 3 centimeters long, and now they are 6 and I don't know if they will be too tight and won't come out on their own, or if I should help them and change the base to a larger one?

 

[VintageReefer]

How do I get this guy to place in the sand ?!

I dug a ditch thinking it would dig the rest

But somehow the ditch closed up and now he’s here

The foot is massive

 

[VintageReefer]

Thinking of using these

 

[VintageReefer]

I think they work for the two small ones. the big yellow guy hasn’t attached yet. He’s staying in it but hasn’t gripped the cup

Should sand be in the cup?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think they work for the two small ones. the big yellow guy hasn’t attached yet. He’s staying in it but hasn’t gripped the cup

Should sand be in the cup?

Not at first. Best if you can set up a small tub with tank water. Put the anemone on the cup and set it in the tub. Make the water level just above the top of the cup, so water can wash thru the anemone. It will set it's foot in time (hours to maybe a day). When you can pick up the cup and hold it upside down and the anemone stays in the cup, you'll be good to go.

Just so you know, I've kept anemones in small tubs of water for days with no ill effects. I just do a water change twice a day. Take the tub and dump the water into the tank (it's clean) and refill the tub with tank water again.

Push the cup down in the sand so it's rim is just above the sand. The nem should stay in the cup. At some point downstream, say a week or so, you can push the cup deeper into the sand so it flows into the cup with the nem. It doesn't mind the sand as long as it has set it's foot well onto a hard surface.

I've had even small nems set their foot on the bottom glass in 2" or more of sand. But that's a lot more risky than using the cup.

BTW, I'd rather use a PVC end cap as it's much more sturdy when it comes to pushing it down in the sand. And I think the vertical sides would make the nem feel more secure and protected than the sloped sides of the light weight plastic cup you are looking at. Just my opinion on that idea.

Good luck.

 

[NyReefer]

I think that the sand depth to an extent is "bro science".

If you have a 2-3" sand bed, the light they absorb makes a big difference.

 

[VintageReefer]

Not at first. Best if you can set up a small tub with tank water. Put the anemone on the cup and set it in the tub. Make the water level just above the top of the cup, so water can wash thru the anemone. It will set it's foot in time (hours to maybe a day). When you can pick up the cup and hold it upside down and the anemone stays in the cup, you'll be good to go.

Just so you know, I've kept anemones in small tubs of water for days with no ill effects. I just do a water change twice a day. Take the tub and dump the water into the tank (it's clean) and refill the tub with tank water again.

Push the cup down in the sand so it's rim is just above the sand. The nem should stay in the cup. At some point downstream, say a week or so, you can push the cup deeper into the sand so it flows into the cup with the nem. It doesn't mind the sand as long as it has set it's foot well onto a hard surface.

I've had even small nems set their foot on the bottom glass in 2" or more of sand. But that's a lot more risky than using the cup.

BTW, I'd rather use a PVC end cap as it's much more sturdy when it comes to pushing it down in the sand. And I think the vertical sides would make the nem feel more secure and protected than the sloped sides of the light weight plastic cup you are looking at. Just my opinion on that idea.

Good luck.

Well the big yellow one ended up staying in my cup, and the orange on in front moved into the cup with the sunset one lol