Ron Reefman's Rock Flower experience

[Mmbra]

From my experience, they really enjoy touching the other rock flowers near them. I have even seen larger nems shrink down to allow the smaller nems near them to get light as well.

 

[OrionN]

 

[Ron Reefman]

That's a really nice looking RFA. Is it new to you?

I have 2 RFA's that have tentacles that are kind of a greenish/yellowish almost gold looking. That is kind of what yours looks like.

Do you know where it came from? Aquacultured, the Caribbean, further south?

 

[OrionN]

He was in my tank for almost 1 year. Got him as one of the first RFA from a LFS. No idea where he was from.

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Nice to log in, after being away for so long, and see you’re back at it, @Ron!

 

[VintageReefer]

Plastic ramekin / sauce cup method is working great

 

[Ron Reefman]

Nice to log in, after being away for so long, and see you’re back at it, @Ron!

Who has been away for so long, you or me... or both of us?

I spend a lot less time here than I used to. My tank is only 40g and with no fish, it's very easy to keep. Although I am excited to see my Black widow bubble tip anemone splitting so frequently. I started with one 30 months ago and I have 7 now and I sold off 4 a few months ago!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Plastic ramekin / sauce cup method is working great

Any kind of cup type holder can work. And although it works well for RFA, my Black Widow Bubble Tips don't like being in cups. They always end up moving out and attaching to the rocks... and even then, they move around quite a bit.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Photos of rock flower "parents and some of their kids." Lol! Got to love it!

 

[That Crusso Kid]

Who has been away for so long, you or me... or both of us?

I spend a lot less time here than I used to. My tank is only 40g and with no fish, it's very easy to keep. Although I am excited to see my Black widow bubble tip anemone splitting so frequently. I started with one 30 months ago and I have 7 now and I sold off 4 a few months ago!

Mostly me as I hadn’t logged in for about 3 years, or so. Last time we were communicating, you had broken everything down and heading to do some extensive traveling. This came as a bummer to me as I had moved from Chicago to FL and discovered that we were practically neighbors. Or, at least, that’s what my memory recalls which may, or may, not be accurate.

 

[Waldek M.]

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zapodaj.net

My two anemones sometimes lift from the inside. Could this mean something? Maybe they're trying to get out of their enclosure or they're not getting enough light?

 

[Waldek M.]

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My two anemones sometimes lift from the inside. Could this mean something? Maybe they're trying to get out of their enclosure or they're not getting enough light?

They tried unsuccessfully to get out of the cap. After shortening the sides of the cap, they immediately popped out.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

I think I’ve given up on buying more RFA. I’ve got about 18 happy healthy RFAs that I’ve had for over 5 years, and like 1 or 2 survivors from each of the big batches I’ve bought over the last few years. My last batch was a Black Friday 10 pack: 2 melted in the shipping bag, another 3 died pretty quickly and of the remaining 5, 2 are still moving around every night without firmly attaching which I’ve learned is a sign they will be dead within a month.

It doesn’t feel like it’s getting talked about openly, but something is seriously wrong with RFAs now. It doesn’t seem to matter if you get the “good” Florida ones or the Belize ones, nor where you get them from as far as vendor (my first big pack was from saltcritters years ago and I’ve bought from a number of well known online shops) . I’ve been reaching out to people with RFAs on Facebook groups, Instagram and Reddit, and the story is usually the same: “my RFAs used to be bulletproof and now new ones bought have a high mortality rate.”

I don’t know what it is but I won’t be buying anymore and I don’t think I can recommend them to new reefers anymore.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Wow-- this is vey valuable information. As you mentioned, they pretty much had a past reputation as 'not' melting away. And you surely seem to have owned enough to know. I guess if I get one now, I have to consider it to be a $70 gamble.

 

[sfin52]

I think I’ve given up on buying more RFA. I’ve got about 18 happy healthy RFAs that I’ve had for over 5 years, and like 1 or 2 survivors from each of the big batches I’ve bought over the last few years. My last batch was a Black Friday 10 pack: 2 melted in the shipping bag, another 3 died pretty quickly and of the remaining 5, 2 are still moving around every night without firmly attaching which I’ve learned is a sign they will be dead within a month.

It doesn’t feel like it’s getting talked about openly, but something is seriously wrong with RFAs now. It doesn’t seem to matter if you get the “good” Florida ones or the Belize ones, nor where you get them from as far as vendor (my first big pack was from saltcritters years ago and I’ve bought from a number of well known online shops) . I’ve been reaching out to people with RFAs on Facebook groups, Instagram and Reddit, and the story is usually the same: “my RFAs used to be bulletproof and now new ones bought have a high mortality rate.”

I don’t know what it is but I won’t be buying anymore and I don’t think I can recommend them to new reefers anymore.

It seems like the big bleaching event has t weakened them.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

It seems like they big bleaching event they ha e been weaker

The timeline checks out, but wonder what it is specifically? Warm water encouraging bacteria? Some kind of virus? I’m half tempted to try like the KF corals dip for torches that has iodine and cipro and all that

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have no idea what the problem is. And I lost all but one RFA in the two small (3 or 4 RFAs) I bought back a couple of years ago when this scourge was just starting to hit the market.

Is anybody really selling RFAs they say are from the Caribbean?

I collected a couple of shallow water, non colorful, RFAs while in the Keys in 2024 and they are both still alive and one even had an offspring that is doing OK.

I'll be looking at whatever RFAs show up at the Frag Swap in Lakeland, Florida on February 7th. I've had great luck with a Black Widow BTA I bought there 3 years ago. I just got one and paid $125 for it. But it has produced 15 offspring over the last 3 years and I sold 4 of them for $75 each. My 40g breeder aio tank is half reddish/pink with BTAs!

 

[sfin52]

I have no idea what the problem is. And I lost all but one RFA in the two small (3 or 4 RFAs) I bought back a couple of years ago when this scourge was just starting to hit the market.

Is anybody really selling RFAs they say are from the Caribbean?

I collected a couple of shallow water, non colorful, RFAs while in the Keys in 2024 and they are both still alive and one even had an offspring that is doing OK.

I'll be looking at whatever RFAs show up at the Frag Swap in Lakeland, Florida on February 7th. I've had great luck with a Black Widow BTA I bought there 3 years ago. I just got one and paid $125 for it. But it has produced 15 offspring over the last 3 years and I sold 4 of them for $75 each. My 40g breeder aio tank is half reddish/pink with BTAs!

Ya they dont split like roses and rainbows but often enough.

My branch managers tank just has them all over. They even move to the glass. Makes it super easy to remove

His is also a 40g breeder

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

Ron Reefman - are you still running that HP-800 RO?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Ron Reefman - are you still running that HP-800 RO?

Yes I am! I love it. I have to admit to being very surprised that you made this post. I haven't bought much of anything for the aquarium in the past few years. And the fact that you remember me for having this RO system and asked the question... well, I'm just pleasantly surprised. You guys always did very good by me and I really appreciated your service.

I don't make nearly as much RO/DI water as I did back when I had 6-700g of saltwater in the house (4 tanks & 2 big refugiums). But I still save the reject water in a 180 cistern that I use when I'm doing laundry. And the old, smaller RO system seen hanging on the wall has long gone away.