BTA questions

[prevyet]

Just wanted to thank you for the great advice you gave me on the lateral dissection of my E. quadricolor. Worked great! Both are growing fast and eating well.

Do you think this would work on the deeper water solitary bubble tips? I know they are not seen in the trade much if any but is there a way to tell them apart?

[Anthony Calfo]

You are quite welcome, my friend :)

I'm delighted it went well for you. It really is a straightforward and successful procedure in a healthy tank with an established anemone.

Regarding the deepwater BTAs, I have a somewhat strong position regarding them. For how uncommon they are, and how very old and slow to reproduce naturally they are (read: the environmental impact of our use of this resource), I strongly discourage any casual aquarist from ordering, buying or keeping them. I suspect that you may be the kind of aquarist that perhaps fairly could house one... in a species tank with no other cnidarians and dedicated to the care and culture of the specimen. Most anemones don't end up in such tanks however, and as such, most anemones don't live to see a full year in captivity.

I must admit, I really have no practical experience with handling the large polyped variety... heehee, practice what I preach :D

My advice is for aquarists to avoid seeking such large, mature anemones (XL carpets, ritterirs, magnifica, etc). What little information we do have about sustainability is dismal. Reefs revisited after collections of these anemones years later still have not recovered. Unlike harvesting Acropora and soft corals (months to one year recovery easily in most cases), these anemones are hit hard.

All the more reason for you to start a clonal BTA farm with the species we now have available to us! ;) Lest displace the market for dying and bleached sebaes with bright green and rose farmed BTAs!!!

Kind regards,

Anthony

[TIGER SHARK]

I have been talking with prevyet about BTA's and forcing a split and he said you are the master who knows all... or almost all. I really would rather get a colonial BTA and I am trying to find one local but how would I know if the one at the LFS is a colonial? I know the others are rare so most likely, it would not be. I was really set on getting a carpet anemone but after much research, I think I will hold off until I can dedicate a tank for one. A friend of mine got a green BTA about a year ago, it has then split but now has turned really dark brown/greenish in color. Is this common? I also have seen many roses BTA's with hot pink colors. Is it possible that these are healthy and not just bleached? Thanks for the help.

[Anthony Calfo]

Cheers, mate...

I have been talking with prevyet about BTA's and forcing a split and he said you are the master who knows all... or almost all.


Ha! I make most of this stuff up :p It just sounds convincing :D...


I really would rather get a colonial BTA and I am trying to find one local but how would I know if the one at the LFS is a colonial?


As aquarists, this is not readily apparent to us. More a matter of relying on a skilled dealer that knows his suppliers and gaging the specimen offered with the pic-types of the standard...


I know the others are rare so most likely, it would not be.


Correct indeed...


I was really set on getting a carpet anemone but after much research, I think I will hold off until I can dedicate a tank for one.


Excellent, very grateful to hear it...


A friend of mine got a green BTA about a year ago, it has then split but now has turned really dark brown/greenish in color. Is this common?


There are several possible reasons for this, most common being accumulated nitrates (overfertilizing brown zooxanthellate algae)... or, degraded light quality (fluorescent lights older than 6-10 months, slat creep/dust on lamps, yellow water from lack of weekly carbon use or ozone, etc). The green morphs are easy to keep wickedly green color even without heavy blue halides. PCs and VHOs are excellent for this anemone if the animal is kept in the top 10" of water. Darker colors if kept deepr of course...


I also have seen many roses BTA's with hot pink colors. Is it possible that these are healthy and not just bleached?


Absolutely! Some of these are so pink/orange they look like metallic copper. Just good light, fresh bulbs, regular feedings and superb water clarity. Many of the clubs have aquarists selling and trading these clones. Do ask around. Plenty on the West coast (Bay area clubs) and some handsome ones in Boston too. Really numerous folks with clones in between of magnificent color. Best regards, Anthony...


Thanks for the help.

[Jorsan]

Hi Anthony,

What was the advice that you gave to prevyet for the lateral dissection of a E. quadricolor?. Thanks

[Anthony Calfo]

Jorsan,

Cheers, my friend :)

Do check out the following threads (pics and links inside too). Theres a lot of good input from a lot of folks. Follow up if you need it.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=157929&highlight=BTA+cutting

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106163&perpage=25&highlight=BTA%20cutting&pagenumber=1

Kind regards, Anthony

[Jorsan]

Thanks Anthony for your fast reply and interest in help us to learn more without the arrogance that some others have (thanks god just a very few).

[Anthony Calfo]

its a pleasure my friend :) I only regret that sometimes I don't always have the time to reply at great length (using links instead). I'm in a bit of a crunch-time scenario currently as we are navigating my new book through the printing process. Sheesh... a lot more work than the last one because of the full color process :p Ahhh... the trials and tribulations of self-publication :D Still wouldn't trade it though :)

Please do follow-up with questions if you like after you get the gist of it. It really is an incredibly easy and successful process. Although BTAs can clone naturally (fission) frequently, none can reproduce as fast as an imposed division (you with scalpel :p ).

Best of luck!

Anthony

[Jorsan]

Please Anthony, don't answer to this stupid reefers their more stupid questions and keep working with your book because . . . . I already paid for one copy and I want it soon!!!!!! (LOL) .

Seriously, thanks for having that actitude with all of us.

[TIGER SHARK]

Thanks for all the info Anthony! I think will now look into getting a bright green BTA. Hopefully mine will stay this color if I keep the conditions excellent for him. I would like a rose but I cant really afford the high prices right now but I will start saving my money. And I'm with Jorsan, thanks for all the help without all the attitude! I am looking forward to your book also, when is it due out?

[Anthony Calfo]

Cheers, Tigershark :)

I see from your profile you are from Cali. FWIW, more of the beautiful rose clones that I have seen have been in Cali. Quite a few keepers over there trading them with at least some activity. Although still dear, I recall seeing prices ranging from $75-150 among aquarists (BARE club... perhaps Seabay and MASLAC too). Over hear on the East coast, we see retail prices over $200 for fine rose colored specimens!

Do visit their club forums if seeking an anemone. I've visited quite a few clubs lately... I'm not clear on who all had them. I'm only sure of the Bay area folks.

My new book looks like it will return from the printers in mid to late April, and delivery to the chain of distribution within weeks of that :)

Thanks kindly,

Anthony

[TIGER SHARK]

Yes there have been some really nice roses around here unfortunately I seem to just miss them because as soon as someones post one for sale, it is sold within minutes. So I have told them to let me know if there are more in the future. I only think my tank has recently been ready to accomodate an anemone so now the hunt is on! Thanx for the info on your book, I will definately keep an eye out next month. Take care!

Scott

[TippyToeX]

Tiger Shark

Have a look see..

Here (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=161608)
&
Here (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=156572)

If you can get one from the latter link I know you will not be dissapointed.

[TIGER SHARK]

I saw both of those. The I contacted the guy in santa cruz who had 4 to sell, he said I was the fifth person to contact him and he should have more in a couple months. I dont really like the color of the first link. Thanks tho.

[prevyet]

I got an email today from a fellow RC member who was following the threads on this procedure. He cut one of his Roses and it is looking good. :D

Books wont be ready until late April. :(
I guess I won't get mine at the WAMAS Spring Meeting.
Mom always said good things come to those who wait! :D

[prevyet]

Anthony- Got news that one of the two month old forced clones I shared to a fellow club member split a few days ago. That was fast! Stress from changing tanks must have caused this. What do you think would be a proper healing period before attemping the methode again? I was thinking 4 or 6 months but may be more of a size thing then time thing. What do you think?

[Anthony Calfo]

prevyet,

Awesome to hear :D

And while I tend to act and advise conservatively on matters of animal husbandry... you got me beat on the 4-6 month :p

I'm thinking with optimal water quality and a strong feeding schedule... more like 2 months. There are many variables of course... but that would be my vote :)

Kindly,

Anthony

[traveller7]

Anthony,

My natural clones seem to split into unequal halves so thirds would look very feasible. (Sorry to trade a recent smaller portion to another poster ;) )

Would you expect to see success in dissection with cuts into three, four or even more sections? Would the recovery time negate the potential benefits?

Travel safe.

[Anthony Calfo]

Traveller... good point/question

We all haven't collectively cut enough BTAs over time to have a definitive protocol yet... but tentatively it seems to be rather like corallimorphs: splitting in two is safe fast and easy... splitting in 3 or more pieces is still possible, but is a greater risk of mordibity or mortality. If the endeavor is not wholly for profit... I would still only recommend a single split done once every 1-2 months at best (assuming all other conditions are rather optimal). Safe and reasonably productive. Hardly a large commercial scale, but taking one anemone into a couple hundred in a years time is not too shabby by simple divsion :p

Kind regards,

Anthony

[traveller7]

A hearty thanks for the quick response and my anemones are happy to hear that, although I don't think they care if they are halved or thirded :)

Catch you with the hundred by Christmas ;)

btw: prevyet, I am certain the lineage on our bta's can handle about 1,000 :)

[TIGER SHARK]

Anthony,
I finally got a rose this past weekend. I remember in this post you were talking about the darker colors in BTA's

"most common being accumulated nitrates (overfertilizing brown zooxanthellate algae"

Mine has hot pink tips but as you go down the tenticles towards the mouth area, it gets really dark red/brown and the mouth is the same. I hope this is because of what you were talking about in the quote above but I think it might be because the person I got it from has been letting his tank become overrun with hair and bubble algae. He just doesnt have time to keep it perfectly clean anymore. Here is a pic of the rose with the PH's off so you can see the dark mouth area, it is kind of hard to see on the tenticles. What would you recommend to bring the colors back to all hot pink?

http://www.geocities.com/customreefcreations/rose-dark.jpg

[Anthony Calfo]

Tigershark...

I was not able to view the picture, but no worries... the anemone needs some days/weeks to acclimate to its new tank. The darker pigmentation could simply be from the concentration of an animal (pigments in the tissue) that has not fully expanded/acclimated yet.

As far as nitrates "fertilizing" zooxanthellae... it is indeed a balance between not having too much but avoiding none at all/zero.

Low nitrate reef systems benefit from the addition of a bit of nitrate (S. nitrate, Knop) to assist coral/anemone color. But indeed too much of a good thing (perhaps like the tank that this anemon came from) can be bad/algae food.

Please just give this anemone a couple of months to settle in... no quick decisions/worries after just a few days/weeks.

Best regards,

Anthony

[TIGER SHARK]

Thanks for the info.