getting an anemone off of rock?

[darky00]

Does anyone have any info or tips on how to get a bubble tip anemone off of a piece of liverock? The anemone is getting much too large for my tank, and I want to take him to a friend with a much larger system. It's stuck onto a large, very nicely shaped piece of LR, so I don't want to take the whole rock to the LFS.

Any help?

Thanks

Dan

[darky00]

oops, the last part was supposed to say "I don't want to take the whole rock to my friend" not "LFS"

Dan

[Angel*Fish]

Here's a quote from a thread in the anemone/clownfish area by jbf16falcon:4. don't disturb the splits for a while after the split is complete unless one decides to go walkabout. If one does that is the perfect time to nab him. Otherwise give them a little time to build strength back up. I use very small 2.5 by 2.5 inch squares of 1/16 inch plastic leaned up against the anemone I want to move. That usually annoys them enough to start moving and I nab them when they start. I put the captive in a 4 inch tupperware container that has about 40 holes for current flow drilled in it and no holes in the top. I then use the top as the bottom and tye the container high in the tank near the light until it goes to the lfs or a new home. don't drill the holes too big you would be suprised what they will squeeze through. I make them about 1/4 inch each.

[asmujica]

how about moving the lights to make him move.

[darky00]

I thought of that, but I don't think it would work for me. My tank is only 24" long, so the only place I can move my lights is off of the tank entirely. I have a clam and lots of corals, so I don't really want to do that.

Thanks

Dan

[asmujica]

I think I heard someone put ice to the base to remove it. Do a search and maybe you can find it.

[darky00]

hmmm... ice. That sounds kinda interesting. I'll see what a search brings up.

Thanks for the info

Dan

[3_high_low]

A friend, I can't recall his name (and I would never do this;)), collected a couple wild anemones off the Ca coast. He found that if he sneeks up on them he could quikly peel them right off the rock. But once disturbed and contracted they hang on tight and would probably be damaged in the process.

I've heard of the ice idea but never tried it. The other idea sounds good too.

Good luck!

[allan]

only a thaught and i,ve done it with other types of anemone, try tickling it at the base, it has worked for me.

[vorakiat]

I did like Allan did on my bubble, and then I started my finger underneth the anemone and peel it off gently.

[reefrancher]

At the last Boston Reefers meeting I was listening to a guy who needed to move an anenome. What he did was place a powerhead pointing at the base and it moved later that day.

Steve

[jbf16falcon]

I still like leaning the pieces of plexiglass squares against mine to get them to move. hahaha Tickle their foot!!!!!!! I have over 70 BTA's in my tank and wouldn't you know it , Not one has a ticklish foot. The powerhead method isn't too bad as a few did move but others seemed happier with it turned on them than they were before. This was not a scientific study and was randomly performed on 10 unsuspecting BTA's. The results noted were:

Tickled Feet - 0 moved - conclusion: all 70+ are splits from the same original Rose BTA and evidentely it's foot was not ticklish.
Performed Feb 28, 2002
(OK here's the deal, If I could tickle the bottom of it's foot why would I be tickling it at all??? I'd just pick it up!!! I had to tickle the top outside of the foot as that's all I could get to) Yes, even as I was attempting this one I knew I had been had!!!! hahaha But everyone keeps bringing the method up. I hope it's the last I hear of it except in jest.

Maxijet 1200 - in 12 hours pointed right on one colony of 11 RBTA's 3 moved. Test abandoned after 12 hours as it was stirring up my sand bed too much. Performed in Dec 2001

Squares of scrap plexiglass leaned on 4 anemones had three move within 4 hours and 4th withdrew under a ledge where I couldn't get the scrap back up against him. Performed Feb 23, 2002

I didn't try sneaking up and peeling any off the rock. (Sounded too much like snipe hunting to me!!!)

I did however have an idea. I have some chrome plated ball bearings and I'm thinking about feeding them to a couple of anemones I want to move, then getting my "Algae Free Tiger Shark" magnet near the anemone. I'm wondering what the velocity of anemone to magnet will be once I achieve Foot Peel and Seperation to Magnet ?????
I couldn't find anything on the Calculator Page that would help me with the calculations. :-) :p

[jbf16falcon]

By the way if I do get one moving and it makes it to the glass before I nab it in the sand bed, I use a laminated plastic card that is thinner than a credit card to slowly work under the lip of the foot and by lifting and sliding the card a little more each time I can finally get enough of the foot up to easily lift it off the glass. On occasion I have used the plastic coated playing cards to do the job. My rock is so poreous that I really wouldn't try the card trick on it at the food is too well attached and it's too hard to get to the lip of the foot without doing damage to it.

[ajx22]

Easy way...

Two Words:

Ice Cube

touch the ice to its base and it doesn't take long to realize it's getting COLD. It will release and there is NO risk in tearing the 'foot'.

Good luck!

[RockTheCasbah!]

Tickling their foot does work. I did it to my carpet anemone when I sold him. Took a little time, and I felt silly as hell, but worked like a charm!