Anemone Acclimation and Trying to Prevent Moving

[The_Paradox]

I hope this is not a superfluous post or what you thought it was going to be. Like a lot of people with bubble tip anemones (BTA) I have wanted them to stay in a specific region for various reasons from ascetics to not om noming my corals on walkabout. I started doing this method about 6 years ago and since then have not had one move with the exception on splits. In the past I have even been able to basically keep them in the sand. The method I have been using is to drill a hole in the rock I want them on, and gluing a "cross bar" this rock across the bottom. I have kept splits on premade rocks like this also until they had time to heal at which point I would give them away along with the rock. Since I have had questions about how long it takes BTAs to acclimate and how to prevent movement, I figured I would document it this time. I started with a cured (~30 days) piece of live rock and drilled a 2" hole through it. Of course I cured it wrong side up so despite my best planning, I am gonna be stuck with a white rock for a while. Because I like Hard Mode, I placed the rock directly in front of a powerhead at the bottom of the tank. I started with a BTA not from my tank so this was not acclimated to the tank conditions. So far after two weeks there has been no observable movement of its foot. Generally I like to wait three to four months before I consider a BTA happily settled so I will update this thread periodically. Obviously for this to work your tank needs to meet the basic requirements to keep a BTA. Hopefully this helps someone, if not... NO REFUNDS!

 

[CasperOe]

I hope this is not a superfluous post or what you thought it was going to be. Like a lot of people with bubble tip anemones (BTA) I have wanted them to stay in a specific region for various reasons from ascetics to not om noming my corals on walkabout. I started doing this method about 6 years ago and since then have not had one move with the exception on splits. In the past I have even been able to basically keep them in the sand. The method I have been using is to drill a hole in the rock I want them on, and gluing a "cross bar" this rock across the bottom. I have kept splits on premade rocks like this also until they had time to heal at which point I would give them away along with the rock. Since I have had questions about how long it takes BTAs to acclimate and how to prevent movement, I figured I would document it this time. I started with a cured (~30 days) piece of live rock and drilled a 2" hole through it. Of course I cured it wrong side up so despite my best planning, I am gonna be stuck with a white rock for a while. Because I like Hard Mode, I placed the rock directly in front of a powerhead at the bottom of the tank. I started with a BTA not from my tank so this was not acclimated to the tank conditions. So far after two weeks there has been no observable movement of its foot. Generally I like to wait three to four months before I consider a BTA happily settled so I will update this thread periodically. Obviously for this to work your tank needs to meet the basic requirements to keep a BTA. Hopefully this helps someone, if not... NO REFUNDS!

Thanks for that mate! Might adopt some of those learning points when I add some more BTAs to my nano next month!

 

[The_Paradox]

Thanks for that mate! Might adopt some of those learning points when I add some more BTAs to my nano next month!

Let me know how it turns out. Basically you want to give them a rock with a deep enough hole that they can adjust how much flow and light they get by just extending not just by noping out and leaving.

 

[CasperOe]

Let me know how it turns out. Basically you want to give them a rock with a deep enough hole that they can adjust how much flow and light they get by just extending not just by noping out and leaving.

I'll keep you posted mate! Cheers

 

[The_Paradox]

Rock s now fuzzy as expected, clowns are still nesting powerhead… as expected, but RTBA has not moved.

 

[The_Paradox]

Still where I left him almost four months later.

 

[coralsandfishes]

interesting... how do you make the hole in the rock? hole saw? anyway, thanks for the info

 

[The_Paradox]

Depends on the rock. Spades work fine in softer rock. If it’s a harder rock, like that one, you can use the same hole saws you use for bulkheads.

 

[coralsandfishes]

Depends on the rock. Spades work fine in softer rock. If it’s a harder rock, like that one, you can use the same hole saws you use for bulkheads.

Thanks.. I will give it a try

 

[Synthgp]

Do you think something like this would work?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...id=rnihhrdcrbgcaazh18cfb3ae10a1854ac5d029699f

 

[The_Paradox]

Do you think something like this would work?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803360724994.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.584443d5oqiIwx&browser_id=50bb2b17815f4ef8aef8d9115251e52b&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=rnihhrdcrbgcaazh18cfb3ae10a1854ac5d029699f&gclid=&pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!26.25!18.11!!!26.25!18.11!@2103205317050220673843848e6254!12000026241144716!sea!US!893347934!&isseo=y&algo_pvid=78a16d0e-088e-4e38-8290-4e1ce8e318f0&_universallink=1&m_page_id=rnihhrdcrbgcaazh18cfb3ae10a1854ac5d029699f

Should. I would just cycle it a few weeks in sump or bucket like you would dry rock.

 

[The_Paradox]

It’s all annoyed looking because it just split and I had to fish the clone out, but after 6 months directly infront of the power head it has not moved. For what it’s worth Clowns are still nesting on the power head.

 

[The_Paradox]

I had completely given up on this pair but after 14 months they finally moved out of the powerhead and into this anemone. I guess it took them just over 6 months to decide they liked it. So much so they have been biting it and the coral next to it all morning.