AquaSD Nems?

[ReefLife_Guy]

Anyone have experience with purchasing bubble tip anemones from AquaSD? They have some really nice looking ones and just wanted to see what their reputation was like. Thanks in advance!

Some pictures just because I think nems are awesome creatures!

 

[JoJosReef]

I have purchased an acid wash BTA and several rock flowers nems from ASD (I get most of my corals/nems from ASD).

BTA was on the small side, but as colorful as the photos, and it's demise was 100% likely to be a fault of my tank immaturity or something I did.

RFAs have been mostly doing well. Two of the less colorful ones that I got from them died, one totally my fault and one that just never settled and moved inside a cave. The former was a malfunction in my autofeeder that dropped ~50 pellets that landed right on that specific nem due to the flow pattern in the tank. The latter may not have been well. The 4 others in my 10g tank are doing great and look lovely. They like TDO pellets, too (as far as I can tell).

That's my anecdote!

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I'm in the same boat as @JoJosReef , I also got a bta just like your pictures. Mine was super duper tiny. Dime sized. It was the color though as I saw it in the pictures. It settled the first 7 days then it moved to the back of a rock never to be seen again.

I also have gotten a few rfa from them and they all have survived.

 

[VegasReefer]

AquaSD is a solid online vendor, with a long history of taking care of their customers. I have several mini-maxi and rock flowers currently in my collection, all doing great. I had purchased a BT from them awhile back, but it outgrew my IM25 nem tank and gave it to a local reefer. It was one of the acid wash with orange tips.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I've purchased bta/RFA/mini maxis from AquaSD. They are a good vendor, but be prepared for a Small sized bta. I'm not sure if they have any larger but my acid wash was about the size of a quarter when completely laid out

 

[JaimeAdams]

They are a well known vendor. You do need to understand that there can be a significant difference between a recently imported from the wild BTA and a long term aquacultured BTA. Those pictures are of recent imports and the are not claiming them to be the much hardier aqucultured split of a split of a split over the last decade or two variety. I find that aquacultured Bubble Tips are rock solid and recent imports are much more finicky. So I guess the question would be more about your level of ability.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

Those pictures are of recent imports and the are not claiming them to be the much hardier aqucultured split

What makes you say that? Just because of color variation and the fact that they do not advertise as aquacultured? I do prefer aquacultured over wild for many reasons but I'm willing to take a small risk for a potentially awesome color variation. I'm definitely not an expert but have successfully treated and revived 1 nem that I bought from another vendor and was only slightly larger than a half dollar.

I really wish there was a vendor who specialized in anemones and sold all aquacultured nems, but I have yet to find anyone that is farming them like that.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

I've purchased bta/RFA/mini maxis from AquaSD. They are a good vendor, but be prepared for a Small sized bta. I'm not sure if they have any larger but my acid wash was about the size of a quarter when completely laid out

Yeah I figured they were small when I saw the price, they do have some slightly larger ones but obviously twice the size means twice the price. Does everyone feel like larger nems are generally more successful or is it just variable on who is keeping them and whether they were wild caught vs. aquacultured?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Man, why couldnt this have been posed last week?!? I just bought two BTAs from them. I honestly dont mind them being small as they state their size clearly, the wild caught thing is what scares me.

 

[rtparty]

AquaSD is okay IME. Frags are small and colors from the picture didn't hold on most of my stuff. Multiple pieces came with bubble algae so swtich the frag plug (pretty standard practice) if you get corals with them. Anemones won't fall into this category but still worth mentioning.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Yeah I figured they were small when I saw the price, they do have some slightly larger ones but obviously twice the size means twice the price. Does everyone feel like larger nems are generally more successful or is it just variable on who is keeping them and whether they were wild caught vs. aquacultured?

Larger to me personally is better, because in a tank of anenomes, a quarter sized bubble gets Lost. I prefer larger nems to split into medium nems, not half dollars into nickel size for the same reason as above.

I also prefer aquaculture nems. I know aqua SD has had the acid wash nems around for at Least a year and has been selling them the whole time.

It surprises me that they are still collecting them wild, instead of culturing them on site. I wonder if even They (aquaSD) have issue getting them to thrive in captivity.

 

[JoJosReef]

Larger to me personally is better, because in a tank of anenomes, a quarter sized bubble gets Lost. I prefer larger nems to split into medium nems, not half dollars into nickel size for the same reason as above.

I also prefer aquaculture nems. I know aqua SD has had the acid wash nems around for at Least a year and has been selling them the whole time.

It surprises me that they are still collecting them wild, instead of culturing them on site. I wonder if even They (aquaSD) have issue getting them to thrive in captivity.

I would imagine that it is more an issue of supply, since they sell these BTAs pretty fast--when they get a good 30+% sale, those BTAs don't last long.

To add, mine was around quarter-sized. Beautiful, but small. I was also unsuccessful with a large split RBTA from a local reefer (whose sister is still doing well in the owner's tank) earlier in November, so I cannot blame ASD for the acid wash BTA surviving only ~3-4 weeks in my tank.

I will try again with an ASD acid wash BTA in the future when I feel more confident with my tank, because the colors are really quite good.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I have purchased a lot from AquaSD and the only things that haven't done well were the acid wash bubbletips. The maxi minis and rock flowers did fine, but the acid wash bubbletips just disappeared, and 1 melted, in systems where everything else continues to grow and thrive.

 

[Roli's Reef Ranch]

I've only bought coral from them once because nothing turned out looking like their pictures. Granted, they were no-name stuff that was most likely mariculture chop shop frags and we all know how that turns out. Everything is alive a year later, but nothing to write home about. Now I just buy from other reefers so I know what I'm getting, and it's tank viable (for less $). Caveat Emptor.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

It surprises me that they are still collecting them wild, instead of culturing them on site. I wonder if even They (aquaSD) have issue getting them to thrive in captivity.

This is a good point, I messaged them on their website and waiting to see what they say. I initially assumed that they were probably farming them based on their size and because they are all a similar color with just slight variations. From what I have read the most variation in colors comes from wild nems reproducing by spawning and not splitting but I have also read that some people get slightly different colors from their nems when they split in their aquarium. I'll update with what they say.

Also has anyone used these nem boxes from PNWcustom? I feel like they would be good to observe smaller nems, I had such a hard time trying to get the 1" nem I bought online that was on deaths door but shoved his foot in the rock and wouldn't move.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

Update from Aqua SD: Their Rose BTAs are aquacultured but their acid wash ones are wild.

This makes a lot of sense based on the feedback here, might not be any fault of Aqua SD but it is probably in their best interest to try and aquaculture some of these. It might be like Lost said and they are not having success themselves, but with access to all these awesome wild-caught ones it would be cool if they could select for hardiness and aquaculture those. Seems better for business if your customers are more successful.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Update from Aqua SD: Their Rose BTAs are aquacultured but their acid wash ones are wild.

This makes a lot of sense based on the feedback here, might not be any fault of Aqua SD but it is probably in their best interest to try and aquaculture some of these. It might be like Lost said and they are not having success themselves, but with access to all these awesome wild-caught ones it would be cool if they could select for hardiness and aquaculture those. Seems better for business if your customers are more successful.

Dang...now Im nervous about what I just bought. beautiful nem (the green one) but now I am wondering if I just flushed some green. I hope not..this is a beauty!!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I would imagine that it is more an issue of supply, since they sell these BTAs pretty fast--when they get a good 30+% sale, those BTAs don't last long.

To me, this is all More the reason they should be keeping back broodstock and aquaculturing them for the future as to not be dependant on the supply chain of collection and transport.

It doesn't sound like many have had luck with the acid wash. I'd love to see one grown out. 3-4" if anyone has one.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Also has anyone used these nem boxes from PNWcustom? I feel like they would be good to observe smaller nems, I had such a hard time trying to get the 1" nem I bought online that was on deaths door but shoved his foot in the rock and wouldn't move.

I personally have not used an observation box like that. I use a Kitchen strainer when nems need isolate.

As far as getting a nems out, there is a sticky in the clownfish and anemone section on building and using the @Eagle_Steve nem Cannon. Really sick nems aren't as likely to climb the tube, but having the tool around can make relocating a nem a lot less frustrating.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

Dang...now Im nervous about what I just bought. beautiful nem (the green one)

Not sure if this green one is considered to be an "acid washed" one but you might ask them, they are pretty responsive on their online chat. I got a response in a couple of minutes.

To me, this is all More the reason they should be keeping back broodstock and aquaculturing them for the future as to not be dependant on the supply chain of collection and transport.

It doesn't sound like many have had luck with the acid wash. I'd love to see one grown out. 3-4" if anyone has one.

Totally agree, would love to see this too.

As far as getting a nems out, there is a sticky in the clownfish and anemone section on building and using the @Eagle_Steve nem Cannon.

Yeah I figured it would not work on him and he ended up falling into the rock swim-thru the next day so I was able to get him. I did get the supplies for a cannon after that just in case I needed in the future but have not put it together nor have I used one yet!