Baby Rock Flower Anemones!!!

[Peace River]

I just discovered two little rock flower anemones in my tank! They're in spots where it is hard to get pictures, but they clearly are baby RFAs. I have about 21 RFAs in my 75g reef so it was nice to see them doing their thing. Has anyone else seen new RFAs in their tanks recently?

 

[blaxsun]

I've had a few RFAs disappear recently - does that count?

 

[Cell]

I bet you find more than that. Potentially a lot more. This is my experience:

Cell's Rock Flower Madness

Sometime in early 2020 I added 9 full grown Rock Flower Anemone's to my tank. In November/December of that year, I discovered the first baby. It was a little eraser sized speck glowing brightly in my sandbed. It didn't take very long until found another, then another, then even more. On and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[kevgib67]

I've had a few RFAs disappear recently - does that count?

I think they are in @Peace River ’s tank!

 

[Peace River]

Thanks! I hope so!

I think they are in @Peace River ’s tank!

 

[Peace River]

I bet you find more than that. Potentially a lot more. This is my experience:

Cell's Rock Flower Madness

Sometime in early 2020 I added 9 full grown Rock Flower Anemone's to my tank. In November/December of that year, I discovered the first baby. It was a little eraser sized speck glowing brightly in my sandbed. It didn't take very long until found another, then another, then even more. On and...

www.reef2reef.com

I'm not sure that I will get anywhere near the number that you did, but I have found a few more so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! My RFAs have been very passive for the past year or so and they have been very active recently so we'll see what happens from here!

 

[CoralB]

I get excited when my mushrooms do this

 

[Peace River]

I get excited when my mushrooms do this

Yes, there is something about new life happening in my care! I have worked with a lot of fish that have bred in my tanks (fresh and saltwater), but RFAs breeding is a relatively new experience so I am still excited about these little ones popping up!

 

[Lavey29]

Call me wierd but I'm curious how they do the wild thang and reproduce?

 

[Peace River]

Call me wierd but I'm curious how they do the wild thang and reproduce?

RFAs are weird too!!! It doesn't seem to be as well documented as I would have expected. I think @Ron Reefman and a few others here have shared more about the process than you will find in most of the research literature. The summary version (as I understand it), is that the eggs are spit out into the water column and then accepted into a receiving RFA where the little ones develop and then are released back out into the water column when further developed. Because RFAs only have one opening, all of the food, waste, and reproduction stuff takes place in that chamber.

 

[ReeferTang44]

I get excited when my mushrooms do this

How often does your mushroom do that

 

[Ron Reefman]

RFAs are weird too!!! It doesn't seem to be as well documented as I would have expected. I think @Ron Reefman and a few others here have shared more about the process than you will find in most of the research literature. The summary version (as I understand it), is that the eggs are spit out into the water column and then accepted into a receiving RFA where the little ones develop and then are released back out into the water column when further developed. Because RFAs only have one opening, all of the food, waste, and reproduction stuff takes place in that chamber.

Close. Actually, there are male and female RFAs. The males will release sperm (not eggs) into the water column. This usually happens in the evening... maybe because in the wild, water movement is calmer? Anyway, in an aquarium it can make the water look smokey. The females will intake the sperm and fertilize the eggs they carry.

Then, roughly 25 to 35 days later, the females will start releasing the small babies into the water. Again, more often than not, it seems to happen in the evening. The babies are very small, maybe just 1/8 of an inch in diameter. They can settle out close to the mother if the current in the tank is low or if it goes into a low, night time mode. But they are small and it doesn't take much to spread them anywhere in the tank. And unfortunately, they often end up in the filtration system.

 

[Peace River]

Thanks for the clarification Ron! That's what I get for going from memory and not checking my notes or reviewing our past conversations.

Just a quick update that I have counted 5 tiny new RFAs!!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just discovered two little rock flower anemones in my tank! They're in spots where it is hard to get pictures, but they clearly are baby RFAs. I have about 21 RFAs in my 75g reef so it was nice to see them doing their thing. Has anyone else seen new RFAs in their tanks recently?

I placed two in my tank and have three which indicates a split/reproduction

 

[Peace River]

I placed two in my tank and have three which indicates a split/reproduction

I had about 18 RFAs so my chances were pretty good that this would happen eventually!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had about 18 RFAs so my chances were pretty good that this would happen eventually!

Absolutley

 

[Ryebreadiest]

I placed two in my tank and have three which indicates a split/reproduction

It’s true reproduction, I’ve not heard of them splitting like BTAs.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I do not believe RFAs ever split to reproduce... not EVER! And I've only heard of one person who claimed they cut a RFA and made two from one (like you can easily do with a BTA). I think he was either trolling or misidentified the anemone.

 

[Boehmtown]

Mine just spawned a week ago but the ones from my last spawn are about Pinky nail sized now. I got 10 that I can see from the first spawn. I only have a 29 gallon, I feel like I'm gonna have a pest rock flower problem soon

 

[Boehmtown]

Update if anyone cares, spawns made it. Crappy picture but you can see the new one next to the last spawn

They end up moving a lot before settling, and I'm sure a few get eaten by some equipment by accident. They kinda float around more than walk in the beginning, but they are everywhere again