Capturing Anemones - It Works!

[MtnDewMan]

Needed to remove an anemone as I don't want my tank being an anemone tank, I prefer it to be an SPS tank. So tried the little plastic pipe trick and it took a day for it to follow the light and then another couple of days to attach within the pipe (although I haven't pulled the pipe out yet to see if it is 100% attached to the pipe but will sometime today). But it was a pretty painless process and worked real well.

 

[blaxsun]

I'll have to remember this!

 

[MtnDewMan]

It was attached to the plastic fitting. Now it is resting in it's own holding cell

 

[ReefNewbie909]

What do you mean it followed the light? I started with 2 small Nems and now I have 11. My clowns won’t go near and I can’t pull them off the rocks. I want to isolate a few with my clowns.

 

[MtnDewMan]

What do you mean it followed the light? I started with 2 small Nems and now I have 11. My clowns won’t go near and I can’t pull them off the rocks. I want to isolate a few with my clowns.

When you put the fitting around the anemone, you are depriving it of a light source. So the anemone will naturally expand through the fitting toward the light on the other side of the fitting. If the fitting is long enough the anemone will detach from the rock and attach itself within the fitting. Then you just pull the entire fitting (with the anemone attached).

 

[ReefNewbie909]

When you put the fitting around the anemone, you are depriving it of a light source. So the anemone will naturally expand through the fitting toward the light on the other side of the fitting. If the fitting is long enough the anemone will detach from the rock and attach itself within the fitting. Then you just pull the entire fitting (with the anemone attached).

Thanks. I’ve got a bunch of fittings I can try that one.

 

[MtnDewMan]

Thanks. I’ve got a bunch of fittings I can try that one.

You can use anything, doesn't have to be a fitting. Can be a length of plastic tubing, pvc, whatever you can to get it to get into the tube and get it to detach from the rock. You will need to secure it somehow, as the anemone may just push it out of the way.

 

[ggNoRe]

I still don't fully understand can you give more details please. Desperately trying to remove this guy before he kills my HG torch. It's almost 10 inches across

 

[ying yang]

Safe and Easy DIY way to remove Nems

Due to seeing numerous post recently about how to remove anemones and shrooms without hurting them or destroying rock work. I felt like this was in order. First off, a little back story. Years ago, when I lived in Florida and collected aquatic life on a regular basis, we always had issues with...

www.reef2reef.com

Another very similar variation here

 

[MtnDewMan]

I still don't fully understand can you give more details please. Desperately trying to remove this guy before he kills my HG torch. It's almost 10 inches across

You will need to fiddle with the anemone until it deflates quite a lot. Then you place the fitting or pipe around the deflated anemone against the rock. You may need to use some foam block against the rock as well to keep the anemone from going around the pipe. It has to stay snug in place. Once in place it will take some time but the anemone will seek the light source on the other end of the pipe by stretching itself through the pipe. If you are lucky it will eventually detach from the rock and reattach to the pipe. Once it does that you just remove the pipe along with the anemone.

 

[MtnDewMan]

Safe and Easy DIY way to remove Nems

Due to seeing numerous post recently about how to remove anemones and shrooms without hurting them or destroying rock work. I felt like this was in order. First off, a little back story. Years ago, when I lived in Florida and collected aquatic life on a regular basis, we always had issues with...

www.reef2reef.com

Another very similar variation here

Exactly

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Yup. Just gotta be smarter than the anenome. Lol. Glad it worked out for you
D