Help Anemone take over!!!!

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

So about 7 months ago I started with one golf ball sized anemone, that has now split into about 13. The local fish store said that they would buy them from me, but I can’t seem to get them off. Any ideas how to get them off. Or am I stuck with them. It is getting hard to clean and get rid of all the aptasia the tank cause everyone I stick my arm in they all wrap my whole arm up.

Any and all help appreciated.

nature786 · Jan 4, 2018

Direct strong flow has always worked for me
Or just pull out the rock and split it.

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

Just realized I posted this in the wrong place. I’m goin to delete and re post. I have tried all that with no luck

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

Just realized I don’t know how to delete this thread with Tapatalk

jace · Jan 4, 2018

Zackmoo said:
So about 7 months ago I started with one golf ball sized anemone, that has now split into about 13. The local fish store said that they would buy them from me, but I can’t seem to get them off. Any ideas how to get them off. Or am I stuck with them. It is getting hard to clean and get rid of all the aptasia the tank cause everyone I stick my arm in they all wrap my whole arm up.

Any and all help appreciated.

That is a good problem...to remove find an edge that is not adhered too tightly and carefully and lightly pull it away from rock...do not force it. This will take time and alot of patience. U can use a butter knife or something with smooth but not sharp surface...its best if u remove it and place in a shallow container with tank water and sit down somewhere to do this cuz it may take some time. If anemone is adhered tightly all around you can get a coral cutter and chip away a small corner of rock where base is but don't cut into anemone. This will free a corner of anemone to try to pull it off. Or an easy way is break the rock. Good luck.

kyleinpdx · Jan 4, 2018

Zackmoo said:
Just realized I don’t know how to delete this thread with Tapatalk

I dont believe us regular users have the ability to delete posts regardless of what mechanism you're using to access the site.

Now to the nem's, if you've already tried a power head you can take out one of the rocks they are attached to and hold it upside down over a bucket of saltwater. Eventually gravity and being PO'ed about not being in water will cause the anemone to let go. OR put an ice cube in a plastic bag and hold it near (but not directly on) the nem's foot, this should also aggravate it enough to begin to detach. If that doesnt work, sell the rock and anemones to the LFS and buy some new rock.

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

jace said:
That is a good problem...to remove find an edge that is not adhered too tightly and carefully and lightly pull it away from rock...do not force it. This will take time and alot of patience. U can use a butter knife or something with smooth but not sharp surface...its best if u remove it and place in a shallow container with tank water and sit down somewhere to do this cuz it may take some time. If anemone is adhered tightly all around you can get a coral cutter and chip away a small corner of rock where base is but don't cut into anemone. This will free a corner of anemone to try to pull it off. Or an easy way is break the rock. Good luck.

That’s a good idea to move it to a smaller tank to work at it. I would not have done this. Keep my arms from dying when I try and pull them out. Thanks

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

kyleinpdx said:
I dont believe us regular users have the ability to delete posts regardless of what mechanism you're using to access the site.

Now to the nem's, if you've already tried a power head you can take out one of the rocks they are attached to and hold it upside down over a bucket of saltwater. Eventually gravity and being PO'ed about not being in water will cause the anemone to let go. OR put an ice cube in a plastic bag and hold it near (but not directly on) the nem's foot, this should also aggravate it enough to begin to detach. If that doesnt work, sell the rock and anemones to the LFS and buy some new rock.

I have not tried the gravity thing. I have tried the ice cube thing though, I had a little luck. But my arms got tired from holding an ice cube in the tank for 45 mins haha

derek yoonie · Jan 4, 2018

icoe didnt workf or me , get something like a cc and scrape them off slowly

cincyfishguy · Jan 4, 2018

kyleinpdx said:
hold it upside down over a bucket of saltwater. Eventually gravity and being PO'ed about not being in water will cause the anemone to let go

I've done this with success. I had about 25% of him in the water and just left the rock sitting across a bigger Tupperware. Took him about 15-20 minutes to pop off the rock. I've tried the ice thing and it worked on the one edge i could get well with the ice but due to the rock shape I wasn't able to get all the way around.

randy4083 · Jan 4, 2018

There pretty big how long have you it and what do you feed yours

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

cincyfishguy said:
I've done this with success. I had about 25% of him in the water and just left the rock sitting across a bigger Tupperware. Took him about 15-20 minutes to pop off the rock. I've tried the ice thing and it worked on the one edge i could get well with the ice but due to the rock shape I wasn't able to get all the way around.

There is a couple on the top, close to the rim. When I do water changes they are almost all the way out of the water. They start to sag but I have never noticed them letting go.

Zackmoo · Jan 4, 2018

randy4083 said:
There pretty big how long have you it and what do you feed yours

I believe the really big one is the one I started with. So around 7 months. But the smaller ones vary it’s hard to keep track of that many. I started off giving the original one just a squirt of. Mysis shrimp. But that turned into I can’t feed enough because the anemones take about half of the food that I put in.