Help!! Anenomes out of control

[lou dog420]

BTAs are trying to take over my tank. I went from having one to about twenty. I am getting really frustrated and just want them all gone. I have tried just going in and ripping them out, but they just want let go. How do I get them out??

 

[Eagle_Steve]

BTAs are trying to take over my tank. I went from having one to about twenty. I am getting really frustrated and just want them all gone. I have tried just going in and ripping them out, but they just want let go. How do I get them out??

Powehead pointed right at them, when they let go, grab them and carry to lfs for some store credit.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Powehead pointed right at them, when they let go, grab them and carry to lfs for some store credit.

Also a trick for small clones is a frozen spoon to the foot. When I have some pop small clones, thats my go to.

 

[Thor2j]

I stick a wooden skewer through bottom of foot when nothing else works. They let go and really doesnt seem to damage them.

 

[lou dog420]

I stick a wooden skewer through bottom of foot when nothing else works. They let go and really doesnt seem to damage them.

I think I will give that a try.,thanks

 

[will424]

Tried power head to remove a few I had didn’t work at all, it will work but takes a lot of time, tried the hang the anemone over a 5 gallon bucket out of water and they will detach but that also took a really long time and never really detached fully. What worked was I took the rock of out the water and took a flat head and a hammer and broke the piece of the rock with the anemone on it. Fastest and easiest way

 

[Triggreef]

If you can get the rock out... Break it up. If not gotta find the foot and use some tool to pretty it up and peel it away from the rock. You'll probly end up with a few more than you already have when your done lol

 

[jd371]

I'm in the same situation but not that many, just running out of real estate and encroaching on other corals. I'm setting up a nem tank and will move the rock with all the BTA's over. I temporarily glued rock rubble around them to keep them from getting too close to other corals. I noticed that some of them moved onto the rock rubble which would have been easy to break off with the BTA attached, you can try doing that. Depending on their location you can cover one with a PVC long enough where it needs to move through it to get to the light, once all of it is in the PVC remove it with the BTA.

 

[mtraylor]

I would also check to see if anything is stressing anemones to make them split so often such as pests or water parms

 

[Captain Quint]

I have 17 currently and when I want to donate any, I hang the LR it is attached to over a bucket with a bit of tank water. It takes a few minutes but they will release and fall into the bucket.

If small LR, place over some wooden dowels or something similar to keep rock positioned over the bucket as you will not want to hold the rock for the time it takes.

100% safe release rate for me and no tears using an approach like this. JMO and IME

 

[cincyfishguy]

I've used ice cubes. Works some times. To many healthy corals is a good problem to have!

 

[Captain Quint]

I've used ice cubes. Works some times. To many healthy corals is a good problem to have!

+1 I've also used the ice pack method working from the outer edge of the foot to inner slowly as it releases.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have 17 currently and when I want to donate any, I hang the LR it is attached to over a bucket with a bit of tank water. It takes a few minutes but they will release and fall into the bucket.

If small LR, place over some wooden dowels or something similar to keep rock positioned over the bucket as you will not want to hold the rock for the time it takes.

100% safe release rate for me and no tears using an approach like this. JMO and IME

Of all the approaches I've tried over the years, this one is by far the most humane IMHO. And while hanging upside down, if the foot is visible, you can use some small instrument to work at the edge of the foot and encourage the nem to let go.