How big does your BTA get?

[MarvinsReef]

I've seen some really big ones but average size I see them are around 4"-8". I've read that there's two kinds: one that just gets big, doesn't really split and lives singly and one that splits all the time and never really get too big. which one do you have and how long have you had it?

 

[Saltgator]

Marvin, here's your bump and my responce. Just in my own case, my current RBTA is about 10-12 inches, has never split, but was split from another within a local reefers DT. Going on 2 yrs with me, no bubble tips ever, and prefers to sit right under 1 of 3 of my 250 14k MHs at the water surface. Not sure if it knows that it's a bta and not a ritteria!!!

 

[MarvinsReef]

Marvin, here's your bump and my responce. Just in my own case, my current RBTA is about 10-12 inches, has never split, but was split from another within a local reefers DT. Going on 2 yrs with me, no bubble tips ever, and prefers to sit right under 1 of 3 of my 250 14k MHs at the water surface. Not sure if it knows that it's a bta and not a ritteria!!!

LoL on the last comment. but thanks for the input. trying to learn as much as I can from other people's experience.

 

[Troylee]

According to clowns101 it depends on sex of the nem... Maybe he will chime in...

 

[MarvinsReef]

According to clowns101 it depends on sex of the nem... Maybe he will chime in...

interesting... I hope I pick up the ones that split a lot.

 

[Aquaph8]

Mine also came from another reefers split. I've had it 6 months and it's grown from 5" to around 12". Started really bubbled up but has long tenticles now due to strong flow.

 

[doughboy]

12"

 

[bige]

I had a gbta that was 8 inches for 3 years. It also never bubbled. It never split. But it seems like the reds split more than others.

 

[ultramafic]

Mine at one of its bigger moments.

Probably 18 inches? Ive read that you either get the big ones, or the small ones that split. I don't know about that because my nem was giant, and I just came home to find it split tonight!

 

[Cubbies]

Wow! I love the huge red one the right hand side!

 

[dallas reefer]

I picked up a srbta about.......4mos ago. When I got it it must have been around a month old. It just split last Thursday when it reached about 8-9 inches. So who knows.

 

[Jeppeterpan]

I got one about 6 months ago that was a clone from a friends tank. It already split in my tank . Both of them are under some kessil 150w and I feed them krill or silversides once a week. The mother is about 8 in across and the clone is 6 in. The mom moved to top of tank after split and clone is under it...

 

[CJO]

From what I've read (Advanced Aquaria perhaps?), the females are the larger ones that don't split and the males are smaller and split more often. I have on that is 18"+ and hasn't split in the 9 months I've had it.

CJ

 

[MarvinsReef]

Dang, some of them do really get pretty big!

 

[gfox]

I have RBTA that i have had for 4 years now. It has been spltting at least once or maybe two times a year.It gets to about 6 to 8 inches before it splits,then they are about the same size.I have two in my tank now last split was in August.What type of nem are you interested in Marv?

 

[MarvinsReef]

I have RBTA that i have had for 4 years now. It has been spltting at least once or maybe two times a year.It gets to about 6 to 8 inches before it splits,then they are about the same size.I have two in my tank now last split was in August.What type of nem are you interested in Marv?

I currently have 2 GBTA (split 2 days after being in the tank, original size at the LFS was around 5"-6") & 3 RBTA... one is about 5"-6" when fully expanded, another is about 4" expanded, and the smallest one is about 2" when expanded. if these guys do good in my tank in the next 6 months, I'll explore into getting some of the more exotic ones: flame tip, sunburst, and lemon drop.

 

[returnofsid]

interesting... I hope I pick up the ones that split a lot.

No, you really don't want one that splits a lot...lol. Splitting is not a natural form of reproduction. It doesn't happen, in nature. Splitting is a stress induced behavior. Again, they do not split, in the wild, unless they've been injured.

My RBTA, which I've had for about 6 months, used to split about every 3 months, like clockwork. It hasn't split for over 2 years now. When it split all the time, it was in a 46 bowfront, under 2X96 PC lighting. For the past 2 1/2 years, it's been in a 200DD, under 10X54 T5HO. In the 200, it split the week it was introduced and hasn't split since. I thought it split, a couple of weeks ago, but I was mistaken.

In the 46, it would commonly expand to touch the front and back glass (18"+) In the 200, it's typically about 12" in diameter. In the 46, it was rarely "bubbly," but was some times. In the 200, it's always bubbly.

 

[Joe S]

Mine at one of its bigger moments.
Probably 18 inches? Ive read that you either get the big ones, or the small ones that split. I don't know about that because my nem was giant, and I just came home to find it split tonight!

Yeah I read something similar - there are two eco-phenotypes expressed by BTAs in the wild: 1. larger solitary nems found at deeper depths, and 2. smaller colonial nems found at shallower depths. The smaller colonial nems fission frequently while the larger I assume rely more on sexual repro.

 

[MarvinsReef]

No, you really don't want one that splits a lot...lol. Splitting is not a natural form of reproduction. It doesn't happen, in nature. Splitting is a stress induced behavior. Again, they do not split, in the wild, unless they've been injured.

My RBTA, which I've had for about 6 months, used to split about every 3 months, like clockwork. It hasn't split for over 2 years now. When it split all the time, it was in a 46 bowfront, under 2X96 PC lighting. For the past 2 1/2 years, it's been in a 200DD, under 10X54 T5HO. In the 200, it split the week it was introduced and hasn't split since. I thought it split, a couple of weeks ago, but I was mistaken.

In the 46, it would commonly expand to touch the front and back glass (18"+) In the 200, it's typically about 12" in diameter. In the 46, it was rarely "bubbly," but was some times. In the 200, it's always bubbly.

awesome man! thanks for the input. my tank will be clownfish/anemone tank so I don't think I'll mind the splits, if they do. I will be very happy if my current BTA's become happy and stays about 6"-8" each. that should be a good playground for the clowns. I guess only time will tell what these guys will do. btw, these guys are under 7x54 T5HO Aquactinics Constellation fixture. and my tank is only 22" deep, with sand probably being 2". so my tank is not that deep so they get plenty of light. I'm guessing I won't have to feed them too often, maybe every other week.

 

[Joe S]

No, you really don't want one that splits a lot...lol. Splitting is not a natural form of reproduction. It doesn't happen, in nature. Splitting is a stress induced behavior. Again, they do not split, in the wild, unless they've been injured.

I do not believe this statement is completely correct. Anemones can reproduce asexually for a variety of reasons, in some cases when they are doing very well! It is a different life history strategy, and is not always stress-induced.