wild BTA's.. what's your experience?

MarvinsReef · Nov 4, 2012

just wondering what your experience is with wild BTA's. seems like there's some really nice morphs coming out. personally, I have always try to find captive bred clones for my tank but some of the morphs I'm seeing coming from the wild are really nice. I know they are wild since my LFS tells me they are. LoL. sometimes, you can tell too by the way they expand when they are in the LFS. I have bought some in the past but they seem to not fare as well as captive bred clones. seems like captive bred clones are more tolerant. anyway, what's your take?

Thanks.

seamonkey84 · Nov 4, 2012

Unforunelty most places only have wild anemones, as few are aquaculture enough to support wholesale. Unless you get one that says aquacultured/clone them it was wild harvested. Best source for cultured nems are dedicated lfs that get them from locals, and of course clubs and online.
That said, I have 3 rbta currently, two are aqua-cultured, and one is from divers den (Balinese rose) so I'm assuming that its wild, but also my favorite. Since divers den QT and condition their nems before hand, I had no issues after shipping, only three days of me being nervous as it got use to my tank and found a spot it liked.
It really depends on what vendor they come from, and then lfs that gets it doing its part. If you have a good lfs, ask how long it's been there, then you can make a educated decision for yourself as long as you know what to look for (I'm sure you do). Knowing how much you've got in your tank, I would lean on the side of caution and qt any new arrivals to make sure you don't get a nasty bacterial infection in your garden.