Where did my RBTA go?

7

737mech

For about 2 weeks my RBTA has been restless and has moved off the rocks and onto 1 of my corner overflow boxes. It's moved all over that overflow box for the last few days always teasing the overflow teeth.
This morning I looked in the tank and wasn't able to find it any where. I thought well maybe it went back down onto the rock but on the back side where I couldn't see it. I waited till the lights came on to investigate further.
I found it in an unlikely spot. It had gotten itself inside that same corner overflow box and has it's foot on the durso where I can't ease it off. :x
I thought if I waited it out it will move. Well sure enough it did. It went into the durso. I actually caught it as it was trying this. I shut off that overflow box and it finally retreated out of there. Unfortunately it is still where I can't get to it. It also looks upset. Guess it took a beating lately!
I was looking at it hanging upside down when I noticed there is another RBTA on the durso, but much further down. That one looks happy. So it looks like this stressful event has created another RBTA.
That's cool, but I made the newbie mistake (when I made my dursos) of cementing the pieces together. This is my problem. I've thrown an airstone in the overflow box since I have it basically shut off. That original RBTA is still close enough to get sucked in again. I can't unscrew it from the bulkhead fitting because it hits the sides of the tank or box.
Any ideas would be great at this point. Thanks....
 
If you have room to get your hand in there, I would gently get your fingernail under the foot and nudge it off the durso.

If you have to, you can siphon out some water to make the anemone dangle and hopefully it will let go to drop down into the 'safe' water just below it.
 
Thanks Marc. Neither one has moved much. Of course when I'd like them to move they won't. I haven't tried lowering the water level in the box yet. If I understand you correctly, just lower the level so the foot is exposed to air and leave the rest in the water and it'll want to let go.
What do you recommend I do with it then? Should I keep it in a specimen drilled container hanging in the tank? It might be more beat up than I originally realized. I don't have a clear view on it on the durso.
 
Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. If you have some type of soft plastic tool, similar to a bowl scraper, you might be able to get in there and work it off, but I'm thinking gravity might help. If it starts to work, you might lower the water a fraction more to encourage it to give up and drop. Then get it out quick before it attaches somewhere else.

I would put it in the main tank somewhere with the pumps off until it grabs onto something. If it takes too long, add an airstone to maintain oxygen levels.

Today Frank called me up to tell me that he lost a number of fish to a reef display in his store. Last night he forgot to turn the return pump back on before he left, and his tank did what mine did a month ago.
 
Your ideas worked! I was able to get one of them out of there. The other one got away from me and sank to the bottom. I was trying not to take my canopy off since it's so heavy/ awkward to remove by myself. Ended taking it off later anyway :x

Edit:
Finally I got the other one out of the overflow box. They are both attached to rock for now. I hope they both make it. Looks like it tore it's way through the teeth in the overflow.
 
Congrats!

You know, with a big enough siphon hose, you could have sucked the anemone right out into a bucket. ;)

Today I siphoned out a huge aiptasia out via airline tubing. :twisted: It's finally out of Casper's tank!
 
Wow you got aiptasia out with airline tubing. That's cool. It always seems to retreat into the rock when I've done that. My aiptasia is pretty small.
Thanks for all your help Marc!
Well this morning I was showing my wife the 2 RBTAs and I was saying here's one over to the right and the other one is.....?????? I couldn't find it :? Then she says, oh there it is and points to the intake screen of my maxijet :shock: This thing just wants to die. I think it needs some meds prescribed. After turning it off it took it awhile and it finally got itself out of there. I decided to try it out in my other tank. It's staying put a bit better in that tank. It hasn't been but a few hours since it's been added to the other tank, so I'm keeping an eye on it. This hobby sure can be stressful sometimes.
Marc, will their mouths grow back together? Is there anything I need to add to the water to help with this?
 
They will heal if they can stay out of your powerheads. :wink:

Within 3 days of splitting, try to feed them a little bit of krill or shrimp (pea sized) to give it a little nourishment to build up some energy.
 
Just thought I'd give a quick update. Both anemones are doing good. They both are accepting food. The one that I moved to the 38 has a host too. I came home yesterday to find my false perc zipping in and out of it. She slept in there last night.
Thanks again for all the help.
 
That's nice to hear. Thanks for the update.
 
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