Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
Glad to hear someone out there remembers 'Mfufu!
She is a hottie
She is a hottie
patrickb's Anemone Propogation Tank
- Thread starter patrickb
- Start date
Benaminh
Guest
Patrick, please lemme know if you have a Colorado Sunburst for sale. Did you or Icon ever track down a Flame or Lemondrop? I have a healthy 4" Neon Pseudochromis, 3.5" Blue Tang, and small seahare available to defray the cost if you're interested. The trade is not a dealbreaker, I can always unload the fish some other way, but I am serious about buying the BTA. The best way to reach me is by phone: SF area code 7 two too 8 one seven 7. Thank you.
patrickb
Guest
Darn Benaminh! Where were you when I was trying to offload 6 of them last winter? 
Unfortunately, I only have 1 Sunburst right now. Its getting pretty big so I'm thinking about splitting it in the next month or two. If you want one right away you can head over to Aquatic Central and buy one of the 3 that I sold to Chris. I think they're going for $300 or so though.
I'm still working on getting a lemon drop but I don't have one of those yet. I plan on getting a Rainbow Anemone in the next month or so and if its nice I plan on propagating it. I'll post pics when I get it.
Patrick
Unfortunately, I only have 1 Sunburst right now. Its getting pretty big so I'm thinking about splitting it in the next month or two. If you want one right away you can head over to Aquatic Central and buy one of the 3 that I sold to Chris. I think they're going for $300 or so though.
I'm still working on getting a lemon drop but I don't have one of those yet. I plan on getting a Rainbow Anemone in the next month or so and if its nice I plan on propagating it. I'll post pics when I get it.
Patrick
patrickb
Guest
I will never buy another anemone online again. About 3 pages back in this blog I explain a problem I had with an online vendor and how I thought his definition of "Flame Anemone" left a whole lot to be desired. I would highly recommend that you only buy anemones that have a solid, known lineage or that you actually see for yourself in person.
Anyways, the top anemone you posted is called a Flame Anemone or a Candy Corn Anemone. the third anemone from the top is the Colorado Sunburst Anemone. The other anemones you posted are pretty awesome looking, especially the "Inferno" anemone. I don't know all their names and a lot of them are pretty similar (there a bunch of variations of the rainbow anemone for instance).
I'm always on the lookout for anemones and there are couple of people in this club that have some really awesome ones (the best looking lemondrop anemone for instance or a cool green and purple bta). My hope is that we can really start to propagate them and hopefully put a little dent on the imported wild caught ones.
Patrick
Anyways, the top anemone you posted is called a Flame Anemone or a Candy Corn Anemone. the third anemone from the top is the Colorado Sunburst Anemone. The other anemones you posted are pretty awesome looking, especially the "Inferno" anemone. I don't know all their names and a lot of them are pretty similar (there a bunch of variations of the rainbow anemone for instance).
I'm always on the lookout for anemones and there are couple of people in this club that have some really awesome ones (the best looking lemondrop anemone for instance or a cool green and purple bta). My hope is that we can really start to propagate them and hopefully put a little dent on the imported wild caught ones.
Patrick
Coral reefer
Past President
Maybe you need to speak at a meeting on how to design, setup, and maintain a nem prop system as well as a demo of manual splitting? Hint hint!
Benaminh
Guest
Patrick, thanks for the update. I'm in no rush and will wait if you offer a lower price. I remember when numerous rainbows first arrived in SoCal early 90's, they cost between $80 - $150. Any opinion on the flame or candy corn, have you tracked one down? I am very reluctant to buy these online, lots of people have been burned, no pun intended, with less than vibrant colors. I wish sellers would post pics with regular 14K or 20K MH lighting instead of solely actinics or blue LEDs; it's almost false advertising.
What's this pretty color morph called?
Is it the same as CC's "Inferno"?
Gonzo Fragss Colorado Sunburst:
The rest of the pics below are of SC's overpriced signature BTA. It's the same anemone but daughter splits in different people's tanks. Is it just me or are the colors rather average unlike the first 3 pics below? Is it photoshop or maybe the colors get brighter with time as the daughter 'nems mature? *shrug*:
What's this pretty color morph called?
Is it the same as CC's "Inferno"?
Gonzo Fragss Colorado Sunburst:
The rest of the pics below are of SC's overpriced signature BTA. It's the same anemone but daughter splits in different people's tanks. Is it just me or are the colors rather average unlike the first 3 pics below? Is it photoshop or maybe the colors get brighter with time as the daughter 'nems mature? *shrug*:
Benaminh
Guest
patrickb said:
Oh? Some BAR members already have the best looking Lemondrops but won't share? That's a shame. We all know how easy it is to loose a whole livestock collection due to unforeseen circumstances. All of these high end RBTA should be circulating in the DBTC at the very least, but that's JMHO.
Coral reefer
Past President
Well...even if they were in dbtc you wouldn't know because you can't see those forums...
But seriously, how much is a lemon drop, and where do you get one? Let's do it and start up the dbtc program you want to exist!
But seriously, how much is a lemon drop, and where do you get one? Let's do it and start up the dbtc program you want to exist!
Benaminh
Guest
iCon, I accept your challenge (if I ever find one) I've been keeping fish since 1985 and feel that this stranglehold on LE corals and artificially jacked up prices has got to stop. Just feed the Lemondrop plenty of scallop and it should split naturally, or a razorblade right down the middle once big enough. I only need one or two, not a dozen. What happened to all your high end anemones? I agree with Patrick that the hobby will make less of an environmental impact if it's self sustaining. I generally choose tank-raised anything over wild caught. Only exception is when wild caught is clearly superior like in clarkii clowns, but even that discrepancy is changing. Tank bred true perculas are starting to rival WC, and with multiple companies in operation now many of our marine ornamental fish are being farmed instead of imported (just imagine TR Moorish Idols that eat pellets). As long as the pricing is competitive it will change buying habits.
I also believe hobby clubs make great fish/plant/coral genetic repositories. People get in'n'out and back into the hobby all the time, and it sucks to start from scratch. The same thing when disease outbreaks, tank crashes, or natural disasters wipe out collections.
I've been keeping fish since 1985 and feel that this stranglehold on LE corals and artificially jacked up prices has got to stop. Just feed the Lemondrop plenty of scallop and it should split naturally, or a razorblade right down the middle once big enough. I only need one or two, not a dozen. What happened to all your high end anemones? I agree with Patrick that the hobby will make less of an environmental impact if it's self sustaining. I generally choose tank-raised anything over wild caught. Only exception is when wild caught is clearly superior like in clarkii clowns, but even that discrepancy is changing. Tank bred true perculas are starting to rival WC, and with multiple companies in operation now many of our marine ornamental fish are being farmed instead of imported (just imagine TR Moorish Idols that eat pellets). As long as the pricing is competitive it will change buying habits.I also believe hobby clubs make great fish/plant/coral genetic repositories. People get in'n'out and back into the hobby all the time, and it sucks to start from scratch. The same thing when disease outbreaks, tank crashes, or natural disasters wipe out collections.
fingerwrinkles
Guest
Hi guys ... a few folks in the club have been trying to do this for some time - Patrick leading the charge at this time but others such as myself (and Jason also comes to mind) have long set up anemone prop tanks to try and cultivate these less common specimens. The main issue is trying to find viable stock that will survive the stress of manual division (assuming they will not split on their own). A few years ago I was fortunate enough to have a specimen similar to the candy corn morph and another that was solid golden yellow. Unfortunately the golden yellow one never really acclimated to captivity and while the candy corn one did split (and I gave the splits to a couple advanced aquarists to keep "just in case") none of the splits survived long term.
Also to Patrick's point, you can never really trust what you see online as it is sort of like what I hear the dating sites are like ... a great story about how fabulous something is / looks but then when the big moment arrives you find out that there's been a fair bit of creative storytelling and photoediting. I've had multiple experiences like Patrick's where I've been on extended (year plus) waiting lists and have had very specific conversations with vendors about what I supposedly was acquiring. Sadly when the box finally arrived and was opened, what I saw looked like it had gone through multiple laundry cycles with bleach. I suspect that the vendors knew thay had tried to pass off something with a bit of monkeybusiness, as they relatively quickly offered credit towards other items when pressed about the possible misrepresentation.
Still, I, like Patrick and others, are very much on the active lookout for the specimens we all seek, and we have well aged prop systems set up and ready to go should we find a specimen that qualifies. As for getting one and quickly unwrapping the razor blade, these creatures are so few and far between that I personally believe (and others may easily disagree) that the best approach is to ensure they are in a healthy and stable state before attempting any manual division. Even better, if you can somehow induce a natural split first (which was my approach with the candy corn morph I had several years ago), then you have one to take a risk on while keeping the parent of a proven splitter intact. If the manual division is successful, then fantastic. However, if it goes south as these often do, at least you have your broodstock intact and should have another one to experiment on within a short period of time.
Apologies to everyone for the long post, but I felt compelled to jump in and let some folks know that there are those of us in the club who are trying to make this happen for the club members. The reason we just don't trumpet it about is (1) we have not yet had success in acquiring specimens and splitting them long term, and (2) it's nice not to have to answer PMs every 4th day asking to be put on a waiting list for a split! Yes ... somehow even folks who are not on this board find the posts and will pursue you over many months to give them a clone even though you don't have any!
Anyhow, with all this being said, please everyone keep your eyes out in case you see any potential broodstock as Patrick, I , and a couple others would be very keen to obtain specimens that we could hopefully cultivate locally.
Also to Patrick's point, you can never really trust what you see online as it is sort of like what I hear the dating sites are like ... a great story about how fabulous something is / looks but then when the big moment arrives you find out that there's been a fair bit of creative storytelling and photoediting. I've had multiple experiences like Patrick's where I've been on extended (year plus) waiting lists and have had very specific conversations with vendors about what I supposedly was acquiring. Sadly when the box finally arrived and was opened, what I saw looked like it had gone through multiple laundry cycles with bleach. I suspect that the vendors knew thay had tried to pass off something with a bit of monkeybusiness, as they relatively quickly offered credit towards other items when pressed about the possible misrepresentation.
Still, I, like Patrick and others, are very much on the active lookout for the specimens we all seek, and we have well aged prop systems set up and ready to go should we find a specimen that qualifies. As for getting one and quickly unwrapping the razor blade, these creatures are so few and far between that I personally believe (and others may easily disagree) that the best approach is to ensure they are in a healthy and stable state before attempting any manual division. Even better, if you can somehow induce a natural split first (which was my approach with the candy corn morph I had several years ago), then you have one to take a risk on while keeping the parent of a proven splitter intact. If the manual division is successful, then fantastic. However, if it goes south as these often do, at least you have your broodstock intact and should have another one to experiment on within a short period of time.
Apologies to everyone for the long post, but I felt compelled to jump in and let some folks know that there are those of us in the club who are trying to make this happen for the club members. The reason we just don't trumpet it about is (1) we have not yet had success in acquiring specimens and splitting them long term, and (2) it's nice not to have to answer PMs every 4th day asking to be put on a waiting list for a split! Yes ... somehow even folks who are not on this board find the posts and will pursue you over many months to give them a clone even though you don't have any!
Anyhow, with all this being said, please everyone keep your eyes out in case you see any potential broodstock as Patrick, I , and a couple others would be very keen to obtain specimens that we could hopefully cultivate locally.
bondolo
Guest
Don't apologize for the amount of detail! It's truly fascinating. As someone who's had trouble in the past keeping any anemones alive I believe it must take a lot of dedication to go to the expense and effort of trying to improve propagation. Thank you for pursuing this.
(I can't imagine taking a razor blade to a $250 nem... :O )
I'm curious if there would be a way to practice and refine the husbandry techniques, ie. feeding & lighting, cutting, healing, etc on cheaper anemones? I know that there are some rose bubble tips that naturally split (or unnaturally depending who you ask) like crazy which probably wouldn't be good candidates. Are there other varieties which you can use to experiment upon and "perfect" the propagation techniques? Are you already doing something like this?
Is MBI working on anemones at all?
Good luck with being able to succeed!
(I can't imagine taking a razor blade to a $250 nem... :O )
I'm curious if there would be a way to practice and refine the husbandry techniques, ie. feeding & lighting, cutting, healing, etc on cheaper anemones? I know that there are some rose bubble tips that naturally split (or unnaturally depending who you ask) like crazy which probably wouldn't be good candidates. Are there other varieties which you can use to experiment upon and "perfect" the propagation techniques? Are you already doing something like this?
Is MBI working on anemones at all?
Good luck with being able to succeed!
fingerwrinkles
Guest
Mike, the division process is pretty simple and has been done on many of the more readily available morphs of BTA. However, since this is not a 100% success proposition, that chance of failure is what makes one want to be cautious when thinking of doing manual division to a specimen that is uncommon to rare. The real risk is not the process, it's making sure that the animal you choose to do this with is not only healthy, but also strong enough to survive the division. Even then, and even if you do everything "right", an animal may not survive the division simply because it goes into shock or is not capable of surviving the procedure.
This is what makes the process challenging and givevs one pause before taking the knife to something that comes along perhaps once every few years.
This is what makes the process challenging and givevs one pause before taking the knife to something that comes along perhaps once every few years.
Benaminh
Guest
Coral reefer said:
I talked to a shop yesterday that might have some coming. He's had Lemondrops in the past and contacting his sources, cost is about $200. Maybe you can hit him up for BAR sponsorship? Interestingly enough, he no longer imports the CandyCorn tricolors from Asia because they have a low survival rate.
I contacted Coral Collection about their "Inferno" tricolor ($300), they're waiting on their local guy and don't know how long it will take. I need to call them again and see if they have one in their display tank or refer me to their farmer. Their shop is one mile away from my parents' house in SoCal, so I want to eyeball their morph's color next time I'm down there.
Coral reefer
Past President
Good stuff, keep me posted!
Vincerama2
Guest
My tank is the anemone breeding champ of the world. I don't know why. RBTAs everywhere, "purple tipped green" (in actuality mostly brown) have split again and again. Not to mention the fricken mushrooms everywhere. Oh and I grow a mean aiptasia! LOL!
I'll be selling off some of these common anemone soon, likely when I get my 180 set up, a bunch of these guys will NOT be going along.
And I agree that it would be nice to shove some of the "rare" nems into DBTC, but I also understand that if you paid $300 for an anemone, you'd probably like to recoup some of that cost with the clones. But if you put it into DBTC and your tank crashes, you'll mostly guarantee a free back up.
V
I'll be selling off some of these common anemone soon, likely when I get my 180 set up, a bunch of these guys will NOT be going along.
And I agree that it would be nice to shove some of the "rare" nems into DBTC, but I also understand that if you paid $300 for an anemone, you'd probably like to recoup some of that cost with the clones. But if you put it into DBTC and your tank crashes, you'll mostly guarantee a free back up.
V
