Pesty RBTA

[2clowns]

My brother-n-laws has a 28Gal Nanocube. He bought a RBTA and of course it has split which is great to me, as mine did the same. His on the other hand has wiped out some of his prize zoas and polys. My question is how to get it to release without destroying the rock which has a lot of other corals on it. He's really leery of turn the mp10 on it to make it release so that we can rehome it. I'm trying to find a reefsafe method. As he wants to kill it and I think that's a sin. So if there are solutions please let me know?

 

[tkh]

Can you get to its foot? Just run your finger gently around the base of the foot and it should eventually let go. Don't kill it! Re-home it, someone here would love to have one!

 

[Top Water]

If its been on the move its ez to remove take a pointy stick and work at the edge of its foot slowly and peal it off like you would a city sticker with a razor blade on your windshield but don't use a razor blade on the nem just the the same back and forth motion with a stick.

 

[2clowns]

Thanks for the idea. When he gets home I'll try to get him to try it. I'm against killing it. Our cousin has my brother-n-laws old biocube 14 gal. So I would love to get it into his tank to have a real home. He already has one Percula clown, and will be getting a second. So it should do well in his tank. Just to get it out and re-homed.

 

[2clowns]

He's at work right now and I just sent him a text to see where it is on the rock. I don't think that it's moving though. I hope that it isn't in one of the wholes in the Pukani?

 

[tkh]

It might be, the big thing when massaging / irritating the foot of the 'nem is to just not injure the foot! Bug the anemone enough though, and it should let go. Good luck!

 

[2clowns]

Thanks. I want to keep it from stressing the Nem . I hope this works. I just wanted to turn the mp 10 on it to get to let go. But he's worried about the sand storm.

 

[jm23]

If the nem is inflated and you can lift the rock, then hold the rock an inch above the water and eventually the nem will let go. Don't hold the nem completely out of the water as it's own weight will tear its foot off the rock and possibly injure it. It worked for me when one of my nems moved on me.

 

[2clowns]

Great. We'll go through and try each one. I'll let everyone know which one worked

 

[skunkmere]

i had a couple on a porous rock, i hung the rock upside down for a while over a bucket, dry. it was pissed off, i then put it back in the tank with a Powerhead pointing at it. it moved a day later.

 

[TangPolice]

if its been on the move its ez to remove take a pointy stick and work at the edge of its foot slowly and peal it off like you would a city sticker with a razor blade on your windshield but don't use a razor blade on the nem just the the same back and forth motion with a stick.

= 100 on that

 

[2clowns]

He doesn't want to deal with the sand storm. But I told him when we roll the tank to the other side of the room we're going to get that anyway.

 

[1mg]

just move the rock. I have had a nem for over a month and it has not stopped moving. the only try where they are happy so move him and it will try and move back.

 

[2clowns]

OK I finally talked to him and he said that he was going to try and hold the rock partially out of the water and rub the foot to get it to release. This will be this weekend. I'll be sure to post the results.

 

[2clowns]

Mike it has been in the same place on the rock since splitting. This even after moving the entire tank from apt to house. We removed all of the livestock and rocks and moved it all and re-set it up. This guy likes his spot.

 

[FlyinBryan]

The only luck I ever had in getting rid of RBTA's is breaking the rock. Which sucks because live rock doesn't just break it just crumbles. I drop them into a bucket of sw and bring back to LFS.

I have 3 now 4 (down from 9 after only buying 1) of these dumb things, IMO I think they're just costly nuisance algae. They take up the very best locations in the tank preventing me from putting anything near these dumb things. I'll never buy them again, my clown fish never ever go near the dumb things and are doing great. I plan on getting rid of all of them soon.

 

[RanDigglers]

They can be a nuisance, and if you have an sps tank, save your self the trouble and don't get one. I've used a credit card with some luck in prying them off. If they've attached themselves to the glass its easier. Otherwise, if they are on a rock, try to find a place they hate and hopefully they will move and you can scoop them up when they are "walking".

 

[marty]

Use a Dremel tool to cut off the part of LR where the RBTA is attached. Or put the RBTA upside down but make sure the tips are touching the water their weight will force them to detach form the LR. I worked for me several times ..... Good luck

 

[cet98]

you can also try the ice cube against the foot technique....they will generally release their foot upon contact with cold...just don't hold the ice cube on it indefinately....

 

[2clowns]

Unfortunately he has done nothing to the RBTA. But he's been neglecting the tank. But he hasn't killed anything though, which is good.